The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-07-17
The Old Farm.

shoulders and thin, gray locks, stood on
the kitchen porch. Below her, on the
steps, was a young man whose shoulders
were straight and broad, and whose
brown, Ike the woman's. and the line
OF his lips was modelled from the older
feminine ones.
Come mother, must look about the
old place and you must go with me- IL
seems only yesteday | ieft-things look
so natural. Here's the corn foot high
just as twas when 1 went away-the
j cherries tempting. the robins just the
same. and the clover smelling ike honey.
Come along, mother: now do
! Yielding 10 her sons persuasion and
/ the delight of his return after many
! years absence, the old woman descended
/ the steps and walked by his side.
! Seems like / ought to stay in and fix
/ the fire for supper, David. Now | GOT
| you home again, 1 feel as though d
kinder like to get a meal. You always
made it worth my while to cook, David
Are you still partial to friend chicken
and corn bread?"
Am I? Do l look as though I'd pass
! by on the other side?'
New, here's the old board between
j the tulip poplars, by jung! Let's sit
/ here, mother. and smell the hay. I want
i to hear all about your life while I was
gone
After you went West to seek your
/ fortune, I was the forlornest woman IN
/ these parts. Father. he just moped, too,
and how those first lonely days dragged,
can't say. Everything seemed TO NOPE,
too. The hay was spoiled. the rust got
into the wheat, and that year father
( had TO put the first mortgage on the
| farm. Along about Christmas time I
was as near discouraged as could be;
I just pinned for you, David. That's the
| time Ellie Martins parents died, and
the child had to be sent to the poor
| house. Never'lI 1 forget the morning
that little girl came a-running into my
kitchen:
"'Oh, Miss Allen she said, 'et me
| stay here with you. Don't let EN- take
me 10 the poor-house!"
! Il stood stock still there a minute,
thinking how hard times were, and how
the cows were sickening, and the chick
ems, too. for that matter. Then I looked
at that orphan, and thinks I. what If
! that was my David? Father sat by the
stove, and says he: 'Motherr We looked
at each other, and then 1 took Ellie by
the hand, and says: Stay right here,
Ellie; l guess we can manage The
little thing was that happy, she just
hung on to me the rest of the day, and
she went to Kansas last year"
Did you miss her much?" asked Da-
vid
Miss her? Well, since she left, seems
like father and me had grown old; I
guess you cou1dn't understand what kind
of a girl Ellie grew to be. Why, she
was the busiest, happiest child L ever
saw. We never had cause TO be sorry
for keeping her out OF the poor-house.
Father and 1 got to feel she was cur
own, and it went a long wa1s toward
filing up the gap you left. She promised
to come back some day. You know how
she came to go?'
Tell me that" said David.
well, you know her fathers brother
who disappeared so many years ago?
Well he turned up, and took the great
est kind Of a fancy TO Ellie. He had a
family OUT in Kansas and nothing would
do but Ellie must make them a visit
She was set against 1t, and wouldn't
hear to leaving father and me, but 1
just made up my mind she'd got to go.
l wasn't going to stand in the way when
she had the chance to see something out
side our cow pasture.
You can't guess how lonesome We
Were and how lonesome we feel to this
day No one busting about and singing
and cheering us up all day long" a
long-drawn sigh, and then looking fondly
at her son. old Mrs. Allen said, bright
ly: But it is good to see you, David,
and 1 only wish you had come to stay"
David Allen brought his palm down
solidly upon his knee and said:
That's what I've DONE
You've come to stay?" quaveringly
Most emphatically," responded David.
time I've hankered to come back to the
old farm. I've saved and laid aside. in
tending to come home and set the old
place on it's feet. l never got to feel at
home anywhere else, and I've ju t
dreamed OF these pastures. and that row
Of walnut and the spring run, till it
seemed l must get here if 1 ever wanted
to be. happy again"
The Lord bless you, David. There
isn't anything else I need to make me
happy"
But I might as well own up my whole
doings, mother, and confess I've brought
home a wife,
"A wife? Why haven't heard of this
before?"
We'll, just listen minute. AS had
about made up my mind 10 start this
way, l met a wonderfully pretty girl
and just fell so deep in love- 1t kept
me waiting a little longer. You see,
had to give her time to return my SEN
timents. She wasn't a Western girl
but had come TO the town 1 was living
in, and was rather homesick herself. So
we naturally were congenial, and in the
course Of time she made up her mind TO
come home with me II didn't take
much coaxing. The idea suited her down
10 the ground
David laughed aloud, and putting his
arm around his mothers shoulders, kiss
ed her cheek
But where is she now?"
First promise to love her as well as
you did Ellie Martin
IN time, David, maybe IN time; but
have to get used to changes first"
Wei, that's all any reasonable per
son could ask. I'm sure" said David
AS fr my Wife. she's n the house.
You see. I left here in the front room
when l went 10 find you in the kitchen.
and coaxed YOU out on purpose to LEI
her get acquainted with father first"
Mrs. Allen started 10 her feet.
"Oh. I must hurry back TO start tina
fire Il We are to have COMPANY"
% hurry. not a bit OF H." laughed
David. "Wife's getting supper She
said she would call us when twas
ready"
David drew her arm around his. say
ing gently;
Don't you worry, mother. And look.
there she comest Isn't she Dretty?'
\ girl. HghI or form. NTH bright
cheeks and shining eyes was running TO-
ward them from the house. When Us
reached the couple she spread wide her
young arms with tn soft cry:
Mother. / have come h me again!"
And the old woman simply leaned to
the girls embrace, ard IN trembling