The record-union., 1893-07-15

v
bird sung, and just how they called to
each other and he could make sounds
like every one of them. Why, Pve heard
a pewee answer back to him time and
again. He never took their eggs nor dis
turbed them any way; and the old robin
that had nest right out here in the
cherry trees would let him come close up
to her when she was brooding and never
stir. She'd kind of cock her head on one
side and look him over as II she was TAX
ing his measure and calculating what sort
OF nest he was likely to build. Like as
not he'd fall out of the tree, forgetting
where he was, with his mind somewhere
else. and twas bad for his clothes. l do
suppose that boys back smarted from
one weeks end to the other, let alone the
scratches he got from the trees. But he
wasn't any coward. pve seen the tears
come to his eyes when pve read stories
in scnool-well, l won't tell you what
about. l was young then, but l ought to
have known better. There's enough to
cry about when real trouble comes. But
Abner never cried on his own account.
can say that for him.
well he wanted to be somebody, he
said; and when he was old enough they
put him to shOemaking with Uncle Israel
Ball. Uncle Israel pegged right down TO
work, and wanted everybody to do the
same. lie was clever enough, but there
wasn't ever any fun III him, and he could
not see the use OF it. You couldn't eat nor
drink it, he said. and folks was put into
this world to make living. Twas
pretty hard on Abner when he wanted
learning so bad. 1t was meat and drink
to him. don't know what would have
become OF him If they'd let him. have
his head; but he'd been some sort of
scholar, and likely as not made q living
by it,"
'He run away" interpolated Uncle
Arad from the doorsill.
Yes" sighed Aunt Tishy, The ran
away; ana when they got him back his
father was considerable stricter with
him"
He thrashed 'im," said Uncle Arad,
bending his neck to give Tabby COM
Portable perch.
"NeH, so they said" replied Aunt
Tishy mildly, land l shouldn't wonder
His father wasn't saint, and l suppose
Abner was trying. But in these days
they don't draw the lines so tort. Well,
that boy would stay up nights to read
till they took his light away; and then
he'd get up soon as he could see. The
minister lent him books, all about birds
and beasts. He was fond Of them himself
There was Whites Natural History Of
something that he read twenty times
over, till he could tell everything in it,
Many a time has he sat on that doorsill
and told me things l couldn't believe
Seems as if he'd die if he couldn't get
learning some way. Pve seen some OF
the things he wrote out and ParsOn Todd
said they compared favorable with pieces
ned read i'll the newspapers. Bus as Tor
shOemaking, twas of no use. The boy
got so he hated the sight OF last, and
a WaXed end was an abOminatiOn; and
his folks just about went distracted over
him."
More fools they" piped Uncle Arad.
HE WANT the sort that goes wrong
a-purpose. They nagged an nagged
enough TO Spite the sOundest bOy-timDer
that ever growed, till one day he up an
run away in good 'arnest, am nobody to
answer fort but his papa. out West he
went, like many another, an picked up
work enough; no shirk about him, an
bymeby home he come 10 marry our
S'miry. Folks flung out everything
they could about him, but Jess he stood
up for Abner, and twas him, | reckon,
helped 'em get away. Parson Smith,
over mountain, he married 'em one Mon
day mOrnin' atOre breakfast. She'll tell
We the rest"
well" said Aunt Tishy with a COM
Portable sigh, "tsn't much more to tell.
lie got work to do and books to study,
and Samiry wrote home that he was lust
as good d proVlder as amy man could
be, and that she'd yet to see the day she
was sorry. But 'twaSn't more than two
fever and died, and she came home with
her baby, and kind of faded away to
nothing. The old folks did as well as
they knew how for the baby, and never
would give it up to his folks. Mother
Ridge was good hand with babies, easy
going and always trying to excuse their
ways. w e used to say she recOllected
when she was little. She could see good
in other folks children, too, and was
always laying up the reddest apples and
the biggest but'nuts for them. But that
poor motherless baby didn't seem to be-
long TO Abner. He hadn't any spunk.
| You could put him in one place and he'd
stay there. When he was big enough
they tried him at shoemaking and he
stuck to it. 50 he would to anything,
though he wouldn't have thought it out
for himself. When folks put things into
his hands he held Oh. It's born fool,
they say, that hasn't got any grip.
Nv ell, Abner's boy made a good
steady-going man, though for the life Of
me l couldn't feel drawn towards him,
even for his poor fathers sake; and when
his time came, he got married and
settled down. They logged along pretty
comfortably for some years, without any
children to keep them spry and looking
into things, so that when our Abner did
come along late in the day, twas like a
miracle.
They do say family looks and other
things will likely as not skip genera
ton aud crop out again. It's somehow
like a piece Of tallow ground. And Abb
ner's peculiar ways hadn't been work ed
up much for one generation. First any
I BODY knew this child blaZed right out,
another Abner; the very image and SUI
prescription of his grandpa. They
couldn't have named him better, though
they didn't know it then. He's ali books,
books, books, and nobody to encourage
him, only when he comes over here OF a
Sunday. / have to tell him all about his
grandfather, every single word. l did
hate to mention his pranks, but there's
no keeping any thing back from this one
I've told those same stories over and
over, till half the time l don't believe
them myself He lives over there on
| Davy's Hill all alone since the old man
died last winter one Of the neigh ors
cooks his breakfast and supper and sees
TO the house, and he carries has dinner to
school, down there in the hollow. l ex-
pect he studies too much nights, but he
won't own up to 1t. We get him over
here to dinner Sundays, and when Uncle
Arad goes out to do the milking l make
him talk over his plans. But, poor bov
he'll be as old as MethusaIen before he
gets enough money to 60 to college.
You're sure you haven't run across him
anywhere? Well, | must say | wonder
at it, for L reckon you like to climb rocks
and wade round in the swamp most as
we'll as he dOes.'
she's comm to the pint now," said
Uncle Arad, slowly getting up and
strengthening his cramped muscles. Il
amt in a hurry, but mebby you two be-
am I've seen better 'commodations than
this ere doorslll. Tell 'em now, Aunt
Tishy, what you was thinkin' about dom
for Abner' Yo' see, for spell after we
got Jess's money we use to lie awake
nights about it. We couldn't take it with