Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-02

the ROAD Inc City Man. sitting on the
board laid across the wagon box, jounced
hard and grunted. The Farmer. driving
his roam horse, looked calmly at his dis
comfited passenger and allowed a slit Of a
smile to appear upon his weather-beaten
face.
Hurt yer he inquired. as the City Man
recovered his balance,
mo, but It Jared me somewhat Why
don't you have these roads ixed property"
Pretty fair rod, this. Some're better'n
others. but this ones pretty fair"
You ought to have macadam surface
with crushed stone dressing" said the City
Man, as he lighted a fresh cigar You
could haul your stun to market easier
"Mebbe we could. But there amt no
special use to haul it quicker an our horses
are fair pullers. Giddapr'
well. you might at least fix your roads
SO that folks who own motor cars could
ride over them without being wrecked"
persisted the City Man.
You mean autymobeeles reckon. Well.
we amt SO ALFRED fond Of 'em down here
as to spend our good money maxim it
easier for 'em to smash US into flinders and
scare our stock into hts.'
But they bring trade to YOU"
What sort Of trade? Doctors bills and
QooASASCS' XNOp OH. IL Tue IOlhS WHO OWN
autymobeeles want better rods in this part
of the country let 'em chip in and pay for
EN-. Go long, Tomr
They logged along for few minutes In
silence. The City Man pulled out his watch
and glanced at it anxiously.
Are you sure Well make the train?" he
asked.
Plenty Of time, sir. plenty Of time. No
use hurryin'. I'll git We there
Yes, but it won't do to get left. you
know. Not another train until night.
can't afford to miss this one"
why not?" The Farmer shifted his
reins and switched fly of his roam horses
back.
Must be in the city tonight
Whats the rush2"
Rush. man? Why, there's no special
rush. except the grand big rush of work.
Don't you folks out here know anything
about rushing? Don't you ever get busy
with yourselves and hustle? Don't you
ever have to run for trains and all that
sort of thing?''
Have to step right spry once in a while
to beat out shower when we're cuttin' or
thrashin'. but that's about ALL We carlate
to start for our trains in good time, and
then we don't catch many trains at that,
We see' And the Farmer emitted what
passed for his broadcast laugh. which re-
sembled the final notes Of faraway frogs
song. Ye see," he continued, after a
pause: we've got no street cars out here.
ana that helps some. When we go about
visttin Or tending to business we hitch I'D
and Jest go. It's our horse and Vaughn
and they amt no rush about gettin' there
or gettin' back. unless were due to milk
the cows and feed the pigs. And most
up to certain pint"
But don't You get awfully tired of this
sort OF life, doing the same things day
w md Ca1f,,
probably saying the same things? Isn't 1t
an awful bore?'
The farmer looked straight ahead while
the roam plodded up the crest Of hill.
answer. An instinct. keener than his
knowledge Of the man, cautioned him not
to interrupt that leisurely flow OF thought
which would later yield speech. At last
and stood moment blowing. The Farmer
waited a few seconds and then lightly
slapped the reins.
'Giddap! Guess you've loafed long
enough. Then he turned slowly to the
City Man and gave him another Of his
rare, cryptic smiles.
We're good deal like that horse 'Taint
so much what we'd like to do or want to
do. as 1t Is what we're dom. 1 suppose H.
I'd have lived in town a good many years
and got habited to it I'd be mighty lone
some out here, jest the same as city
bred horse Is always pretty sick for awhile
I've seen town horses pine like babies
when first they come. They miss the noise
and the smells and the sights. jest the
same as you do. But they get used to it.
here in my barn. Never was in a real
city. though I drove him to Elby once for
doctor. But Elby's only an imitation
town. Well, I'm country, born here. raised
back there by the church we jest passed.
Now put me in town and I'd be pretty
fair to bein' lonesome, and some fright
ened, too. Jest the same as this roan'd
be lonesome and frightened. But lonely
out here? What you call bored? Why, sir,
We don't know that word in the way you
mean 1t.
''Of course, we do see the same things
and the same folks and do the same things
and say the same things day in and day
out, and we don't have much OF what
you call fun We don't go to no theaters,
cause they don't come round here. except
Thompsonville and shows in the town hall
We get our newspapers. you know, and we
read EN- pretty steady. I reckon we read
'em a bit more complete than you do.
YOU
Well, you see.' interrupted the other,
alphabetically. there are so many in town.
you know. a man can't be expected to read
them all very thoroughly"
"Of course, you can't. I'm not blamin'
ye; not at all I'm jest tellin' ye what we
do But I'll bet we get more fun out Of
our loneliness. as you call 1t, than you do
out Of your hveliness." And the old man
chuckled in his chin beard and spat over
the wagon wheel.
Yes" quickly pursued the City Man.
'but what Of your children? Do you con-
slider them? Are you giving them the ad-
vantages they should have and deserve?
Are you educating them property"
II was wonderin' If you want going to
ask that" said the Farmer. 1T is what
most every one Of my boarders asks me
every summer. Somehow they can't seem
to get it out of their heads that were
neglectin' our youngsters. keepin' 'em here
on the farm. Well, sir. I'll tell you, as
tell the others, that I'm givin my boy
and girl-pretty bright boy and girl. you
seensa1 to think while you stayed with us
all taa education they want and all they
need Jest wait Bit" as the City Man
opened his mouth to interrupt Let me
explain That boy wants to take this
farm off my hands when get too old to
run it. He likes it out here. His sister
likes it. She expects some day she'll marry
one of my neighbors' sons. Sort of reckon
she's got her eye on him now. She'll set
tie down to be a farmers wife. She knows
it, and it don't frighten her a bit. Not
bit, sir! That boy and that girl know
they'll have plenty to eat and wear and
good roof over 'em. and as good school