The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-05
WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
Once upon a time there was 4 farmers
Lad who could never quito understand why
people should rave 80 about the beauties Of
nature and the ideal existence Of life on 4
farm.
why" thought he. '1t's nothing but
work. work. work from morning TIL night"
When some OF the city boys came down to
spend their summer vacation at the farm.
he thought them quite daft to seek such 4
placs as q matter Of choica
Everything they admired as being beauti-
full. ouch as the violets. daisies and butter
cups. he pronounced rank weeds and no
good, for they spoiled tho pasture for the
cattle and made extra work for him, as no
had to drive the COWS a long distance to find
fields free OF the wild nowera. When the
boys in their frolic would roll down tho
grassy slopes OF the hill. he would remark,
Look ct the dern fools If they had to
work here In the hay harvest from daylight
ill darkness they'd get all the grass they
wanted without rolling in it.
And SO he plodded on through his days,
always grumbling and fault-tindinE ut the
hardness OF his lot in having TO live on q
farm. He saw no beauty in any Of his
surroundings. and considered the life OF Z
farmers lad nothing but drudgery.
BY and by great cnange came over af-
fairs at home; his fathers health failed, and
beng no longer able to DO the work OF the
farm he called his son to his side and asked
him to take mis- place, SO that they might be
able TO keep the old homestead.
The proposition did not meet with tho
sens approval, and he begged his father to
allow hin TO seek his fortune in ona Of the
large cities.
having only the best interest OF his son at
heart, and not wanting to compel him to
stay ut the old farm against his WILL he
consented to let him so.
In little while the FAMILIAR scenes Of his
childhood-the old home. fields, meadows
and COW lanes-saw him no more.
Late one day some time afterwards an
ambulance drove up hurriedly to the door
OF one OF the large manufacturing indus
tries OF big city.
a mufaed figure was borne out on q
stretcher by Several worimen and placed
IN the vehiele. and, amid the hum and buzz
OF the machinery, which never stopped. the
men returned to their work while the am
bulance drove OF.
Twas common occurrence for . work.
man TO be injured, and little attention was
paid to It. That night the person who was
carried away In the ambulance lay meaning
and deiirious IN the hospital.
His youthful. upturned face. pale and
haggard, showed plainly that his body was
racked with pain. while his feeble voice
kept calling. ''Coi col CO! Ho Brindlel Col!
col Ho, spsclle! OBJ col Ill. lassiesl Col!
cor And none OF those who watched be-
side his cot that night knew the meaning
OF his strange words.
Weeks passed: the patient had recovered
sufficiently 10 leave the hospital. and those
who had SO kindly nursed him back to life
inquired where he lived. that thay might
send him to his home.
ABR said he. 81 am a stranger in this
great city; my home is down among the
fair hills Of Cumberland, and IL 1t falls to
my lot to see the farm and homestead
again will indeed be happy"
After he had left the hospital the nurses
often wondered what was the meaning of
the strange words he uttered in his de-
lrium; but had they gone with him down
the cow lane IN the evening after his safe
arrival home they would have heard him
repeat; Col col col 10. Brindlel Co! CO!
Ho. speclileI Col col HI. lassiesl Col COLI
He was calling homo the COWS.
The moral OF this fable is: mo accidents
are SO unlucky but that the prudent may
fraw some advantage from them"
". n GooD9A