The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-02-13
A Wholesome Lesson.

"Boys," he said, '"I've been trying
every day Of my life for the last two
years to straighten out furrows-and
can t do it !"
One boy turned his head in surprise
toward the captain s neatly kept place.
80, l don't mean that kind, lad.
don t mean land burrows, continued
the captain, so soberly that the atten-
tion Of the boys became breathless as
he went on:
"When I was lad about the age Of
you boys I was what they called
hard case, not exactly bad oryicious,
but wayward and wild. Well, my dear
old mother used to coax, pray and
punish-my father was dead, making
it all the harder for her-but she never
got impatient. How in the world she
bore with all my stubborn, vexing
ways, so patiently, will always be in
me one of the mysteries Of life. 1
knew it was troubling her, knew it was
changing her pretty face, making it
look very anxious and old. After
while, firing of all restraint, l ran
away, ran off to sea-and rough time
I had of it at first. Still [ liked the
water, and I liked journeying around
from place to place. Then [ settled
down to business in foreign land,
and soon became prosperous. and now
began sending her something besides
empty letters. And such beautiful
letters as she always wrote me during
those years of absence. At length |
noticed how longing they grcw-long-
ing for the presence Of her son who
used to try her so, and it awoke cor
responding longing in my own heart
to 60 back to the dear waiting soul.
$50 when I could stand it no longer
came back, and such welcome, and
such surprise My mother is not
a very old lady, boys, but the first
thing noticed was the whiteness Of
her hair and the deep burrows on her
brow, and I knew I had helped to
blanch that hair to it's snowy whiteness,
and had drawn those lines in that
smooth forehead. And those are the
furrows I've been trying to straighten
out.
"But last night, while mother was
sleeping in her chair, sat thinking it
over, and looked to see what progress
I had made.
"Her face was very peaceful and
the expression contented as possible,
but the burrows were still there I
hadn't succeeded in Strengthening
them -and-I-uever-shall-
never!
"When they lay my mother-my
fair old sweetheart-in her casket,
there will be burrows in her brow; and
I think it a wholesome lesson to teach
you, that the neglect you offer your
parents counsel now, and the trouble
you cause them will abide, my lads, it
wifi abide u
"But," broke in Freddie Hollis,
with great troubled eyes, "I should
think if you're 80 kind and good now,
it needn't matter 80 much t.
"Ah, Freddie, my boy" said the
quavery voice Of the strong man,
"you cannot undo the past. You may
do much to make the rough path
smooth, but you can't straighten out
the old furrows, my laddies, remember
that p
"Guess I'll 60 and chop some wood
mother spoke Of I'D most forgotten
it," said lively Jimmy Hollis, in a
strangely quiet tone for him.
eyes, and I've got some errands to
doI' suddenly remembered Bill
Bowles.
"Touched and taken - said the
kindly captain to himself, as the boys
tramped off, keeping step in a thought
full, soldierlike way.
And Mrs. Bowles declared fort
night afterward that Billy was "really
getting to be comfort i
Then Mrs. Hollis, meeting the cap
tain about that time, remarked that
Jimmy always meant to be good boy,
but he was actually being one.
"Guess your stories they like SO
much have morals to them now and
then" added the grati6ed mother
with smile.
As Mrs. Hollis passed, Captain Sam,
with folded arms and head bent down,
said to himself:
swell, I shall be thankful, if a word
of mine will help the dear boys to keep
the burrows away from their mother s
brow once there, it is difficult task
STRENGTHENING out the burrows"