Father's Letter

'm going to write a letter toouroldestboy who went Out west last spring topracttce law and run for president; '11 teil him all the gosslp I guess he'd like to r he ha'sn't scen the home-folksfor golng on a year ! Most geneially U's Martha does the writing, but as she s sufl'eriuewith a felón, why, the job devolv s on me - So, wlien the supper things are done and put away to-night, '11 draw my boots and shed my coat and settle down to write. '11 teil hlm cropsare looking up, with prospects big for corn, 'hat, looiing with the barn-yard gate the off ox hurthls horn; rhnttlie Templar lodge is dolng weli- Iim Bennett joined last week Wheu the prohibition candidato forCongress came to speak ; That the old gray woodchuek's living slill down in the pasture lot. A-wondering what's become of littleWilliara Likeasnot! Oh, yes. Miere's lots of pleasant things and uo bad news to teil, Except that old Bill Graves was 6ick,but now he's up and well. Cy Cooper says- (but I'll notpassray word that it Uso, For Cy he is some pumpklns on spinning yarns, you know)- Hesavs, that slnce the freshet, the pickerel are so thick n Baker's pond you can wade in and kill em with a stick ! The Hubbard girls are teaching school and Widow Cutler's Bill Has taken Eli Baxter's place in Luther Eastman s mili ; „ Old Deacon Skinuer's dog licked Deacon How ard's dog last week, And now there are two lambklns in one nock that will not speak. The yellow rooster froze hls feet, a-wadln' through the snow, And now he leans agin the fence when he starts In to crow ; Thechestnut colt that was so skittish when he went away. 've broke him to the sulky and I drive hlm him every day ! We'vegotpiuk window curtalusfor thelront spare room up stairs, And Lizzie's made new covers for the parlor lounge and rhaii'K ; Ve've roofed the bain and braced the elm that has the hang-bird's nestThese are the things I'll write him- our boy ihal's in the west. And I'll teil him how we miss him-his moth er and the rest; Why, we never hav in apple pie that mother doesu't say : "He liked itso-I wlsh that he could have a piece to-day!" I'll teil him we are prospering, and hope he is the saine- That we hope he'll have no trouble getting on to wealth and fame ; And just before I write " good by, from father and the rest," I'll say that " mother sends her love," and that will please him best. For when I went away from home, the weekly news I heard Was nothlng to the tenderness I fonnd In' that one word - The sacred name of mother- why, even now as then, The thought brings back the saintly face, the gracious love again ; And In my bosom seems to come a peace that is divine, Asifan angel spirit communed a while with mine; And one man's heart is strengthened by the message from above. And earth seems nearer heaven when " mother sends her love."