The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-07-21
HIS SEVEN SONS.

man. said Mr. Teakwood refectively
as he shaved a keener edge on the
wooden sword he was making and
sighted along the blade with a discern
ing eye.
Old man Bolivar tilted his chair back
at more reassuring angle and clasped
his hands about his knees in an easy
attitude for listening. George Smith
ceased the soft drawl which he had
been droning into the ears of the store
keeper, and Pendarvis brought in his
buggy cushions and made himself COM
Portable on cracker box.
'Well, what about ole man Free
man2" asked George Smith at last in
an exasperated way.
"Ole man Freeman, he's back on the
ole place, " the story teller finally be-
gan, ''an that boy O. his'n, that Jim,
he's in the little cabin on the Hi Wat
ters place, that cabin where the gal 'ry s
done fell in
"What made i'm mover" asked
George Smith, whose weakness it was
to try to help along with fatuous ques-
tions.
"I been a-knowin old man Freeman
for nigh on to real long time" pur-
sued Mr.. Teakwood meditatively, ''an
it lookt to me like he could do mighty
good job now if he could go back an
bring up his boys over again. It's a
powerful pity, it seems like to me, that
a man can't have but one chance to
raise his children, an if they don't seem
to pan out right that time there ain t
no more show for him. reckon it was
a mighty bad year when ole man Free
man boys begin to grow up
"They was a-plenty of 'em, sech as
they was, remarked old man Bolivar
with quite unusual and unexpected
candor.
"The ole man had seven boys" Mr.
Teakwood went on, with dry inward
chuckle at some memory, IAN if the ole
folks had raised 'em right he could
a set back in his easy cheer an never
done no more work as long as he lived.
He did try the easy cheer game, but il
was everlastin'ly too late. Them boys
had grew up to think that the airtl
was pretty much made SOS they could
have a good time an nothin to do.
"They amt one O. them seven boys
that's worth KILN today, an the ole
mans workin harder today than he die
% year ago.
"But / reckon he thought Jim wal
goin to be somethin. Long last winter
Jim began to shine up to one O. then
Forstall girls-the one with the turn III
| nose-an it would "a made any body
plum sick to have saw the way the ole
man took on.
4" 4 tell you, they's outcome to that
boy O. mine, that Jim. he says to me
rubbin his hands together, pleased al
pie. You wouldn't "a thought they
was that much spunk in Jim, would you
An there he is, sparkin up to that girl
an her gran pa was member O. tn,
legislaterl An shore as yer ivin Jim I
be in the legislator himeslf some day
fur he's got the nerve to try it.
SIT pears like come to know al
about this Freeman business kinder &C
cidental like. You see, long middlii
airly las spring 1 got ole Nance on
day an rode over to ole Freeman fo
to borrer his harrer. was a-gittin m,
garden ready, an it was that grassy i
was plum boun for to be harrered.
"When got over there. Squire Digg
an some more men was jes ridin away
an the ole man met me in, the gal'r.
lookin like he'd been a-cryin an says he
I'm a-fxin for change, Lie, say
he 'Jim's a-goin to get married Sun
day, an me an the old woman is jes
decided this place, an him an his wifi
is a-goin to take keer O. us the balanc
O. our days You don't know how happ,
it makes me feel. I'm a-goin to hav
me big cheer an set out here in tn
galry where kin watch the cows goil
to paster, an Jim plowin in the fu
field, an where the ole woman kin listel
to Jim wife potterin round the house
you know, an kin kinder oversee a,
tell him how TO do things, fur Jim don
know so pesky much about armin.
You better hol' ON tc that deed til
you die, says in a warnin voice, 'an
let the takin keer come first, an, gra
cious, the ole man was SO mad he com
mighty nigh not lettin me have th
, harrer.
"Well, shore enough, Jim he marie
an brung his wife home an got his dee
safe an SCUM, an for good Will
ever thing was as nice as pie. Ever tim
l passed there the ole man an ole won
an 'u'd be settin up in the gal'ry in tw
big cheers, lookin like they owned tn
earth an good sized chunk O. tn
r moon.
"Stid O. fadin away an dyin as any