The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-05-24
JULLA'S CHOICE.

NA'A-A - NAAOANAa
Don't you be satisfied with being
nothing but a farmer, Alfred, my son.
A farmer, ughi no young man Of any
spirit will be content to settle down TO
the dull, stupid unpopular life of a
farmer Set your mark higher, my
SON
Il wonder what Caleb is going to
make Of himself I suppose doctor,
or lawyer, or something of that kind.
He likes books aud / don't"
% don't want YOU TO. my SON Mcr-
chants are the great men nOw-a-days.
They are rich, and their wives and fam
lies dress like queens, and live in great
style Think how we might have lived
IF your father had been a merchant in
stead Of q farmer. Ugh! ] hate farm
and all there is about it,"
Caleb says if his father had lived he
would have been Il farmer. He thinks
there is nothing like it."
Let him think so, Alfred But do
you look higher. ! spoke to- your uncle
to find place for you in some store in
the city, and you know how Abbot Law
renee and hundreds of others became
rich and prosperous from poor clerks as
they were when they began, and you
may do so, too Then YOU can hope to
y
marry "a farmer? / want to see my son
be somebody i'm the world. How happy
! should be- TO have yOu drive out here
10 the old farm with your wife, a fine
lady But | hope your father will be
induced to sell the old farm after a few
years and live i'm the village among
folks, 50 we can be somebody in our old
age at least"
Caleb is always talking about what
q charming place this is, when he is
home from college"
q" Well, let him; ne hasn't n very as
piring mind. He lacks ambition Any
body can see that, for he is always car
ried away with vulgar notions. He will
spend hours watching the lambs racing
round in the pasture, or take great in
terost in sitting down with the chickens
and young turkeys around him. Then
he's in love with the trees and wild flow
crs; anything weeds, rocks. woods,
any such common things, take his fancy.
He never II amount to much, no matter
how much learning he may get. Your
father says he won't have much money
left when he gets through college. Your
father has one good trait He knows
enough to feather his own nest while
taking care of other folks property. So
! hope we shall be able to leave the old
farm some day.
All the hopes and aspirations of Mrs
Thurbcr were realized in a shorter time
than she dared TO hope for Her brother
succeeded in getting Alfred into a very
good position in a large store in the
city, and, yielding finally to her impor-
tuuity, Mr.. Thurbcr consented to let the
old farm and move into the village with
his wife and daughters.
Caleb, mentioned above, was the son
of a distant relative of Mrs. Thurber. a
lawyer OF considerable wealth The
father and mother both died when Caleb
was about twelve years old, and Mr.
ThWbcr became his guardian and took
him into his own family. The father had
expressed the wish that if Caleb showed
an inclination to books that he should
be sent to college, then left free TO
choose whatever pursuit he might like.
Perhaps no more of the young man
patrimony stuck to the fingers of Mr..
Thur or than the law wo,ld allow; hut
certain it Is, he was sure To make the
most he could QUITO the funds intrusted
TO his hands, and the ingenuity of his
wife not unfrcqucntlv aided him in add
ING some dollars to the yearly claim.
The next year Caleb went to college
the farm was Leland the family removed
70 the village, prosperous place of
wealth and enterprise, and quite given
tO aristocratic notions and ambitious of
city ways and styles. The first year the
farm was let for two hundred and fifty
dollars. The second year it had To be
let TO new tenant, as the first moved
West, content with having made the
most he could from the place. The see
oud year il was rented for one hundred
and sCvcntv-hvc dollars, so badly was
everything about the place left out of
repair and at loose ends. The farm
Jared but little better the second and
third year, and ut the end of that time
new tenant had to be found. who refused
10 give over one hundred and fifty dol
lars a year and put in repair what was
left dilapidated by his predecessors.
This sum was not very much more than
the taxes, which had increased while
the rent had decreased
Alfred had meanwhile greatly pros
perCd He had gained the confidence
and esteem of his employers and had
been advanced, till he held a prominent
place in the large establishment with a
good salary. His mothers brightest
visions were even more than realized
lie had become a city gentleman far
far above any luckless. low-minded
wight who was content TO be farmer.
lie dressed i'm the highest style. and his
lofty. genteel ways were the delight of
his mother. and one holiday a fine car
riage drove up TO Mr.. Thurber's door
and Alfred stepped out and handed out
a Young lady dressed like himself, in the
very pink and blossom of fashion. His
mothers heart was full Her ambition
was Just about satisfied as her son in
PRODUCED to her " Miss Hawkinson, "
the daughter of one Of his wealthy en-
ployers.
Meanwhile the orphan Caleb had
graduated from college, but what were
college honorS compared to the city
triumphs of Alfred. He had been
wont in days past TO consider Caleb as
his superior but he now scarcely deigned
TO notice him. Caleb held to his love
of those things which Alfrcds mother
considered vulgar. He had expected to
find himself the possessor Of many
more hundreds than was turned over
To him when he had attained his ma
iority, which was very soon after he
graduated from college. He supposed
everything Just and generous had been
done. and, in fact, only what was
claimed to be right-though the sum
was larpe-was allowed to the guardian,
whose account, had it been more care
fully and strictly looked into would
have been found 70 have many charges