Hutchinson gazette., 1900-09-06

"YeS and you're the lawyer we
want and, what's more, VIC want you
10 get us n divorce"
"BuIt, my dear friends"
Don't stop TO argue the cara
We've made up our minds. Things
haye gone from bad 10 worse, We
can't agree nohow and we're bound
70 have divorce. II you won't gct Ii
for VIZ some other lawyer will, but for
old fmendship's sake I'd like TO pay
you The Zee. WIN you get that d.
vorce or won't you? Come, speak
ont"
Henry King wns sadly puzzled, He
saw that nothing could be said by
him which would mend matters In
the least His protests would simply
preclpitute the affair and drive his old
friends away from him, with bitter
ness in their hearts for him, added TO
the bitterness they already had in
their hearts for ench other, He
glanced over his shelf Of calf-bomd
law books and tucked in between Two
fat, yellow volumes he saw Il thin
book with the gifted title Farm Bal
lads, by win Carleton"
lie walked lhouPhtfully over 10 his
book caso and, leaving ahc porlly law
volumes 90 repose und!3turbeG, took
down the "Fnrm Ballads and re-
turned to his seat beside the table,
"Nly dear old friends" said he, "here
Is u report Of a ease something like
yours, Shall ! read II TO you?
"Certanly." said the old mOn,Ni 10
shows how we can get divorce"
at does do That, can assure YOU"
"Well, then, read, it,' sdid the farm
or truculently,
"Ncs, reNd IT," said the old Indy
In voice that trembcd somewhat,
but lacking noihWg in decision,
This is q cuse In which u farmer
and his wife resolve that the law shNll
grant them a divorce, II begins as
follows;
"'Draw up the papers, lawyer and
make them good aud stout,
For things at home are crossw0y8 and
Betsy and are ou;
We who have worked together so long
as man and wife,
Must pull IN single harness the rest OF
our nntral life,
"What Is the matter? sny you, Iswan
it's hard 10 icll;
Most OF the years behind us we've
passed by very well;
I have no other woman, she has no
other man
Oaly we've lived together ns long as
we ever can.
$50 | have tllEed with Betsy nd
Betsy has talked with me,
And 80 we've agreed together that we
can't never agree;
Not That we've caught each other in
any terrible crime;
We've been a.gather,ug this for years
lltsle at time,
Here the reader paused and glanced
at his listeners. They were evidently
surprised aud Interested The poem
at that time was comparatively new
and this was its first hearingby Henry
Kings clients, who were not pr pared
for the pu,hos and the strong homcly
human interest in ,he story. llcsum-
ing his reading the young lawyer
heard u suppressed chuclgle from the
fnrmer and caught swift glance of
shadowy codreuy toward the Old iel'
low from the good old Ody's eyes MS
he read the following st0mHa from the
ballad in which the petitioner for di.
vorce says to the young lawyer:
"Oncc when ! was young as you and
net 50 smart, perhaps
For me she mittened lawyer and
several other chaps;
And all OF them was fustereh and
fairly taken down,
And | for n time was counted the
lucklest man IN town"
But soon the pathetic recital began
to affect the old people, and soon re-
nrctant and wdtheIed hands were
clasped and slowly the tears gatherd
in eyes that had been full of hostile
fire. And when the climax was reach
ed in the touching lines;
"And one thing put in Vhe paper, that
first 10 me didn't occur,
That when I'm dead nt lust she'll
bring me back TO her;
And lay me underneath naples | |
planted years ego,
When she and were happy before wo
qnarreled So"
The old lady wns crying softly and
the farmer was patting her ON the
back, and saying: ''rhere, There,
don't cry It's alright, mother; I've
been an old fool; let's go homc and be
sensible" and the old lady was saying
M was her fault, and the two cnme
near falling out again in the eager
ness of each TO assume all the blame.
However crDe thing was sure, and
that was the fact thSt Henry King
had lost his fee. But later he dis.
covered that he had won n wife, for
rhe pretty school tcncher heard all
about the affair, of course, and be-
coming convinced that one lawyer att
ieast in Chicago WIS an honest mann
gave him her own honest hand, and
today. rich, Distinguished happy and
.hurered Judge -- (it would prob
ably. he contempt Of court to give his
real name) remembers with deep
grWtuMti) )on his unprorcssional con
duct I'm reading ballad instend Of q
law book TO his clients, and thus maxi
ing four people happy instead of Sc
A.