New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-12-08
UNCLE BENT's GREAT BoWLDRR.

UNCLE BENT'S GREAT BOWLDER
"GOOD-M0RN1NG, Uncle Bent! Nv,
come over to see if you can give me .
job"
Uncle Bent stood looking at . hug,
bowlder in a field beside the house. HI
was something of bowlder himself
well-rounded, massy, hard, with jaw
as set and firm as if it had been modelled
out of the granite hills.
He turned and looked at his nephew
and a grim smile flickered like Apri
sunshine over the compact, gray visage
Wallace Bent was as little like his un
Gle as a boy of the same name and race
could well be. There was nothing Of
the bowlder about Atns. He was small
and rather delicate, yet with certain
decision and strength in his plain, hon
est face.
He saw the slightly derisive smile,
and was conscious of looking very puny
indeed in the eyes of his stern relative
He blushed, and, aware that such evi
dence of weakness would not tend al
all to raise him in the old mans estima
ton, blushed redder still.
"Want a job, do youP declared
said Uncle Bent. "What do you think
you can dop''
II should think there might be 8
good many things about your place, o,
your mill, or your store, that I might
do" Wallace replied, with awkward
diffidence. "Any way, mother said ]
ought to apply to you before going t1
any one else. I've got to do something
now, you know; I'm not going to lei
her support me, now l can support my
SELF"
Yes, | thought both of you ought tc
come to that conclusion long ago." said
the old man. "a poor boy like you
ought to have been put to earning his
living sooner"
81 suppose so," Wallace assented
"But mother wanted to keep me in
school as long as possible"
"You're pretty good scholar,
hear" said Uncle Bent; "but what
good will that ever do ye? You haven,
q profession"
That's true but believe little ed.
ucation will be good for me, whatever
do for 4 living" said Wallace, with 8
firm and intelligent look, cutie forget
ting his bushes. "That may be a mis-
take. But am ready to 90 to work
now. And l thought would please
mother by calling on your
Uncle Bent was greatly annoyed, fo1
he said to himself, eff hire nephew
and a poor widows son, I shall have tt
favor him, and pay him wages, or folks
will talk. Boys that work for me must
be tossgh! I don't want anything to dc
with him."
Then he said aloud, "But you are
kind O. weakly! You amt stubbid
enough to take hold and do real work
You always have been puny!"
1t was Wallace's turn to smile. You
blame me for not having gone to work
before; and now you say 1 am not able
to work.
Uncle Bent wasn't pleased to be con.
victed of inconsistency in this easy, off.
hand way by a school-boy nephew.
"There may be some things you car
do" he said "but my work is mans
sv0rk. 1 have mans work enough, il
you could do that"
81 am sure !. can do some thing at it.
and don't expect more pay than I car
earn"
Uncle Bent was afraid he had already
said too much. IL shall have the fam.
lily on my hands if l give him the least
encouragement; that's what the widow
wants!" thought he. So he fastened tc
reply to the boys last remark.
Here's mans job, right here.
want to build barn; and I've beer
wondering how I should get rid of this
bowlder. If you want to tackle that
you can!"
AS the rock was large, and Wallace
looked quite small beside it, the old mar
smiled again at the grotesqueness of the
"Very well," Wallace replied, CPL
take hold if you'll pay me by the week. ,
No, MOI" cried Uncle Bent, grow
ing good-natured over what he consid
cred capital joke. "Take it by thu
job, and then you can be as long as 20,
please about it. Lift little in the fore
noon, sit down in the shadow of it anc
eat your dinner, then lift a little more il
the afternoon"
"What shall I do with it when I taxi
it away?" Wallace asked. -.
II don't care; only get it off from
my place."
"And what do you propose to give TO,
the jobP'
"Ten dollars" said the old man
promptly, for he had already calculated
that it would cost much more than tina
to drill the rock and break it up witt
blasting powder.
"Ill think about it, said Wallace
after a little hesitation.
Uncle Bent laughed. But there wa
something in the boys face he didn'
understand.
"He can't be in earnest" he said t,
himself, and he thought it wise to add
EN- give you six weeks to do it in say
till the first of June.''
"All right" said the boy. "Mean
while, isn't there some other little jol
you'd like to have me try my hand at
There's all that brush back there which
the woodchoppers have left; wouldn'
you like to have me take that away?'
Eyes,
"What will you giveP"
"Nothing!" said the old man, shortly
"That isn't very large pay" the DO.
replied.
"I know it," said his uncle. eth
brush can be burnt right where it is, ant
the ashes are worth something on til,
land. Besides, some of the large limb
will cut up into good wood