Year: 1877

Where the town of Randolph now car ries on its busy traffic, Egbert Bacon's farm was once located. Egbert Bacon was my grandfather. His farm covered more than seven hundred good acres, and he considered himself wealthy, as he un doubtedly was. He started in life poor boy. and his honest accumulation was the result of his toll.

 Grandfather wss a very peculiar man. Many persons consider him penurious, but he was really liberal and from the fact that his charities were given with secrecy, people supposed that he never contributed to good works. It was in his old age (and he lived to a great period) that company of speculators bought his land, because of the fine water power that ran through it, and as soon as they erected the mills the place began to go forward until Bacon's farm was a thing of the past. can recollect when the first mill was built, and I we'll remember my boy ish curiosity in watching the mechanics who worked upon it.

 My grandmother was about the same age as her husband. She did not long survive his death, and missed good friend and counsellor when she left me. Grandfather expected me to be a farmer, but as never had any taste for hard work, my thoughts and inclinations went another way. Of course he was not at all pleased with my stubbornness, but my good grandmother always sstepped between me and his wrath, and shielded me much from his displeasure.

 The old gentleman was sturdy man at seventy years. He invariably dressed in brown clothes, and wore so broad brim to his low-crowned hat he might easily have been taken for 8 Quaker at first sight. But get him angry once (and his irritability was easily aroused) and he would let fly such sharp and vehement sentences that it was sometimes difficult to imagine they were not profane.

 was nineteen years old and was deep in love with Sallie Miller, the young lady who played the organ at the Cross Roads Church, and was the finest dancer among all the girls in the country. Grandfather had conceived dislike for Sallie because she was musician. He had no ear for music, and was not "moved by discord of sweet sounds" and nothing so quickly excited his ire as to scrape a violin within his hearing, or strike chord upon the piano.

 Much against my own grandfathers inclination, he permitted me to enter the law office of Mir. Smart, as a student. Had it not been for the good offices of my grandmother l should not have had the wish of my heart gratified. But she smoothed the way for my grandfather's 8 consent. But he never ceased to ridicule me for my pretensions, and positively refused to give me his consent to marry Sallie Miller. It would not have been a wise thing in me to cross the old gentle mans whims, for l was his heir and he could have found another without much difficulty, so I never urged my case but humored him in every way l could think of

 "What are you thinking about fath. cr," she inquired. She always called him by that name.

 'I was thinking" he slowly lreplied, taking the pipe from between his lips and dropping both hands upon his knees that few years hence, and one wont see good old hickory logs burning upon andirons. Stoves and grates, and tha, internal coal that makes gas enough tC sufocate household, will supply the place of our old-fashioned fires"

 ought to have held my tongue, foi he was not speaking to me; but l want ed to show off some..of my smartness, and 20 l replied

 "Ohl my dear sir, there is really nc occasion for having stove which per mits the gas to escape, We have nov gas consuming stoves, and one IS no troubled in the way you suppose"

 'Prav, Mir. Smartness, permit me t' inquire how long you have been possess ed of this valuable information? hav' known it for some years, or rather hav' heard it said, that these stoves were ga burners, but it's all a lie there's net word of truth in it. Pve known then to send out as much gas as would kill al OK. he were confined in the atmos phere. Now, sir, don't you feel like fool ?"

 "Come now, father" replied m grandmother, "don't be so severe on tn boy" (she called me boy to the day ( her death) Che only told you what h