The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1900-09-06
A CHOSEN VACATION.

| II am gong down 70 bhr niue EehnsyFohM
village where ! sas born 10 give the old
| iriends Of my boyhood the satisfaction Of
| looking at me I'm going TO 10 down 10
the branch where went IN swtmmin'. and
| I'm going to visit the little red sehoolhoass
and make a little spiel 10 the rising genera.
| ton. shall shake hands with the school.
master. or schoolma'am a. the ease may be.
and he or che will beam through his or her
glasses and jingle the little bell.
Then be or she will say: Children, We
have with US to-day gentleman Of whom
you have al heard gentleman Of whom
you must all bc proud one Of the great and
| iAmous men Of our great aud glorious ma
ton, You will have the privilege Of hear
ing him spcak-a privilege, indetd9"
Yes, indeed" growlsd the member who
/ was trying to play solitaire. People would
I pay money TO hear you talk. I'd take II a.
| favor, and the rest Of the club would, too,
| II you'd quit smoking those iilthy cigarettes
about the premises, Give him q cigar some.
| body"
"She will continue. I need not ask you
/ Ia pay strict attention to what Mr. John.
son has 10 say, for nothing that he may tell
! you eau fail 20 excite your interest. For my
/ own part, when reflect that this distin
! guished man was once pupil IN the same
/ schoolhousc, that he Eat at q desk where
| some OF you are now sitting, aud here laid
/ the foundation OF that profound srudjtion
! that has since electrified the whole civilized
/ world say that when ! think Of this feel
ashamed to take my months salary from the
| trustees, knowing that the honor OF teach.
I ing where Mr., johnson once learned Is far
/ beyond = just need foF my trivial services
| Children, Mr.. johnson will now address
| you
Then / shall 60, up and execute a little
song and dance, oppressive Of the gratifea.
| tl0n J feel IN seeing these besming and IN.
| tc.ligcut young faces around me ! shall tell
| them how ! got my start. poring diligently
! over my books at night by the ttiul light Of
E badly trimmed kerosene lamp long after
my good parents had retired 10 rest how
denied myself 10 order to save dime for
another book, aud so stored my mind with
useful knowledge concerning the habits and
methods Of the Piute Indians, train rob.
beers end those acute and courageous men
who, disguised IN various forms Of whisksrs.
move about with stsalihy. panther tread,
tracking the brutal but mutton headed Grim.
NAL TO- his lair shal, relate how ! worked
nay way through college and graduated at the
head Of my eleven | shall txhort them TO
always strive to please their dear teacher
and profit by her prceopts and my own "a.
ample and then ! Will wind up with funny
little story and les them all shake hands
with me
Honesty Il has been the dream Of my
later life TO 20 back 20 the old place and sse
~ the DID, familiar scenes and faces, said
the cigarette smoker, brushing at the aahst
that had fallen on hs waJsto0at and slipping
from biz shoulder blades 20 the nape Of bis
neck with the movement. 81 can think Of
nothing m.rc delightful than a trip Of that
kind aud J always wanted 60 address q
school ia like TO see some OF the girls
used o. F0 with. too.
The man with the merrsshaum Ffuuted.
Then he sltI
Il can tel You al about en- without you
going back II YOU want 90 know. There amt
one OF the bunch You'll find a sweetfacsd,
comedy m1tr1u, with the sacred hght Of
motherhood shining IN her mild eyes az she
smiles 90 the fairhaired, pretty children
that cluster about her knee not one in the
bunch. The cute little one with the black
eyes aud pug nose married Wesley Steb.
bins. and they had trouble and she got a d..
yorro and li' out Tor California, and the last
thing anybody knowcd she was a waitin' or
table =: . railroad =atir' house al Hermosa.
Then there was Mirandy Hopkins. Mirandy
weighs 2l5 pounds now: she's a real heShy
woman. and shS wears cotton IN her ears
and goes siuppiu' around IN a calico Mother
Hubbard an her storkin feet about half the
time When you go 90 sec her you'll snell
onions shes great hand for oniona
There, a mean l6.y,st.old Nd down At the
dcepo rudlIn baggage He's got a long. thin
neck and a skin colorcd like weak coffee, and
he wears a limp wool hat and there's a big
plug Of tobacco sticking out OF the rear
pocket OF hi overals lie calls MirAndy
Nav. Fay llcideprlcm - an old maid and
keeps the little millinery stole down on
Main street She didn' stay single on your
account. hut somcways Fay couidn get any
real Study comp'ny, seemed like Want TO
know about any more 81 en-
You seem to be well posted, snscred the
homcsck man. Where did YOU Say this
was that these women lvci2'
In your little Pennsylvania hamlet, ot
any other little hamlet II doesn't make any
difference. They're all alike. and they all
shrink Dpcr cent don't mean the women,
but the town. And after you 30 away they
quit using paint. and there's d bowling glass
factory and an Italian settlement where you
and Mirandy used 90 roam hand IN hand
and pluck daisy chains, sHd a line Of coke
ovens aud screenings dump along the mar.
gan OF the purllng brook. You may take my
tap aud 50 down 10 Benton Hafbor 20 re.
Cuperate your faded mind Il you want to 60
anywhere, aud let the scenes Of your child
hood remain beautiful memories 10 your
mind iofevermore, One trip back home after
a man has been away for Is or 70 years sours
aud embltters the rest Of his existence. I've
got bad taste IN my mouth yet from my
experience
The solitaire player pushed his cards 10.
gtheT IN a heap in the middle Of the table
aud said that the nan with the msersohauH
was correct II had a friend when waa
boy" he said when | say friend, mean
that would have laid down my young life
for him at any stage Of the game, and any
thing | had was his. / loved him, and I
never forgot him. and went back and hunt
ed him up with heart bursting with tender
emotion, and the fat. baldheaded dob didn't
know me. He was running grocery, and he
looked at the with iishy, lack .luster eyes
when came ia. told him who was, and
he aid: Why. certainly; remember, now
and he lied like a Trojan when he said Il,
and he knew knew he lied. and after awhile
be said It was mighty hot weather, and then
a customer came IN for some soap. and he
said: Excuse me- and said: Certainly.
guess I'll lock in again after awhile Ard
went away the wreck you see me now.
But | know what was the trouble with
Johuny when he went back"
III you guess it III be responsible for any.
body who'll touch the button,' Said the man
with the pipe.
Somebody braced you to settle an old bill
you forgot when you went away and offered
70 knock of half the interest"
VIII the nearest man touch the bulton!"
asked the mao with the pipe hieEgs Rae
ora.
d. STARS OF THE SEASON,