Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-07

1t was situated upon The cold shoulder
of a hill sixteen miles fI1m the nearest
station. The three-mile trail which led
from the village would have been easier 10
travel could it have boosted corduroy
road. What a site for hotel Yet the
hotel did not rnateralize, and the view"
neither fed warmed nor clothed the
patient proprietors of the desolate spot.
Never mind, l reckon Wen pull
mother.
You're Il good boy, key. If the Lord is
willin'. | guess 1 am" she answered with
quaint devoutnsss.
But the Lord did not seem to be willing,
and one spring He caused a late frost in
June to kill most of the seed. and a
drought in July and August to wither what
was left, and starvation stared in the faces
OF the widow and her son. At this time
Isaac began to keep company" and to
talk of getting married in the next decade.
He was twenty-five and had a faithful
saving disposition, when there was any
thing 10 save. And whether he became en-
gagged because there was nothing but love
to harvest, or whether, woman-like, Abbie
FaXon loved him better than she did her
ether suitors, because of his poverty and
misery, and was willing to tell him so, 1
cannot pretend to decide AT any rate,
Isaac brought Abbie one afternoon from
the village three miles below. and the two
women kissed and wept, and Isaac went
out and stood alone facing the view; the
apple in his throat rose and fell, and great
tears blinded his sight.
We can make no hero of Isaac, for he
vas none. His heart was simple and
as clean as a pebble in a brook. Country
vices. had not smirched him. He had
mind only for his mother, and the farm
and earning living-and a heart for
Abbia. Great Thoughts did not invade his
head. But this afternoon, as he stood
there on the gray rock, his heart bursting
with his happiness, which was made per-
feet by his mothers blessing, an appre-
henson for the future-bitter, GREATNESS,
began to arouse him. The promise of the
hpCdme
The distant line of green, now bold, now
sinuous, now uncertain, had never asked
him questions before, had never eXas-
ierated him with a meaning.
But now he saw the tips of spires heck-
ing the verdure of the far-off valleys. He
saw the hurrying smoke of a locomotive.
He saw with awakening vision starting
from that dead farm of his the region
of trade and life. A film had fallen from
his eyes. The energetic arrow of love had
touched his ambition, and his round, rosy
face became indented with lines of resolve.
He turned and walked with new tread
into the house.
Mother. Abbier' he blurted out. I'm
going away I'm going to Boston," He
stopped and stammered az he saw the hor-
ror-stricken faces before him.
"Lord-a-mercy!"
"Ikey Air You teched?'
NO" he resumed, stoutly. Il be'ant.
There's Dan Permissible went-see what
he dore; and Uncle Bill, he
I'VE hain't heard nothing from your
twelve years ago. the spring your father
built them three feet on the shed" Mrs.
Masters spoke firmly.
Never mind, mother,Im going to Boston.
and | will come back. I'm going to earn
my Twin. I'm strong and willin', and as
able Dan Prentiss. Ye needn't be scared,
1 amt going yet. I'll finish UP the fall
wUrk fust I'm going for the winter any
way. and Abbie'll come an live with you,
mother-won't you, Abbie, dear? She's the
only mother you've got now. Your folks
can spare YOU"
Here Abbie announced, bravely, II will,
key, If you must 60"
She blushed deeply as she said it. and
the sight of her pretty color SO moved
the young man that, having the bashful-
ress of his native crops, he rushed out
into the glory of the sunset and sat upon
the granite boulder watching until the
gray. the purple and then the black had
washed out the white steepies from the
distant valley.
Isaac Masters was of the boulder type.
How many decades was the smooth worn
rock in front of his house riding on the
crest of a glacier until 1t reached it's halt?
Tut now il would need double charge of
dynamite to shake it from its base. 1t gen.
orally took the mountain lad days, perhaps
weeks to make up his mind. even upon
such a simple problem as the quantity of
grain his horse should have at feed when
the spring planting began, but when once
LIS intention was fixed, it withstood all OPP
position But this time he was aStonished
at his own temerity of mind, as his mother
and sweetheart We're; and the more pro-
touudly he pondered over the gravest de-
cision of his life. the more did it seem to
him IN inspiration, perhaps from the Deity
himself.
But Isaac was formed in too simple and
honest a mold to deluie the two women or
himself with irridescent dreams OF success.
lie had worked the ragged farm. bit
terly, ture SANITY. He had fought the
rocks and the weeds, and the soil, the
frost and the drouth, as one fights for his
life. gnd never had thought OF food or of
comfort visited him unaccompanie1 by the
necessity for lalor.
4 can work fourteen hours a day moth
er. and live upon pork and beans well
as the next man" He stood to his full
height, displaying 10 the pale woman the
CutiiEcS OF massive muscular Development.
Ills hands were huge and callous their
grip the terror Of his mates after a hus,l-
ing be. He had measured his great
s-reueth but once; that was in the dead Of
winter with the snow drifte1 five feet deep
between the barn and the house. y heiftr,
well grown rad been taken sick ana need
cl warmth for recovery. Isaac swung the
eek beast over his shoulders, holding Its
two legs In each hand before his head; and
sfr0d through the storm, subduUg the bat
tllug snow with much ease as he did
the following calf. His mother met him at