The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-01-11

AS jim turned his horses homeward
he was ashamed of himself that he felt
much depressed at realizing how utter
/ " his expedition had been failure in
money. point of view. Ashamed that
his heart, which had so stood still be-
lore the woe of others, could give a
thought to his ownlight loss. In his in
nocent respect for the afflicted he had
no. for moment thought of applying
for whatwas Justly his due, and would,
of course, have been willingly paid for
his most valuable services in a time of
such a need. The loss would throw
him back year. perhaps more, in his
pursuit of learning. But he was made
of the stuff which occasionally sends
boy from the prairie or the lOg cabin to
the White House--mOre of them to high
p aces in civil and military life, and,
perhaps, better, sends boys all over the
length and breadth of the land to fill
worthy p aces as eNemplars of all that
is noble and honorable in Amer can
manhood.
Arrived at home he made terms for
the complete putting in order of the
wagon. This, with his horse hire, used
up little more than he had made at
the fair before the accident occurred.
"Halloo, here-JimP You're Jim
Brand, amt you?''
Yes. - said Jim, thus hailed by a
farmland who drove up to his moth
er's gate and spied him at work in the
garden.
50 Well. here then" He turned away
as Jim took a bulky letter from his
hand.
g ANY answerP' shouted Jim.
"Guess not. Not rs l was told of
Jim carried it in the house and sat by
his mother as he opened it. This was
nearly a month after his venture at the
fair.
Several sheets of paper, headed each
with the device of a steam-power and
business-like lettering, were covered on
one side with bOyish-loOling hand
writing From among these fell
small piece of paper. Jim had never
seen many like it, but his hand shook
as, first looking at it, he passed it to his
mother.
This was the letter:
DEAR OLD FELLOW: Father wanted to
write to you just as soon as he could think
straight about anything, but begged him to
wait till could do il, so that swhy you haven't
heard from us before. Father ex pected to see
you again at the fair, but couldn't find you.
Other people wanted you, too. They said you
diint go tor your pay for helping folks. Why
didn your You were goose Fathers had
quite time finding out how to address you,
but the MerriValeS told him.
I've been brought home, but the doctors
think Pll have to lie still a long time yet. |
don like it at all, but mother says it, sure to
be all right somehow or il wouldn't be so. MY
mothers that sort. I'm glad she is. think
that sort is the best to have. when you're in
trouble and when you're out of trouble, too.
- But what l want to tell Won most Of all is
that the Co. - that means, you know, ali the
folks of the machine works think you did the
right up and down square thing by them and
nv nv fN El1g hot Anv 1aanV
So they send you this two hundred dallars just
to make sure you didn't lose anything by it,
and father hopes its enough, and he says You
behaved admirably, and if you ever want
friend YOU re to come to him, and lots more of
BY the time this letter reaches you you'll
find my bicycle wa ting for you at the railroad
station, so you'd better go and get it. Father
was going to ma you one himself but -
now you needn't mind about it at all, for l
don, believe its going to be so at all but some
on the doctors thlnk perhaps won't ever rae
a bicycle any more, and I'm fond of mine and
don't want any other boy should have it but
'' Wen all be up to Merrivale's next summer
and then III see you. Mother SAYS she Il new
er be satisfied till she sees Jim's mother to tell
her how you stood by us that time. can't
write any more now. You write TO me and III
VIZ { again. HARVEY GLENN"
HO! Bother it, mother" said Jim
with great assumption of indifference,
they must be the queerest fOlks-mak-
ing such a fuss over what you've done
when you haven done anything at all!'
But 4" Jim's mother was crying as
she kissed him and thought Of the moth
er whose boy might never again ride
bicycle, and Jim went out into a corner
of the garden and looked very hard at
nothing for a long time.
Less than year afterward Jim, fly
ing swi tly along with a mind intent
upon a knotty Latin construction, was
scarcely aware of being Overtaken and
passed by something which then ran
into the side of the road, where a bicy-
Gle fell into the grass and its rider sud
denly confronted him. In his over
whelming astonishment Jim entirely
lost control of his own vehicle, and
went down in the dust with it Picking
himself up, hardly knowing whether
h eyes did not deceive him, his hands
were warmly grasped, and two happier
bOy-faces never, surely. looked into each
other.
.'Harveyn'
",Jim!'
Jim stopped to gather his books in
the little silence which followed.
"Pegging at them yet?' said Harvey.
Eyes. pushing away-but it's slow
work"
"Ah, but mother says you're q chap
that 5 sure to 90 skitng straight up to
the very top notch don't mean, you
know, that she says just those words,
but his face grew grave at the
memory of the circumstances under
which he had last seen Jim, ''she says
when folks push with their heads and
heartsbOth they're sure to win--and
she says you're that sort. "-Syd71ey
DayrC, i11 Chicago Standard.