10 INTRODUCTORY, 



The children gathered round hira, showed hun the woric I had done. 

 He said to me, If you can do as well as that you had better keep on. 

 This of course encouraged and very much pleased me, 

 My work was bein^ appreciated by him, I could see. 



My father was a good farmer — all kinds of that work he understood^ — 

 And all the work he did he always did good. 



His word could always be relied on no matter where he would be; 

 An honester, kmder- hearted man no man ever see. 



My father never tried much mechanical work to do — 

 Make beetles, his ox sleds with wood he could shoe. 

 To dress a beef or hog, and all worlc of that kind, 

 No better man for that in the country could they find. 



He always had something every day to do, 



No matter how cold, how much the snow and wind blew. 



For him to work there was never a day too cold. 



And this he kept up until he was very old. 



He kept right on one steady course, you can see, 



As pro*vider for liis family no better could be. 



Through cold winds and drifting snow, out all day in the cold, 



Nights in this half circle a lap full of children he would hold. 



I was next oldest of this large family of boys; 

 I had plenty of work all of the time to keep them in toys; 

 There was eleven boys in this family grew up to be men; 

 Seven boys first, then two girls, then boys again. 



There were two boys that died when they were quite young. 

 I assure you to support this family, some work had to be done. 

 A truer and better man in a family than my father could not be^ 

 How he carried this heavy load has always puzzled me. 



It was all done by hard knocks, the sweat of the brow ; 



If you want to know how it was done, ask him ; he can tell you how. 



My father was a large, powerful, strong-built man ; 



To do better work, and more in a day, very few can. 



He supported his own family, and helped others too. 

 And this, wlierever he could^ he was always ready to do. 



