River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-12-03
ED'ARD.


she said. Il don't know how were go
ing TO get along with him-I don't, for
the life Of mel" She looked tragic. She
weighed 200 pounds, and when gloom
took possession of her it was a serious
matter.
Mr. Brush gave an uneasy chuckIe. He
was blowing for winter wheat, but he
bad come in for drink OF milk, and
sat down. Out by the smokehouse Ed
ard sat sprawled out, eating a large
slice If bread and butter spread with
warn apple-sauce.
What's the matter with him, ma .
said Mr.. Brush. The Brushes had never
had any children, but to each other
they were pa and ma. I've seen worse
looking children" Mr.. BTush asserted.
''Where?" his wife demanded, and he
grinned feebly.
'T'other day." he persisted. 81 was
looking at him, and and seemed as
though he looked rea. kind o pretty"
Mrs. Brush laughed shortly. "Piteh-
dark, wasn't it?" she observed. Then
she fell to serious speech. Its not his
looks" she said. ~ don't care anything
about that; I'm not overburdened with
beauty myself. It's him. Oh, dear me, s.
she burst out, shaken out of her Gus
tomary calmness. I'm most afraid we
made an awful mistake, taking himi"
"Pshawi Pshawi" said Mr. Brush
Slow CONSERVATION sat upon him.
Il guess we did. Hes not like us.
pa; he isn't one of us. don't know
how TO take him, nor how to talk TO
him, either. He's been here a month.
and | haven't rpoken a natural word
to him. nor he to me. I feel as If he was
standing off from US and looking Us
through AMI through with those eyes
of his. / don't know how 10 explain il.
just. but I'm kind of afraid of him."
Mr.. Brush essa~ed a response which
did not come. The truth is he, too, was
afraid OF Ed'ard
''If that was ALL" Mrs Brush went on.
''why. could stand il; I hope I've got
some principle But I've tried to see
some promising sign in him. and I
can't"
Mr.. Brush reused to action. look at
his bringing up" he said.
II consider it." his wife answered.
''and it's just that makes me so dis
cOuraged. pa If we could only have
taken him when his mother died. when
lie wasn't more than four years old.
1t might have been different: but Gene
HuntOon got him and drove him around
with him on his meat wagon. and set
him 20 work in his butcher shop when
he wasn't much nore'n a baby. And
Genes wife worked him round the
house. l don't know much about them.
but l do know they aren't any kind of
folks. And he's been there seven years.
and mixed with rough people, and run
wild"
Poor little feIlow,"
"Yes. poor little fellow. But ats made
him so that l amt equal to him, pa.
lie doesn't mind half the time: he
doesn't know how to mind. actually.
And / haven't tried 10 make him, for
| feel just as though. come to a hand-to-
hand Mrs Brush smiled grimiv
lit W.. ldn't he me that would come
ont ahead Seems as though he isn't
afraid Of anything on earth. And there
isn't anything in him TO appeal TO, pa
doesn't seem TO be.
''IIamiltOn's a city-'tis. compared to
here-and he's learned an the mischief
there was going. guess. He's chock-
full Of sharpness and cunning. Hes IL
years old. and / feel as IL he was a
hundred. more or less.
Il don't know that we had any call to
take him. Mrs. Brush pursued Maria
lIuutoOn's dying didn't put us under
any Kind OF obligations. IL there was
ever any obligation il was when
Ed'ar,i's mother died, and don't know
that there was then; she wasn't enough
relation to me so I can track il up.
hardly. And il Gene Huntuon took
him then because he wanted him. he
ought TO keep Kim now because we
don't want him. And | don't know but
he'll have to-"
Mr.. Brush regarded her. 'You aren't
thinking of sending him back. ma, are
you2" he said.
what are We going To do?" said Mrs.
Brush. desperately. IF il was matter
Of duty II we could do him any good 10y
keeping him-but I don't feel as if we
could, declare ] don't. pa. We can't in
1iuence him. We can't get at him.
declare. | feel rs though sooner than
we'd make him good he'd be likely TO
make ms bad rs he is"
Mrs. Brush made solemn pause. and
then went on: I've took him thinking
he'd be a pleasure and comfort to US:
and he's not beer I've thought 1t over.
j can't make IL seem best to keep him.
And ! should think you'd see il in the
same light. pa"
She was a faithful adherent to her
duty. She had upright principles and
a motherly heart. But she had likewise
the keen judgment Of a practical mind.
and a capacity for decisive action where
action was needed. Her husband. less
acute, more given 10 tempCrizing. de
ferred to her in matters in his own
province-matters Of crops and cattle
and never regretted Il.
He lowered his chin into his hands.
in the speechlessnesso of his helpless con
yiction. and cast sOmbcI eyes on the
pleasant back-door view. The grass
was taking on Jas first yellow tinge;
their motley leaves lay ia broad circles
around the trees; the far blue hills
were lost against the blue skv. Ed'ard,
muneEing on the sunny side of the
smOke-house. seemed n Mr.. Brush's
troubled gaze to be the one blot on the
fair and peaceful landscape.
Ed'ard, when he had inis he'd his bread
and batter, settled back aga INST the
warmed bricks in ~toliI content-
ment, with his hards deep in tine peck
cts OF his trousers.
Mrs Brush mad male these trousers:
Ed'ard bad come 70 her in disrcputable
ragged garments. She had never made
any boys clothes. and she had patterned
Ed'ard's after the fashions Of 80 years
ago.
The coat had a wide. round collar. and
the loose trousers were graduated 10 a
tight ending at the ankle. Between
the quaint meek'eSs OF the attire and
Ed'ard himself there was a contrast
ludienous and startling.
Ed'aTd was undersized and weakened.
He had 8 stubby nose ana wide mouth.
and eyes IN which there dwelt an un-
0snnT ssrewansss. Hshsd appeared At