26 Old Days on the Farm 



BLAMES THE OX FOR SO MANY HOTELS 



I was more than surprised the other day when 

 an old-timer had the effrontery to blame the old 

 ox-team for the existence of so many hotels on the 

 bush-roads of this country in pioneer days. He 

 argued it out this way, that as the thoughtful ox 

 had to think twice before it put one foot before 

 the other, that progress by ox-team was exceed- 

 ingly slow and, therefore, even with hotels at 

 nearly every cross-road in other days, it was, as 

 the Guv. of North Carolina said to the Guv. of 

 South Carolina a long time between — well, you 

 know the rest. He argued further that the shout- 

 ing and, well — heated language — that an ox-driver 

 had to use made much ''wettin' o' the whistle" an 

 absolute necessity. 



It was a mean insinuation and I'd resent 

 the allegation of that old-timer if he were as 

 old as Methusaleh. I'm with the ox — on the 

 left side too — ^first, last and around the 

 stump. 



AN old-timer's CHRISTMAS STORY 



A pioneer once told me a Christmas story 



in which the old ox-team played a leading 



part. 



As nearly as I can recall it he gave it thus : 



''I've read them wonderful Christmas tales o' 



Charles Dickens's an' that there one o' Bret 



