Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-09-09
.r ambition actuated Absalom beyond

long and lusty members, In THIS Iorma-
tive period, to a casual eye seemed
rather to lead than to be led by their
mental supplement, and indeed were
apparently capable in themse- Is OF
almost any reasonable ambition. mat
they were unusual legs Joel Whitney
was not long in discovering, nor long.
and astuteness of instinct, in setting
their energies in pursuit of his own
multiplying and profitable affairs.
Still, this was doubtless quite as bene-
fetal to Absalom. passing the ques-
ton of gratitude, as to Joel, since in
the end he harvested the priceless les
son of q well-directed experience.
CHAPTER v.
During this period, wherein the
shadow cast by Absalom Heater
Ienpthened and his horizon materially
enlarged, and wherein the little Miss
Popp came without unvarranted as
sumption to effect the gowns and
oraces of maturer maidenhood, the
chemistry that shapes and builds us
cell by cell had not lain torpid in John
EARRING and his sunny fellow. Me-
thinks two lustier playmates never
gamboled on the grass, or strained
against the leash of discipline, than
they. Four nimbler feet than theirs
surely never dashed the purple clover
heads aside, as they went plummlng IN
the valley. nor eyes more bright and
eager ever peered among the fallen
leaves for winter-green, or IN the
meadow grass for Strawberries. UP
the little river in the wine-warm
weather the dipping willows often saw
their 1.-the and silvery bodies part
the clear sweet water, and scarce
grapevine in all the great wood
that spread over the hills to the west
ward, had not some time in these fleet
wears been climbed by them and rif1ed
of its pungent clusters. But time did
not ALWAYS furnish them with sum
shine, at least the thorns were not few
on which John Earling tore his YOUTH
| full spirit That Mrs. Whitney, out OF
narroWness of heart or from some touch
| of acid in her nature, could never, save
| with obvious testines5, admit level
ground for yielding favors to the Or
| phan and her own less bright but pref
| tier child, was in John Earrings lie
an ever widening wound. For, though
brave and self-reliant lad, and in his
later years unyielding in his honest
pride. he yet was quick to feel and
tender tempered. But few summers
had gone by ere the unfairness OF her
| attitude began to dawn upon him, and
as time continued he only came moro
and more to feel the bitter uneven-
ness of her hand in dealing with
them Perhaps the avenue of
mother-love through which her pref
ty offspring reached her biased her
vision naturally, and any thing in her
treatment of the orphan boy that did
not 90 beyond indifference, though that
to some is cruelty enough. should go
uncensured. At any rate, John Earl
ing early in these years began to feel
the unutterable injury that death had
done him. the measureless lack of nat
ural love. and the sure inhibition OF
such whole hearted help as springs OF
parent-feeling. The demand. too. that
springs in every nature to take some
object into the bosom to lavish love
upon, had not in John Earnings youth
its natural food. but it was there with
all its fine needs ceaselessly asking Tor
the bread of life. To this end the
bows heart turned with loneliness and
hunger, and spent itself upon his care
less, buoyant, sunny-tempered fellow.
Whether or not Harry Whitney was
wholly worthy of this attachment,
since necessity admits but few ln-
qulries, can not easily be set down.
Perhaps the answer were quickest run
to cover by tracking the progress of
events. Clearly. however, his eXtrin-
sic merits were many and the graceS
of his nature not to be despised. Very
frank and fair and generous he was at
all events, and as a comrade well nigh
incompatible. True, he lacked little
in the finer scrupies perhaps, but there
John Earring always set the limit, Tor
. no end, however CLOSED with seeming
gain. could carry him beyond the
bounds of honesty. This was the
strongest current in John Earrings in-
> clinations; the clear core of his heart,
the light, be it fortunate or unfortu-
nate, by which he saw the world, from
; the thousand hideous and distorted
: trails of men across the face OF 1t,
, down to his own minutest deed. Faults
, he had, and some unevenness OF nat
: ure, but not of honesty, unless indeed
, some. seeing darkly. may consider
: foolish. Doubtless this virtue
= was inherited. at least there
: was no extraneous influence swayine
: him. Joel Whitney's example was
purely business one, and his idea OF
8 honor exactly commensurate with that
= elastic term. He seldom parleyed with
t a question, or pulled it up to examine
D its roots that he might be satisfied if il
, were virtue or vice. Quite content
G was he with either so it served his pur
a pose. Business was the sea to him, into
/ which all streams, both small anc
/ great, both foul and clearly, emptied
L WHY should he, successful cruiser or
f this feverish flood, reck of the streams
? that entered it? The son, too, wa
2 very like the father. having fine Skin
e and an endless fund of laughter, and
j! like most very good-natured people
}, was slightly indolent. Neither was thu
a mothers example aught that coult
/. have swerved John Earnings inclina
Il tons into the clearly channel that the.
# followed. The foundation of hi
:, nature seemingly was laid il
i honesty, and his being so cemented tt
r the rock that, though the worlds wind
Il often beat and bent him about, the,
It could not draw him from it. In thos
v early years, though Joel Whitney wa
v not stinting in his jovial kindness. TIN
X sometime chilly and in the main luke
d warm attitude of Mrs. Whitney op
- pressed the boy, and filed him with
e growing thirst for freedom from de
It pendence. Even while yet chile
|. some vague ideas touching this wer
8 floating in his mind, and many wer
4 the hourS when others silent that saw