The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-06-04
himself on the good lesson he was teach

himself on the good lesson ne was teach
ing him.
At last spring came. The tender grass
began to sprout, and Glover could keep
herself, from the pastures and meadows.
The farmers we're all blowing and har.
rowing, and getting the ground ready
for planting. Everybody was busy, and
in a hurry, as usual. Mr.. Moore was
improving, but was still very weak. His
affairs looked very discouraging to him,
and his depressed state of mind did much
to retard his recovery. He had bought
the farm where he was living only the
spring before, after the planting season
was over, expecting to earn enough by
his trade, that of carpenter, through
the following seasons to enable him to
buy seed and to thoroughly plant the
whole place in the spring. Instead of
that, he was taken sick soon after he
bought it, and had been obliged to sell
his stock to get money to live upon.
And now, right in the busy season, when
every hour seemed worth day at any
other time, he was sick, with no money
to buy seed or the necessary farming
implements, or to hire the needed help.
| With his mind overwhelmed with dis
enlargement, he sat one evening, in the
doorway of his house, and looked hope
lessly On his still unemployed land. At
the same time Mr.. Thyson was riding
slowly along, having made an unusually
good trip with his meat, and was review
ing in his mind with great satisfaction
the prosperous condition of his affairs.
As he passed he saw Mr.. Moore sitting
there, and noticed that he looked very
pale and worried. A feeling of sympa-
thy took strong hold of him, and he was
tempted to stop and have talk with
him, but those fields waiting to be
plowed and sown spoke to him so plainly
and responsibility that he concluded he
would only bow and go along.
~ I'm sorry for Moore" he said to
himself; "that is fact. I'd be glad to
give him lift, but l have got my owA
family to look out for. If | had always
given way to my feeling wonder where
| should be now. Oh, no! no! 1t will
never do. No"
But as he drew up to his own house,
the sight of his broad acres so carefully
planted, and the neat, thrifty appear
ance of the surrounding, did not give
him the feeling of satisfaction he was
enjoying before he met Mr.. Moore. As
he went into the kitchen where his wife
was getting supper, he said, glancing
out of the window at Tom, who was
having frolic with his dogs:
ct does me good to see Tom playing.
He has had hard winter of it. But
am glad / let him 20 through it. 1t has
taught him lesson he will never forget,
l guess"
eyes, think very likely" gently an
swered his wife; "but | have thought
many times, father, that Tom was teach
ing more important lesson than the
one he was learning. But come, supper
is ready"
She then stepped to the door and call
ed Tom, and the subject was not con-
tinued AS Tom came in breathless
from play, his father said:
"That is better fun than working
Clover's board and carrying it over to
her, isn't it?'' ...-
eyes, sir. But I am afraid if Mr..
Moore doesn't hurry up and plant,
Glover will be marching back here in
spite of me, next fall. I wish I was a
rich man. I'll bet I'd make things look
different over there"
Mr.. Thyson madeno reply, but finished
his supper, and went out into the yard
where he stood leaning on the fence
apparently in deep thought. AS Bill
his head man on the farm, came along
he stopped him, and they had a quiet
talk together.
Meanwhile Mr.. Moore had gone into
his house, utterly unable to throw off the
gloomy thoughts which filled his mind
He saw no way out of his difficulties
The faith and hope which had kept hin
up till now seemed gone. He went tt
bed early, but did not sleep for hours
Toward morning, however, he fell into :
deep sleep. His wife quietly darkenec
the room and left him. The sun was
several hours high when he drew aside
the curtains to look out. What sight
met his eyes! Men were blowing, har
rowing and shouting to their horses
Part of the ground was already prepared
for planting, and there, in the barn door
way, sat Tom and Bessie, cutting pota
toes and chattering like blackbirds.
What does it mean, mother? What
does it meant" said he, as he opened the
kitchen door.
II means, father, that the dawn ha.
come. Twas very dark, you know las
night. Those are Mr.. Thyson's men,"
"Thyson's men! Thyson's men Why
don't understand"
Well, nor I, and the men say thai
they don't know what has come over hin
either. But he told Bill to take men ant
horses, and come over here and plan
whatere: ycaa wanted, and and he'd provid,
the seed; and they are working like beav
ers, tell you"
The next afternoon, when the hor1
was blown, Mr.. Moore was waiting at hi
gate. As the wagon came along, Mr.
Thyson saw him, and didn't feel at al
like Just bowling and passing on. No
he felt like stopping, shaking hands anc
Eoeoi"S Vuo w Sco uoW LIS Hcu WeIt uO
ing.
Good bless you, sir" said Mr.. Moore
f" You have given me the best medicine
I've had. ! believe it's going to save
my life, don't know how to thank
you, but l know feel like new man.
So do |, friend Moore. So do l, But
don't thank me. It's all Toms doing.
thought was teaching him great les
son, but, bless you! he was teaching me
a greater one, all the time. Well, the
Lord has great surprises in store for us
sometimes, hasn't Her, And, with q
feryent shake of the hand, Mr.. Thyson
got back into his wagon and drove home.
From that time, Mr.. Moore's health
steadily improved, and from that time
also, Mr.. Thyson was another man. Il
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