20 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 



I can not so muck as keep old Uncle Sam. I must 

 myself get out with the lantern before breakfast and 

 feed and curry the horses and begin over again to 

 do all that drudgery that I had only lately escaped. ' ' 

 It was not a very worthy thought, but it added to his 

 perplexity. 



The old father waited anxiously for the boy's de- 

 cision. Very gently he said: "My boy, when you 

 were with me we made more money than this. The 

 farm then was in better condition and times were 

 not so hard. I am too old now to develop it as it 

 should be developed and I am tired. My happiest 

 memories are of the time when I was strong enough 

 to be called a man, and you were my boy, helping 

 me. Now I am tired of being the man; I wish you 

 to be the man. Won't you be the man, let me be the 

 boy and help you?" There was silence for a little 

 time while many thoughts passed rapidly through 

 the boy's mind, then he came to decision. "Yes, 

 father, I'll stay. I'll take hold of the old farm and 

 do what I can with it. I think we can make it profit- 

 able after a time, and you may help me." 



"G-ood," the old man exclaimed. "Now you go 

 ahead and do whatever you wish to do. I'll give you 

 chance to do it, for I'll feed the cattle and the pigs. 

 I can feed them better than any man you can hire, 

 and you know it." "Of course you can," replied 

 the boy. Then : < < Father, let 's go and take a walk. ' ' 

 "All right; where shall we go?" "Oh, anywhere; 

 just out to look at the farm again." Together they 

 sallied out, the father happy as a child, the son glad 



