Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-11-27

ening future Normally she be
levei and trusted in God but, like
great many of the rest of us, she
DID not always live up to her protes
sion or intention, and just now her
fears hid Hum as the snow hid His
heavens, aud sigh. got the better oil
faith d. cidedly.
Mother said Will.
Mrs White jumped. She had Jus,
seen herself dying in the poor house,
and Will lost at sea no wonder she
started
why, VIII. how YOU scarf me |!
she chirped; but Will did not apollo.
gize
Mother, we won't ever have sucl,
a mean Thanksgiving again, now |
tell ye. When Pm ten years older,
we'll have as good dinner as Squire
Hall, and wen have il in good
house too
oh, William White, how yon do
talk Why, we're moren likely TO
be 10 the town house afore that time
comes
Now, mother, you shut up! tel
you, we'll have a good house and a
good dinner this day ten years, as
sure as Pm alive
But mabbe You'll die, Will
No, | sha'n't. | know | sha'n't. !
amt goin' TO make no calculations
about that I've sot my mind on
that dinner, and we'll have it
oh, Will, you're awful presnmptu-
Gus You amt nothin' but q morta,
boy, and you're leavin' the Lord out
Of your calculations entire, seems to
me-
'Spellin' book says TIE Lord helps
them that helps themselves, and il
looks sensible, and I'm .goin' TO try
it on .
well, nope you'll fetch it, dear,
sighed the widow, hopelsssly.
i will,' was the conf lent answer;
aud though the widows soul reooiled
from the audacity of the boys
speech, yet its courage thrilled her.
She turned away from the storm, lii
the tallow candle, aud pnt another
stick into the stove small symptoms
OF the cheer that was kindled within
her; but then the cheer was small
and frail, 1t might not last
Like many another woman, she
had never known more than the sur
face life of the child she had borne
and nursed. Hard work husband
who abused and impoverished her
a succession of dropping, sickly ba.
b,es, over whose births she mourned
far more than over their deaths the
hourly fight for life that absoros the
poor and suff4ring-all these had
kept her from the close aud tender
intimacy with her only hving child
that might have given her better
understanding of the resolution,
strength, capacity, and tenderness OF
the nature that lay hidden under the
rude health and nndiscip,iaed spirits
oi boy who spent mos: of his time
out of doors, and was an adept at all
the sports and occupations If country
hoys, snd withal quick scholar at
the district school, though hitherto
his mischief and merriment had
made for him bad reco d that ov-
ershadowed his good lessons.
But biz fathers death was crisis
in Wills life; his careless boyhood
tell away from hun like masker's
mantle, beside that dreadful and dis
graceful death bed, and the deep at
lection tor his mother, tn t had been
only dormant instinct, sprang into
conscious existence and action.
The widow White went to bed
that night with more reason for
thanksgiving than she was aware OF
far more than Judge Hall had,
whose only son came home from col
lege ostensiblv To keep the holiday,
but never went back, having been
EXPELLED for the best reasons; more
Than Mrs Payne could find for her
self in the aspect Of her beautiful
laughter, who brought home with
her from a New York visit an ele
CANT youth in the character of her
promised husband. and saw him be
come wildly drunk at the dinner Ia
BILE; yet both that father and that
mother held the widow White, in the
expressive language OF Scripture,
among those "whose fathers | would
have disdained to have set with the
dogs Of my flock"
The ficst fruits of Wills resolve
were shown the next morning with
commendable promp'ness he shout
1ered his spade. and went into the
village TO clear paths. II was not
very lucrative piece of work he got
hot cup Of coffee at one place, halt
. pie at another, dime here. and
few cents there, till they counted up
to twenty-five, and when he came
home at night to supper of cold
pork. rye bread, and baked potatoes,
he was hungry enough. in spite Of
the pie and coffee, to enjoy his meal
heartily.
This was only the beginning His
quick wit and ingenuity devised plen
~ of small industries that wonld
pay: in the long winter evenings he
carved fairy sets of furniture with
his pocket knife out Of red cedar, and
sold them in a Dirtford toy shop /;
he shared partridges, and sent them
20 the hotels; he caught rabbits in
traps, and many good woman in
Champion was glad 10 buy those for
a pie or stew, and sell her chickens
At a profit, instead of eating them
Then when he had made little mon
ev, he invested it in a basket. bum
die Of papers, and half bushel Of
popping corn, and sold various small
wares besides corn and papers on
the hartford trans, driving quite a
heavy trade, when the time came, in
Christmas greens, TOR the winter was
mild. and severe fro-ts held off till
January, and Will knew well where
the ground pine trsiled iis verdant
wreaths along the hill side. and the
coral pine lad soft fingers on the
lead grass. Toward spring he hunt
ed the spicy berries OF the winter
green. and sold them in rough has
ke,s If birch bark and lunches Of
the first arhutus blossoms brought
him a qriek return in silver for their