The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1898-11-10
AT THE SIGN or THE BIG
MPhIk.


Tou M..hexs aud bis slater Jo'is vere
vsltins lslsurely sioss The lace sh'eh
led from ibe lover pasture, mp through
the cornesld, 10 TIE boase They we're
walking slowlv aud talking. Tom vas
sixteen yesrs old "a siim. iishi haired
by. si,h au Interesting i.es, Josis vs.
t.o yeArs ,oause', and beieg much ilse
Tom, aud . .irl. v.s Of course pretty ~
was Tom xho xs taking. sm going
.usy be vas ss,inf. aud am gong % be
sYtiusni.bed. Ian not soios to stay on
farm I'll ny life can dtsw letters nov
As GOOD 80 those on some of the signs 10
,osn, aud | sr1 goibs to be 80 stsiss, aud
exiting suishsd.
The two had by this lime catered the
eorsfsld. Itws saiumn, aud the corn
stalks lai oil been cot away. leaving
scores Of great, yellos pumpkins that. 10
places, seemed to lie 80 tbickly tbst one
cou d hardly psss between them. little
ls,er they would be gathered aud shipped
10 New York City. some eighty miles
away. The Mathews place was famous
tor Tvs big pumpkins, and the smouIt 70
ceived each year ioi this crop was no
small addition TO the income OF the little
Connection, farm.
Sometimes duriag corn cutins Ion
.d amused himself by scratching sen
tences on the big yellow rinds with bis
thumb nail, giving play both to bis imsg
nation aud talent for lettering. besides
feeling ths, these words would soon 60 to
the great city aud be read by people there
who really we're part OF Its hustle, and
who ss~ every day the wonderful sights
Of which be bad only read and dream
ed. Tbess letters. etched lightly ON the
rpening pumpkins. hardened over with
.white crust 10 q few days aud became
very distinct and easily road. Ga one be
hsd inscribed, What d. You Think oil Mef
on smother, This is Ny Fret Visit. and so
on. Finally. the desire to behold for him
self the sights OF New York, aud 10 seek
bis fortune like Dick whit,ingiop, and
others OF whom he hsd read. had become
a resolve. He had revolved his plan over
10 bis IN nd until II seemed perfect, and
fame and fortune already within his
grasp. He had spoken OF it to josie now
for the fret time, and charged her to say
nothing rs yet TO her mother. who Was
widow, and who. with the help OF Tom
and the hired man, ran the place.
Josie felt the weight OF the secret. but
she believed in her brother She leaned
her elbows now on one OF the big pnmp
kius half as tall ss herself, resting her
chin on her hands thoughtiully. Tom,
mean while wss laboring at something on
the other side.
It's good time to go, be was saying to
her, the fell work will soon bs done, and
by spring will be making enough to pay
for the extra help mother will need, and !
will send you nice dresses and presents.
and everything, like those New York
ladies wear.
Josie's eyes frightened. and then grew
dreamy. She wished almost that she
might 20 with Tom. How nice it Was TO
be boy. Then she walked around 70 see
what it was that Tom was doing 90 indus
,riously. With final flourish at the end
be arose, snd the brother and sister,
standing side by side in the October al
ternoon sunlight. read: l will be eXtin
suished.
Tom landed in New York abou! the
middle OF October.
am quite sure there we're tears in bis
eyes. however. when be st last said good
by 10 bis mother and sister, and Josie. l
know. wept bitterly, though perhaps her
grief was not altogether hopeless ss she re
mem bered the silk dresses that Tom was
to send. Mrs. Mathews kissed him tender
", though she said but little-she had
grown accustomed to parting.
Toms fret day or two in the city we're
spent in looking about. As q matter OF
fact be did get 10 ~ q good many times, as
Josie had propbesied, and would probably
never have reached his boarding house the
frst day at ell, without the aid OF numer
ous policemen.
The address Of this boarding house bad
been given bin bys neiehbor Who had
once visited the city. and Tom found by
counting the mouey, and making men
tai calculation, that be had barely enough
to keep him there three weeks. de must
therefore set about securing position OF
once.
Artists and their studios we're quite dill
ierent from what he bad Imagined, and
no oae seemed anxious to engage 40 sssist
sat. Ooe man with French accent offered
to take him ss pupil OF rate OF tuition
that would have used up Toms capital 10
lev days. to say nothing Of board. Most
of them hardly noticed him st all.
At the end Of q week be grew dishesrtep
81 by his unsuccessful Efforts to become
an .r,is, an had modified bis plsns. he
would be . sign painter Bot someho"
hi. forts 10 this direction we're tqnslly
di.hesrtenius, snd three days later be de
scanaea still further the sltdipg scale OF
-. u.no,ld noake letters so we'll be