The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1906-02-16


rambling old farm house stood In all
It's dearlness outlined against a gray.
wlntry sky
once, ahl years ago there was com.
fort. love. peace. happiness within its
walls. But q was so many, many
years ago, that the oldest inhabitants
OF the surrounding country had nl'
most forgotten about such things
Weeds peepcd their unfrultful heads
above the snow reaching from tho
dilapldatcd porch leaning like ou old
dobilitatod man propped upon two
sticks. down TO the broken gate de.
pending from is rusty hinges fastcn.
ed to the rotten post Barns burst.
Ing with docayed hay. topping and
carcenlng to the four vlnds OF heaven,
but solldlncd upon their foundations
with the loads and tons Of the wasted
harycstlngs Of years. stood out like
grim sllhouettos OF despair and ruin
against the chill landscape
And above all sailed the moon. pal.
lid Lady Of the Might; and she smiled
seroncly down upon the picture Of
frultlcss harvcstings. this phantasma.
goria Of neglect and ruin
within the farm house the paper
hung from the crumbllng and blackcn.
ed walls In tattcrcd malodorous rib.
bons. Rats gnawed at the doors Of
cupboards long since barren Of food.
And the maraudcrs dragged from Old
bins that had not boon rcpIcnlshod
for years, cobs. and made merry with
the mouldy remnants Of bygouo foasts
through the deserted chambers, only
to tease, tantallzc and fret tho heart.
soul and brain OF the only human hab.
liant Of the place. David Dreams, the
rCcluse, the misor.
"Dnrcm and cuss oml They're
stealing food. my food" would rrowl
the old recluso tossing uncaslly upon
bis dilapldatod bed mp In the attic.
And the stars that pccpcd through
the dustladon pauos OF glass In tho
roof bllnkod az him and Knocked him
as he shlverod among his rags
The old man would rise Hight tai.
low dip and go down the narrow back
stairs leading to the cherries Mtch.
on and chase the thleviug marauders
through the hole In the cellar door.
He would nail piece OF tin over the
hole. and humble with toothlcss Jaws;
There. they1l not come again until
they gnaw another hole. drat en-.
cuss emf"
Back TO his attic he would crawl.
but before falling upon his ragged
old bed he would open the llttlo cache
In the chimney wall and fondlo and
carcss the roll Of musty rottlng bills
and rusty coins aud say
ITS all mine. all mine! My prccl.
Gus darllngs!'
Did he sleep?
Like child undlsiurbod, and II he
dreamed he only dreamed Of good
cheer comfort. ease aud plenty as he
lay stretched thore upon the bed
which he shared with tho yormln-
alone with his beloved money.
Greed was his god. hunger his hand
maiden, And he must work and toll
unceaslng, dig and use thrift else tho
gaunl wolf will come and snarl at his
door
In the entry leading 10 the musly
cellar hung-as Il had hung for two
years-a petrined slab OF bacon David
Dreams would pet. and pat II as he
passed H. lie would fondle and ca.
ross t., smell Of Il and lick his thin
blue lips and humble:
what a glorious feast IN have
sometimo-but not now, not now. "
Aud the slab Of bacon would swing
and bow and bcckon beneath his
touch when he waved the tallow dip
over Il gloatlngly
But the rats wanted A. too For
two years the tanlallzlng morscl had
hung there In the dark entry beyond
their reach Climb as they might