Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-07-23
TOM JONES.

Tom Jones was tall, awkward,
shaggy haired fellow of 20 years. He
worked hard On the Chandler farm,
IN Kentucky, about fifty miles from
the Ohio, near the little town of w
-. His fellow Iaborers, whose great
delight was to crack coarse jokes, spit
tobacco juice, and go sparkling" on
Sundays in store clothes" and high
heeled boots, thought Tom was ''un~
commonly dull" They only liked
him because he was good natured.
willing-it was thought sIindly-
taking the hardest row TO hoe or the
meanest team to drive a-field, but he
never shared their fun or joined in the
loud mirth which followed Charley
Meeks' sallies Of wit. He did not
dance, neither did he drink whisky or
court the girls" He spent his even-
ings, Sundays, and rainy days alone,
reading the books which the old
school-teacher lent him, but the boys
thought he read only because he was
too dull to tell jokes or too timid to
talk to the girls. 1t is true they all
remembered how one day Charley
had made a course joke about Mary
Chambers parentage. Tom had very
unexpectedly thrown cold water. on
the resulting merriment by declaring,
In language that was no less forcible
for being grammatical, that if ever
again he heard Charley Meeks or any
one else speak of Mary Chandler in
anything but respectful terms, he
would so chastise the offender that
earth would be to him hotter than
hades. But they looked upon that
only as a proof of Toms inability to
appreciate a good joke and his ignor-
ance of the uses of womankind.
And Mary was favorite, too, liz
that neighborhood. All loved her,
and even the witty Charley would
have done anything she asked, even
to the extent of keeping his tongue
for half an hour at time. But no
one knew exactly who she was. From
her most tender childhood she had
lived att ohm Chambers house, borne
his name, and been treated as his
daughter; but the old man had never
confded to anyone the secret of her
birth, and, more he had met all the
queries IN this regard with such stern
intimati0n that it was nohody'S bust
ness that no one had for longtime
made any attempt to discover the
now almost dead secret.
Mary was pretty. a wealth Of
waving hair fell like molten gold on
her shapely shoulders, and her blue
eyes, rosy lips, sparkling teeth, and
delicate complexion *were supple
mented with a graceful form and
sunny disposition that forced the adj
miratiou and won the affection of all
who knew her. Sho was but II, mod
and industrious, and no young fell
low iQ circuit OF twenty miles but
would gladly have Joined his lot to
hers. But she encouraged no lovers.
She talked to Tom perhaps more free
ly than to anyone else. They had
gone to school together, and no more
assidUous devotion was ever shown to
mortal beng than Tom had given to
Mary. No one thought it love affair.
''What a jackass Tonn is to be always
talking 'rithmetic and what not to
Mary Chandler" the boys would say.
''If she would give me a chance; [
think I'd sing another tuse, eh9 But
he amt got 40 gumption." Tom had
devoted himself without reserve to
Marv's pleasure. To know her wish
was to crafty it. His first efforts in
the study of books had been dedicated
TO her. Hi. greatest ambition was
TO win her approval; bis life's purpose
to make her happy. Yet he had not
thought Of love in those school boy
days. He was only sure that Mary
was the perfection of wemanhood,
and that whatever she approved was
necessarily good. Happy, adolescent
passion! Like the brightest of flow
ers, it adorns the spring time Of life;
its withered petals perfume cur latest
memories on earth, and preserve
everlasting faith in our hearts.
Toms early love was of that stal>
wart growth that outlived his boyish
fancies and took permanent place in
the aspirations of his manhood. He
resolved to be truly great that he
might be worthy of Mary Chambers
affection; to win position, wealth, and
influence that she might be proud o.
him. and he determined whateve1
might chance never to breathe wor