St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-05-19

BY MARY l.. SHERMAN.


He was "mother boy" as most
manly boys are. Just now he lay
stretched out on the lounge in his
mothers room, watching her, as she
patiently put in repair jackets and
ing ''gOod talk" Mrs. Wood was
one of these rare women who fascinate
their sons, and inspire III them some
thing of the spirit of chivalric lovers.
''Well, mother, fellow ought to
study for something, as father says.
Going to school just to learn, and not
to have any idea how you are going to
use your learning, is a poor way.
don't want to be IA minister I'm not
to be a farmer-I don't know why for,
after all, the old farm is about the best
place, | find" Bob did not fail to
note the shine on his mothers face
when he said this. 81 won't measure
ribbon behind a counter, that's wO-
manish. There is law and medicine.
No professions all crowded.
declare, mother, there isn't chance
left for man to make his mark now
adays. Everything is discovered OF
invented the glorious battles
fought"
Rob's mother smiled at her sons
oracular, second hand wisdom.
"NOw, mother, you laugh. What
can a fellow do?"
Don't you remember Mr.. Greeley's
saying, Room higher up"
"Well, | don't know but there is
but what do you think is best for me p
"You are IA pretty good reader and
speaker, Rob ?"
Eyes, siree-ma'am | just took
that medal clean off 'SpOuter' JOnes's
neck. You see, he thought he could
beat even the Professor declaiming.
Wasn't he mad when the class baby
got it When he gave it, Professor
said, in his big, fashioned way,
Master Wood, you must have had
some extra advantage in elOcutionary
drill Says |, Mother can tell you
about the drill Says he, Indeed
Some mothers are an extra advan-
tage.' | say, MOTHER" said Rob,
springing up and pcrching himself on
fOotstool before his mother-"you're
Il bully mother"
"Bully mother, Rob ?" echoed Mrs.
Wood, little reprOachfully, but with
her face as radiant at her sons praise
for praise it waS-as was his with
love and admiration for his mother.
''Nell, you amt wooden woman,
like Tim Wild's-"
"Never mind Tim Wild's mother,
my son. I'll tell you what | have
thought of since yOu went away to
school. | suppose every mother thinks
a great deal of her sons letters; but
making allowance for that, there is
yet in yours promise of future sue
ess with your pen. Pm very proud
of my boy, Rob"
"You're Il bu-bu beautiful woman,
said Rob, tumbling the work out OF
her lap, and rolling his great curly
head there instead. That style of
oratOry suits me. Go on, mother,
can stand it,"
elf yOu are never minister, Rob-
her voice had shade of disappoint-
ment in tit would he the pride and
JOY of my life that my Rob should
with his voice or pen, or both, pull
f down evil and build up good"
"Won't | rhough9 You are a
Well, won't then, but I'll stand treat
: and we'll drink success to the orator
and author, the Honorable Rober
Wood, A. d. 1900. Where's the pitch
er, mother 7"
"There's no cider, Rob, except tn,
vinegar"
: "No cider! You had apples las
fall"
eyes, we should have had eide
now, but Squire Dill's hired man cam,
7 over one day to help father in IA press
, Of work, and had the run of the eide
barrel, of course. He was here will
, his horse and buggy, and stopped ol
his way home to take Mamie Dill from
school, as usual. The horse scared. ht
was too tipsy to manage it, and Mani,
7 was hurt so she hasn't been to schOo
since. Father said that was the las
cider of his that would do any mis-
= chief, so what was not boiled down TO
2 sauce or made into vinegar, went t.
! the pigs"
mamie Dill hurt You didn'
= write about it ~
r "No. We didn't know but it wOul,
bring certain boy straight home iron
+ school, or trouble him unnecessarily,
= said Mis-. Wood. Rob blushed like
girl. "Father is coming in to his sup
per-" she added; II must go to tn
kitchen"
Rob threw himself back on tn
lounge. ''Mamie Dill, the prettiest
sweetest girl that ever was, nearl
killed-and with fathers cider I"
He didn't know about that. If h
had hold of that hired man, he'd puncl
him. Queer too! Dick Waters wa
always a splendid fellow; had whit
n tied out dozens of double shingle heart
!. for him and Mamie, and carved thei
1t names on them. 1t must have beel
g the cider after all. How he had brag
j. ged to the boys about fathers cider-in
vited them home to drink it. Mothe
nj said he could write-he believed it
ID he knew now he could just write
composition "On Drinking tina
T. would convince and convert every
n body, if there was only lamp in tn
Of room, and pen and paper. He shove
his forefnger into his vest for the stu
Dr of a pencil and scrap of paper-wasn
ge there. "Well, shouldn't know no,
ID to get it printed" unused Rob, with
in heavy if not distinct sense of the great
1 ness of small hindrances, when i
!" walked a queer looking foreigner, VIII
silently took his stand between Ro
and the fire.
a. "Who might you be, stranger 1
:, said Rob, starting up.