Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1893-10-18
THAT PICKET FENCE.
How Samuel Clarlz's Mother Final.
ly Got 1t Built.


1t was n warm May morning, and the
sun beat down with ardent suggestions
OF summer on the gray head of Samuel
Clark as he bent, laboriously, painting
has new picket fence. The piclSets
slowly assumed a dark red color under
the trembling motion of his withered
hands As fence, it was beautiful,
straight and even, cutting the green
Svard beyond into narrow parallclo-
grams The dark red was rest TO the
eye N all that wilderness of green.
Samuel Clark paused from time TO time
and looked at it, sighed, and shook his
head. 1t was plain that he worked un-
der protest
Iain't no use" he mumbled
Might jest as well have built this
fence years ago" He rubbed the paint
In with vicious vigor, partly TO relieve
his feelings, and partly for the economy
of the paint. IF man can't run his
own farm, he might as well be dead
or woman-a heap sight better be n
woman. There amt no way but their
way. l ought to have guv up long
Rgo.7
1t took him long time 10 express 80
much. His words were separated 10y
long pauses, and spoken in a voice at
times scarcely audible; but the wind
softly tanning his gray hair, was gem
tie of hearing, and there was nothing
else 20 listen.
His knowledge of women was not
wide, but deep-deep and varied. One
small woman. in her short eighty
haI !, E. l.. -
les of her sex. She had died ere time
had exhausted her infinite variety, and
he, plodding away in the hot sun, felt
her coercive presence very near. He
took off his hat and wiped his fore
head. His face wore harassed, badg-
cred look. Then, just 10 be sure that
she still slept peacefully, that she was
not listening 90 his complaining on the
sly, he turned and sent n ftrtive
glance down the straight row of apple
trees TO where the orchard ended in a
tangle. Beyond, a gentle knoll brought
the village graveyard into sight There
stood her headstone, tall and white,
just as she had planned it years before.
Samuel had looked at il approvingly
after she was laid 20 rest, and declared
IT "a mighty pretty stone-so sort of
peaceful" Yet now, not three weeks
later as he eyed it furtively. there was
no approval in his glance. The sun
light was shining warm upon il, and
Pickering shadow leaves were caress-
ing the grave. Oddly enough, it looked
20 his dimmed eyes like herself, with
her old shawl pinned around her head.
Ill blcached 10 a dazzling Wilderness.
She needn't be a-peekin'," he mum
bled I'm a-buildiu' Of IT," lie turned
again TO the fence, working more slow
", for he was weary; more steadily.
Tor he was watched.
When had he not been watched?
From the day his young stepmother
vowed to do her duty to Little sam
uel,' the sense Of being taken care Of
bad weighed upon him.
lie was % queer combination of au-
thority and servility. obstinacv and do
cility. samuel is all right" his step
mother was won't TO say. IF YOU come
up on his deef side" For Samuel had
q def side" and lt was on that side
that his scrvility and dociiity devel-
opcd themselves Authority and OBJ
stinacy had been borr i'm him. lie had
not been born deaf, bL; 10 came TO him
when he was quite young. with IFS
week attendant haudmaids IL had
made him Shy vita strangers. hating
in his speech, slow in his thought And
Mary Clark, born to protect and rule
put her motheriy arms around him. and
pr1tccud and ruled him ever after,
while Samuel. born % rule and 90 be
served, chafei against her authority
but his dumb lips could not voice mis-
protesting thoughts Do took him So
long 20 frame and utter siem that they
were drowned ere half finished in "A tor
rent OF ordinations. among which was
blwaya the ono he never had "a chance
% answer. "Well, Sam-u-cl what are
you driving at anyway" flc wished
nc were totally deaf and dumb and done
with 4. one sweet and daring r.ar .
~ run away-hod frightened the
mouotouY Of bis existence. but the
great world ~ silence bad always boat
en- him back Against his will boz bad
grown into the habit OF turning hi.
eyes to her for Interpretation. when
ever anyone spoke for She had culft-
vatcd peculiar. distinct cuunciaton.
which he could understand With com.
parativc case. What would ha do when
shc vas not near? This did not make
him grateful, however fle must use
per. and his silent rebellions .tcrs more
fierce iu consequence
Ihcy were both ODD wn.. .smuers
father died and left two th.rd. of ti.
small property O. Samuel und the
other third t1 her She was mot avcr.e
t9 the arrangement she wus willing
that .amnei saoud have everything lf