The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-08-13
BEN's BiD.>

the village storekeeper, to Ben Singer
Ben was fourteen years old. His
mother had died a short time before
His father was carpenter by trade
but had been crippled by rheumatism
80 that he could not work. Ben, who
always looked on Mr.. Bassett as 8
friend of undoubted fidelity and great
resources. had been telling the store
keeper how much he wished he could
get some steady work. Mr.. singers
little stock of money was exhausted;
he had already sold some of his tools
to get the food he and his son needed.
Ben realized that the day was rapidly
coming when there would be no way o1
getting more. unless he managed to dc
something of greater profit than the
odd Jobs he picked up now and then
from the surrounding farmers.
"I'll do it," said Ben, in response to
Mr.. Bassett's suggestion. and, turning
about, trudged home, and all the way
was planning how he might begin.
A week later the chicken farm" as
Ben called It. was a fact; at least, he
had made start. In his spare time
he had constructed some coops from
old barrels and a box or two. The pay
for two days work he invested in three
dozen eggs, and with the money OBJ
tanned by sorting some vegetables for
the storekeeper bought two hens
which were just about to set" he
and his father already had five pullets.
and within a couple of weeks more
there were five clutches" of eggs un-
der as many of his hens.
He fed his chickens from the screen
ings he got at a small price from sew
eral of the farmers. The hens man
aged, too, to pick up a good deal OF
food among the bushes and in the tiny
garden back of the house. Ben work
ed hard at the small jobs he was given
round about and waited with conf
dence for the time when he should be
able to make something from his ven
ture.
He would have felt much happier If
1t hadn't been for his fathers condi-
tion. Mr. Singer did not complain OF
the rheumatism. though 1t still kept
him confined to his big chair But
something worried him very much; the
boy could see that. He asked what II
was several times, but Mr.. Singers
only reply was that he suffered, he felt
downhearted on account of being sc
crippled. He tried to make Ben think
that that was all that distressed him.
Slowly the flock Of chickens grew.
The eggs Matched remarkably we'll.
Fifty downy little balls were soon run
ming in and out OF the coops where
their mothers were confined. -Four
more clutches Of eggs were under that
number Of new hens, which he had
bought and paid for in instalments OF
work. The first days of summer saw
him with seventy-five young chickens,
some of them able to scratch for them
selves. 1t took all he could now make
to keep his father and himself in food
and to provide for his farm, but he was
always on the alert for job, and was
as cheerful as he could be. so that the
neighbors all liked to employ him wher
they could
Ben had told his father Of his plan
and explained that as few Of the far
mers raised chickens, except for theiI
own use, he thought there ought to be
chance to make something by 81 p
ping them to Waynesboro, the bigger
town. five miles away. Mr.. Singer was
not altogether confident of the success
of such an experiment, but he SAID
nothing to discourage the boy, and uset
to sit near the window and watch the
broods and talk to Ben about them.
July and August went by, and the
young chickens thrived. Only a few
OF them were lost. A prowling 'possum
got several before Ben trapped the
marauder. Cold and rain killed off
few more. But the first of September
came and more than sixty chickens
were the boys.
Ben planned to sell thirty or forty
in the early autumn and to keep the
remainder till the next summer tc
stock his farm afresh. He intended to
go into it then on a bigger scale, and
ne hoped 10 realize enough from his
sales to keep him through the winter
with the part of his flock he retained.
One day in September, as he and his
rather sat In the doorway of his cot
tage, Ben noticed couple OF tears
trickle down his fathers face. He
jumped up and threw his arms around
his fathers neck. He was frightened
and he did not understand what was
the matter.
Presently Mr. Singer unclasped the
boys hands and looked him in the
face.
Ben" he said, I'm afraid we are
in for hard times yet"
What do you mean, dad?"
THE house is only rented" said Mr.
singer, SLOWLY; they can't take that
but they can take all our furniture and
everything else"
why, they belong to usw
$50 they do, Ben, but the law gives
another man the right to sell them ano
take the money they bring If we owe
him money and cannot pay It,"
And we owe somebody money? !
thought Dr. James was paid?"
"Sn he ptt a.
else to whom | owe money-a man
borrowed from when your mother was
sick. | owe him one hundred dollars
He has what they call my note
haven't been able to pay him, and now
he says he must have it, He is entitled
to 1t right off, and will get as much oil
II as possible by selling what we have
He was here to see me about 1t the
other day, and tried to get him tc
wait. But he says he's tired of wait
ing, and the sheriff will come and sci
us out"