The Southern herald., 1889-11-01
DICKS SPECULATION.
It Surprised Him No Less Than
His Grandfather.

!. Playing checkersr' exclaimed
Grandfather Weatherby, with a look
.'Ayell, what's the harm Of check
ers, grandfatherGn asked Dick. in a
rather fretful tone. "You play check
ers yourself. It was you that taught
me to play"
"Yesy checkers are very well in
the aEeRinf Eben All the works DONE"
safd gra1dfhthers l believe in having
fapIatsthe right time; all work and no
play makes Jack a dull boy. But
checkers in the day timel You never
saw me do such a thing as that. did
yonp"
Daytime Is good enough" grumbled
Dick.
Eyes, plenty good enough for a boy
that never means to amount to any
thing" said the old farmer.
I've done my chores and all that
father set me to do,n said Dick.
THAT'S just the sort of talk you
hear from that sort Of boy" persisted
his aranafather "He does first what
he sees to do and then he sits down
in The shade onsA summer day and
plays checkers Why, when I was
your age Tcould have covered every
one Of my twelve squares with silver
piece % my own earning. Perhaps IL
was because didn't have such an
sasy-going father as you've got But
that oughtn't % make the difference,
A boy ought to have it in himself and
then it's sure to come out somewhere 7
Dick swept his hand across the board
with an impatience due partly to the
keen ekicism Of himself. partly to bis
inward conviction that he deserved all
that was said. But 1t was impossible
TO get angry at the half-sober. half
joking manner OF the genial old man.
r~uess you'Fe about right. grand
exF s4tl9 it was in you and II
EEi me-
More's the pity said his grand
father, now wholly serious. "Seeml
to me this isn't the kind OF q world fol
boyito sit back in and just do what
he'stold 70 do and nothing further.
Why. every thing about Inn seems tC
be saying: Look about you. you young
lubber. and see how every thing
working with you II youth only take .
hand 10 Ii Look at the earth and the
sun and the tnin-4hll ready to b.
your servants. You never see then
idling around. Y
Grandpa Weatherby, having sait
his say, set out with sturdy strides
towards bis own farm, a mile distant
Dick was stnng more deeply bx hi
wordssthan the old gentleman imag
ined.
Come, let's 60 on" urged San
Jones. a lounger Of the neighborhood
"That was tip-top game yol
spoiled"
But Dick turned away from him II
81 humor with himself and every on
else There was more truth in wha
had been said Ihan he liked 70 ae
knowledge. He, boy Of fourteen, hai
never raised his hand to do thin
that was not required him, and th
requirements had teen very moder
ate. He had attended school througl
the school season. doing light wor
the while, and in the GUNNER ha
engaged in the farm work in the easy
going style his grandfather had Al
luded to.
4 guess It is just as he says,
mnsed Dick as he carried the checke
board into the house There ism
many a boy about here that d0esn'
begin to look out for earning a bit b
tie time he Is as old as / am There
old chsckerboard. / am getting to
awfully fond Of you. You may 60 int
that corner. and stick there. for all O
me. until / have shown grandfathe
I'm good for something II l can"
Dick strolIed thoughtfully out int
the fields wondering in what directio
he had better turn his energies. Their
was plenty Of work all about him an
he we'll knew that his father woul
hire him and. except in the matter Q
the Hight duties which he always o.
acted from his sons, would pay him
fair price Tor his work.
.'IYhaes Al that going on over 4
Deacon BlaisdeIl's fallowP" He ha
walked until hereaohed the boundarie
OF bis fathers farm. whom his atten
lion was attracted by wonderful
amount Of whooping and hallooing
little Nay beyond.
4ifs 3 drove Of cattIe-and bi
drove. 100. Bad business Il they g
iht5 the ielloH.