A Contented Farmer

Tom Reed tells a stoi-y of a Nebrasba farmer, who, traveling through fctalme, happened to stop at a little house hanging trom the side of a rocky hill which coiisUtmi'd the iaonn. hls stay Jie made niauy cutting criticisms tipon the charaeter of the Böil, and asked the íarmer why he he áid not go west where the. land was BO iicli thai. you tould thrust your mm toto 11 up to your shouMere und pull h-om the Uottom dirt as rich as guano. "I -want to know," said thc farniw," "and where may euch lanas be 1" "Whre I live in the west," was the reply, "which Ja ju Black townBMp, Black County, Xel." "I a-eckon I have a mort!age on sonie of that land," replied the Maine "i. -iiKi taereupon brought out ftn oldtin box and howed mortgages on half the farms in the township. "I bouglit these morrtguges," he went on, ■vvith -what ï made olf my farm here, and as long a.s you felloAvs pay the