The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-07-01


ser,s imsaination. and made him want 20
Ioin, but always his father held frni, ana ne
had no share In the frolics. 1t seemed nat0
but Mr.. Kane was kind - wen =
strict; he treated his SON as u ne WeIo -.
ready man, and argued with tom
mans point Of view; 50. IN spite g ~ Sc not
rebel, and his NE and idees eduaiv
nodded themselves to his fathers H1Rh.
Al sixteen. while most Of fhe OH boys
were fitting for college, Towaee ~ scnooi
and went into the great Perrin lreX 0iks,
tn learn the business OF macmne-makinS'
He began at the foot of the ladder; but, be,
ing Quick -witted and steady, with natural
aptitude for mechanics, he climbed rapidly,
and by the time he was twenty was promote
ed to foremanship. Harry Blake came
home from college soon after, having grad
uated with the dignity of second dls.
pute, I" as quizzical friend remarked, ana
but in reality to practice the flute, make wa.
ter color sketches, and waste good deal OF
time in desultory pursuits Of varioQs KINDS.
He was q sweet-tempered, gentlemanly lei.
low, not strong in health, and not at all iona
OF study; and Tom, who overtopped him y
q head, and with one muscular arm could
manage him like child, felt for him the
tender deference which strength often pays
to weakness. It was almost as II Harry had
been girl; but Tom never thought ef it IN
that light.
So matters went on till T0wser was twen-
ty-one, and beginning to hope for another
rise in position, when suddenly great,
black cloud swooped down on the Perrin
Iron Works. don't mean real cloud, but
its dark influense. Banks stopped pay.
ment, merchants failed, stocks lost
their value, no one knew what or whom
to trust, and the wheels OF industry
everywhere were at stand-stlli. Among
the rest the Perrin Company was forced to
suspend work and discharge its hands.
Tom was q trusted fellow, and go much in
the confidence Of his employers as to know
for some time beforehand of the change that
was coming. He staid to the end, to help
wind up books and put matters in order, and
he and Mr.. Perrin were the last persons to
walk out Of the big door.
"Good-by, Tom," said Mr.. Perrin. as he
turned the key in the heavy lock, ndstopped
moment to shake hands. You've done
well by us, and if things are ever so that we
can take another start, We'll do well by you
in our turn"
They shook hands, and Tom walked away,
with months wages In his pocket ana no
particular idea what to do next. Was he
down-hearted? Not at all. There was some
thing somewhere that he could do; that, he
was sure Of; and, although he looked grave,
he whistled cheerily enough as he marched
along.
Suddenly turning q corner, he ran upon
Harry Blake, walking in listless, detected
way, which at once caught his attention.
Hallo-what's up?" inquired Tom.
Haven't you heardw replied Harry, in
melancholy voice. The Tlverton Bank
has gone to smash, with most OF our money
in itp'
''Your money!"
"My mothers. It's the same thing, ex-
actly."
"Was it muchi Is the bank gone for
goods"
Of all we have"
Tom gave a whistle of dismay.
"Well, Harry, what neXt?" he demand
ed. ''Have you thought of anything to
dor"
"No. What can I do?" Harry's voice
sounded hopeless enough.
What could Harry do? Tom, who had
never wasted q nights sleep over his own
future, lay awake more than once debating
this question. Hard times were hard times
to him, as well a. to everybody else; but he
had little money laid by, his habits were
simple, and to pinch for while would cost
him small suffering; besides, he could turn his
hand to almost anything-but poor Harry
One plan after another suggested itself and
was proposed, but each in turn proved
failure. Harry lacked bodily strength for ono
position, for another he had not the requisite
training, still another was unsuited to his
taste, and fourth sounded so 1'ungenteel."
that his mother would not listen to It. Il
would break her heart, she said. Tom, him
self got temporary place In locomotive.
shop. which tiied him over the crisis and
enabled him to lend helping hand, not to
Harry only, but to one or two other old
comrades whose families had lost everything
and were in extremity. But these small
aids were not enough. Permanent situa-
tons were what was needed. At last Harry
obtained . clerkship In drug store. He
disliked it, and his mother hated 1t, but
nothing better offered. and 1t is to his credit
that he did the work well and diligently,
and only relieved his mind by private grum.
blings to Towser in the evenings.
"I'll tell you what, " said Tom one night,
after patiently listening to one Of these
father strict with me when we were at school
together, but I've come to the conclusion
that he was q wise man. Where should I
be now II I'D grown up soft and easily hurt
like you? Giving knocks and taking knocks
THAT'S what business mans life is, and
it's good thing to be toughened for it.
used to feel hard to my father about it, too,
sometimes, but thank him heartily now,"
md he held out his brown, strong hand and
looked at it curiously and Additionally.
Well he might. Those hands were keys to
pick Fortunes locks Wlth-0nly I'm afraid
Towser's mind was hardly up to such no.
ton.
"You're right,' said Harry, after think
ing little, "and your father was right.
You're true grit, Towser-up to any work
that comes along, and sure to succeed, while
Pm as easily knocked down as q girl.
only wish I'D had wise father, and been
raised rough, like you"
Harry had repeated this wish good many
times in the years that have passed since
then. Life has gone hardly with him, and
business has always been distasteful, but he
has kept on steadily, and his position has
improved, thanks to Toms advice and help.
Tom himself Is q rich man now. He was
long since taken in as a partner by the Perrin
Company, which re-opened its works the
year after the panic, and IL doing an i'm
mense business. He makes sharp and en-
ergetic manager, but his open-handedness
and open-heartedness grow with bis growth,
and prosperity only furnishes wider oppor-
tunity for wise kindness to those who are
less fortunate. His own good fortune he
always ascribes to his fathers energetic
training, and Mr.. Kane, who is an elderly
man now, likes to nod his head and reply:
81 told you so, my boy; I told you so: A
habit of honest work is the best luck and the
best fortune man can have. '-Susdn Cool
idge, in st Nicholas. ~