The Portland daily press., 1881-10-29
TIE PRESS.
For the PREss.l
John Hamilton.
BY ARCHIBALD OLDHAM.
CONCLUDED.

CONCLUDED.
But it would cost so much to help him
now. Two thousand dollarsl very large
sum in the eyes of a man who had been a
whole year saving hundred dollars. Two
thirds the value of his farm. How could he
raise so much?
Sunday morning he came down stairs at
his usual time,-a little haggard and care
worn as if he had not slept well, but with a
face as placid and serene as the summer
sunshine out of doors. He babe his mother
cheerful good morning, and, after doing
his chores, walked to the Westinghouse,
where he sang in the choir as usual. At
dinner his mother noticed that he ate but
little and asked if he were ill.
81 am well enough, mother; but the air
seems very close in here. I think it viii do
me good to take a walk, he answered pleas
antly and went out not to return until
dark.
Monday morning the following letter was
sent from the post-office at Enfield:
ENFIELD June q, 49,.
DEAR BRoTHER:-I viii pay the note. When
does ii fall due and who holds it?
JOHN HAMILTON.
In the afternoon of the same day, consid-
cradle talk was caused in Enfield by the ap-
pearance of posters offeringl the Hamilton
farm for sale at auction. There was much
speculation as TO the cause of this proceed
ing. Some said that the owner was going to
California, but the opinion most commonly
received was that he was inten ling to open
a new store at the Corners. The man him.
self gave no indication of what he intended
to do, although invited by many broad hints
to do so.
The day of the auction came and a large
crowd was in attendance. 1t was evident
that the greater portion had come out of
curiosity, for two or three only made bids
for the property. To one of these the farm
was soon knocked down for the sum of TWEEN
seven hundred dollars.
1t was several days before the transfer
could be made and the purchase money paid
over; but, as soon as he received the cash,
John went to the city to pay the note, al
though he had learned from William that it
would not fall due for several weeks The
broker who held it received him very affably,
perhaps because he had felt somewat doubt
full as to the commences of the endorse
ment and was greatly relieved to find that
the paper, which he had purchased at twen-
ty-iye per cent discount, was worth its face
after all. john paid over the money, took
A. vi 4l,a
necessary word.
1t occurred to him that it would be a
brotherly thing for him to do to call upon
William and give him a little encourage
ment. which no doubt he so-ely needed.
after his recent unfortunate business tran
sactions; so he went to his brothers rooms
only to find card tackled on the door, an
nouncing that he had gone out of town and
would not return for week. Thereupon
he returned to Enfield to take up the burden
of his own disordered affairs.
Seven hundred dollars of the money receiv-
ed for his farm still remained. With this
sum he decided to purchase a small farm
not far from the old homestead. To this he
removed his mother, who could not be rec
oneiled to the shabby buildings, SO different
from her former surroundings, until inform
ed that the old farm had been sold to help
William. The young farmer, true to his
thrifty habits, worked early and late upon
his new purchase, which soon began to show
improvement; but the grounds were rough
and stony and could not be made to thrive
like the old place.
One winter evening, as John sat by the
fire drying his feet after hard DAYS work
in the woods, his mother began to talk as
mothers sometimes will.
"John, -has anything come between you
and Nettie Rice? / used to think you set a
great deal by her, but you don't go there
any more. What's the reason?"
Il have no time to think of the girls,
mother. There's too much work to be
done," and he attempted to smile; but he
looked so distressed and his smile was such
a miserable failure, that his mother saw that
something was wrong. She jumped at the
conclusion hat he was sick. Before she
could make up her mind whether to pre-
scribe physic or thoroughwort, he caught
up lamp and went up stairs-to sleep, as
the mother supposed, but, in reality, to
walk the floor the greater part of the night.
In the morning however, all excitement had
passed away and he was the same untiring.
plodding farmer as before.
Although our hero Kept his thoughts very
closely to himself and gave no sign to the
world that he was not happy and content
ed farmer, he must have had many seasons
Of disbursement, and there must bave
been times when even his patient heart re-
belled against his hard fate. But robust
young man does not easily lose hope; so,
even in his darkest hours, John hoped that
in the immediate future his affairs would
take turn for the better. He did not lose
faith in The promise of William to refund
the money he had paid for him, although,
when month succeeded month without any
q on Of ifc f1if1llfupnf ba had fo 10
himself that it was very slender founda-
ton upon which to build substantial edi-
fee of hope. On the contary, several times
there came letters from him telling such
pitiful stories of need and distress, that
John responded by sending him sundry ten
and twenty dollar bank notes.
But another misfortune befell the unfort-
nate farmer. One unluckey day his moth
Jr fell down the cellar stairs, receiving in
uries which made her an invalid for the
rest of her life. This accident not only rem
dered it necessary to hire assistance in the
house, but the patient, unaccustomed to
became so peevish and petulant
that nobody but John could sooth and care
for her. Without word of complaint, he
left work that was pressing and devoted
himself to.the sufferer.
The second year upon the new farm prov
ed to be a hard season for the young farmer.
The fences were poor and the cattle got
into his corn. There were late frests in the
Spring and severe drought in August.
The invalid took much of his time that was
needed about the farm. 1t was about this
time that the people began to speak of
change in the disposition of the farmer.
As boy he had always been remarkably lib
eral and free-hearted. Now, people said he
had become as notably sharp and close in
all his dealings with others, honest to be
sure, no one could gainsay that, but dispos-
ed 10 exact to the last cent all that was due
him. Getting to be regular old miser,"
hey said.
At the end of the fifth year upon the new
farm matters had not mended. John, who |
had been the life and soul of the Corners,
always ready with timely joke or lively sal |
", looked careworn and troubled. There
was an anxious look in his face as if he had
thoughts that worried him. There were
gray hairs, too, upon his head and, with
every passing year, his coat, always perfectly
clean and neat, grew more shiny and thread
bare. People called him peculiar and be-
gan to hint about large sums of money hid
away in the old farmhouse
The mother was still an invalid. In con-
sequence of their increasing poverty, they
could no longer afford to hire help around |
he house; so brave John took charge of all |
he work even to the making of butter and
cheese.
William was nretendinp tn nractica law