The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-02-16

III guess l haven't-at that or any
thing else."
Young Osborne had gone barefoot
all his life, and had never had whole
new suit of clothes to his back, nor
dime to call his own. Osborne gave
him dancing pumps and various seemly
suits, and reasonable allowance.
But he thought the allowance small.
"Say, Herbert, can't make out with
that measly ten. Make it fifteen, will
your" he complained.
"No," said Osborne.
Osb0rne's "noes" were always def
mite, but Alexander persisted. "Why
not? You've lot more than you need"
81 know best about that. Ten dol
dollars in enough, and it's all 1 can
give you. I've your education to pay
for, recollect. You've no expenses out
side of an occasional theater ticket and
tennis ball-or you shouldn't have"
"You always did catch all the plums,"
said Alexander.
Then the mail orderly gave Osborne
letter from the girl. Osborne locked
himself in his workroom and read it,
and believed every word of it. And
living-even for others-seemed hard
thing for the next few days.
Alexander felt his oats promptly.
He excelled at baseball, he learned ten
mis- and dancing by magic, and he rode
well. Osborne had never been 80 pop
ular. He had served the Mammon of
Ambition exclusively until he had trans
ferred his allegiance to the God OF
Love. Since then he had been mar
tyr-and martyrs are more pleasant in
stained glass than in life. And now
he returned to the first cult, and ambi-
ton filled him. He rejoiced in his
brothers. beauty, which was of the
BERTHE Cecil type, in his magnificent
stature, in his agility and his athletics.
He mounted him on the finest horse to
wore shabby uniform himself all win
ter. He read with him for two hours
daily, and was well pleased when he
remembered just enough to give his
conversation peculiarly brilliant turn.
He argued great things from this when
Alexander should go to school. But
when he went to school, Osborne saw
the truth.
"Alex, the account of you is very
bad You've barely scratched through
on two things, and you've failed on
mathematics altogether. I've told you
that mathematics is the test at the
Point" Osborne admonished.
sob! come, l say; let up, Herbert.
Pm trying to learn this piece" He
picked on with beautiful absorption at
the guitar the lieutenant had given him.
"Put up that thing and listen to me-"
Alexander obeyed, as all men did
when Osborne willed.
81 am going to get you into West
Point at twenty. When l say l am 60
ing to do it, you know it is going to be
done. Don't you? None of it depends
on you except the study. can't make
you drink, but I'll take you to water
and keep you there until you find it
be easier to drink. You can go back
to the ranch if you like, but Pm not
afraid you'll like. don't want to treat
you as small boy unless you act the
part of one. You can learn, and you
must learn, or the theaters will stop,
and the hops will stop, and the guitar
will stop--also the tennis. You have
been cutting time, henceforth you will
study four hours day, and l will sit
with you TO help you and see that it is
DONE"
So four hours out of every twenty
four Osborne put to the use of teaching
one who did not wish 10 learn. Density
can be bored through with patience.
1t is the india rubber of Indifferent
cleverness that resists. After some of
the struggles, Osborne would lie awake
for the rest of the night with sheer
nervousness. The boy slept with ua-
ruffied brain. The lieutenant almost
came to forget the girl, but never quite.
A letter would come when Alexander
was most inert, and Osborne would
stare straight in front of him and grit
his teeth and wonder that man could
live with both sides of his nature
thwarted and cut back.
But he had his reward. Alexander
went into the academy at twenty. He
was the handsomest and most popular
cadet in his class-and he failed in the
first year.
just how such things are done no one
is quite sure; but in Osborne's case it
must have been sheer force of deter
mination. Alexander was reappointed,
and he himself was made instructor at
the Point.
He stood over the cadet with the
singing lash of his ambition; and
Alexander was graduated fifteen. o.
borne unwisely took some credit to
himself.
Nonsense" said Alexander, I'D
have done it alone. The first miss was
only bad luck; don't think it's your
circus"
SIT doesn't make any great differ
ence to me whose circus it is, so that
you come out all right. Pm only glad
you're getting some ambition"
"Ambition beshangedl It's the one
word in your lexicon. I'm sick of the
sound of it. Ii is the sin by which the
angels fell. Look out you don't fall,
angel brother"
Ppm not likely to fall, but shouldn't
mind it if it put you on mountain
height"
"No heights for me. can't breathe
rare air." answered the younger.