Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-07-20

,irJSas-. NElsSsM. lived with hia
''WE j + iyls mother and father
rs brother TINT dicd-until he
was twelve years old. 1in fnthcr
kept grocery, also was snpcrinten-
dent of the Mission Sundny-school
held every Sunday afternoon in the
mission chapel on the outskirts of tho
town, where nil the rolling-mill 6m-
ployes lived. Peters father wns n
misunderstanding man, with long side
whiskers, nn'l, generally speaking, n
pious tone of voice. His mother was
more robust. She wore n black lncc
bonnet with purple flowers, IL
water-fall-it WAS then Mt the begin
ming OF the seventics-and taught II
class of boys in tho same Sunday
school-Pcter, of course, being in the
class. They wero good family;
thoroughly we'll respected in the town
and fairly prosperous. Groceries are
necessities; Mr.. WOODBURY. provided
for good class of patrons. He owned
his home and had IL modest bnnk nc
count. lilo believed in education and
Peter WIS kept close ut his books.
Peter did not dislike his books; lie
was fond of reading. He studied we'll
and passed high examinations. From
the public schools he went into the
Academy and got taste of mathc-
matics and higher classics. He had n
great notion, too, for modern Ian
guagcs and his parents fostered it.
An old professor took him in hand and
found him an apt pupil. When Peter
was seventeen he was thought SO much
OF by the Young Mems Christian As
socintion that they mndo him librarian
at their library, to his infinite low
1t was n well-sclccted library and
Peter read and read omnivorously.
When lie was nineteen his fnther died.
Peter and his mother were alone in
the world. She was an amiablc, mid
dlc-aged soul-very proud of her boy
and very content with him. He WINS
quiet, studious, Industrious. He spent
his evenings Mt home with her, and
read aloud n great deal OF course,
he frequently read generally
English novels of higher class English
life. Often he would discuss what he
read with his mother. Once he laid
down his book with sigh, and said
almost sadly: ooh, mother, how de-
lightful it must DO to live in mn old,
old house, where you grandfather and
great-3reat-s randfnthc hnve lived be-
fore you. 1t must DO delightful to
truce away bnck in Your ancestry and
know who they all were. We can't do
thatin America. For instance, mother,
you don'tknow much about your great
grandfather, do you, now?'
The good woman shook her head.
"No--that is, well, don't know about
all Of them. You see Ind two grand
fathers--and--yes, I guess must have
had four reat-erandfathers But
about ms far as 1 can 60 is my grand
father on my mothers side--that's
yonr great-grandfather; he lived down
to Middle Forks and was n cobbler.
But he was real good man; read his
Bible all the time he worked"
Peter drew another deep sigh. "Pll
go on reading the next chapter, now.
L think" he said, for his mothers
recollections were net to his taste.
Another time he tried to find out
something about his fathers ancestors.
But of these his mother could tell him
little, except that his father, like her
SELF, had been orphaned ut n rather
early age. There was an uncle of his
fathers out in California-might be
very rich by this time, but she didn't
know.
With another sigh Peter gave up
trying to investigate. He simply went
On conducting his fathers business
ali | laying aside little money, and
patronizinS the library where he was
still librarian during certain hours of
the day-such rs he could best spare
from the grocery.
When he was lacking just n few days
of coming of age, he had the great
misfortune TO lose his mother. He
Anew it was a great, an irreparable
misfortune. He was now alone in the
world his best friend was gone for
ever. He felt great deal of grief in
\ quiet way. He shut mp the little
house and went to live ut the hotel.
He hardly knew what he meant to do
II seemed to him that nothin e now
nonnd him to hisnative town. At the
motel he became acquainted with
gentleman who was going out West
anu talked glowingly of chances out
:uere LOT young man. Peter became
interested and soon made up his mind
10 go along. Within fortnight's
, he had sold his grocery and his
nome, drawn his bank balance and
p"' the money in such safe shape that
ne ne could get at it at any moment
Then he went West. y
Sober, steady, Industrious and wo,,
informed, Peter Woodburn nrosnorna
beyond his expectations. At thirty no
WINS very well of very we'll off for n