72 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



that I had a solution of my problem. And do you know that 

 on those loads of manure I felt mighty proud sitting or standing 

 there on that load hauling it home, although it is not always a 

 fine thing, in any sense, to sit or stand on a load of manure. 

 But I felt in drawing that down there that I was soon going 

 to make that country rich and more like the lands in the far 

 west that I had known ; into a land that should be rich and 

 black as the land of Illinois. But I said I was going to tell you 

 a funny thing. I was riding out on one of those loads one day 

 when I saw a carriage coming. I thought I must pull to one 

 side so as to let the carriage pass. I recognized who was in the 

 carriage. Out in that country there was living there then, 

 and there is living there yet, a real nice man, a very cultured 

 and refined man, who had some beautiful daughters. I knew 

 them. They seemed to like me well enough when I had my 

 good clothes on. And sometimes I used to meet them when I 

 did not, but that did not seem to make any difference. How- 

 ever, on that occasion I perceived one of those young ladies, 



and I thought, " There comes Miss , and I will have to 



get out of the way with the wagon and give her a chance to 

 get by, and when she gets up even with me I will give her the 

 nicest bow I know how." As she approached me she did not 

 look at me. I thought, " Why, that is funny," but presently 

 when she got right up within a few rods of me I saw some- 

 thing happen which surprised me ; that poor girl had been 

 stricken with blindness and couldn't see me at all ; never looked 

 at me in going by. At first it was with a feeling almost of rage, 

 and then I thought, " You can go by me in that high and 

 mighty way if you are a mind to ; with all your chances in life," 

 I thought, " and with all you enjoy, and with all your value, and 

 your farm to boot, I would not have that spirit to go by an 

 acquaintance because he happened to be on a load of manure. 

 Is it nothing to you, young woman, that I can draw this load 

 into a field where the field is dry and barren, where nothing 

 grows ; that I can drive in there with a load of manure, and by 

 the use of that cover it deep with clover or corn ; that I can 

 make grain grow and raise good crops? Is it nothing to you, 

 young woman, that because of this I can make that farm fertile 

 and in time make a home for that sweetheart of mine and 

 those children I hope to have some day ? " So, full of these 

 thoughts, I drove into the field and began to throw down big 



