Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-07-02

beauty humbly:
Il mean to do right, Kate. Some time
mother shall be rich and never have to
do anything What had | better do? go
through college?"
Kate laughed at the tone.
"Going through college isn't so easy,
James, but you can help your mother
and fix up the house and fences; and,
James, will you promise me one thlng!
Anything, Kate" he answered
eagerly.
@Pshawm she exclaimed 81 have al
ways noticed that people so ready to
promise seldom perform"
Try me, Kate; what is it,"
sit is this: Leave off inventing" very
scornfully) until"
"Whatg" he broke in eagerly.
| His ready compliance irritated her.
until you learn to spell Kate. | sup
pose that is enough to expect OF you
But must GO Mother will wonder at
my absence" and still wearing the scorn-
full look she turned and was walking
away.
"Please, Kate, take the box; do" he
said so earnestly and gently that Kate
took it and said, impulsively:
"You have the best disposition / ever
knew of, James. But then" she said,
sneeringly, "you haven't any pride"
NO" he said, suppose not"
Then with rare witchery of manner,
| for she was changeable as a summer day;
"Please forgive me if have hurt your
feelings. But you will not forgets"
"That you are an angel No, Kate"
"Pshaw, how tiresome |! Well, good
by" and she went away, leaving James
Henry unhappy and anxious He had
not much pride, it is true, nor ambition,
but what little he had was fully aroused
and not again to be caught mapping.
| For the first time he realized that his
| life thus far had not been manly nor
masterful, but he would change it. Kate
should he proud of him yet. He would
win fame and honor and wealth-yes,
and scholarship, for her sake.
1t was no light task he had set himself
about to work out, but he had persever-
ance if he lacked pride and ambition.
Love for Kate supplied the latter quail
| ties. Hitherto he had never applied his
mind to study, because, like so many OF
| his class, he moderated its value. Now
all was changed An education he must
and would have, though he realized that
his poverty and ignorance were to be
serious drawbacks.
He applied to the Rev. Mr.. Grey for
advice. Happily advice was not all he
received for the minister, seeing his
earnestness, and being one of those who
delight to impart knowledge, at once
promised to assist him with the loan OF
books and to hear his recitations. James
Henry, in return, agreed to keep the min
ister's wood-pile flourishing.
The lessons went on in the low cham
Der under the caves, and he labored over
his books harder than he ever worked be-
fore. But after time, as his mind be-
came disciplined to study, he found it
more agreeable, and astonshed Mr.. Grey
by his improvement, which was really ex-
traor6inary.
No one was made acquainted with this
change except Mrs. Arnold, whose eyes
glistened with pleasure when the minis
ter, as he occasionally did, spoke of her
sons success. In justice to James we
must say that Mr.. Grey's wood.pile pre-
sented fine appearance. The neighbors
wondered and speculated as to this one
sided friendship, as they called it, and
still more who he could be going to mar
ry for he had newly shingled the house,
painted it a neat white, and discarded
| from the windows the old rags with which
| Mrs. Arnold had hitherto cheated stern
winter, and substituted an unbroken array
| of glass. The fence was mended and the
gate left off its tipsy maneuvers to swing
soberly on its hinges. A neat row of veg
etables behind the house evinced more
cultivation than Mrs. Arnold could have
bestowed. Certainly radical change
had taken place in James Henry. No
| wonder the people speculated as to the
| cause.
Kate noticed all these signs and that
James Henry had ceased quarreling with
| the moods and lenses and evinced ac-
| quaintance with Webster; strangest of
| all, he began to respect himself. She was
sorry more than she liked to admit when
he called to bid her g0od-by. He was 60
| ing away, but where or for what purpose
| he did not say, and Kate would not in
| quire. There was a new manliness in
his appearance that precluded patroniz-
| ing manner, and that was the form in
which she had hitherto thought itproper
| to manifest her interest. She she shook
hands with him at parting and said,
kindly, " hope you will be prospered,
| James," without i'm the least knowing
| where her wish was TO be conferred.
"Thank you, Kate" he replied "For-
| tune helps those who help themselves,
and / mean to aid the old fellow all
can"
He went away and Kate more than
once caught herself thinking he was very
much improved and rather good-Iooking
James Arnold was going to college, but
no one knew of it save his mother and
Mr.. Grey, who had used his interest to
get him the place of janitor where he
could earn his tuition. James energy,
aided by what little money Mrs. Arnold
could spare, was some way TO get board
and books. With such prospects he left
home. From the smallest beginning he
had in three years been fitted for college,
and Mr.. Grey felt proud of his pupil, and
not without reason.
Time went on. Mrs. Arnold remained
at the little cottage, the neighbors plodded
on in the same old way, to mill, to mead
ow, to meals and meeting, while Kate
grew handsome and stately in her faith
er's house. Lovers she had and plenty,
but all Jared the same, even George Cliff
ford, who was worthy, handsome and
talented. Her temper had become less
sharp and her words less thoughtless, but
otherwise she was the same bright, spark
ling Kate of old