The Southern herald., 1900-02-02
.sfN The SON HAD THE DEED.

10y ths toil-eraEpsd, gnarled cid fst
N-n5ylsli g; The sheet With a raspllg pen;
rs',ed Ei,h tremu,0us Quirk anu twist,
siagered, and then went oa again.
re gGn sun peeped through toe wee
patched paEe
And checksred the door whert pale Saams
shone
tsa quaint old kitchen down in Maine,
with an old man writing there alone.
Ard the pen wrought on and the hea'
dropped low
Aad a tear FLASHED down on the rusted
Gel.
lsit traced a verse Of the long ago
That his grief had brought TO his heart
again.
BE kind to thy Sther. for when thou vast
young
Who loved thee so foad,y as he?
de caught the first accents that fell from
thy tongue.
And joined in thy innocent glee.
B. kind 10 Thy father for Eow he Is old.
His locks intcrming,ed with gray;
Ris footsteps are feeble, once fearless and
bold
Thy father is passing away.
sPe kind to thy neither. for. 10! on her brow
May traces Of sorrow be seen.
On. well mayst thou cherish and comfort
her now,
por loving and kind hath she been.
Remember thy mother for thee she will
pray
As Ieng as God giveth her breath
with accents Cf kindness; then cheer heg
hard way
Zen through the dark valley Of death"
LBlessly thrashed in a careless court,
The poor. pain tale Of home was told.
Furrishirg food for the lawyers sport
And a jest at the fond and the foolish old
The counsel said. as he winked an eye;
Decided the farm TO their oa,y son:
And after twas decided they didn't die
Qnite as quick as they should have done
Drearily dragged the homCly case,
Petty and mean in all its parts;
Quest through the law for an old home
place,
But never word of two broken hearts.
o ly a suit where the son and wife
Pledged themselves, when they coaxed
the deed,
To comfort the close of the old folks life:
Only another case where greed
sneered at the toll Of the hard. hard years
OF martyrdom to the hoe and ak,
Writ in wrinkles ard etched in tears
And told in the curve Of the old bent
backs,
Bent in the strife with the rocky soil
When the grinding work was never done
With just one rift in the cloud of toll
Twas all for the sake Of their only SON
Simply a tedious legal maze
With neighbors stirring the thing fol
sport,
And loungers eyirg with llstless gaze
This queer old couple dragged 10 court.
Meelly they would have granted greed
All that 1t sought for-aI its spoil
Little they valued forfeit decd
Nor sel1shly reckoned their years Of toll
HCartseli they while the lawyers urged,
Mute when the law vouehsafed thell
prayer
Courts soothed not such grief as surged
In the hearts Of the old folks trembling
there.
What though the jury's word restored
The walls and roof Of the old home place.
Would it give them back the blessed hoard
OF trust that knew no sons disgrace?
Would it give them back his boyhood
smiles,
His boyhood love, their simple joy?
whiles,
And make him again their own dear boy
Would 1t soothe the smart of the crue
words
OF sullen looks and cold neglect?
And dull the taunts that pierced ike sword
And slashed where the wielders little
reCked?
No; justice gives the walls and roof
To plsled hands a Cancelled deed,
Rebuking with a stem reproof
sons urflial, shameless greed.
But love that made that old home warm
AID hope that mads all labor sweet,
The glow Of peace that shamed the storm
And melted on the pane the sleet,
And faith and truth and loving hearts
And tender trust in follow-men-
An, these, my friend, no lawyers arts
Can give again. can give again.
Holman Day, in Lewiston Journal.