The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1892-08-13
FRED MORTON'S PLUCK.
How q Lad Met and Overcame
Adversely.

what Fred Morton did at his fathers
death. He quietly assumed the man.
agement of the farm, and the support
of his widowed mother and little sister.
The husband and father had gone
forth one March morning in health and
strength and an hour later had been
brought back lifeless. The tree he was
telling had in some way caught and
crushed him beneath its weight.
1t was with sad heart that the
mother returned with her fatherless
children from the grave to the seclusion
of her modest homo. She had no rel
ativcs; there was no one to whom she
could rightfully turn for sympathy and
help. Long after Fred had gone to his
room, and Lettie, the five-year-old pet
of the household, had lost her childish
sorrow in slumber, she sat before the
sitting-room fire thinking that dark as
the present was the future looked still
darker to her.
Ten years before Edwin Morton had
come there with his wife and boy, pay
ing down one thousand dollars towards
the farm, and givinga mortgage for the
balance-a paltry sum, as it seemed to
him then, of five hundred dollars. He
had felt sure that three years, or four
at most, would sec the farm all his own.
But it had been the old story. There
had been sickness; the seasons had not
always been favorable; unexpected ex-
penses had come, and unexpected losses.
The neighbors declared that Edwin
Morton, though a great worker, did not
have the faculty of getting ahead And
it was certain that the ten years had
come and gone, and now he had
gone, and not dollar of the
mortgage was paid. Moreover, the in
tcrest would be due in a few weeks, and
Mrs. Morton could think of no way to
pay it. She was confident also that the
account at the village grocery would
prove to be against them. and there
might be several smaller accounts still
unsettled. So far as she could estimate,
| it would take three hundred dollars to
meet her husbands Indebtedness out
side of the mortgage on the farm. Her
own health was poor, and she could no.
do more than her household duties
Fred, it was true, though but sixteen
years old, was strong and willing, and
could earn something. but to the
mother, in that hour OF darkness and
sorrow, that something seemed almost
nothing.
However, if the farm could be sold
for its real value, and all the debts
paid, there would still be something
! left for herself and the children. But
how could she leave the roof that had
SO long sheltered her, and had been SO
dear to her husband?
Meanwhile Fred, who had gone to
his room, had not gone to sleep. He
had always been a quiet, thoughtful
boy, wise in many things beyond his
years. He sat down by the window
and thought over the sad events of the
last few days. 1t all seemed SO strange,
SO unreal, to him. 1t was SO hard to
realize that he was fathcrless. But at
length his thoughts turned from him
self to his mother and little sister, and
he felt that he must care for them. He
understood all about the debt on the
farm. He knew there were other bills,
including those incurred by his fathers
death, that must be paid soon.
After thinking for some minutes he
lspelt by his bedside and asked God to
show him what to do. When he arose
and prepared for bed new look in his
eyes told of a purpose already born in
his soul.
The next morning Fred was up early,
and when Mrs. Morton entered the
kitchen the fire was burning brightly,
the coffee was made, and the chores at
the barn were done. The youth greet
ed his mother tendcrly, and FASTENED
with quiet determination in every
action to assist her in the morning du-
ties.
A week passed. Fred had busted
himself about the farm and going to
the village as pyramids required. One
day he entered the house and said:
Mother, Mr.. Ford has got home. l
saw him at the village to-day. He
spoke to me about fathers death, and
said he would call here tomorrow"
This Mr.. Ford was an old friend of
the family, and held the mortgage on
the farm. A few days before Mr.. Nor
toms death he had gone to New York
on business trip. 1t had been Mrs.
Morton's intention to call upon him as
soon as she learned of his return, and
consult with him concerning her hus-
bands affairs.
The next day, when Mr.. Ford called,
Fred was repairing fence, so Mrs.
Morton received him alone. She told
him of her hopes and fears, and then
spoke of the one plan that seemed to be
open to her. He was silent a few min
utes, and then replied:
Certainly, Mrs. Morton, this can be
done. What does Fred think about it?"
II have not mentioned it to him yet.
/ could not bear to speak to him about
it, he loves the farm so.'
"How old is hep