The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1877-12-06
"a Bird in the Hand, Worth Two
in the Bush.
MARY DwlNELL cAELIIs.

1dttOO! hldn, Wnefe uoWF
"Of' for berries.'
"stopl l know something worth
two of that Leave your pals hert
and go trouting with me. | know
where there's lots of them, and Tn
just going for trout. The man up a
Oak Grove House wants all he car
get, and l want money. / dom
mean to let anybody else know {
thing about it, but you may gosharei
with me. Meant to goyestcrday but
there was chores to do, and l didn't
find my line till most noon. Their
twas all in knots, and twas suct
awful hot weather. l thought iIc
wait"
81 can't stop, for hot wsather nj
pens the berries first rate. Hope
you'll make a pile of money"
"Hold on. Don't you want money!
"Yes, that's what l work for.
can sell all my berries after they're
well dried, if Ican't before. I'm
sure of them, and l amt sure o
trout. Good luck to you"
So saying, Kiah Green turned from
the boy who had detained him, anC
who now made another effort ts
change his plans for the day.
"Hold on minute. ,,Taint otter
fellow has such a chance: Ydr
can make more monty going witt
-me,-tbanjiyQssan pia
month. There':don't anybody else
know where them troutare, andafter
we've caught them, all we've got tc
do is to go tosthr Oak Grove House
and sell them. And Jim Harri.
ya%ned lasilY, as he pushed back
his tangled ,hair from his forehead
half surfrisdd that kiah Green fail
ed to appreciate the magnanimity o
his offer. sJust.my luck" he nut
tered, after being left alone.
Whats the matter now?" askec
Jim's mother, a.faded-out looking
woman, who came to the kitchen
door, and who seemed too thoroughly
discouraged TO smile.
She had been watching Kiah anc
wishing Jim was like him, thinking
how comfortably they could live, anc
how poorly they did live.
"Mat!cr enough" replied Jim fret
fully, and then proceeded to state his
grievances, which simply amounted
to the fact that another had refused
to accedc to his approval.
"You haven't anything to com
plain of" said his mother. "Thert
don't anybody take anything that
belongs to you. You're just like
your father, always talking about
bad luck, | don't know as you've
begun on liquor or tobacco, but ex'
pect every day when you will. He
made great plans and let the fence:
rot down; and told what he wa:
going to do when there was enough
to be done all the time. Sc
we grew poorer and poorer till the
farm went, and then, lie drank him
self to death, and don't know as
twas much matter. / wasn't any
worse of, l couldn't be. There:
the widow Green, as chipper as can
be, always telling how much she has
to be thankful for, though everybody
knows she lost as good a husband as
ever woman had. Kiah always busy
If he can't do one thing, he'll dc
another He helps his mother; but
l never had anyone to help me-"
"But you used to have enough
mother. I've heard you say So"
ayes, when VIC were married your
father hada good farm, but a man
can let things go to ruin easy, andhC
can't help it, when he spends his
time smoking and drinking That's
what makes bad luck, l never ex'
pected to come to this; living in nsucll
a poor house, The miscrablost fami
ly in town always used to live here
and guess they do now, | wish
you'd took up with Mr. sawycr's Of
fer; you'd. hRd your board and some
more. Now L don't know but We
shall statEe. unless | apply to The
town" -.
ut aint Fo,had as that, il it22 ex