The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-01-28
For Good Cheer.
What Oma Did.
BY MATTHEW GLENN.

BY MATTHEW GLENN.
ANE night as Mr.. Wellington
was driving his bull home
NJ from the pasture, it suddenly
SIS turned, knocked him down
and gored him so badly that he
died in a short time.
The only support left to his wild
ow and her twelve-year-old son
Oma, was a small farm on which
there was mortgage of two hun
dred dollars.
The burial ceremonies of hel
husband were scarcely over when
Mrs. Wellington received the fol-
lowing note from Mr.. Padelford, an
avaricious and heartless lawyer:
BENTON, May Is, 1888.
Mrs. Wellington The mortgage
1 hold on your farm expires in
eight months. If the two hundred
dollars are not forthcoming then ]
will certainly foreclose.
B. F. PADELFoRD.
cit is impossible for me TO save
two hundred dollars in so short a
time!" Mrs. Wellington exclaimed
as she read the note; "Sut, dear
child" she continued, turning to
her son, 81 will work very hard and
economic in every possible way.
Who knows but Providence will
help me somehow to redeem the
farm your poor father worked SO
hard for?"
81, too, will work hard and do all
1 can towards redeeming the farm"
replied Oma, bravely "To NOR
row morning l will make a begin
ming by catching some trout in the
meadow brook. DR.. Hathaway will
buy them from me, 1 am sure,
mother"
"You are very thoughtful, my
son! If you could only earn
enough money to buy your clothes
and books you would aid me a
great DEAL"
Oma rose at 4 o'clock next morn
ing, quickly did his chores, and
then took from the loft in the barn
his fathers fshing-rod and went
| down TO the brook.
He directed himself to a deep,
shady pool where he knew the iarg
est trout were to be found. AS it
was the first of June and the brook
was rarely ever fished he found the
trout very numerous. AS fast,
nearly, as he could throw in his
hook, it would be seized and car
ried under a projecting root. He
found it great sport pulling the fish
out. One large fellow was jerked
out so quickly it slipped off the
hook and went flying through the
air thirty feet or more, finally land
ing safely. 1t proved to be q two
FOUNDER. In an hour he had Sc
cured two dozen of the speckled
beauties. He carried them to DIR.
Hathaway, who not only bought
them for SOC a dozen, but gave him
an order for as many more for the
morning following.
He had now one dollar, the first
money he had ever earned. With
seventy five cents of it he commenc-
ed a bank account, and the other
twenty-five cents he took home to
start book-fund with. He deem
ed it prudent not to let his mother
know he was a depositor in the
bank, as he wanted to surprise her
some day.
The trout held out wonderfully
in the brook. Hardly day pass
ed that he did not add fifty cents or
a dollar to his bank account.
About the middle of July his
patrons in the village became less
anxious to buy and his friends in
the brook became 10th to leave their
cool retreat. So Oma found it ne
cessary to engage in some new en-
terprise to earn money rapidly.
Accordingly, one pleasant day he
built a raft out of some sleepers
found on the bank, and with q long
pole pushed it down stream to
where the brook widened into a
large pond in which he found
great quantity of lovely water
lilies.
He gathered several punches and
took pains SO as to arrange them
so as to make each bunch look its
prettiest. He sold them quickly at
the hotels and stores in the village
for three cents lily. This venture
proved so profitable that he repeat
ed it nearly every morning.
School closed the last of June.
Several kinds of berries were ripen-
ing and Oma was kept very busy
supplying his customers with fish,
fruit and lilies. Besides providing
for his own wants and depositing
his usual amount in the bank, he
was now able to buy few needful
groceries for the house.
One day he brought his mother
pineapple, as he knew she was very
fond of that fruit.
"Uh, Omar she said as he hand
ed it to her, ''thls is a luxury we
can i'll afford! / have worked very
hard since your poor father died,
and 1 have only been able to save
ten dollars. / see no way now to
redeem the farm. The thought of
the cold, cruel winter that is com
ing without home makes me feel
sad, my son! Mr.. Padelford is so
cruel that he will not hesitate a
moment to turn US out of doors, /
know"
"Oh, we'll, mother, do not let that
trouble you. Mr.. Padelford can do
his worst. l am growing stronger
every day and shall soon be able to
provide for you. Besides, Christ
mas is coming,and it is hard telling
what Santa Claus will have in store
for u.s."
His mother shook her head doubt
fully, but Oma called out:
"Good night! Wake me up at
four in the morning. 1 am going
partridge hunting"
Early next morning before any
one was astir, Oma was vending
his way towards Scot Arm, heavi-
ly timbered wood about half annie
| distant He had SCARCELY GOT into