Norwich bulletin., 1916-08-05
SELLING THE FARENz
BY ETA BARBER

Not a prettier. or more restful spot
could be found in all New England
| that summer day than the old Allen
homestead. built by Calvin Allen 200
years before, and for so years known
as the Burton farm-Psince the grand
! daughter of the first owner married
John Burton and settled in the old
| home.
The house was so shaded by grand
| old trees that it was not visible until
! you came within a few rods. and the
| few passed without second look. The
| square two-story house, with a story
and-half ell, painted white, with green
| blinds and trimmings and a green roof,
| set well back from the elm shaded
country road, the front yard, or lawn,
| sloping gently to the road on the west.
| The entire front was shaded by
wide piazza with railing except where
the broad stone steps led up. An up
per piazza shaded the center-a door
and two windows. The entire front
| was covered with a noble wisterta
| vine. A door on the north was pro-
| tected by a small porch shaded by a
! crimson rambler rose, and there was
| another piazza on the north side of
! the ell
At the north of the front yard was
| a large oak, and on the south horse
| chestnut tree. Lilacs, both purple and
| WuELG, SHOW DdIISy DLINdl WI SdIllI IOoCo
| white, pink and yellow; peon1es-
white, red and pink, and other old
| fashioned shrubs and roots found
room.
There was an orchard of apples
| pears and cherries on the north and
east; and on the south a grape arbor
| led to the well house near which was
! a large strawberry bed and rows Of
rhubarb, currants ana gooseberries.
North Of the ell a covered walk led
! 10 oh 9T0H
Workshop and on the opposite side of
the road. north of the house, was the
big cellar barn, with its grain room,
harness room and wagon sheds.
South of the barn was the hen
houses, the yard shaded by plum and
peach trees.
At the west stretched the meadows,
plOWcd fields and pasture land-the
latter crossed by a path leading to the
village-and a neVer-failing spring,
bubbling from the rocks under the big
maple
behind the house, at the east was a
! forest OF stately oaks and CheStnutS.
In the midst of the big forest vas
| a little gray cottage with a piazza
across the west shaded by hop vine
! and q crimson running rose" There
was q purple lilac, a white and o red
| rose and a clump Of tiger lilies. A
well with a long sweep was shaded
bv large oak and a few apple and
!
homo of John BurtOn's parents during
! their last days and had not been OC-
| Cupied for years.
On a bright June day an old man
sat on the piazza at the Burton farm
house aud even his best friends would
have TO look twice to recognize John
Burton in the pathetic figure.
An auto had just taken his wife to
the vilIaEe-her daughter-in-law and
grandchildren havinE convinced her
-
lonely farm" and that the only thing
WIS to sell the farm to a city real
estate agent and put the money into
the village home her son wished to
purchase.
M Burton was not so easily con-
WINGED. and he patted the little black
dos in his arms fOndIy as he talked
| TO himself and the faithful dog.
Poor Curlie! You and pussy and
her babies are all the friends left me
now I hope they viii let US live in
quiet for the few months left US.
would like to see "Cirlie" once more.
She has not been here much since Al
lens family got mother so bewitched.
I never expect to see poor George
again. but 7 do wish Grille would
/ Gomez
"Who is that woman and boy com
ing across the pasture? I do believe
it is Grille and jack"
The old man walked down the path
| to meet d slender dark-eyed woman
Lucy Burton (AIrs. Fred DysOn), his
only daughter-and a handsome boy of
Is.
Mrs. Dyson, or ''Girlfe,'' as her ia
ther always called her in spite of her
As years, was plainly excited.
''What is this about selling the farm
and giving the money to Allen to buy
I a house in the village? I have eX-
pected something ever since Cousin
Arthur got him position in EimVille,
{ T.-T4 Ia oil nj ",
here. DOrothea's husband can't take
care of himseIf-to say nothing Of a
wife and two babies, and Percy is too
saucy to keep q job, 50 Allen has the
whole family to support. and Belle has
all the work to do and the babies to
care for (Dot would starve in a groc-
/ cry stOre), so I guess they are des-
perate; but I did think mother had
more sense. But the farm is not 60
ing TO be sold if 7 can help it! Aunt
Nellie wrote me about it, and I came
| TO make Q bargain with you. You own
half and the stock, and mother owns
half and the furniture and the wood
lot, and the Grandpa Burton place be-
/ longs to you.
Now, 1 have raised 1900 and ]
will buy mother out and move here
| Fred can have a good position in the
! village, and we were planning to move
there: but had rather live here. You
and I will run the farm on shares and
| mother can stay here when she wants
to. She can give Allen the $500 and
| that is enough for he never helped
| when George and were fixing up the
| house when I was working. We will
settle things tomorrow"
Lucy's plan was not quite satisfac-
| tory to her brothers family. Belle
was Surprised that Lucy would bury
herself and children in the woods"
Dot and her husband were disguised
but Allen did not dare object to his
!