Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-06-21

Mother always thinks that every
body can do things better than my
dad" he would observe in his slow
drawl, when his dad had been unlucky
enough to arouse his wife's displeaSure,
and straightway dad would feel little
horny paw under the table grasping for
his own. That was his way of consol-
ing his dad.
He believed fully that his dad was
the wisest, the cleverest and the best of
men, and however unworthy he might
feel himself, what comfort, what hap
piness it was to this poor overworked
carpenter to have one creature on earth
who reposed this touchingly unquestion-
ing trust in him! What my dad"
said that was law, and what my dad"
did was always admirable, and though
dad was conscious of many n failing he
would not for the life of him have the
Little Chap suspect them. He strove
manfully TO 1.-Two up to the Little Chaps
idea of him.
People said no spoiled the boy, and
the mother particularly, who was tritle
Jealous of their intimacy, declared that
it was time the Little Chap was sent to
school and learned something besides
whiting and cutting his fingers. This
seemed so perfectly rational that, out of
consideration for the Little Chap,
Amund was at last persuaded to send
him to school. 1t was of no use that the
boy wept and declared that he wanted
to be with his dad How was his dad
to get on without his help? What would
e lnl : l,.N 4 NOT ~
him? This idea that he was helping
dad became so rooted i'll his mind that
he harped upon it early and late and
grieved himself thin and pale for fear
that his dad might como to harm with
out him.
Somehow life was no moro the Same
to Amund after his loss of the Little
Chaps companionship. There was 10
JOY any more in his work, and it seemed,
too, that his luck had deserted him.
Once he ran n file the handle of which
broke. into his hand, and another time
he nearly split his kneepan with an
adj Then he was laid up for three
weeks Provisions ran very low i'll the
house Kari. his wife, began to talk
about applying for help to the guardians
tured i'll Amund's mind to cross the
ocean and begin life over again i'll the
new world, where n man of his skill
certainly could accomplish something
more than to keep out of the poorhouse.
Accordingly, though it nearly broke
his heart TO part from the Little Chap,
he crossed the Atlantic, promising to
send for the family as soon as he had
founded Il home for them i'll the great
west. He begged hard to be allowed to
take the Little Chap with him, but
Kari would not listen to that, because
to her the Little Chap was kind of a
pawn, guarantee that her husband
meant TO keep his word and send for
her and the undesirable girls rs soon rs
his circumstances warranted. Her con-
science was not quito easy i'll regard to
her treatment of him, and she could al
ford to take no chances.
Amund arrived in Chicago at u time
when skilled carpenters were scarce and
wages high. There was II great deal of
building going on and he had no diff
Guilty in obtaining work. He was mas
ter i'll his trade, thoroughly honorable,
frugal and industrious. 1t is not to be
denied, however, that life is n droary
affair to ono who tolls and tolls from
morning till night, and whose starved
heart cries out every hour and minute
of the day for one who is far away.
Where is the Little Chap now? What is
the Little Chap doing now? How does
he look: Does he care SO much for his
dad as he did. and is he eager as ever to
help his dad:
These We're Aiuund's constant rctlcc
lions Whenever n little respite from Ia
Dor afforded him y chance to think. Sit
ting with his dinner pail, leaning
against his workbench. he would shut
his eyes and fancy he saw the Little
Chap standing before him, with his
grimy littlo fists i'll his patched trousers,
and his tousled yellow head little on
one side as he looked up into his dad s
face and said, How would You ever
get ON without me, dad?" Or he would
lose himself in the thought Of the oft re-
peated scene at the dinner table, when
the little chap stood up for his dad man.
fully, and the little hand, with its
swectly comforting touch, stole into his
under the table. And then the tears
would gather i'll his eyes and roll slowly
down his cheeks, leaving Il grimy track
like that q rain drop ON a dusty win
dow pane,
My Little Chap, my dear Little
Chap" he would murmur rs he arose
and returned ~ his toll, when shall l
ever sec you again.
1t was this burning heart hunger for
his boy which made him turn every
penny many times before he could per-
suade himself to spend it, He grew posi-
| lively stingy, denying himself the neccs-
sary food and clothes, always trying 10
| do with little less, i'll the hope of has
| tening the day when he should be able
to send for the Little Chap. He worked
surrcptitiOuSlv after time in order 10
| earn some extra pennies. ard he got the
reputation among his fellow workmen
| Of being mean, penUIiouS skint1int,
who boarded his wages with 4 view to
becoming a boss some day and lording
! it over them. He WAS accordingly excess
lively unpopular and only succeeded in
escaping injury by keeping sc-upulOusly
out of every ones way and ignoring in
suits which made his blood boil.
| AT inc Glu u CAlc SS@N AInuuA uthN
saved $3.50 from his wages, but having
no confidence in the banks he carried
the entire amount in gold eagles in q
leather belt about his waist The CON
sciousness of carrying so much money
| made him. however, very uneasy and
disturbed his sleep. Four or five times
every night he started up i'll terror, hav
ing dreamed that his money was stolen.
1t then occurred to him that the only
safe way to dispose of itwould be to III
vest it IN cottage and lot ON the Wcst
Side. where land was yet cheap. Lane
! could not run away, and a house no
even the most daring thief could steal
Distrusting every one in this bewilder
ingly strange land, he was in 1T
haste to solicit advice. But ont
| day mn advertisement in q scandinavian