The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-12-30

should 1t all be shut up in bOokS?' 1T is So"
said my father. God made the world, and he
put the flowers here rs well as the potatoes. l
have no patience with those who do not follow
God" ITO be sure" said my little mother land
the weeds are here to teach us diligence and pa
tlence.' but the quack," said my father, that
might as well be left out" "And the burdocks,"
said she, "are excellent for beer, and the leaves
are good for draughts.' Perhaps, If we could
see it," said he, "all things are good" "'Tls for
us to make the best Of everything" said she. And
as our Jim came up, she put her hand on his
arm and on mine, and then said slowly: "Tis n
world In which we can make beautiful boys ana
girls-if first we ourselves are right. What more
could we ask?'
And the Birds, ah, but you should have seen how
they nestled about that house. "They will eat all
the cherries" said my Uncle George, and he raped
his cane Justify OH the floor OF the porch. But our
father smiled and said, Let us count them all
into our family. and plant for them also when we
plant SO lie put In Il few rows Of peas more,
and said, They are for the orioles" And q dozen
cherry trees down by the fence were for the robins,
and for the cedar birds who have n cherry tooth.
Then he went up to the woods edge, nearby the
big beeches. where there were wild cherries. and
into these he put sciors Of finer sorts 'for the
birds, my boys" So the robins, and the bluebirdS,
and the wrens, and indigo birds, and the gold
fincheS, and the catbirds, and All other sorts Of
thrushes and flnches, and / can't tell you how many
more, came TO us; and they filed the trees with
nests, and they paid for all they took in song and
helpful labor. And a robin built its nest in the
window seat of his bedroom and sang to him in
the morning, while he lay in his bed. All, yes,
they worked well together, my father and the
birds.
The barn was not far away. "'Tis not decent"
said the little mother. "Thcre should be shade
for the COWS and the pigs and the hens" you
are right. little mother" said my father; and he
hrouubt ~ load of viIlov sticks. md no plonted
them all the way around the barn and its yard.
And these grew and throve nightly, and at last
they were Il great grove, that hung all over the
barn and hid 1t. The little mother said, did I
not tell yOu?"-and then she drew the breath cOOlly
through one corner Of her mouth, as she surveyed
the transformation. Indeed, YOU did, little moth
er-yOu said it-and no one would have done il,
had you not And the hens cackled their delight,
and the COWS at night lay down facing the moon,
rs it sifted in between the leaves, and all day they
were nicely coinforted from the SUB. And when
old Daisy went to the tub to drink she would looI
up between sips, as If to say, THE Lord be praised
for this shady yard" A true barnyard is Il de-
lightful place, full of peace and love. Lilah. the
collie. comes and puts her head through the gate
once an hour, and. surveying matters. says. Yes.
all is as ii should be; all is correct" then she goes
back to run along where jim and | and our father
are at work in the orchard. Or If it be-and L
really is--0r ii ought to be. New Years day. she
locks la M the Kitchen WINDOW, ana waits till we
open the door that she may curl UP by the fire.
But George III gets up on his hind feet 10 the
door latch and rattles 1T, and then waits till we
let him in. \ true cat is half human. All, If
buff they could once get articulation. what
would come OF it! 1t is well that they cannot
for they would rOut out and dispOssess half or
more OF the human sort. SO with Quack and
thistles, and talking eats. and collie dogs, we
should be made either wiser or killed Of.
Come" said my uncle George, "let us make our
New Years CALI" In those days It was not yet
forgotten TO be neighborly. and once a year we all
expected to look in on each other, and break
bread, or ut least cut cake. And we sat down to a
bit of gossip and exchanged news; and when ii
was over everybody knew all about everybody
else, and there was no need Mt all TO print 1t. But
I shall tell YOU nothing ut all about 1t. 1t was our
own business and We were simple folks, and you
who live today have your big notions and your
new ways and you laugh too easily. So our New
Years day went by In its own hOme!v way, and we
had our calls: and we went home ut night and
rubbed our hands and our stonachs and were cor
tent. Not one of us envied your telephones and
telegraphs and other knick-knacks-or ever gave
them n thought. Bless the Lord, enough is enough.
and it Is not likely you have any more idea of
what will be about a hundred years from now.
Indeed l think they will call you savages. Fish,
but what a world Of conceit 1t Is.