334 Grandfather^ 8 Old Farm. [July, 



more ; when, as had been the custom of the Smith families on previous 

 occasions, it finally came to the turn of the occupant to resign grand- 

 father's old place to his only son, Ben Smith, now come to thirty. 



For five and forty years at least, Ben's father had carried on this old 

 farm. In all that loDg period, and regular as the year rolled, so regular 

 had Mr. Smith plowed up his eight acres, mowed all the grass that Prov- 

 idence would grow for him, pastured his ten sheep, reared his four head 

 of cattle, fattened his three hogs, and wintered as many cows. But this 

 was all. 



True, Mr. Smith had a great farm. He toiled like a trooper from 

 day-light to dark. He raised his own pork, corn (such as it was), his 

 cattle and fodder; cut from his own forest the wood that he burned; 

 never owed any man a farthing. He contrived even to pay his town and 

 county tux. But he was literally "even with the world," for he owed 

 no one, and no one owed him a dollar. And so he lived up to seventy. 



" Ben," said the old man to his son one evening, as they sat before the 

 winter's fire, " I'm getting old. I've worked pooty hard here for a good 

 many years, and I have concluded to give up. It's your turn now." 



*' My turn for what? " asked Ben. 



" To take charge of the farm, Ben. You're young, stout and healthy, 

 I'm going to give up the homestead to you ; and if you continue to labor 

 constantly, as I have done, and as your grandfather did afore us, you can 

 get a good livin' off on't as we have done. AVe can't take nothin' out of 

 this world with us, Ben. Naked we came into it, and so must go out. 

 But the old place is free from incumbrance ; there never was a dollar 

 mortgage on it, and I hope there never will be. I shall give you the 

 farm, free and clear to-morrow." 



Ben slept on this, and next day he was master of a " farm" thirty 

 rods wide, and two and a half miles long. " I shall take the place, 

 father," he said, " and carry it on; but not as you and grandfather and 

 his father did." And though the old gentleman shook his head and 

 looked earnestly over the bridge of his specs at his son, Ben was as good 

 as his word ; forthwith he went to work in earnest. 



Spring came. Ben went into the old eight acre field and plowed up 

 one half of it. Upon this he had deposited the whole of the season's 

 manure, that had hitherto been sparingly spread upon double the surface. 

 He harrowed these four acres, and harrowed them carefully. Hoeing 

 time came, and Ben had only one-half the space to go over. Though 

 the corn and potatoes looked finely, and the beets, the cabbages, and the 

 carrots grew marvelously, the old man grew crusty, and declared it 

 wouldn't do, and that there wouldn't be roots enough. But Ben went 



