Consider Freeland

Look at that tract of land there - five good acres         Held out of use these thirty years and more.         They keep a cow there. See! the cow's there now.         She can't eat up the grass, there is so much.         And in these thirty years these houses here,         Here, all around here have been built. This lot         Is worth five times the worth it had before         These houses were built round it.          Well, by God,         I am in part responsible for this.         I started out to be a first rate lawyer.         Was I first rate lawyer? Well, I won         These acres for the Burtons in the day         When I could tell you what is gavel kind,         Advowsons, corodies, frank tenements,         Scutage, escheats, feoffments, heriots,         Remainders and reversions, and mortmain,         Tale special and tale general, tale female,         Fees absolute, conditional, copyholds;         And used to stand and argue with the courts         The difference 'twixt a purchase, limitation,         The rule in Shelley's case.             And so it was         In my good days I won these acres here         For old man Kingston's daughter, who in turn         Bound it with limitation for the life         Of selfish sons, who keep a caretaker,         Who keeps a cow upon it. There's the cow!         The land has had no use for thirty years.         The children are kept off it. Elenor Murray,         This girl whose death makes such a stir, one time         Was playing there - but that's another story.         I only say for the present, these five acres         Made Elenor Murray's life a thing of waste         As much as anything, and a damn sight more.         For think a minute!          Kingston had a daughter         Married to Colonel Burton in Kentucky.         And Kingston's son was in the Civil War.         But just before the war, the Burtons deeded         These acres here, which she inherited         From old man Kingston, to this Captain Kingston,         The son aforesaid of Old Kingston. Well,         The deed upon its face was absolute,         But really was a deed in trust.             The Captain         Held title for a year or two, and then         An hour before he fought at Shiloh, made         A will, and willed acres to his wife,         Fee simple and forever. Now you'd think         That contemplating death, he'd make a deed         Giving these acres back to Mrs. Burton,         The sister who had trusted him. I don't know         What comes in people's heads, but I believe         The want of money is the root of evil,         As well as love of money; for this Captain         Perhaps would make provision for his wife         And infant son, thought that the chiefest thing         No matter how he did it, being poor,         Willed this land as he did. But anyway         He willed it so, went into Shiloh's battle,         And fell dead on the field.          What happened then?         They took this will to probate. As I said         I was a lawyer then, you may believe it,         Was hired by the Burtons to reclaim         These acres from the Widow Kingston's clutch,         Under this wicked will. And so I argued         The will had not been witnessed according to law.         Got beat upon that point in the lower court,         But won upon it in the upper courts.         Then next I filed a bill to set aside         This deed the Burtons made to Captain Kingston -         Oh, I was full of schemes, expedients,         In those days, I can tell you. Widow Kingston         Came back and filed a cross bill, asked the court         To confirm the title in her son and her         As heirs of Captain Kingston, let the will         Go out of thought and reckoning. Here's the issue;         You understand the case, no doubt. We fought         Through all the courts. I lost in the lower court,         As I lost on the will. There was the deed:         For love and affection and one dollar we         Convey and warrant lots from one to ten         In the city of LeRoy, to Captain Kingston         To be his own forever.         How to go         Behind such words and show the actual trust         Inhering in the deed, that was the job.         But here I was resourceful as before,         Found witnesses to testify they heard         This Captain Kingston say he held the acres         In trust for Mrs. Burton - but I lost         Before the chancellor, had to appeal,         But won on the appeal, and thus restored         These acres to the Burtons. And for this         What did I get? Three hundred lousy dollars.         That's why I smoke a pipe; that's also why         I quit the business when I saw the business         Was making ready to quit me. By God,         My life is waste so far as it was used         By this law business, and no coroner         Need hold an inquest on me to find out         What waste was in my life - God damn the law!         Well, then I go my way, and take my fee,         And pay my bills. The Burtons have the land,         And turn a cow upon it. See how nice         A playground it would be. I've seen ten sets         Of children try to play there - hey! you hear,         The caretaker come out, get off of there!         And then the children scamper, climb the fence.         Well, after while the Burtons die. The will         Leaves these five acres to their sons for life,         Remainder to the children of the sons.         The sons are living yet at middle life,         These acres have been tied up twenty years,         They may be tied up thirty years beside:         The sons can't sell it, and their children can't,         Only the cow can use it, as it stands.         It grows more valuable as the people come here,         And bring in being Elenor Murrays, children,         And make the land around it populous.         That's what makes poverty, this holding land,         It makes the taxes harder on the poor,         It makes work scarcer, and it takes your girls         And boys and throws them into life half made,         Half ready for the battle. Is a country         Free where the laws permit such things? Your priests,         Your addle-headed preachers mouthing Christ         And morals, prohibition, laws to force         People to be good, to save the girls,         When every half-wit knows environment         Takes natures, made unstable in these homes         Of poverty and does the trick.             That baronet         Who mocked our freedom, sailing back for England         And said: Your Liberty Statue in the harbor         Is just a joke, that baronet is right,         While such conditions thrive.         Well, look at me         Who for three hundred dollars take a part         In making a cow pasture for a cow         For fifty years or so. I hate myself.         And were the Burtons better than this Kingston?         Kingston would will away what was not his.         The Burtons took what is the gift of God,         As much as air, and fenced it out of use -         Save for the cow aforesaid - for the lives         Of sons in being.         Oh, I know you think         I have a grudge. I have.             This Elenor Murray         Was ten years old I think, this law suit ended         Twelve years or so, and I was running down,         Was tippling just a little every day;         And I came by this lot one afternoon         When school was out, a sunny afternoon.         The children had no place except the street         To play in; they were standing by the fence,         The cow was way across the lot, and Elenor         Was looking through the fence, some boys and girls         Standing around her, and I said to them:         "Why don't you climb the fence and play in there?"         And Elenor - she always was a leader,         And not afraid of anything, said: "Come on,"         And in a jiffy climbed the fence, the children,         Some quicker and some slower, followed her.         Some said "They don't allow it." Elenor         Stood on the fence, flung up her arms and crowed,         And said "What can they do? He says to do it,"         Pointing at me. And in a moment all of them         Were playing and were shouting in the lot.         And I stood there and watched them half malicious,         And half in pleasure watching them at play.         Then I heard "hey!" the care-taker ran out.         And said "Get out of there, I will arrest you."         He drove them out and as they jumped the fence         Some said, "He told us to," pointing at me.         And Elenor Murray said "Why, what a lie!"         And then the care-taker grabbed Elenor Murray         And said, "You are the wildest of them all."         I spoke up, saying, "Leave that child alone.         I won this God damn land for those you serve,         They use it for a cow and nothing else,         And let these children run about the streets,         When there are grass and dandelions there         In plenty for these children, and the cow,         And space enough to play in without bothering         That solitary cow." I took his hands         Away from Elenor Murray; he and I         Came face to face with clenched fists - but at last         He walked away; the children scampered off.         Next day, however, they arrested me         For aiding in a trespass clausam fregit,         And fined me twenty dollars and the costs.         Since then the cow has all her way in there.         And Elenor Murray left this rotten place,         Went to the war, came home and died, and proved         She had the sense to leave so vile a world.         *        *        *        *        *         George Joslin ending up his days with dreams         Of youth in Europe, travels, and with talk,         Stirred to a recollection of a face         He saw in Paris fifty years before,         Because the face resembled Elenor Murray's,         Explored his drawers and boxes, where he kept         Mementos, treasures of the olden days.         And found a pamphlet, came to Merival,         With certain recollections, and with theories         Of Elenor Murray: -