The Portland daily press., 1891-04-13
JARED HARPWIcH's TASK
youths Companion.1

youths Compartment
The task was brought upon Jared
Harpwick by letter which came to hin
one September afternoon as he sat read
ing on his vine shaded porch. He ros,
promptly, lifted his straw hat from tn,
hoor and put it on, and walked through
the front gate to the pike.
Through the long village street and, ;
half mile along the dusty pike hi
trudged; then, turning aside into /;
narrow byroad that branched off at tn,
foot of a steep hill, he came to rud,
sawmill. A stalwart man sat upon {
large moving log, from which a perpen
dicular saw was rasping board.
"Good afternoon, neighbor Gray,
said Jared.
Gray eyed him keenly from under hi
shaggy brows; then rising, he walked I,
a lever, pulled it aside and stopped tn,
saw.
''Sit down on the log, Jared" he said
1--WE can't hear each other when the
saws going. l see by your face that
something unusual has happened"
"Pve got letter from Joe. He's in
trouble"
"Just as I supposed. Bankrupt, I'll
warrant"
"That's about it"
"And he has written to you to get me
to help himY'
'"That's true; but, John, don't be an.
cry. This matter must be considered
with our coolest judgment"
"Pll not consider it with cool judg
ment nor any other kind. He'll get nc
help from me, Jared"
Every well, John, very well; but you'll
hear what the trouble is, won't your
"Oh, / suppose I can listen" replied
the father, taking piece Of bacon from
shelf and proceeding to grease the saw
| "Well, Gray, it's a bad embarrass
ment. A customer bought Thousand
dollars worth of Joe's patent machines
promising to order twice as many more
soon. Joe supposed he was perfectly
good for it, and ON the strength of this
ordered two thousand dollars worth
from the man that manufactures then
Well, the customer turned out bad; hi
didn't pay the thousand dollars, mol
order more. Joe lost the machines, anc
owes the manufacturer two Thousand
dollars, which he is unable to pay.
Joe writes that he might have stood
this if a fire hadn't broken out and
burned up this two thousand dollars
worth of machines"
He glanced up quickly, and caught q
shade of sympathy upon the sawyer's
face.
"The manufacturer is unluckily in a
tight fix himself, and he is pushing the
boy. Joe writes that this will ruin him
and just when his business was mos
promising. I tell you, Gray, it's hare
on your boy"
''Well, / don't pity him a bit-not ,
bit. He was determined to go to tn
city; now let him dig for himself. CAV,
him a thousand dollars to start his Graz,
business, mortgaging our little plac
here, and that's enough. Mother ha
pinched herself and worked her finger
almost to the bone, and have slavec
early and late to pay it off, and now tina
it's paid, do you think I'm going RICH
back into that struggle again?
''No, Jared, not for boy who forgetg
his old mother as Joe has done. Why
he hasn't written a hne-not a ine-to
mother or me for year, and now, when
he wants help, he writes to you, Jared.
"Does he deserve help? Just answer
me that; does he deserve it? I DOM
want to hurry you away, but Pm going
to start the saw"
He turned decisively, and pulling tn
lever set the saw rasping again.
Every well, john" said Jared, comm,
nearer. "If that's your decision Nv
nothing more to say. I shall have t
write to Joe that you refuse. 1t doe
seem pity to leave him in his trouble
He's not a bad boy, but dear know
where this will drive him. Good after
noon, john"
At home he sat down upon the pore
again to think it out. He knew well tn
character of this father and son. Sine
Joe had been old enough to assert him
self there had been antagonism betwee
them. The father was arbitrary in hi
ideas of right, the son obstinate and in
| c1neQ TO WdyWdruuesS.
Jared's relation to the family was al
most that of son. He was to hav
married Sallie, the daughter, five year
before, but she had been taken i'll tire
weeks before the appointed day, and die,
ten days later. Her last request to Jare
had been to watch over Joe as an olde
brother, and to help to keep him fror
evil ways.
"Father is growing old" she had SAID
sand if ever you have a chance to brin
him and Joe to good understanding
your best. 1 know you Will DO you
best, Jared-even to sacrifice yourself
little, for my sake"
The final arrangement came when Jo
declared that he intended to leave home
He had invented machine for compress
ing sawdust into ornaments, and wa
wild over his prospects of wealth.
Through the mothers influence, aide
by Jared, who hoped that gratitud
would touch the boys heart, the farr
was mortgaged.
"Here are a Thousand dolaars," tn
father had said on themorning Joe wen
away. "You want to leave us, so g
This is all the help you can expect fror
me. If you lose it, you must shift fc
yourself. If you succeed, I shall look fc
you to pay it back. wish you success
but don't expect it."
No sympathy was in the words {
tone, and Joe went away, feeling tbs
there was no love for him in his father
heart.
Jared knew that Joe had been lackin
in his duty to his parents. He had wri
ten enthusiastically of his prosperity
but had not offered to pay back dollal
SO there was at least a little reason fc
the fathers refusal to help.
But something must be done. Thl
trouble and his fathers refusal would b
likely to drive Joe into recklessness an
ruin. AS he sat upon his little porch, b
almost fancied he heard Sallie tellin
him that here was the opportunity sh
had hoped for.
But he did not know what to do. b
had little knowledge of business. H
early life had been spent in farm tot