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Show Breaking It to flothcr. I'vo got u lottor, parson, from my son away out west, An' my ol' heart is ns heavy ns an anvil in my breast I'o think tho boy whoso futur' I had onco so proudly plunnod Shuld wandor from tho path o' right an' como to sich an oud 1 1 toi him when bo loft us only tbreo bort yours ago Ho'd )1(i himsolf a-plowin' a mighty orol:od row, Ho'd mil, hia fatbor'a counsels and bis nutbor's pruyors, too; Dut ho said Uio farm was butoful uti ' ho guosmd ho'd bavo to go. I know tbnr's tomptations for a youngstor ii tho west, But I boliovod mr Billy bnd tho courugo to rost, An' when ho loft I warned him of tho ovor-waltin' snares Thut Ho liko hiddousorponts iu life's pathway ovory whoros,' But Bill ho promised faithful to bo koorful, an' allowed Ilo'd build up a reputation thut'd mako us mighty proud, But it soma us bow my couusol sort o' faded from bis mind, An' now bo's got in troublo of tbo very wustost kind 1 Ills lottors como so soldom that I somohow sort o' knowod That Billy was a trampin' on n mighty migh-ty rocky road, But novor onco imnginod ho would bow my head iu shamo An' iu tho dust 'd waller his ol' daddy's bonorod naino. Ho writs from out iu Donvor, an' tho story's mighty short; I joss can't tell bis mother it'll crush hor poor ol' boart! A" I recouod, parson, you might broak tbo nowa to her Bill's in tho Logislatur', but ho doesn't say what furl Exchange |