The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-03-16

"Is it possible? 1 shall have t
take supper with you on my wa
back to the city, and test you
skill"
Johnny blushed as | added:
"It's a pity, my boy, that you ha
no sister"
II had one, but she died; and
if she had lived, l wouldn't hav
wished her to lift, and bring WOO
and water, and scrub, as poo
mother always did. Sometimes
wish / could have sprung all tn
way from baby to a man. 1t
such slow work growing up: and 1
was while mother was waiting 70
US to grow up. that she worked so.
"But, my dear boy, you can't ex.
pect TO be son and daughter anc
mother, all in one. You cannot d.
the work for the whole fanily?"
eyes, can: it isn't much, anC
I'm going 10 10 it and the work my
father left undone. I'm going Il
pay Deacon Ball that mortgage, i
l live"
Heaven grant you may" 1 said
ferVently, under my breath, "for
not many mothers have such a son.
an other does not know l mean
to do it, and she is very anxious
should go to school, and | mean to
60 some time; but l know just
where the boys in my class are
studying, and | get the lessons at
home. Mother reads them to me
out of the book while 1 am washing
the dishes or doing her work, and
when we come to anything we can't
make out, / take it over to the
teacher in the evening, and she is
very kind-she tells me-"
Very kind! Who would not be
kind to such boy? l felt the tears
coming TO my eyes at such sudden
vision of son dong girls work,
while his poor mother held the book
in her twisted hands, and tried to
help him to learn.
"But ali this does not earn
money, Johnny. How can you hope
to save if you give your time in
doors?'
ooh, 1 don't DO girls work all
day; no, indeed. l have worked
out our taxes on the road. 1t
wasn't much. but l helped the men
build a stone wall down by the
river; and Deacon Bail lets me do a
great many days work for him.
and when l get a chance to take
any one from the hotel to ride, be
lets me have this team for almost
nothing, and pay him whatever |
make. And l work on the farm
with the men in summer; and /
have a cow of my own, and / sell
milk at the tavern; and we have
some hens, too, and we sell the
eggs. And in the fall / cut and
pile the wood in the sheds for peo-
pie who haven't any boys-and
there's a good many people fbout
here who haven't any boys" he
added tho lghtfully, brushing q fly
from the old white horse with the
tip of his whip.
After this, we fell into silence and
rode on through the sweet New
England roads, with Monadnock
rising before US ever nearer and
more majestic. 1t impressed me
with a sense Of its rugged strength
-one of the hills rock ribbed and
ancient as the sun; but l ganced
from the mountain to the litte red
headed morsel of humanity 1t my
side, with sort of recognition of
their kinship. Somehow they
seemed to belong together. 1 felt
as if the same sturdy stuff was in
them both. 1t was only a fancy,
but it was confirmed the NEXT day;
for when l came back to TOM after
seeing my invalid friend, l vent to
call on Deacon Ball. / fond the
deacon white haired and kindly
faced. He kept the village store
and owned a pretty house, and was
very "well to do" Naturally, we
talked of Johnny, and thu deacon
said to me, with tears in his watery
blue eyes:
"Why bless your heart, sir, you
don't think Pm going to take his
money do you? The onS son OF
his mother. and she a widow, and
all tied up In a dolble low knot
with the acknowledgements! True
enough, / let the hther have the
money, and my wife. she SAYS. says
she to me, well decoD, my dear,
we've neither chick lor child, and
We shall be just $ well off a
hundred years henoeif the wilder
never pays a cent; ht 'cording to
my calculation it's bitter to let the
boy think he's payig.' Says she
to me, deacon you hight as we'll
try to keep a barrel ovinegar from
working as that boy, Is the mother
in him, and it's got &c work We
think g good deal otthe wilder
Mandy and noe. Cd. before
ever saw Mandy; but 70 all that,
we hold the mortgage, all Johni
wants to work il out. Andy and
me- we are going to let ltn work
turned awAy, for ] VS. TO sup
at Johnny's house; bu. before l
went | asked him how uch John
ny had paid.
well, | don't kno. Mandy
knows. l pass it to bel and she
keeps the book. Dropn before
you go to the train, and'n show
it to YOU"
1 dropped in and e deacon
showed me the accoun It was
the book of savings lnk of a
neighboring town, and orts pages
were credits of all the HE sums
the boy had earned or pa; and |
saw they were standingp Widow
Bebee's name. graspe the dea-
cons hand. He was loong away
over the house tops to we're Mon
adnock was smiling undehe good
night kisses OF the sun.
Goodbye, sir, goooyer be
said, returning my sqeze with
interest. "Much obleegel' m sure,
Mandy and me too; but on't you
be worried about JohnE When
we see it we know the ST it takes
to make a man-and jimmy has
got 1t; Johnny's like thanountaIn
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