20 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 



I can not so mnch. 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." 



"Grood," 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 



