The Major's Farm.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2079, 10 June 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

The Major's Farm.

Whatever toil it washed up on a shore ol the old Missouri River belongs by law to tbe owner ol tbe ebote. Sometimes a whole (arm changes bands by crossing tbe wioked river in eolation. Then the surveyors pat a little crook in tbe Missouri on their maps and say that it has shifted its course.

Major Dugro Buokbinge was born on a little farm not fat below Omaha, and tbe pretty white farmhouse in which he first saw light was not over five hundred feet from tbe river. Until two years ago the Major bad lived happily on the farm. His father and mother were buried on the side of the hill close by, and be could see the red roof of the school, .where morality and modern ideae were whacked into him, from his doorstep. When the Major was not in his cornfield swearing at the hired man, he was at home reading the Bible or playing with his wife and little ones. He was rough, but ho was good. When be was at home be complained that the Missouri was the orookedest and dirtiest and the snaggiest stream in creation, hot when he paid a visit to New York he knocked a man down and jumped on hie chest for denying that it was the most glorious waterway in the world. On Sundays tbe Major taught in the Sunday school near hie plaoe. It was two years ago that the river began to wash away the farm and oaat up tbe eotl on the opposite shore, which belonged to Lay wer Deeming, of New Orleane. Tbe Major had not lived there all his life not to know what that meant. Each week a foot or two of land waa gone. Then tbe water seemed to double its thievish energy and, aa it undermined the soil, sometimes ten feet wonld cave in at onoe and disappear. The major's (arm was a long, narrow strip ol land, and before a year bad passed there waa nothing left but the house and about thirty feet of tbe farm.

Toe major knew nothing about law, bat he had a very long head. One day he fastened ropes around his house, hired all the horses in the neighborhood, and bad the house hauled out into the stream. His wife waded oat with the little ones, and then the major poled the house into the deep water and let it drift. Mrs, Buokhinge and the children sat in the parlor looking back at the dim Nebraska shore and the old red-topped school-house, while the major stood in the baok door of the kitchen and kept bis eye on the great and and growing State of lowa, to which his farm had been taken by the river. “ Wherever the house lands, I’m going to settle,” he said, “ for I'm drifting just as my property did, and I’m bound to strike the same place.’f In an hour the little house grounded on a point which had been newly made by the river. The major ordered his household to forage, while he bustled around for bones. Before night the house was hauled high and dry, and the major marked off with stakes the amount of land which he considered was his own. Then he had bis farming implements brought over, and in a little while erected a good stout fence around his wayward farm. Then the major got out bis ride and declared that be was prepared to defend his property against all comers. Daring the winter the major made friends with his neighbors, and swore that of all the States in the Union, lowa was the idol of bis heart. He worked his way into the village Sunday-school, and was elected as an elder in the church, and, on the strength of that, borrowed seed for next year's crop. In the spring the major worked hard. He ploughed np his land, sowed bis early crop, and got things in good shape. A lawyer came down from Omaha in May and banted tor the major. The two met in the village. “ Are you Mr. Buokhinge 7” asded the lawyer. ” I am,” said the major. ” Well, I learn that you have squatted upon some land owned by one of my clients,” “ Oh, you have, have yon?” The major became freezingly polite. A little party of church friends who were with him drew away.

“ Fes, I have; and, what’s mors, I now hand you a notice to qnit.” The major crumpled up the bit of white paper which was handed to him and stamped on it.

" I'm a man of peace, and I have deep religions feelings,” he said, “ but if 1 ketch you aronnd my house I'll fill you eo full of lead that it’ll take two horses to draw your hearse.”

