Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1891-02-14
PR0yIDENTIAL W00DPILE.

Jack surveyed with pride the wood,
which, from the first stroke on the
growing timber to the last pihng up
OF the cord length, no hands but his
own Woodworking ones had touched.
It'll buy all we want for the win
ter, won't it, mother?'
"I'm sure it will. When are you
going to begin hauling?"
Next week, ! guess"
"Then I'll have some of my chick
ems ready to go with you"
Next year we'll have turkeys,
too, said Jack cheerily. Didn't |
tell you we'd get on, mother? tn
be better and better every year"
"Yes, indeed-with such a dear,
faithful boy as you are, Jacky."
The family had removed from the
far east to a farm in Minnesota.
Bare and desolate enough it would
have looked to most of us, but the
father and mother had entered upon
its possession full of hope and cour.
age and confidence in their ability to
carve out for themselves and Their
three boys present living and in the
future pleasant and valuable home
But the father died, and Jack, al
he looked on his mother and the two
boys much younger than himself, ful
~ realized the weight of the burden
which had fallen upon his young
shoulders, and in the same momen
resolved that he would bear itbrave
ly.
Mother and the younger boys ha
done their utmost in helping wit
! the teamwork, and in every spar
! hour Jack had chopped and chopped
!, measuring day by day the CROWN
length OF his wood pile.
: There is cord more than moth
! err thinks there is" said Jack on
! day in a half whisper to Johnny an
! Ted. laying his finger on his lips an
. making other extravaganza motion
OF secrecy, although his mother wa
> in the house q quarter OF mile di
!. tant. "And all the money | 81
: from that cord I'm going to spen
!, on tip-top things, / tell you'll Apple
:. and cranberries-we always used
! have cranberries on Thanksgivin
Day long ago. And mother W
i make some mince-pie with the a
:. Piles.
: "Mince-piep' Johnny and Ted TO
i. ed up their eyes in ecstasy.
|! "And that amt all-but I'm M
!, going to tell you anything else.
- Jacks head was full of plans +
% small extra comforts to be won f
~ his mother and little brothers by b
% work, and his affectionate hea
y was in a glow ms he struck out !
:, the little village with his first load
!, wood. The few groceries needed
IL the frugal family for the winter We
Nv to be obtained with some necessa
or articles of clothing with which
ell bear the rigorous winter.
III After a drive of four miles he DIR
I'M IN at the little store in which
country folks traded their produ'
ot- for groceries, dry goods, and eve
ut other convenience likely to be in
mt mand.
as "Wood?" said it's owner. mo
w don't need any wood. | don't
I'd. lieve you'll find any sale Tor wo
ok about here. The Joneses and I
let Blakes and the Murrays and
Try bought strip OF woodland this s
son and cuts our own wood on
full And we've sold to most of the rest
!, a the folks that want wood. M
are don't know of anybe dy that wa
pl- wood"
lot Poor Jack stood In dismay at
rs. sudden crumbling away OF his cl
nn7 ished plans. The mittens and sc,
en-. Tor the little boys, the silk handl
her chief 20 tie around his mothers ne
be nil gone in whiffl But that was
40 bad as the groceries and the T
OF mel and the yarn.
rst, 'tI've got some chickens, he Q
ks In a depressed voice. !,
"Well, there amt no great cal