The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-07-25
WHAT HE REMEMBERED
The One Never-to-be-Forgotter
aaj Act Of His Life.

1855 ACt Oh al6 lslIo.
George Mason was very prominent
man in Beavers Falls. For several
terms member of the Legislature, and
twice Governor of the State. his name
was widely known and universally re-
spected; and his friends. many Of whom
dated their acquaintance with him from
boyhood, said he was strictly upright
man and had never done anything
mean, dishonest, or cruel. s''l'fi so
But there was an incident Of his early
youth Of which they knew nothing. an
incident he had never mentioned to any
one, and of which he could not think,
even at sixty years ofage, without a ting
ling in his cheeks, and a feeling of
deepest shame and contrition.
1t was connected with his sister Susan.
and though Susan never alluded to it in
] any way, and seemed to cherish only
the kndest feelings toward him, George
/. felt sure that she remembered it to the
day of her death, and that the remem-
brance was as painful to her as to him.
= She was only his half-sister, and there
was difference of nearly seventeen
years in their ages. George could not
remember either of his parents, for they
had died when he was an infant; but he
had never felt their loss, so tireless and
complete was Susan's devotion to him.
For his sake she had given up her
dreams of becoming teacher, and had
taken up the laborious occupation of q
laundress; and that he might be COM
fortably clothed and sent to school, she
had denied herself almost the necessi-
ties of life. tsw safs. -srr
Hard as she was obliged to work, and
few as were her pleasures, she never
complained and was so bright and
cheerful always that George, when a
little fellow, took it as matter of
course that she should toll for his main-
tenance. and never thought to thank or
pity her. s,sn HI g4s4 y
But as he grew older he began to re-
alize his obligations to her, and to wish
that he could take on his own shoulders
the burden hers had carried SO long.
When he graduated at the High School
in Beavers Falls. he begged her to let
him find employment of some kind; but
her heart was set on his spending q
couple Of years at the Drinkwater Acad-
envy, and she would not listen to any
other plan. -
~. '.Now is the time for you to learn,
George" she said, '.and L want to see
you well fitted to take your place in the
world. A good education is of the first
Importance to man, and I know if
allowed you to leave school now / would
regret it as long as lived. Never mind
about my working go hard I'm used
to it, and wouldn't know how to be
y idle. ,,sseers nfcai bf.irf as3 70 fr.sn,
g. So,George went to the Academy at
2 Drinkwaters and his brave. unseffish
sister continued to wash and wiring and
c iron. proud that her labors secured to
him the education she considered Of
such paramount importance. al 3
20 Her letters to him were models Of
cheerfulncss and good humor, and she
made no mention of the severe head
aches which frequently prostrated her
for hOars, or the terrible cough she con-
tracted by doing without rubber shoes
which she did not feel able to buy.
George could only guess at the ,sacri-
fees. She made. for Rim.
Over the mantel IN Susan :. little Sit
ting-room hung a fine photograph of
George. neatly framed. Susan valued
it as her dearest earthly possession. and
at Christmas time it was ALWAYS
. wreathed with bright holly and smilax
George did not know how freonentIv
his sister s eyes sought that pictured
face, when sitting at her sewinr. nor
how many times she left her washfub to
take aslook At it He laughed one day