Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-10-14
UPHILL WORK.

reached chicago III 1871, each wearing q
band of Grape about his hat IN memory of
Elizabeth Gordon, three months in her
grave. Their worldly possessions consist
ed of kit of carpenters tools, chest of
homespun clothes and q small lathe. The
father had besides two American dollars.
''We maun go LIGHT wi tn food, " said
the father to his hungry sons,
That we maun, " responded the seven,
and they tramped the streets together look
ing for place to live,
The eight tall men made an astonishing
procession, and the board walks, often
elevated above the streets many feet,
oreaked under them. No one would take
them in when the condition Of their pock-
etbooks was learned.
We maun cen sleep on tn moor, !" said
the father at longth, and they made for
the prairie, which was then easy to reach,
but on their way westward they came
across half ruined store, open to the
weather, and on the second floor, which
was not SO much broken as the first one,
they made themselves half oomfortab BILE.
Its nae much Of hame, said the
youngest son.
"Many's tn NIGHT ye're faythers afore ye
haze slept in TIL heather, famishin FIR con-
science sake cried the father sternly.
"Ca ma ye bide sac saft place as this?"
Then the young man plucked up cour.
age, though it was bitterly cold and they
had neither sup nor fire. Looking arms
they danced together, mighty dances of
Scotland, till the building shook to its
foundations and beams cried out under
them. High aloft they flung their great
legs The wind swept prairie beyond them
echoed with their gallant cries of:
''Hech, mon, now ye hav' 1t! Hi, but
We Tilt like a fairy GUIDE there's nae eggs
on tn floor. Foot it, We gallute!"
When their blood had got in fine state
of circulation, they laid themselves down
on the floor in their sea blankets and slept
like honest men, as they were.
The next morning they were obliged to
spend part of their hoard for breakfast,
and then they went out looking for work.
At night, returning footsore and weary,
they reported results The sons had met
with little or no success. A few indefinite
promises were all they had to show for
day of job hunting. Ettrick, the old man.
waited till each had told his story. Then
he drew with no little dramatic effect
bobbin from his pocket
God is guide" said he solemnly. ~
met a mon wha wants twa thousand o.
they. I'm t. get tn lumber tn morn, an
we must turn day an NIGHT till tn order
dune"
No shout that ever greeted the ear of
warlike Gordon was more hearty than that
which the seven sons sent up at this mo.
ment. They got up dance that night
hot nd boll ~,
songs at the top of thsir lungs After that
the lathe was not still day or night for
weeks They took up the labor one after
another, and before many days had cook
ing stove and a larder, and after time
cots to sleep on. The youngest son went
in search of the man who owned the ruined
building and insisted Oh paying reason
able amount for it.
When the bobbins were done, the Cor.
dons were again confronted by the neces-
sity for occupation.
I'VE MIGHT cen max some chairs to sit
on oursel," suggested the old man, can If
they prove aye guide We MIGHT max few
for other bodies "
The chairs were excellent. They were
heavy, to be sure, but every rung was
stanch, every back was stout, every seat
honest. They had a sort of historic look
about them. They appeared ancient, rs if
great folk had sat in them century or
two ago. When the Godons put these
chairs on their heads and went from door
to door selling them, they went off like
hot cakes-the chairs are alluded to, not
the heads of the Gordons.
One day in the thick of their work,
when David, the youngest was busy cook
ing dinner and the other men We're work
ing with plane, knife lathe or chisel at
the chairs, the door was darkened by wo.
man and her little girl
"Hoo are ye tn day." asked Ettrick
Gordon cordially, looking up from his
work.
"l'm WE'LL thank ye" said the woman.
'Johanna's well too, thank ye. What ye
maxim chairs for?"
"To sell, !" said Ettrick
"Why don't We cane sent 'em?"
'Nane O. us know tn trick o. it," con.
fessed Ettrick regretfully. "I'm no saying
but they'd be tn LIGHTER for cane seats"
II can put in cane Seats" said the wo.
man eagerly, Johanna can seat chairs
too. taught her myself.
An whaur di' ye get tn trick O. it, wo.
MANI" asked Ettrick. Bright scarlet flew
into the woman's face.
II larned it where / larned it," she said
sullenly. "Will yo' take me for hand9
hain't had bit t. eat for two days, and
johanna haint neither"
The Gordons had been hungry and they
knew how it felt, which is thing very
few people do. So the woman and her lit
tie girl were seated at the pine bench,
which served as table, and fed with the
best there was.
Abouta month after this Ettrick Gordon
announced to his sons that he thought IL
would be convenient thing If he were to
marry big Johanna.
''Shes aye interested in tn shop" ho
said in extenuation Of this rash resolve.
~ thocht it might be guide thing"
"She's no body we ken onything
about" one of the sons interposed.
She canes chairs MIGHTY WE'LL retort.
ed the father
So they were silenced. Little Johanna,
the daughter, must have been a mascot,
for from the day of the wedding the Cor.
acns suooeeded-only their nsme wasn't
Gordon, or most Of you would know about
them, for presently they were among the
well known furniture makers Of the city.
The time oame-and not SO very long after
the soIs had their city homes
and their country homes. Their sons and
daughters went to college. They were, in
fact, so prosperous that people overlooked
a great many things-they even overlooked
the grammar and the manners of big Jo-
hanna. And by and by people referred to
these folk as pioneers of the city. All Of
which shows what men can do in America
when they set about it, though perhaps 1t
would have been as we'll not to have men,
tioned the moral of the tale.--Elia W.
Beattie in Chicago News.
ZOla's Superstitions.
Emile Zuln the French novelist Ia a