The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1892-01-27


course that stimulated anew every good
resolution, gave a new vigor to every
hope of Marks life.
The village was essentially democratic,
and the fact that Essie was the only
child and helress of the richest, most in
fiuential man in the place did not prevent
her from visiting Mrs. Lamson upon
terms of perfect equality. She was fond
of the weak, amiable woman, strongly as
she ceusured, in her youthful strength,
the easy-going Incidence that made her
home such scene of confusion and dis
comfort; and, in her gentle, pleasant
way, she endeavoured to brighten that
home for Mark by suggestions and offers
Of help that fell to the ground. 1t was
like fighting feather bed to try to rouse
Mrs. Lamson to an active Improvement,
and rebufIed there, Essie could only help
Mark by words of sympathy that were
like wine of life to his love.
An hour with Essie sent him back to
his uphill work full of new hope, every
energy stimulated, every hope bright
ened. He had not dared to set before
him in plain words the hope of one day
winning her heart to his own, for there
was all the humility of true passion IN
that young, ardent heart, but he real :
lied a new force, a new spur to am
bit:on.
Essie never sneered at him as the
neighbors had become accustomed to
doing; Essie never threw cold water
over his plans for improving the land !;
Essie was never sarcastic over the clash
ing of his povery and his ambitions. As
he saw her more frequently, he ventured
to tell her of wider, wilder hopes, of
some day escaping from the drudgery
before him, and making his way to a
city, where his education might give
him start in more congenial occupation.
''Father and mother seem to need me,
now," he told Essie, one day; "they are
old, and they have no other child. 1
think it is my plain duty to stay"
81 think it is" was the quick reply;
''your mother could scarcely bear a sepa.
ration"
"Aud while am here, l must do the
work that lies under my hand" he said,
"hard as it is! But Essie," and his face
frightened, edo you know that already
have made the farm pay double what
it has ever done. Next spring can
hire help out of money saved from the
sale of last years crops!'
Essie, all eager interest, entered into
! discussion of the capabilities of such
lot for turnips, such patch for wheat,
the possibilities of dairy, the best cul-
ture for fowls, as if she had never
studied music or filled her head with
French and German verbs.
But the horror and wrath of Judge Len
nox, when, after two years of mild court
ship, Mark took his fate in his hands and
asked permission to marry Essie, cannot
be described.
"a Lamsonl" he cried, when hay
! ing dismissed Mark he returned to the
bosom of his family. "a Lamson for
Essie's husbandl The fellow wants
my money to spend after all his father
and his grandfather have squandered. I"
"Do you really aud truly think Mark
is spendthrift, papaG" Essie asked
quietly. "Does he ever lounge about
the stores or taverns, as Harry Carter
/ ana James Rayburn dol
"I-Well, no, never saw him." was
the reluctant admission.
"Did you ever hear that he drank or
gambled, or even smoked9"
"N-o-I never did,"
'''Is he not regular at churchl"
"Ye.es."
"But, oh, Essiel" struck in Mrs, Len
nox. "What shabby, halfwashed
shirts he wears, and his fingers all out
of his gloves, aud half the buttons of his
coat gone!"
"Poor Mark" said Essie, gently. "He
needs wife,"
"Well, he need not look here for
one," growled the Judge.
81 heard Mr.. Thompson say, last
week, said Essie, quietly, "that there is
not better farm in Greene County than
Lamson's."
"Such palace of housel" the
Judge sneered.
"Mark is hoping to put new house
on the place, next year. He has had
builders over from B., but they say
the old house is beyond repair, aud it
would cost less to have a new one.n
"And where is the. money to come
fromV
"Where the improved farm came
from, I" said Essie; ''from Marks indus
try, perseverance aud energy, in the face
of the hardest discouragements ever a
young man had to fight"
"Ehl" said the Judge. "What2
WhatW
"See what he has done, d" said Essie,
still in an even, quiet tone that carried
conviction far more than an excited one.
Eight years ago, when he was but a
boy, he put his shoulder to the wheel
and took his playtime between school
hours to weed and clear away stones.
Nobody helped him. He was ridiculed,
sneered at, discouraged on all sides. He
had the poorest farm in the place, and
he has made 1t one of the best. He
has put every spare dollar into
books on agriculture, improved ma
| chimes, good stock. lie has now four
men at work for him, good horses, good
cattle, good poultry, aud he will have
good house. Papa, do you not think it
will be pity to have the new house in
/ the care of Mrs. LamsOn, to ruin as she
has the old onel Outdoors the manage
ment is all left to Mark, and see what he
has done, But man cannot make a
home comfortable alone; he needs a