Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-11-08

fathers good man-a deacon or the First
Orthodox Church ought to be'-he said,
sarcastically, 'but he's a mighty hard and
grinding one, l do know; and begrudges
me these very few minutes, even now, that
I'm resting here from the moving 7
Don't, Tomv again said his mother, de.
precatingly, with the same expression of pa
| tient submission on her face. Il know, as
we'll as you, that there's good many hard
| things to bear We've got a large farm and
it takes great deal Of hard work to carry
it on and sometimes father isn't consider
ate Buthe is a good man in the main, and
means we'll; and you mustn't allow yourself
to get worked up so, for David's younger
than you, and you ought to set him an ex-
ample
sOh, don't be afraid Of my influencing
Daue, motherp replied Tom, proudly 'As
for father, the very reason that he is my IA
ther has kept me here, digging and delving ;
but can't stand it forever and if anything
should happen that 1 can't stay here, you'll
remember that told you twas only because
was ground down so, and hadn't anything
pleasant, like other fellows
There, Tom I wouldn't think Of it any
longer! 'Tisn't any use to brood over trou.
bles-everybody has their share ! and the
crushed expression of the meek.eyed wo.
mans face told that she had hers. Come,
my son bring me pail of cool water from
the we'll It's time the dinner was on the
table !
Tom rose with alacrity-a sturdy, good
looking lad of seventeen, with we'll devel-
oped limbs and handsomely cut features
He would do anything for his mother, whom
he loved strongly; for she, with his brother
Dave and three little sisters, engrossed all
the attention the youth bestowed in the
home, where the stern father, so 'set' in his
own notions of right, repelled, instead of
inviting, the confidence of his family.
After Tom had brought the pail of water
and set it down on a bench in the open
kitchen in the rear of the room where his
mother was at work, he went out at the back
door. As be passed the corner, where the
long gable roof slanted down to the level Of
the branches of the cherry and Canada plum
trees behind the house, David, who had been
sitting on the cellar.case just outside an
open window of the kitchen, rose and walked
by his side down to the great barn, whose
doors stood wide open, revealing the full
slowed mows, and the fowl struttiug to and
fro over the spacious floor, swapping up the
scattered hay seed or talking to each other
in their own cackliug tongue.
Il overheard what you said to mother af-
ter he went out said Dave, pointing over
his shoulder to where their father stood un.
hitching pair of farm horses from large
rack by the bars that opened into the hay
field. sDo you mean to clear out, Tom Z
was questioned in low, confidential tone.
Il shouldn't wonder if I did take up
with his invitation replied Tom, with de-
termined eye and mouth. 'I'm tired to
death of digging, digging all the time, and
no fun at all. There's a wider life out in
the world, somewhere; and I'm bound to
have my share of it, and not stay cramped
up here But we won't talk of it any more,
now = said Tom, evasively.
sWell, I Ishouldn't blame you bit if you
did run away replied fourteen year old
Dave. There's no good times on this farm,
and fellow can't get any schooling, either,
if be wants it ever so bad, except a little in
the winter, when father can't find any ex-
cuse for us to work out doors And yet,
if he was only mind to, you and 1 might
both 90 to the academy and to college; for
he's rich enough-I know that Owls farms
and woodlands, and has lots of money at in
terest. If we Uere real poor, tbere'd be
some ercuse for digging 80! said the boy,
bitterly.
well, it never'll be any different, as I
can see p returned Tom, passionately. Il
wouldn't mind working-I like work as
we'll as anybody, and never shirk my share,
and would be willing to stay at home and
help carry on the farm, while you might 60
to college, for you care more about books
than I do, but he a0on't have it so! Let
him 60 his own way, and I'll 60 mine !
and be sat down in the barn door and look
ed steadily ahead of him, with his determi
nation imprinted on his set lips.
1t was fair picture that lay beneath the
yellow, hazy glow of the hot August noon
the comfortable old farm. house, with its
small-paned windows and gable roof; the
row of plum-trees; the mossy well.curb,
with the tell we'll sweep above, and the
suuken watering. trough, overtopped by
clumps of plantain-leaves and white clover !;
the spacious out.buildings at the right,
wearing an air of neatness and fullness {;
the hired men at work in the fields on the
left turning the hayin long blllowy swathes !;
and beyond, the orchards, fields of corn,
and the still uncut meadow lot, sweeping
down to the distant river In this picture,
there was thrift, afuence, and comfort, to
an outside observer; but, to the lad who
sat viewing it with knitted brows, there
were the dark shadows of ceaseess toll and
deprivation lowering over it.
'I.'s no use talking he said, at length,
doggedly. Father aoon't do anything diff
ferent He'll pinch and work till he dies,
aud everybody round him'll have to do the
same. I suppose he's mad, now, because
| cabin, hit of hafora tho