The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-08-30
A HAM SANDWICH.
By MARY sELDEN MCOBB.

The worst of II is you must give up
your schoolin', Johnny"
The little mother paused for = mo-
ment and looked mp from the shirt
which she was making. 1t was the
LAST Of dozen II she could but finish
1t tonight she would receive three dol
lars. If the work were not done, to-
morrow being Sunday, the small folk
would go hungry. So the busy fingers
drove the needle nervously as she re-
repeated her plant.
The worstis your givin' up schOolin'.
Johnny Now the fathers dead and
gone, there's only me and you to earn
food for six mouths. boy And YOU
was such fine scholar, II BY work
ing nv hands to the bone l could keep
you to school. I'd do it But there.
Johnny, the children's appetites is
hearty, and wages is 50 poor"
Don't you mind. mother" said the
boy; and he put his arm lovingly
around the slender shoulders. You
don't think I'd leave you to support
the family alone, do you9 Yesterday,
At fathers funeral, 1 says to myself:
Brace up. J. Ham SAYS l. You're
the head of this firm now SAYS l.
Schooling may go to the dogs, says L
80 don't you mind, mother"
But J. Ham himself minded He
withdrew into an adjoining coal closet,
and wiped a suspicious moisture from
his eyes When he came out again he
clapped into the stove a worn book,
Twenty Selected Declarations"
Il couldn't abide seeing that lying
round. and me just going to learn
'Spartacus to the Roman ENJOYS I
was sure to take the prize for declama-
ton I'll keep my 'rithmetic; 1 can
cipher at home. Great Scott
John pulled himself together with a
jerk.
I'm going out this instant moment to
hunt up job, mother" he said, cheer
i,y- Mind now, you Billy and Mag
gle and Katy and Sonny-boy, behave
yourselves while I'm gone
This exhortatIon to the small fry
was spoken as head of the firm" II
John must take the place of father to
his brothers and sisters his authority
should be recognized. Billy was duly
impressed, but Maggie gave pert lit
tie dOunce-
When Nelly Sullivan's big brother
wants her to behave he gives her a
molasses corn-ball," she remarked,
leeriugly. As John had not a penny
he could offer no bride.
There were no ',iobs" waiting on
any corner of the city. All day John
sought employment and came home
tagged But as the shirts still lacked
many stitches he fell to and helped his
mother sew, and that very neatly.
All the next week he was on his feet,
but gained only rebuffS He was not
strong enough to shovel coal, nor vet
70 help an expressman who lifted
heavy boxes
No boys were needed in the tele-
graph Offices, and the manager OF the
horse railroad invited him to call again
at the end of five years, when he might
be old enough to act as conductor on a
street car.
Heartsick and weary, John still kept
a stiff upper liz before his mother.
Just you hold on be said, conf
IDENTIFY; III fetch it soon. and then
you sha'n't sew another stitch for
pay"
Another week, and still no lob.
Such big world 1t seemed. and yet so
crowded with people. Busy men filed
the streets; busy boys. too, for that
matter. One would say every place
was supplied
Once and again John met some of his
schoolmates-
What's become of you. Ham, they
would ask; and John would laugh aud
answer:
oh. I amt going to school any
more I've got all the book learning I
want
But the laugh changed to a sigh as
he turned the corner and went into a
store TO see If cash boy were needed.
You're too old he was told
Fifteen, unused John. bitterly.
Too old and too young. too short and
too tall. too strong and too weak.
Neither hay nor grass Hard lines
The lines grew even harder. More
than once John made believe that he
was not hungry, 50 that Billy and
Maggie might have the more dinner
But 1t Is long lane that has no
turn At last there came an evening (
when John requested, brisLly:
Breakfast at six thirty, sharp. |
mother. Tomorrow I'm a man O. /
business
But when Mrs Ham inquired the ma |
ture Of this future occupation John I
shook his head
It's all right Its square and hon l
est, he answered; and that was all he /
could be made 70 say
He looked very sober when his moth {
er's back was turned. but whenever he 4
caught sher eye be became promptly I
hilarious In the night the little /
woman started up, thinking she heard /
her boy groan- But, no, II was only
cough; so she lay down again and fell
asleep.
Every morning John sailed forth;
every evening he returned as the clock
struck I've He was always very tired
At tea time, but as he put seventy-ive
cents each day Into the family purse
Mrs Ham ceased 10 ask questions
As for any arithmetic study. that
was impossible Once john brought !