The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1883-11-17

to keep well hl0 IN inc uitch0S anu
bushes along the way. If the master
was speaking ill of him it were certain
" better that he should hear 1T, for "he
is forearmed who is forewarned,
thought Franz; but to his surprise and
great ioy the conversation to which. he
listened when he got within hearing
distance was very different from what
his fears had prepared him for.
The schoofmaster-could he believe
his ears-was actually urging the father
to send Franz back to school, for The
is a bright lad" said he. But the
father sadly replied that it was impos-
sible-that they were very poor now,
and the lad must henceforth help to
earn his bread.
Then the schoolmaster sighed and
said:
ut is pity, there iscertainly some
thing in the lad--he would surely make
his mark in the world if he but had an
education.
The father only shook his head, and
declared it was not to be thought of.
Franz crawled back to the trenches
and mechanically went to work. How
the seed got into the ground that day
he never knew, for a wild joy thrilled
his being and bright fancies filled his
brain, and ever before his eyes cleaned
the words, s.he would surely make his
mark in the world if he but had an ed
ucation."
An education then and there he de-
termined to have. So while the hands
went on working, working, working,
the head went on thinking, thinking,
thinking-and by the time the tasks
of the day were finished Franz had re-
solved to go to the great city. There
l can certainly earn money, and when l
have money the rest will be easy" he
reasoned.
At first his parents tried to dissuade
him when informed of his ambitious
plans; he was so young and inexperi-
enced, they argued, he would scarcely
be able to earn his bread, to say moth
ing of so expensive thing as an edu-
cation. ''Why, you will certainly
starve, or worse still, go to the poor
house." exclaimed the good mother.
Nothing daunted, however, Franz per-
sistently begged, ''let me 60 and try. "
So at last the father and mother con-
sented, and babe him "God-speed."
With one dollar in his pocket, earned
by hours of toll, two clean shirts
washed, ironed and carefully mended
by the thrifty mother, tied up in his
pocket-handkerchief, his best suit OF
clothes upon his back, his hob-nailed
shoes in his hand-for leather wears
out. You know, though stone-cut flesh
will mend-he babe farewell to home
and set ont upon his journey. Out Of
the cottage doorway framing the loved
ones that waved him q last farewell,
down the lane, out into the country
road trudged the lad, with the rich
brains and the poor purse, but moi
alone, for though invisible to mortal
ken, on each side of him walked q
Shining Presence.
When hungry, Franz invariably
stopped at some cottage by the waysidt
and politely asked for broken victuals
in return for these he performed SONS
service for the housewife. When the
nights were fine he slept beneath th'
stars: when stormy. he crept into some
friendly barn, and upon the hay therein
slept as sweetly as upon eider-down
Thus in due time he reached Frankfort
which city was his destination. As
was late in the evening when he en-
tered the city, it was necessary to i'm
mediately seek a nights lodging
Country boy that he was, he knew
enough of the world to understand tina
his chances for obtaining honest EN-
ployment tomorrow would be IA
greater if he were respectfully houses
over night. But how was this to b
managed with his slender purse? How
indeed!
81 shan't sleep outdoors till Nv
tried to sleep in. thought Franz, as h
stepped briskly forward, nearing on
of the inns which proclaimed in flamin,
colors entertainments for man and beast
The drivers of the various stages tina
in those days ran in and out of Frank
fort stopped at these cheaper boardin,
houses, and Franz, hopefully on tn
alert, soon found an opportunity t
lend helping hand to one of thes
! men, for which kindly turn the ma
allowed him to share his nights lode
ing. A few pennies procured his sim
pie breakfast the next morning, afte
eating (which he set out in quest {
something to do whereby to ear
money that silver wand that was
open for him the doors of knowledge
Up and down the streets of Franz
i fort he trudged, offering his services
: "butcher and baker and candlesticl
maker" but nobody in all the tow
seemed to need his assistance, and til
,~<><,v- Ia xry<x,,1J boxx, x-sol1o1 70 Joov,o
had it not been for the two Shinin
J Presences that never deserted him, bI
; walked one on each side, filing b
) heart with the light of hope.
IL Towards noon he passed a comfor
able dwelling house, in the doorway {
which stood white-haired gentleman
, Something in the kindly face encou
. aged the lad to turn and speak to til
? gentleman and ask for work.
4 s'What can you do-can you shaver