The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-11-27
TO THE CITY.
And the Sad Homecoming OF q
Wayward Boy.

bushel of corn. 1 hang up the scythe
now forever. The great city shall give
me living"
but, my boy, the farm shall be
yours tomorrow. Only give mother
and me our bread, and that, too, not
for long"
81 don't want it. Sell it, give it
away. I'm DONE" hotly exclaimed the
young man, as he wiped his beady fore
head with his tawny hand
John, listen to reason 1t has been
a scorching summer but we have near
" finished it You think these people
who roll by here in the mountain stages
every day have things easier than we
But this Is their vacation. All these
fine gentlemen work like slaves the
rest of-the year, and the city girls with
gay dresses and white hands"
81 tell you, father. I'm done Don't
argue 1T"
'.But to leave the farm because destiny
calls, because one is fitted by education.
by nature for other avocations or be-
cause one sees an opening is well
enough To go to the city, however,
for the mere sake of going to the city
John, you are fool. What will you
do for bread? 1t doesn't grow on street
lamps"
1t was all In vain to add words. The
haying was over; the limit OF endur-
auce the young scamp had fixed In
mind all summer through, as many an
evening he had climbcd the stone wall,
musing IN the dust Of passing coaches
whose laughter peeled forth upon him
like song of sirens, or Sullenly an
swering the frOlicsome pedestrians who
paused upon their alpen-stocks to ask
how much farther to the Tlp-top house.
It was not far, and of evenings when
the air was still, down through the
great hemlocks came strains of be-
witching music, startling the sheep In
this high pasture, and yearlings from
their browsing, and startling the heir
of all these herds as we'll
1t was not so last year, this strange
discomfort; it was never so with him
before; though born under yonder red,
low-roofed, old dwelling, as were all
his fathers; though the window of his
birth-chamber looked out upon the
mountain caravansary, whose cool
splendors thousands yearly came to see
But he was eighteen now. 1t is step
ping into a new world to become
eighteen years old.
He was eighteen. and the only child
alive; generous, willful, pampered, OF
robust health, and by no means an Ar
cadian saint, though living amid the so
called innocent country hills. AS he
reclined upon the roadside wall, there
was yet something about him very en-
gaging. The open countenance blush
ing in the settling Sunbeams, the full
brow and quick, dark eye, the broad
chest and stout limbs of a perfectly
formed and handsome animal But the
human animal can dream, picture, plan
and ponder with powers of mind that
no other animal possesses. John was
the last fellow who should have gone
to the great town Of warm affections
conscience, he had none. What pleas
ures and qualifications did his vivid i'm
aQination sketch upon the evening sky,
away southwark, whitherward lay the
vast CITY, miles and miles down?
Farewell the broad rough uplands,
with familiar stone heaps dotted over;
the upper barn where he had broken"
many a wild colt and called it his own;
the white gable of his neighbor with
er the path across lots ran, trodden
by his bare feet almost since their
first steps; farewell the schoolhouse
at four corners, the sweep and stretch
of fairest landscape under the sky, set
In the distance with the spires of vii
lage churches far down the valley. The
home of many blessings, and Shsd-
owed face at the window leaning on An
old hand in the twilight cleaning; for
father had been in and told the story,
| and the two old ones were powerlesa
against the young. imperious resOlu-
ton. He in reverie. they In bordering
deep; not how they shall coax q living
from the old farm, for they would
rather the time had come to die, and
cease the strife of life rent with gap
ing graves into which strong sons had
| sunk one by one and left them only
one, and he more cruel than their other
sorrows; bordering how to prevent the
Ills of passions never yet controlled by
their Saviour's strong and gentle hand;
foreseeing much and fearing moSei for
they were ignorant of the city, too.
He in reverie, building gaudy castles Of
a good time coming, and. he free to
drink to his fill; in reverie till the stars
came out above the mountain pines
They In prayer together for him, in the
chamber where he was born: and what
more conld they do. having given him
up to God?
After all, it was not a very joyous
departure that Monday morning In the
September glory.
The bog could not quite exult as he
had anticipated. The mother. with her
last few tokens of love that can never
cease to care for its own; tokens
|
and hOTuely with the style of the hill
country, and the last trembling en-
brace The father silent as they logged
to the village station. as if his great
heart halted midway between his love
1 and indignation. For it was a FOOLS
errand, was it not? A headstron3 In
clination to desert a good home and its
duties for a within. But his boy had
not run away at least, and he would
speed him to short folly and to quick
aud sure return. Even the dog protest
ed; and believe us, it touched the boys
heart most of all, as with frantic slSurry
he bayed the train away.
Well, well, the great town opened its
arms and took the young man in, as
the myriad lamps of night laughed and
winled at his conceit, twinlSled and
long boulevards of darkness, till they
seemed to change to fiery serpents with
many a coil kissing. Here comes an
| other. What shall we do with him2''
And now the dull roar of the streets
gave answer: eve Know what to do
with him" To all of which the boy re-
piled: Have not read all about it?
shall know what to do with myself.
come to prey, not to be preyed upon "
But it must be confessed again that
one is not quite SO confident, standing
in the actual presence of the vast me-
tropolis, as among the mountain paths,
looking thitherward. The city opened
| its Jaws and took him in.
1t is not for us to tell ell that the city
did with the aimless and pitiful fool
He was not without a welcome. Many
welcomed him. He was strong, and
could give much strength away. Hla
Ysins were full -Aud Il took nAnI