The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1894-12-28

honest myself believed in the honesty of
others.
| lived in the country and lon@cd to
live in the city. My parents were well to
do: but it was the custom of that locality
to live simply and bring the children up to
work. Mental accomplishments did not
take high rank in the circle in which |
moved for the first fifteen years of my life
| wanted a better education than was ever
likely to get. Somehow | fancied that |
would get it. though | cond not see how.
The holidays alway carry me back in mem
ory to some of the main events of my life
| believe that fortune has habit of max
ing extraordinary changes when the Old
Year goes out and the new one comes. At
least it has done SO more than in nv case:
and that is why | now tell this story to you
younger people, who naturally think of
with the New Year.
| was only 15 years old when one bitter
winter took contract to chop Il large
quantity of cord wood. 1t was one of the
y
ing little money. 1t seems like rough
way to me now: but we did not think so
then. | was up at ) o'clock in the morn
ing. and by 6 had had my breakfast, and
was in the woods sending the echo of nv
strokes far over the hills | was working
for Il purpose. The winters chopping
would give me money enough to start in a
small business upon which | had set my
heart. 1t was nothing less than to buy out
a tin shop at The Corners" the nearest
village. In inauguration | saw mvsclfa
store keeper, at once a person of dignity
in the community and highly satisfac tory
to himself | scared even higher than
that. saw myself living in a fine house,
| growing elderly, pompous and fat, and in
| all probability president of a bank, like
Judge Johnson, for whom turned off the
| sidewalk every time | met him at The
| Corners" as every other youth did, because
he was SO rich and important
New Years day found me in the woods
choppng away as usual. Holidays were
| not observed in that community, and fes-
| tivitics were as rare as angels visits. An
extra piece of pie in my lunch pail and "a
bit of something unusual for supper were
all that marked the day from all other
crisp, cold winter days. But thought of
its being New Years and dreamed my
dreams while made the AK hum. The
luck | expected out of that winters work
| could scarcely put in a small kingdom
While | was dwelling upon this interest
! ing theme something snapped far above
my head there was a crash, some binding
flashes of light, and them was nowhere.
at least consciously.
\ heavy limb of an old dead tree had
broken and fallen upon me. When
came to" | found myself hurt and some
what frozen. | dragged myself home on
ly to take to my bed for the remainder of
the winter. Such a winter as it was-so
bitter and hopeless that at times | almost
lost faith in my good luck. | couldn't fin
ish my contract of wood chopping and so
the tin store vanished.
In the spring | was able to be about
once more but then, pale, weak. and with
a bad limp. The doctor said | would new
cr be strong again. This was terrible news
to me. Alas, for the good luck | had eX-
pected. And yet it came, though not as l
had planned. 1t has way of doing that.
| have noticed.
In the early spring Uncle Zeph came to
see us He was kind hearted, unseltish
man. and he took an interest in me-
why. the boy isn't able to do hard work
He must be sent to school and to college"
he said, after he thoroughly understood
the situation. But my father winched and
said nothing. Education was but little re-
spccted in those pats.
what else can be done with him." ask
ed my persistent uncle. The boy has a
good head There's something in him.
Give him a chance You surely wouldn't
force him to live his life without resources
and tools with which to aid himself. It's |
a shame"
At last it was settled that | was to re-
cieve a thorough collegiate education. Tn
Gle Zeph who was childless. paving half
the cost of it, Here was IA piece of luck |
indeed; better even than anything | had |
expected. 1t quite renewed my faith in |
my cnly proverb And it had all come out
of what had deemed stroke of the hard |
est kind of luck Take courage, then, all /
of YOU, and don't think because you can't .
see light ahead of you that there is no light .
Well, | was graduated at last from one
of the best colleges. After that took Il
medical course and went to what was then
considered the far west, Indiana to prac-
tice Patients came slowly, but expect
el good luck as | had learned to do. and .
ha patience, if no patients.
| was just beginnin@to be Il little known
when fell in love. The young lady who .
had effected this state OF my emotions was
Miss \ Ina Adams. She was very hand
some. She had the dark eyes lam 50 fond .
of, and placid, International manner that
| greatly admired. She as not rich, and
was rather clad of it. because | wanted .
to win her and do everything for her my
self | think man who is Il man ought to
love with her, and | thought she felt
more than kindly to me. But | wasn't
sure. She was Il queer girl. One could .
never tell of what She was thinking |
put off learning the actual state of her heart .
until saw my way clear to Il decent prac-
tice IN short, till put some money in
my purse.
Miss Adams parents had i'll the family
a niece about Alma age, plain little
body, who was somewhat deaf and, there
fore, something of bore to Il selfish young .
fool like me, who had only eyes and ears .
for the girl he adored. But Laura, this .
cousin, was good if she was exceedingly I
plain, and the girls were very food % each /
other.