PRACTICAL CO-OPERATION. 85 



feed. An improved stock animal too costly for one farmer can profit- 

 ably' be purchased by several. 



There are some kinds of cooperation that are not mutually profit- 

 able. Cooperation cannot tolerate meanness or disiionesty. To 

 iHustrate, we quote the poem, ''The Bevelled Grindstone," by our 

 Burns of America, David Barker : 



Some thirty years ago, or so. 



When I lived witli my mother, 

 I knew a man whose name was Joe, 



And Simon, his litilf brother. 



Now Simon was a whole-souled man, 



Though often getting mellow; 

 But Joe was made on a different plan — 



A most penurious fellow. 



This Joe — for so the neighbors say — 



Told Simon, his half brother, 

 He thought it might be made to pay 



To run a grindstone together. 



They bought the stone, when Joe, you know 



Just ground it to a bevel. 

 For, as I said before, this Joe 



Was meaner than the devil. 



He gave the left side of the stone 



To Simon his half brother, 

 And run the right hand side alone 



While Simon run the other. 



When neighbors came to grind — now mind — 



And Joe, the mean one, finding 

 They had no coin to pay — they say — 

 He gave them Simon's side to grind 



Who charged no fee for grinding. 



As time rolled on, they say, one day, 



That Joe came in a frothing 

 For grinding on the other side 

 Old Simon's bevel side grew vjide^ 



While Joe's ran off to nothing. 



MORAL. 



I sing to each earth child around, 



To each whose ''head is level," 



When piled beneath that six-foot mound. 



If not before, you'll surely find 



'Tis just as well to let folks grind 



Upon your side the bevel. 



