The Portland daily press., 1881-10-28


ness of everybody who comes into their
midst. They undoubtedly supposed that he
was a farmer, for they had often seen him
selling butter, eggs and potatoes at the store.
In view of the facts that have come to
light since Enfield lost its hero, many indi-
viduals have expressed surprise at the
obtuseness of the people of that town, in not
discovering dnring his lifetime the
identity of theie great one; but, pray, how
could they be expected to know that the
bronzed face, calloused hands and patched
coat were only disguise assumed for the
express purpose of eoncealing from their
eyes his glorious features and divine form.
What should lead them, farmers themselves,
to suspect that the selling of farm produce
was also part and parcel of the same ingen-
ious conspiracy to deceive them. After all,
it might not be considered remarkable OBJ
tuseness of vision for people, who honestly
believed that the race of heroes had bad be-
come extinct ages before, not to recognize
one of the species, if he should anpearin their
midst
My friend, the Professor, is perfectly at
home in all matters pertaining to Geology.
He can describe infinitely every variety OF
fossil remains of extinct species of animals;
yet should he, in one of his expeditions in
search of specimens, chance 10 meet a full
grown, live Iguanodon, ten chances to one
he would fail to recognize the animal, from
the very fact that he knows it as fossil
and not as living organism.
How could the people of country town,
men and women who made no claim to any
superior knowledge of human kind, be ex-
pected to know more than learned profess
sor How their eyes were opened at last;
how they discovered their hero and how his
name and memory became precious inner
itance to the town shall be briefly told.
At the time when Uncle Silas Weeks made
his famous speech in the store, as has been
already duly recorded, John Hamilton was
the most prosperous farmer in the town.
Probably two thirds of the other farmer
would have denied with considerable heat
that he was any stronger, smarter or more
intelligent than they were themselves; yet it
appears that not one of them ever accepted
from him a challenge to run or wrestle. They
always avoided, too, in divers ingenious
ways, direct contest with him in the hay
field. Whenever, as sometimes happened,
he was inclined TO argue point, they were
discreetly silent, having wholesome dread
of his close reasoning and compact argu-
ments. The most prosperous farmer, by
very natural transition, soon became the
most envied man in town and was the sub
ject of many malicious slurs and innuen
does.
One Saturday in June, year before men,
toned, just as the first suspicious of APP
preaching night began to deepen the shades
in the woods that covered portion of the
Hamilton farm, the owner thereof, freshly
shaven and dressed in his Sunday suit, came
out of the front door of his house. Pausing
a moment upon the step, he looked around
with pardonable pride upon his broad fields
of waving gr ass and rustling corn,-some-
thing to be proud of, too; for the like could
not be found elsewhere in the whole country.
The best of it all was that it had been
planned by the cunning of his own brain
apd executed by his own brawny arms.
But the look of exultation quickly passed
from the farmers face and he grew thought
full, for, somehow, the grass and the corn
reminded him of his past life,- life which
had been commonplace enough, with little
of romance or pathos in 1t; yet it had been
favored with dash of bitterness. The past
that came to him then was this.
Acertain farmer who owned a good home
stead and who had saved few hundred dol
lars, which he had loaned to his neighbors
on approved mortgages, had two sons. John,
the elder, was a steady boy, a little slow
perhaps, but strong and willing to work.
William, younger by five years, was in ev-
cry respect the contrast of his brother. Pos
sessed of a light heart and quick wit, he
chafed at the drudgery of the farm, and
hated all its associations. The father, as
many another father has done, mistaking
the aversion of his younger son to work, for
mark of genius, sent him to college to OBJ
tain an education suitable for young man
of so much ability and talent. Great-hearted
John, true lover of books aud exceedingly
DESTROYS of an education himself, was at
first much chagrined that his brother was to
have what he longed for so much, but, chok-
ing down his jealousy into his secret heart,
he continued to work sturdily with his faith
er on the farm. AS a compensation for his
sacrifice and as a reward for his labor, it
was arranged that john should have the an
cestral farm, when his father got through
with it.
In due time Will; am graduated from col
lege, not with the highest honors to be sure,
owing, as he explained to the folks at home,
to the prejudice and jealousy of the profess
sors. Choosing law for bis. profession,-a
choice which delighted his fond parents,-
he was sent to complete his studies with
prominent law-frm in a distant city. In
process of time another briefess attorney
was turned loose upon the world. Mean
while the paternal acres throve wonderfully
under the care of the elder brother and, re-
sponsive to his skill, produced harvests of
unheard of abundance and excellence.
A few years later the father died, and
John came into his well-earned Inheritance
at las, upon condition, however, duly set
forth in his fathers will, sthat he shall suit
ably provide for the necessities of his moth
er, during her natural life, and shall at all
times assist bis brother William as he may
need"
Such was the story that passed in rapid
review through the mind of John Hamilton;
but that was all behind him in the past, and
was fast drifting out of sight on the great
sea of time. Before him, what?
Being young,-he was only thirty-one,-
and full of life, energy and hope, it was a
very natural thing for him to turn from the
past, which was full of hard work and
thwarted desires, to the future which
seemed to promise SO much happiness
To be sure he knew, as we all know, that
everything future must be uncertain; that
tomorrow might bring him pain instead of
pleasure, and trouble instead of solace.
Reason and observation had taught him
IL Il = g. T.