Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-05-29
The Adoption Of Old Joe

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cabin home. All, 1t was a weird and
lonesome place to live, but the old man
loved it. He had come here to live
"aftah de wah," he and his wife, Phyl-
lis. Here 1t was that he and Phyllis
had lived joyously together and here
he would have told you.
His only daughter, Chloe, had been
born here, and from here she had zone
out (on her seventeenth birthday with
her young husband, Caesar Augustus
Willing. Old Joe had never seen her
since.
Before and behind the cabin there
came sunlight every pleasant day. The
mountains and the woods could not
keep the sun from saying good morn
ing" and good night to the lonely
occupant Of the old moss-covered cabin.
The cabin door faced the east from
It old Joe could see the wondrous
beauty Of sunrise. Into the window in
the rear flashed the glow Of sunset.
Old Joe lived ear to natures heart.
He loved all the seasons, but spring
and summer best. For years. after the
labors of the day were over, he had sat
In his old arm chair at the cabin door,
watching in springtime the beauty of
the silent, sweet making Of natures
new garment, sprinkled with waking
vIolets. He had watched, too, the grad
ual merging Of spring into the glorious
beauty Of midsummer with its wonder
full skies and golden fields, its wealth
Of bloom, drinking In meanwhile the
balny, fragrant air with keen enjoy
ment.
Often as he rested by the cabin door
he sang old plantation songs, accom-
panyinR these with melodious strains
from an ancient fiddle that he brought
"up MORT from way down Souf."
But when 1 introduce old Joe to you
his work days were over.
"De rheumatic done got nah Iaigs,"
he said to himself and to his dog, Lige :;
"t'ank the Lawd it amt got nah ole
black han's."
As for his 'ole black hans" the
rheumatic" did have a grip on them,
but 1t did not completely disable them,
consequently tho fiddle and bow were
still In evidence.
1t was a sad day when the old man
discovered that he could not take his
regular semi-weekly walk to the vii
lage, q mile away, and a sadder one
when he found out that he could not
work In the field any more. A big
lump that was even harder to endure
than the rheumatic" lay heavily on
his chest and seemed to choke him.
II dunno jes how Use gwine ter get
along eff I cayant wuk any moah," he
walled; "but what cayant be cured
must me endured" Then, the poor old
face Frightening, "but de Lawd is mas
siful en- kim. l kin trust Him"
And so, trusting the Lord and doing
the best be could, the days Of old Joe
Ing to bis W wants, each day 1t being
more difficult to do SO.
"I'se gettin' awful lonesome TO- Phyl-
lis" he moaned, his lips quivering,
"awful lonesome; it's a mighty long
time sense 1 saw Phyllis. An 1 won.
dah whar Chloe stays all desc long
yeahs-dese long yeahs. 1 spec she
mus hev. forgot her ole daddy by dis
time. But I neber fought dat Chloe'd
forget her old daddy. I wish she
hadn't"
He took his old fiddle end groped
his way out OF doors. He laid the fd
die down carefully on a bench and sat
In his old arm chair. He was MOI
watching the golden grain that evening
He did not ever hear the sweet gooi
night song Of a sleepy wild bird. He
vas living over bygone days iva,
down In ole Kentucky" and Phyllis wal
with him.
Oh, those mind pictures! There was
"massa's' old mansion, low. rambling
shining white among the green, 1t.
great columns covered with bloomin.
creepers. The negro quarters. All
how dear this mind picture to ole Joe
For Phyllis was always in IT., dear
dear Phyllis. There came a faint whis
per from his lips, ooh, Phyllis, oh m.
honey!" He saw the dark faces aglow
He saw the mischievous p%ickaninnies
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lush blue grass and amidst the clover
He stood with her beside the fence o
| wild plum and persimmon.
The picture grew more and more dis
tfnct as he meditated. The smell o
woods through the midst Of years tn
mistletoe; the tangled vines of man.
colors; the luxuriant bloom Of a ca
talpa with the bees around it; the mag
nolia woods! Each and all of then
were connected In his mind with Ply
lis. All, the old "Kaintucky' home
The old mansion "whar massa live
and died.; the dear old log cabin !
which he and Phyllis began marie
life together 'jess befo' de wah"; tn
wild turkey shooting; the deer hut
with young massa!
Old Joe's heart would have bee
AsSfiss than It was now bad hs kaow