Then the; parted. The major went home and cleaned hie ride. After the family prayers his wife sat op till midnight monlding ballets, while he himself sharpened the old axe on the grindstone. In the morning two marshals came out to the farm and ordered the Buckhinge family to leave. The major got ont bis rifle, but before he could make a move he was thrown on hie back and disarmed. Then he was handcuffed and taken to gaol. Mrs. Buokhinge vowed that she would be true to her husband, and she made a loophole in the door of the house, and when the marshals oame baok she poked the muzzle of the rifle out and said that she would die rather than give up her home. I The marshals retreated, but in the afternoon they same back and opened fire on the bouse with rifles. Tbe poor mother at last crept out of tbe house with her children and wandered away ball naked. Kind neighbors fed the family for awhile, and the major was at last set free when he had promised that be would abandon the farm. The first thing he did was to hire horses and haul the old home up the shallows until be had taken it far enough to float over to the thirty feet of the old farm which the Missouri had spared Tbe house was dragged op to its oldtoundation. As there was no farm left the major told bis family to take cate of the house until he came baok. When be started away to search for a living the major cried for the first time in his life. He earned a little money here and there at odd jobs, and sent all he could to bis wife and children. All last winter be worked in St. Jo, heart hungry tor home, but afraid to go back to the farmhouse lest he might lose a dollar and thus deprive the children of some little comfort or luxury. One morning last spring be got this letter;—

“Dkaii Hmu and; —Come home at once. Let nothing delay yon. Your wife, Jkin. With a quaking heart the major hurried back to the farmhouse with bis rille over bis shoulder. What was his surprise to find that the Missouri had changed its course a halt mile above and had washed the old farm back again with an addition of twenty acres. The neighbors bad joined together to surprise the absent man. They contributed seed, ploughed the land, and sowed the early crop. The major wept as he embraced his little wife, and then he knelt down and offered op a thankful prayer. He now lives a life ot contentment and happiness.

Chinese Servants-—A Boston woman has lately attracted fome attention from the fact that she has petitioned Con grossjto permit her to receive there a Chinese servant. “ I have the man in mind,” she states, “one'who was in my employ for eighteen years while I was in China. Since I left that country I have had such a time with ray help. I have had twelve girls in twelve months, and have tried almost all nationalities, but they are either incapable, careless, or ungrateful, Then on the other hand, if they are skilful, they determine to run the household. My husband was a missionary to China, as 1 have said, and I lived in China for eighteen years. We had a nurse girl, a mau-of-all-work and a cook, who was a splendid fellow in (ho kitchen. The characterislicaof the Chinese servants are neatness, perfect obedience, method and system.

Without nny instruction they wilt eet apart a Jay and an hour for each duty, and, when the time comes, perform it promptly. They are skilful cooks, and learn very quickly. When my Chinese cook discovered that I was about to leave China, he went to his home, twelve miles away, boas to avoid the pain of sayingpood-by, yet when I sent for him he returned. If the man 1 desire to send for should come here he will go about my bouse singin? from morning till night. In China it was my custom to preserve fruit in season. On one occasion 1 remember saying to Ing Wee, “Hadn't wc belter buy our arbutus for preserving.’ ’ He said, 'lf we wait ten days more we shall get it cheaper by one cash per pound.’ Now a cash is about onMcnth of a cent, but that illustrates how careful he was of bis employer's interest. How different the service of help here ! I have bad a great deal of experience with servants, and I am satisfied that the Chinese are the best in the world."

Intelligence in Oats —ln the town of Lame there resides a gentleman hi the possession of a cat, which is so great n favorite that every Jay a plate and chair arc placed for her beside her master, whose repast she shares with supreme content. One day for some reason the dinner was post(x>ned, but the cat came in at the usual hour. She was evidently much disconcerted at seeing nothing going on, walked once or twice disconsolately around the table, then disappeared. Shortly afterward she returned with a mouse, which she laid on her master’s plate, then going away, she came back the second time with a mouse, which she put on her own plate. She postponed further proceedings until her master returned, when she immediately began to purr and rub herself against his legs, as much as to say,— “ See how nicely I have provided for you.” Between this town and the village of Hollywood there is a country house which happened to take fire. The cat of tbe house, which had access to the servant maid's apartments, ran up and pawed the young woman's face. Being very drowsy, the girl turned to sleep afresh. The cat, however, after some interval returned and proceeded to scratch tbe girl’s face to such purpose that she rose, and smelling the fire, wakened tbe other raembew of tbe household, and the flames were extinguished.

A nephew of mine who is fond of cats generally keeps three or four,‘and by dint of pains and kindness teaches them a number of tricks. 1 saw one of them sipping cream from a teaspoon, which it held betweon its twoforcpaws.