Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-04-18
THORNS and ROSES.
BY rHos. P. MoNrFoRD.
Copyright by AN. Kellogg Newspaper Co.
 CHATTER x.
I.ARoR ANp oAPTTAI..

Copyright by AN. Kellogg Newspaper Co. | CHATTER x.
 LABOR AND CAPITAL After had been provided with food was sent to bed in a cool, airy room through the open windows of which the summer breezes came laden with the sweet perfume of wild roses and red clovers. I was too exhausted to think or grieve, and within a few min utes after lay down on the soft, white bed was sleeping soundly. All night | long 1 slumbered as an infant with no hideous dreams and no nightmare of past or impending evils to haunt me. Hwoke quite late the next morning, but when descended to the family | room found Mir. and Mrs. Cornell, my host and hostess, awaiting breakfast for me. They both received me with free, open-hearted cordiality that was unaffected and which had the effect of making me feel perfectly at home at once. Mrs. Cornell asked me a few questions as to how felt and whether I had rested we'll, but made no allusion to my past whatever. Ignorant as I was, I readily understood that her si- fence on that point was out of del icate regard for my feelings, and re- solved to enlighten her concerning my past when the opportunity offered. Shortly after I entered the room, the son, my rescuer, came in. He greeted me with the same cordiality his par ents had shown, and, like them, made no reference to the past. His name, I learned, was Charles, and, now that I | had the opportunity of observing him well, I discovered him to be what should term a perfect model of fully | developed manhood. He was tall, broad shouldered, broad chested, sinewy, robust, yet not rugged or overgrown. His eyes were keen and penetrating, and l felt that when they looked at n person they saw to the bottom of the heart, yet they possessed a sparkle of merriment, and there was a softening light about them that spoke plainly of generosity and tenderest sympathy. I knew nothing then of Charles Cornell, save what have writ ten, but somehow was impressed with the thought that he was a fit champion of the cause of the weak and oppressed, and that his sympathies were all with the poor and friendless, and his great est happiness was in serving them. My impression, soon discovered, was we'll founded, for soon after we were seated at the breakfast table the father and son entered into a conversation re- garding some local land trouble, by lis tening to which I learned that their sympathies were with the poor settlers who were in danger of losing their homes through the greed of capitalists who held mortT;. res on them. Mr. Cor nell, who lisped, began the conversa- tion by saying:
 "How wuth the meeting lath night, Charleth?"
 ''It was well attended. father" the son replied, "but there was very little accomplished. The agent of the cap italists was present and he listened tc our requests, but he gave us no satisfac' tion in his answer"
 "Wull," exclaimed the father, "what doth he propothe? reckon he thurcly don't wanth to taketh the peopleth hometh from them, doeth he?" "Well, don't know" said Charles. "It looks very much as though the holders of the mortgages were not going to be satisfied with anything short of a full and complete compliance with the strict letter of the contract under which the mortgages were made
 "You thinkth they wonth, eh?"
 ''I'm afraid they won't, father. have no hopes of d compromise being effected"
 "Wun," cried Mir. Cornell, "whJ didn'th you explain to the agenth that the thettlementh would be ruineth ii they wnth held to the contract?"
 I've did, father" the son answered. eve explained everything, aud showed how utterly impossible it was for the people to meet their obligations anC redeem their homes after two success sive crop failures"
 "Wull, what didnth the agenth thay to that, eh?"
 -''He had great deal to say, alto gether. His main objection, though was that the settlers didn't try to pay off their debts and that the more leniency he showed them the more they would ask and expect"
 ''He'th a fool. Charleth. Doth Inc expecth that people can pay when they can't live hardly? How ith they tC try to pay when they ain't got nothing to pay with?"
 "I'm sorry, father" Charles said, in tone of true sadness, ''that the meeting resulted as it did. am sure, though that the blame of our failure rest chiefly on the shoulders of Si Anderson He is the leader of the settlers, yol know, and all through this trouble hal taken a leading part. He has been thei representative in their negotiation } with the agent, and he was the insti gator of the meeting last night. Ye yesterday he went to town and go drunk, as is too common custom witt him, and did not attend the meeting a all"
 I looked up quickly when Charle Cornell spoke the last sentence, the ide ) for some cause possessing me instantl, that Si Anderson was the man whom