The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-10-28

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an who knows but you'll be. too, some
day? But want you to be pertickler
keerful of it, though. It's all the his
tory of the Revolution I've got"
BY the after-dinner breathing spell of
the following day. Isaac had marched
as far as Braddock did, and was riding
into that awful ambush with him, when
the colts from the barnyard trotted up
to the pump near the house for their
noon drink, but found the trough
empty.
The Squire noticed them and said:
:. Isaac, l wish you'd go and pump
"Yes. SIR" responded Isaac mechan-
ically, and started, with his eyes still
fastened upon the page. 1t was De-
cember, but Washington went to
the horse-trough with his young friend,
who pumped and read while the frisky
colts crowded around. The black had
his nose in the trough just beneath
Isaac's left hand, when the sorrel play
fully bit him. Up bobbed the blacks
head, hitting the hand and tossing
Washington into the further end OF
the trough.
Isaac wished that himself instead of
the borrowed book had been given the
ice-water bath. And he felt as much
" bound in sheep" as was the book, for
he saw the Squire at the window and
knew he was muttering. "Why will
boys be fools?'
| The colts didn't drink any more that
time, and Isaac left Braddock to fight
on till he should be dried.
| "Tn pay for this, MIR. Rogers, if
you'll let me-" he said, as he entered
that old gentleman's presence.
Reckon you'll hat to. boy. Hope
you won't get that airy crazyfor readin'
agin soon. never wuz."
:" How much will new book cost,
please, sirp''
"'Bout ten shillin' reckon"
"That's just weeks wages. Well,
I'll keep the wet book and work a week
over my time to pay for new one"
And as Isaac opened the book and
stood it on the mantel-piece above the
blazing fire, where he knew it would
dry by evening. he smiled, as if rather
glad of the accident. He'd have the
book for his own now.
Il believe" said he one day, "Ilike
to know about men better than about
boys. That's what we boys are coming
to if we have good luck"
While in school he had become enam-
ored of "Esops' Fables" and while
at work borrowed the little book of the
school-teacher, and made himself very
| 70 with ho toll or;voo1o o~l
the morals of their mistakes.
The Bible never went out of fashion
with him as reading-book. It had
been his mothers companion. Much
of it he read many times while boy.
He used to say, ut seems like Mother is
looking right into my face and smiling
when I'm reading her book"
A few years after he had helped TO
paw that note. his father removed to nli-
nois. And there, in absence of other
capital 10 give Isaac start for himself,
he "gave him his time''-rellnquished
legal claim to his earnings before he
reached the age of majority.
Nov what will you do for yourself,
Isaacp' his father asked.
go to work for myself" and off he
went, droll piece of pluck. good ma
ture and economy. His travelling suit
was light-a broad straw hat, hickory
| shirt, blue denim pantaloons, and bare
feet to save his only pair of boots, while
all his spare clothing was bundled into
a colored cotton handkerchief and
swung over his shoulder at the end of
| q broOmstick.
He tramped into a neighboring coun-
ty and took work with a farming uncle
at eight dollars per month and his
keep" His days he gave to the farm,
and his evenings to further study.
Years later his gray old uncle often
told the story of this period, running
on in this line:
HE wuz a mighty good boy.
never he'd to tell him more'n oncet to
do chore or bit o. work. An was so
sartin of his willin' ness to work, that
skasely ever told him; most allus ared
him, an at it he went with a jolly yes,
SIR an whistle. Nor l want never
onazy as to hov he'd do the Job; 'twuz
better'n I'd do it m'self, an jes like the
farm was his'n. l tell We he knowed q
heap bout work, 'swelrs books. An
wot he didn't know he learned fust time
tryin' of it. He allus 'ad kind o.
genius for maxim hard work soft like.
"An' sakes, boys! Ye jes orter see
him study! Iverlastin'ly readin' suthin',
wen he 'ad to wait fur meal, an arter
dinner W. en- my boys loafed, an O. nights
wal, Pveno idea how late; but he wuz
up fust every mornin'. He didn' spen'
no money fur fine clo'es-jes flung on
the fust buds as come andy. ''Adn'
time to fix up he said. An fact is,
the waz so much on i'm to kiver,
'twuzn' quare he got tired tryin'. But
he buyed his own taller-dips fur night
readin', though l never spoke agin
his burnin' mine.
20. he wuz square in deal as ye
could saw log, an as good every way
fur farm hand then as he is now
fur a."
One winter Isaac was clerk in . vii
lage grocery, and afterward put his
time against stock and became part
ner. While there he once discovered,
on adding the items of q bill Of goods
after the customer had gone
that he had taken sixpence too much.
After closing the store at night he
walked two miles and refunded that