The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-05-13
ROBERT ATCHISON,S STRUGGLE.

Il ~.
"PooR Bobby Atchison," he was often
called by his well 10 do neighbors He
was an honest, ploddng farmer, and liv.
ed in the old home left him four years be-
), fore by his dying father. Scarcely year
later bc followed his mother to her resting
place and sadly returned 10 the old home
stead lonely man, without kindred re-
mote or gear.
The Agar was free from debt. ana was
capable tof yielding large crops; vet,
Though Dobby tOiled early aud late, he
seemed to increase his possession, but lit
tie, and was enabled to lay very little aside
for the proverbial "rainy day.
Why was thsg Why did the croDs fail
him when his neighbors had abundant
harycsts? Truth to tell, Bobby's heart
was not in his work. He was full Of
thoughts far away. His mind ran in
channels other than the burrows down
which ne steadily moved day after day.
I'm fact. this plodding farmer-bOy was an
ardent student of nature, us she is declared
in rocks and flowers.
His first impulse in this direction was
received long years before from an old
naturalist. This man. returning from one
of his wild iaunis, was thrown violently
from his horse near Mr.. AtchisOn's resi-
tt'llCt. dlll WIS ODilgttl 10 ftlll;lll UllupG
that hospitablc roof for many weeks. The
injured man proved to be the geologistf
the State in which they lived, and was an
enthusiast i'm his work-just what any
man must be who succeeds in any under
taking-aHd this was the very reason why
Bobby did not succeed rs a farmer. As
many others. this enthusiast believed eve
ry thing impingcd upon his dearly loved
science; that n man must be unhappy in
deed who believed not its truth and felt no
interest i'm its development. His was the
spirit ofthe proSelytc, and he turned his
eyes towards Bobby in the first hours of
cOnvalescence. The youth proved an apt
student. Eagerly he swallowed the sweet
water of knowledge, and rambled, in i'm
aginatiOn, with his teacher over wOndrOus
rocks and through innumerable forests.
Soon he saw language in flowers, and
heard the rocks Spcaking in unmistakable
tones. His staid old Puritan father and
mattcr-of-fact mother warned and be-
sought their only boy TO turn aside from
such Improbable studies, and take more
interest in the sowing and reaping,
and in the work which naturally
fell 10 his lot upon the farm. But the
youth had tasted the sweets ofknOwlcdge.
and would not be turned aside. He could
pillow, he could SOW and gather the grain,
but his inclinatiOnS all pointed him to
other fields. For a long time he struggled
against mighty obstacles; it was with
great difficulty that hc could obtain books
containing even the rudimentS of his favor
itc language; but his mind was resolved. |
and nothing could turn him aside. Co |
ing TO and fro from field TO house he |
plucked the. tiny blossoms and bits of /
rock, or wandt red of many miles on Sun |
daV afternoons and during moonlight |
nights. In quest of other witnesses of the |
same kind. When his parents We're gone !
and he became master of his own income, |
the first investment he made was in books |
pertaining TO his favOrite subjects, and |
these books he eagerly devOured night |
after night. During the long days when !
the farm work required him to toll in the
field. his mind was filled with flinty rock |
rather than fertile soil, with fragile flow
crS rather than standing corn and yellow |
grain. Thus years passed by until the |
opening of my story.
He was no great favoritc with his neigh |
borS. Few even suspected the stores OF
knowledge which lay hidden beneath Bob
by AtchiSon's quiet exterior. Modest,
YES bashiul 10 an almost painful degree,
he had carefully concealed his books aud
researches from prying eyes, Us far as he
was able.
There was one little lady in the village
who understood the young mans position.
and heartily sympathizcd with Linn in his
longings and reachin@S after Il different
life. She viewed him with partial eyes, it
is true, for she loved him but love did
not blind her good sense. To Katie Sad
don alone had Robert Atchi>On had the !
courage to speak of his plans and hopes.
and the little maiden had gladly listened
and assured him of her belief in his final
success. One day as ti3ey rambled through |
the wood hc whispered the of)-told story, !
and the foolish little girl told him she loved |
him in return, and they were engaged |
They were much together after this she |
aiding him in his studies, and smiling en- |
COuragCmentatcvcrye evidence OfprogrcSs. /
Bobby AtchiSOn sighed Ottener now us |
he looked at the dear, bright face full of |
affection for him, and as he realized that |
his income was yearly less. When could |
lac hope to call Kate SaddOn his wife
Why did lac not prosper, when he was so
industrious and temperate? Katie never
allowed any repinings in her presence.
She always spoke of future better days
when he should have overcome all ObSJa-
cleS, and be recognized by the world as the
grcatman She felt assured he would be.
But one day he made a wonderful dis
covery-One that caused every nerve in his
body To quiver with excitement. For sew
eral weeks, every day he could spare from
regular work, he had been out prospecting
with a special object in view. Certain
ground gave evidence of the presence of |
coal-bcds beneath. There was no coal /
mine within four hundred miles of his |
farm, and the discovery of it wOul3 insure
him a fortune. He did find the vein. but
unfortunately itw was on the land of his
neighbor, Jacob Harder. lie said nothing
ofthiS to human being; but i'm the quiz
ct watches of that eventful night caIne the
great Tempter. and made suggestions
which caused the hot blood to flow from
every member into his honest face. Alas,
poor Bobby did not have strength enough |
10 say {" Get thee behind me, Satan - and /
SO the Evil One continued his whispers.
amounting 10 this: Harder had frequent
ly expressed a desire 10 sell out his proper |
vas he was anxious TO remove TO another /
State. Here was a golden opportunity.
Wealth beyond calculation for little |
price. !
Here Bobhy's conscience began its re-
proof. "A little price, Do YOU place no
greater estimate upon your honor than |
this? Would Jacob Harder take only If /
teen hundred dollars for the land if he was |
aware ofthe coal vein? Is it not worth |
more than ten times as muchg"
Then the evil one again:
You discovered it; it is yours. You
will be giving the close-1isted old miser
all he asks. Think how secure your ft-
ture will then be. Wealth. position, leis-
ure, and a beautiful wife will all be
yours" tr4
Poor Bobby was dszzled. and, like
many another before him, he gave way,
put aside the warnings of conscience. and
hastened over TO Farmer Harder's. Tie
old gentleman was very willing to close
the bargain Immediately, and. iullef. eN-I
element, Bobby hastened TO tell his
changed prospects TO Katie Saddon.
A moments silence followed the recital.
for Bobby told the fair girl the whole
truth; then the pure, speaking eyes We're
raised TO his face, and he knew before she
spoke that he was condemned.
"Oh. am so sOrryi' -rs
How every thing seemed clouded. Ills
brightest visions faded.
81 did not expect you 10 be soIy,