The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1891-11-12
STORY OF A LETTER,
It Won q Mother Back to Health
and Happiness.

It Won q Mother Back to Health
and Happiness.
''Of work so early?"
James stopped in passing a boy who,
like himself, was. one of the workers
on large ranch. Caleb's stumpy fig
ure was bending over q large table in
the rough back porch and his face was
drawn into quicker which told that
his task was no easy one.
Yes, it's early know, but it's mail
day to-morrow-and / thought I'D send
a letter."
Folks back east?' asked James.
''Well, l haven't got many folks.
Amt so we'll of rs you are. It's my
stepmother, but she's good woman
and likes to hear from me and l think
lought to-
No one ever thought of taking Caleb
for an exemplar in anything He was
slow and clumsy in his movements and
suggestion of duty to anyone But it
had come to be observed that Caleb
was to be relied on.
If you look for him where he be-
longs he is sure to be there, his en-
rloyer had been heard to say. And
some of the boys had noticed that Ca
leb's quiet: II think ought to" always
referred to something he was sure to do.
James had intended calling upon
Caleb for assistance in the turning Of
water into the irrigating ditch upon
which the crops SO largely depended,
but he now turned away and went by
himself, with a weight at his heart and
q shadow upon his brow. If asked the
reason for it he m ght have been slow
to admit to anyone else that it was
called there by consciousness of neg
]ect of duty, but the fact was very
pain to himself.
Just stepmother. If Caleb thinks
it's matter of ought to- write to her
about every mail day wonder what
he'd do if he had mother and father
and. sister. Heigho! didn't expect
to be gone three years when got mad
and quit"
In the early springtime James had
been seized with a spasm of remorse at
his long, cruel neglect of those who
loved him, to whom he was SO much
and to whom he realized he owed it to
be such comfort
I'm write. And some day I'll go
back and do my best by EN-
He did write, his letter carrying all
the joy which may be imagined into
the old farmhouse. Father and mother
had answered, the sight of their poor
cramped handwriting bringing tears
to the eyes of the wandering son. And
Susan had written:
Father says he'll never miss driving
in to the post Office on the days that a
letter could get here after your mail
day. And mother stands at the gate
watching for him to come back
1t had reached his heart and spurred
him up to writing quite regularly for
awhile. Then the intervals between
his letters had grown longer, and now
for weeks he had not written.
Passing later again near Caleb's
rough library he paused with half a
smile. The sun-tanned, freckled face
was now, in the throes of an effort to
accomplish fine-looking address to
his letter, drawn into a series of knots
and wrinkles astonishing to behold.
All of q sudden they relaxed into a
smile of pride and delight as he held
up and contempt ated the scraggy re-
suit of his efforts.
= ':I'd rather rlow all day." he said,
meeting James gaze with a beaming
eye. Eyes, 1 would. I always feel as
though Ed tackled a big job and got
: the better of it when I've wrote let
ter. feel as light as feather. When
used to let it slip sometimes felt as
though I had q stone to carry. feel
that way now when writin' times
comm. But I've found the best way
to get rid of that feelin's just to get
right at it and do it. think that's
the way with most things when you
think you ought to. don't you?'
Eyes, do" said James, as he Went
on toward the stables. ''And when
= you kno,os you ought to, as ] do,'' he
added to himself.
Caleb followed him with shout be-
tokening his unburdened condition OF
mind, and leading out one of the shay
gy ponies used in herding the cattle.
was soon galloping the four miles to
the point at which the weekly mail
was gathered. Scant and irregular it
was, and who can tell how many
anxious hearts watched for its news OF
loved ones, or waited in the WEAKNESS
Of hope deferred for tidings which did
not come.
The full moon arose over the wide
expanse of rolling mountainous seen
cry as the riders form was lost in the
distance. James leaned against a
trough cart and gazed mechanically
about him.
II wish / had written too. didn't
mean to get into loose ways about il
agaiE-as sure as l live 4 didn't.
Mother watching at the gate, Susy
said. 1 s'pose it's the same old gate =
the one used to swing on when was
little and get scolded for it, Next
Tuesday']l be the day mother'll be
-&vatching."
In the hush of the glorious light his
thoughts wandered over years gone by.
Far back, almost to infancy, did his
memory stray, bringing up scenes
vague and misty, incidents only dimly
recalled; yet in all his mothers face,
gentle and tender, seemed to stand out
distinctly. Sometimes it bent over him
in sickness, sometimes he saw it as in
church, with the grave expression pu,
ON for the day. Sometimes it bore q
smile of sympathy with some of his
small delights, again. perhaps, frown
or grieved look over his shortcom'
ings. '-- -
'Yes, and remember exactly how
she looked when she whipped me, and
how she would come to me ten minutes
afterwards crying and begging me
never to make her do it again. Poo,
mother" with q remorseful smile, ."'she
didn't give 1t to me half hard enough. =
II wonder how she looks now" The
thought came with q sharp pang. II
!. had never before occurred to him "a
wonder whether his mother had
changed in these years in; which he had
DOT seen her The line Of thOu0ht once