Year: 1866

A cozy, comfortable home was Farmer
Bells. Originally it was one Of those
old, fashioned farm-houses which are
"pretty much all Kitchen" and the
kitchen as delightful spot to pass a
winter evening in as you would find
in days ride. But as he prospered,
Farmer Bell had built modern front to
his house. so that he now had parlor;
where there wasa mantle.piece surmount-
ed by two gilt vases filled with dried
grasses, and a centre table covered with
books and daguerreotypes, and fashion
able stove with flying Cupids on the
sides. On great occasions, such as
Thanksgiving Day and Christmas, the
parlor was warmed and occupied and
throughout this goodly land there was no
man who observed Thanksgiving Day
more religiously than did Farmer Bell.
That day had never passed over his
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head without its every item of customary
observance--from the going to "meet-
ing" in the morning, down to the crah-
berry sauce, without which no holiday
turkey is a perfect success. And it Was
wont to be Farmer Balls cheerful boast
that Thanksgiving Day bad never passed
over his head in gloom. But this year
the good man locked forward to the
coming of that day with painful feel
ings, for it promised to be accompanied
with little comfort. Farihet Bell had
been unfortunate.


In the spring, Mr.. Bell, looking for
ward to his son Leonard's contemplated
marriage with Miss EAil5 Sutton, the
pretty music teacher in the village, had
resolved to risk his all in great spscu-
lalion that would, inside Of year, net
him a good thousand dollars of clean
profit, and this was to be Leonard's mar.
riage portion. So Farmer Bell com
menced buying up leaH cattle. Owing
to the army demand for beef, cattle were
bought up very clean all over the cottntry
and prices were very high. At that
time there was a good prospect of an
advance, and even if prices held on as
they were lie would make an excellent
profit. He mortgaged his farm to Squire
Gripe,ea hard old fellow in the village,
who refused to take a mortgage for full
year on the house, but agreed to transfer
it to the cattle IN the fall if the farmer
was not ready to pay and Farmer Bell
was net the Kind Of man to trouble him
self about such a matter. Though Icall
his enterprise speculation" 1t was
not of that precariohs order of enterprise
which fourishes in Wall Street it was
simply the turning Of all the energies Of
his, farm in one direetion--thal is to say.
the feeding Of lean cattle for the. market
Few mundane things could be more GER
tain than that the prices of beef would
long rule high /; and as tn? farmer Went
about the country picking. up one '"crea-
tire" here and lanolher there; and paying
cash down each, he soon got tc together as
6nera head Of lean cattle as you will often
see in any pasture fifty Of them, bought
for. something, less than two thousand
dollats cash. and certain to sell for at
least three thousand when fattened--
Three thousand dollars was an immense
sum of money to Farmer Bell, as it is to
many a weil-to.do farmer who never
knewgwapt and never expects to.


Wien the news Of the peace came,
some Thought the farmer dwas in 8. bad
mess, and advised him to sell out for
what he could get !; but it was not his
way to relinquish a schehte easily after
he had once set ont on it, and SO lie held
on AS prices continued good, and even
after the peace, Farmer Ball
considered his boys fortune as good as
made; and so the time for the wedding
was set, and due preparations begun. 1t
was to be on Thanksgiving Eve-eye
of the happiest day OF the whole year, in
Farmer Bells opinion. ,,a-.n5g


Leonard Bell was fine young farmer
Of twenty-five. Of an intelligent, well-read
mind, who had intended TO adopt a pro-
fessional life, but had found by little
experience that his robust physique
would not endure so much confinement,
and so had resolved on following out his
fathers liue of life He sang bass in the