Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-05-09
Curresp
\ Voice from the Mountains.
10. 5.
PLEASANT HILL, Tenn, May /, 1895.

When Young, books with me were
scarce. Ink, auLe., visits, lev and lar
between. Wcbsters blue-baek speller,
F-,r''.h r"oder ard arithmetic made up
the Textbooks mainly. At home. the
hihs Waits BHmus. thu assemblies cat
.ch.-=4. with some half dozen others,
mac. - tie library. Two months in
sum#l=r. $50 in winter for school. My
books were farming implements, the ploW
VIII s5oden mould board shaped like Il
wedge, Hit ii hoops Of iron nailed across to
mai>e II iast the longer. The days were
mauy tat l held the handles of that
"Wedge. worked alone to cultivate rs
best could the third of fields my
mot hers dover The sod not turned but
cut and broken.
My hoe Was heavy. | called It 'nlgger
hoe, and wished Niger had it. My
pitchfork tines were as large as the fin
gers OF man. and made by country
blacksmith My scythe would outweigh
two of modern days, and the ak was also
heavy and badly shaped, enough steel and
iron to make three for a boy like me.
Horse-rake and moving machine were
not then known. For reaping there was an
old-time sickle, or what they called a
cradle. which would have done we'll to
rock he babies in as to cut grain, an un-
wieldly thing just tit to try the mettle of
man who weighs two hundred. These
were the books in part W hich my discour-
aged brain was called to study.
Some other books ] had. The clouds
were books; l watched them with atten
ton and studied their wild antics when
wind and squalls were high and when
moving slowly as one chased another like
focks of sheep, or when resting against
the sky in calm repose. l pondered them
a by intervals stopped to let the oxen in
the furroW breat he, or when my aching
back, by hoeing in the field, | stood to
rest and straighten. Oft l gazed and
wondered with solemn query. what the
clouds were and " here they went.
The stars were other books at which |
looked to doubt and wonder. also the
trees and shrubs. plants and rocks, the
mountains, streams and ever present
river The corn, potatoes, beans, /
watched their growth with care. When
first noticed beans peep through the
ground, 1t seemed as if they made a
grand mistake-the bean was on the top
l pulled it up and stuck il down the
other way. The query was, iii the bean
was on the top, where were the roots?
Better go back and try it again, and see
if you can't come up like a baby, which
you are, and not aspire to be full grown
bean when one day old
CLANS were plenty as we lived near the
shore; also fish. could often take, in
half an hour in he evening, enough fish
for breakfast, but at high water could
not dig the clans; sometimes forgot to
dig the CLAIMS at the proper time, so had
no bait. l dug some and planted in the
field to have them ready. In two weeks
moved the earth gently with my finger
soas not to break the sprouts, when 10! an
odor which | can't forget came full INTO
my nose. My little nature gained
wisdom by experience, and began
to reason that everything must have its
place, and wondered if | should ever find
my own, and oft have doubted since; but
faith in an overruling power clears up
the mist at times and tells me | was made
to fill the little niche which have ti.ied
so poorly.
1t is no use to cover up the TACT that
even boys have trials. ! had them. /
blame no one, for boyhood trials are over
now, and perhaps they made me stronger
for life's work, like titful winds which
lash the trees and make them send their
roots the deeper,
One trial fresh in mind vas breachy
sheep. A flock of forty We kept, or tried
to keep, but they were nimble-footed, and
to jump The fences was only play to them,
but hard on me- for when seen upon the
hoed crops, sound with W hich the filing
grating on my ears:
Run, Benjamin, run, the sheep are in
the field" The command came from
older brothers. and my bare feet went
lively over fence and rock; with hat in
hand and palpitating heart and scream
which rent the cir / made those sheep
bound from place to place at railroad
speed wished them dead and covered
out of sight, and that l could never see
another. Drive them out, they leap the
fence again. / build it higher, then they
find hole. If one has lived his life and had
no trials let him be boy again and chase
the sheep. Let him run at every beck of
older brot hers. Let he flock. after half
hours chase, be gathered near the place of
going out, when hope was high of seeing
all 90 through, when, quick a wink,
cunning. foxy sheep MAKES a sudden
jump, and Others follow. The flock di-
vides and scatters, when with painting
breath the WORK must all be done again.
and very likely with as i'll success.
When young our eyes and ears are often
our best teachers. Impressions made in
early days we keep in mind. Will speak
of one of these, to warn some other boy