The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-05-06
ROBERT ATCHISON'S STRUGGLE.

called by his well-tO-do neighbOrs. lie
was an honest, ploddingl farmer, and
lived in the old home left him four years
before by his dying father. Scarcely II
wear later he followed his mother to her
resting-placo and returned to the
old homestead II lonely man, without
kindred remote or near.
The farm was free from debt, and was
capable of Welding large crops yet,
though Bobby toiled early and late, he
seemed to increase his possessions but
little. and was enabled to lay very lit
tie aside for the proyerbal rainy day
WHY was this ? Why did the crops
fail him when his neighbors had sbund-
ant 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 he stead
" moved day after day In fact, this
ploddingtarmer-boy was an ardent stud
ent of nature, As 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 jaunts, was thrown vio-
lentlv from his horse near Mr. Atchi>on
residence, and was obliged to remain UNI
der that hcsptable roof for many weeks.
The injured man proved to be the
gcologist of the State in which they
lived and'was an enthusiast in his work
inst what any man must be who succeeds
in uny uncertaking-and this WAS the
very reason why Bobby did not succeed
rs II farmer. ,r
As many Others, this enthusiast bellev-
ed everything impinged upon his dearly
loved science : that man must be un-
bapoy indeed who believed not MS truth
and felt no interist in its development.
His was the spirit Of the Proselyte,
and he turned his eyes towards Bobby
in the first hours of conYalesccnce. The
youth proved an apt student. Eagerly
he swallowed the sweet water OF knowl-
edge. and rambled, in Imagination with
his teacher over wonderous rock and
through innumerable forests.
Soon he saw languages in flowers, and
heard the rocks speaking in unmistaka-
BILE tones.
His staid old Puritan father and mat
ter.ot-iact mother warned and beSought
their only boy to turn aside from such
improbable studies, and take more in
tcrrst in the sowing and rcaping, and
in the work which naturally fell to his
lot on the farm.
But the youth has tasted the sweets of
knowledge, and would not be turned
aside. He could plough, he could SOW
and gather the grain, bnt his inclinations
all pointed him to other fields.
For a long time he struggled against
mighty obstacles it was with great
difficulty that he could obtain books con-
tanning even the rudiments Of his favor
tie language but his mind was resolved,
and nothing could turn him aside.
Going to and fro from field to house
ne rlucked the tiny blossoms and bits
Of rock, or wandered off many miles on
SUNDAY afternoons and during moon
light nights, in quest of other witnesses
of the same kind.
When his parents were gone and ne
became master of his own income, the
first investment he made was i'll 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 tilnty
rocl, rather than fertile soil, with fragile
Nower, rather than standing corn and
yellow grain. Thus years passed by
until the opening ofmy story,
lie was no great favOrite with his
neighbors. Few even suspected the
stores of knowledge which lay hidden
beneath BODY Atchison's quiet eXter-
Tor. Modest, vet bashful to an almost
painful degree, he had carefully con-
cealed his books and researches from
prvinr ewes, rs tar rs he was able.
There was one little lady in the
village who understood the young man :
position, and heartily sympathized with
him in his longings and readings
after a 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 Saddon alone had Robert
Atchison had the courage to speak OF
his plans and hopes, and the little maid
en- had gladly listened and assured him
of her belief. in its final success.
One day rs they rambled through the
wood he Whispered the ott.told story,
and the foolish little girl told him
she loved him in return, and they We're
engaged.
They were much together after this she
aiding him in his studies, and smiling
encouragement at every evidence oi
progress.
Bobby Atchison sighed oftener now n
he looked ut the dear, bright fac" full
of affection for him, and rs he realized
That his income was yearly less. " hen
could he hope to cali Katie Saddon his
wife Why did he not prosper, he often
asked himself, when he was so indus
trious and temperate? Katie never
allowed any rcpinings in her presence.
She always spoke OF future better days
whom he should have overcome all OBJ
.,oc,os and he recognized by the world
~ ,h. Great man she felt assured he
Bnt one day he made a wonderful
discoycry-one that caused every nerve
in his body TO culver with excitement;
For several 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 cosl-beds beneath
There was no coal mine within -FOUR
hundred miles of his farm, and the as
covery il it would insure MIN fortune
He did find the vein. but uniortun-
ately It was on the land of his nelsh-
Dor. Jacob Harder.
He said nothing of this to human
being ; but in the quiet watches of that
eyentful night came the great Temper,
and made suggestions which caused
the hot blood to flow from every MEN,
Der into his honest fsce. Alas, poor
Bobby did not have strength enough to