The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1900-01-20

WHEN The SON HAD THE DEED.
Slowly tho toil-cramped. gnarled old nst
Wrought at the sheet with raspiEg pen:
Halted with tremulcus quirk and twist.
Staggered. and then went on again.
The wan sun peepcd through the wee
patched pane
And checkered the floor where pale beams
shone
In quaint old kitchen down in Maine.
With an old man writing there alone
And the pen wrought on and the head
dropped low
And tear FLASHED down on the rustcd
pen,
A. Il traced verse OF the long ago
That bis GRIEF had brought 10 his heart
again
''Be kind to my father. for when thou vast
young
Who loved thee so fond.y as he?
lie caught the FIRST accents that fell from
thy tongue.
And Joined In thy innocent giee.
BE kind 10 thy father. FOR now he Is old.
His locks intermingled with gray:
Ills footsteps are feeble. once fearless and
bold
Thy father Is passing away.
'De kind TO thy mother. for, 10. on her brow
May traces or sorrow be seen.
On. well mayst thou cherish and comfort
ncr now
For loving and kind hath she been:
Remember thy mother, for thee she will
pray
AS long as God giveth her breath
With accents OF kindness; then cheer her
hard way
Fen through the dark valley OF death"
Listlessly thrashed In careless court.
The poor pain tale OF a home was told.
Furnishing food for the lawyers sport
And jest at the fond and the foolish OLD.
The counsel said. as he winked an eye:
DECIDED the farm to their only son:
And after twas decided they didn't die
Qnite as quick as they should have done"
Drearily dragged the homely case.
Petty and mean In all it's parts
Quest through the law for an old home
place.
But never word OF two broken hearts
Only 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 ax,
Writ In wrinkles and 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,
Twas all for the sake OF their only SON.
Simply a tedious legal maze
With neighbors stirring the thing for
sport.
And loungers eying with listiess gaze
This queer old couple dragged TO court
Meekly they would have granted greed
All that Il sought for-all its spoil;
Little they valued forfeit deed.
Nor selfishly reckoned their years OF toll,
-. al
Mute when the law vouchsafed their
prayer
Courts soothed not such grief as surged
In the hearts OF the old folks trembling
there.
What though the jurys word restored
The walls and roof OF the old home place?
Would 1t give them back the blessed hoard
or trust that knew no sons disgrace?
Would II give them back his boyhood
smiles.
His boyhood love. their simple JOY?
Would II heal the wounds OF these after
whiles.
And make him again their own dear boy?
Would Il soothe the smart OF the cruel
words.
or sulcn looks and cold neglect?
And duh the taunts that pierced like swords
And slashed where the wielders little
rocked?
No; justice gives the walls and roof.
To palsied hands Cancelled deed
Rebuking with a stern reproof
A sons urfilial shameless greed.
But love that made that old home warm.
And hope that made all labor sweet
The glow OF peace that shamed the storm
And melted on tSe pane the sleet.
And faith and truth and loving hearts
And tender trust In fellow-men-
All. those, my friend. no lawyers arts
Can give again, can give again.
Holman Day. in Lewiston Journal.