The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1894-02-14
A HERO's CHANCE.

fan LuCAA uOLO ~ AGA4CA6f ttl NV :
That's what I'd like to know. Cal
wins jest gettin hes head full O.
crazy notions about such folks as
Lo'd Nelson an WeIlin'ton an Put
man an Anthony Wayne an George
Washin'ton am hull slew so't he
can't think o, nothin else. It'll only
jest make him uncontented. so't
willir
Farmer Biscomb did not often say
SO much at one time, but was gen
orally quite concise and abrupt in
his speech. There were very few
subjects that he did not dismiss with
a single sentence, but today he
seemed to be unusually excited and
actually spoke five sentences In sue
cession.
But he does like hist,ry," SO
pleaded the farmers wife in her
mild voice. .san think readin about
them brave men viii help to make
Calvin brave. argued the woman
That's all nonsenser' muttered
the farmer scornfully. It'll only
make him unsatisfed. Next thing
you know he'll want to go west an
fight the Injuns. He's achin now to
be a hero, an he'll get himself an all
the rest o. us in a terrible scrape
some day, mind now eff he don'tr'
This was another overlong speech
| for. fhe c11rt farmer
But / can't set here an argy all
day. I've got to get my p1owing
done, and he shuffled off of the old
fashioned porch and followed the
winding path out to the barn.
1t was during the noon hour that
this conversation between Farmer
Biscome and his wife took place.
On his way to the barn he called to
his son Calvin, a lad of IA, who was
sitting in the shade of a cherry tree
in the yard absorbed in Lossing's
"Field Book of the Revolution"
Come. Cal, shet up yer book
right off. It's time to go to work, -
commanded the farmer.
The boy promptly closed the book
and followed his father to the barn.
What ye been readin, Calf"
About Washington at Valley
Forge. It's just as interesting as it
can be, pa. What a brave hero
Washington wasl" replied Calvin,
his face flushed with enthusiasm.
@And what good will it ever do
you to read sech stuff"
Il want to know what people have
done in the history of our country, .
replied Calvin.
but you'll be wantin to be a
hero, too, some o. these fine days, "
said the farmer doubtfully.
why, of course want to be a
hero now, par cried Calvin, "but
not in the way you think, / guess.
Mr.. Thompson, my schoolteacher,
explained to us last winter that the
use of history was to make us brave
in our places just as those great
heroes were brave in their places,
not that we should go off somewhere
on hunt for adventure
"Oh," drawled the farmer, a re-
lief coming to his face. He said
that, did he, ehi"
Yes. he told us that more than
once"
,waal, now, that's sound sense.
Good for Thompson p returned the
brusque farmer. Now bring the
hoe and maddox, Calvin, and we'll
hurry off to the field"
Mr.. Biscomb could not complain
that his son loitered at the farm
work, even though his mind was full
of the heroes of history. Indeed as
he watched Calvin busily hoeing in
the adjoining field all that bright
spring afternoon he said to himself
again and again, Never seen a bet
ter boy to work in my life"
In the evening, however, as the
family sat on the front porch, while
the full moon rose over the eastern
hills like sphere of gold, Calvin de
scribed the fidelity of his favorite
hero, George Washington, while pur
suing his arduous work as a surveyor
boy. never shirldng his duty, never
signing for anything great or famous
to 20, and then new light broke
into Mr.. Biscombs mind. and hc
thought to himself: "Calvin's tht
most sensible boy ever seen. be
heye Ill get him some more o. then
history books"
A few days later, as they were
working side by side in the cornfield
Calvin said to his father:
PA, do you know why Georg,
Washington was such grand heroa'
''Nuh, 1 can't answer that. nevel
had no schoolin, as you've had"
''It was because he was brave ant
always kept his mind about him, ex
planned the Lad.
Good for you, CAL" replied tn,
boys father. you've got the righ
idear about George-you have, sure
That's good stuff to make heroes ou
of-be brave an keep a cool head
Ha, har'
Il am going to remember it too"
''Do."
OF course at that time Cal had no
the remotest idea that crisis wouIc
over come in his life when he woult
have chance to act on the princi
pies he had discovered in his favorit
hero. But such test did come, an.
it came in most unexpected way.
Almost six months had passed. ant
it was beautiful day late in Septem
Der. Calvin and his little brothe
Clay had been sent by their fathe