Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-01-09
A Farmers
Son
His Father and Mother
Stood bu Him With
Parental Affection

Y AAiS oSAAVs ou0 AAVsASA
Is Stood bu Him With {
y Parental Affection {
K By GREGORY MOORE :
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They say that doctors and clergymen
see more Of humanity as 1t Is than any
other class Of men, but I quest II
the endless panorama Of incidents
typifyins the different phases Of hu.
man life is witnessed by any class that
every day passes before bankers.
Sometimes whole stories are enacted
before us spread over term Of years.
am the repository Of one such story
that I watched from its beginning to
Its climax.
One afternoon q weather beaten old
farmer with silky white hair scattered
over his head came to my desk and,
pulling out wallet, asked for draft
on Denver for $500 in favor Of Thomas
Williams. He counted out the money,
and then, having nothing to do while
the draft was being prepared, began
to tell me the beginning Of this story.
"I'm sendin' the money" he said,
ito my boy out in Colorado. he went
out there year ago, takin' some
money with him that I give him, but
he hasn't had much luck, and it's all
gone. First he got sick; then when he
got well he went prospectn' and
struck somepin that looked good, but
some other fellers jumped his claim,
whatever that means, and took 1t all
away from him.
"Then Tom got sick ag'in and went
to horsepittle and stayed there three
months. Now he's got out Of the
horsepittle and lookin' about for some
pin I'm sendin' this money to give
him q chanct. Toms his mothers pet,
and she lays awake nights worryin'
about him. I'm mighty fond Of the
boy myself somehow.
"When he got old enough to work
wanted him to help me on the farm,
He tried it for awhile, but see purity
quick he didn't take to it. He was
too smart to be contented to follow a
plow same g his father, who didn't
never get no eddication. So I says
to him one day: Tommy, reckon you'd
better 60 to the city and work that
away. This don't suit you He was
mighty we'll pleased at that. 1t al
most broke mas heart to part with
him, but she knowed 1t was better for
him and let him 60.
"Tom didn't like it in town 80 well
as he thought he would. Leastaways
he didn't stay long In the place he
went into. They must a thought q
heap of him, though, for they raised
his salary twice, SO he wrote me. But
he got into fight with one Of the head
clerks and got himself discharged. BE
said the head clerk accused him OF
stealin' some money.
atom was allus an ambitious little
chap, and after leavin' his place he
concluded he'd 60 west and try and
do somepin big, for ma and me agin
we got too old to work. So we scraped
up $500 and give 1t to him, and he
At this moment a clerk laid the
farmers draft on my desk, and the
first chapter Of his story was finished,
for he began to count over his soiled
and torn bills, now and again wetting
his thumb on his lip as he turned them
up. Then, leaving them to me and
carefully folding his draft, he put 1t In
his wallet, crammed the wallet down
into the bottom of his pocket and with
a "Goodby, Mr.. Cashier" left the bank
The second chapter Of the story Is
very short. There is hardly enough In
It to make chapter, but there is
good deal beneath the few words re-
Quired to tell it. A girl Of eighteen
came to the bank, laid down $24, near
" all in silver coin, and asked for q
draft to cover the amount.
ITO whom will you have 1t made
payableT I asked.
atom Williams" in a soft voice, al
most whisper.
I ordered the draft made out, and
the girl stood waiting. Unlike the
farmer, she didn't tell all would have
liked to know, so I asked:
"Is Tom Williams your brotherr
NO." she replied, looking down on
the floor.
had not liked the indications as to
Toms character as they appeared In
his fathers account Of him, and now
that money was going to him from bis
sweetheart I began to despise him.
handed the girl the draft and had q
good opportunity to study her, for she
never once looked up at me. She went
out with It hugged up against hei
heart, as though she loved 1t because
she had saved it for Tom.
NY next visitor In behalf Of Tom
was his mother. She stood BY my
desk emptying on 1t from carpetbal
lot Of bills and silver and copper
coins. Not knowing who she was,
asked what should do with the mon
ey, and she said, "Send It to Tom
BY this time was not likely to forget
Tom and asked If she wished draft
for Thomas Williams. She said she
did. 1 turned her funds over to .
clerk to count, and he reported thai
they amounted to $843.47. I ordered
the draft to be made out, placed .
chair before the old lady and said
with view to my enlightenment:
"Mr. Williams pretty busy nova
days"
"No, pa amt busy. He's sick. I wisl
we had our boy here to help us. He'l
out In Colorado perspectin'. He say
he's struck q mine or a-goin' to strike
q mine or somepin and wants some
money for grubstakin' or somepin nkt
that. We're sendin, him all we kir
| lest now, but hope to send him SOM
| more bime by. We had some mono,
saved up for old age, but we've bsel
a-drawin' on It for Tom, and this 4
all there u left"
When she went out With her draf
| / found myself boiling with indisua
ton at this worthless scamp who VA
sucking the nfeblood out Of biz oil
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