Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-11-09

am determined to stay here" ''This
is no place for young man of your
education" she expostulated.
'That's what I thought once,
mother, but everything seems differ.
ent now. I can be just as useful here,
It's better to be a good farmer than Q
poor lawyer" "You needn't be q
poor lawyer. Besides I'd rather be
that than farmer. hate the name
of farmer. None of my relations were
ever that. There isn't any excuse for
such low tastes" He was nettled.
LET us take some cases we know Of"
he said quietly. ''There's Walters,
the sharpest young lawyer in Buxton,
and the best pleader; he was in Jail "a
hours for voting twice at an election.
There was Barr, who started poor and
died rich; he lost his seat in Parliai
ment and was disqualified for open
bribery, and there was things in his
private life far worse. No profession
IS going to make a mans life honor,
able. I'd rather be a man like my
father, mother, than be Barr or Wal
ters."
He had the impulse to burst into
contemptuous laughter, but something
checked him. He leaned forward, in
stead, and placed his hand on hers,
Mother, I disappoint you, but don't
drive me away. This is the dearest
place on earth to me. 1 can understand
Horace now! Happy is the man who.
far from business, like the ancient
race of men, works his paternal fields
with his own oxen.' can under.
stand that now" Mrs. Mcpherson
picked up the teapot and set it down
with fierce emphasis. "Then I sup
pose the truth is it's that girl that's
keeping you here" she burst out.
what do you mean?" he asked
hotly. 81 mean," she said, without
quailing before his angry eyes, "that 1
suppose it's that Crawford girl your
hanging after. The dear knows what
else keeps you here. You don't seem
able to tell. | think you must be
pretty soft To see her eyes following
me round like tame cat would be
enough for me if I was young man.
1t makes me sick. [ should think
she'd be the laughing stock of the
neighborhood." Her son looked at
her in blank amazement. "Oh, she
knows which side her bread is but
tered on. You'd be a pretty good
catch for her, wouldn't you? Til tell
you something, too" she went on,
hoarsely. eff you take up with such
tpac hot
As long as my head is above the sod
this house is mine, and if you go
against me, keep out of it. God
knows I've shaved to give you chances
to make yourself somebody Yes,
you've been dearer to me than the
apple of my eye, but unless you make
up your mind to go back, 1 will never
own you for a son again"
She turned her back upon him and
marched away with her usual soldier
like tread, and he heard the key turn
in the lock as she closed her bedroom
door. He flung out of the house in
passion OF opposition. o the shoddy
pride, the vulgarity of 1t all Some
words of Tolstoi REQUIRED to him,
printed without flaw on his memory:
"Everything which I used to think
bad and low-the rusticity of the
peasant, the plainness of lodging, food,
clothing, manners-all this has be-
come good and great in my eyes"
He leaned against the railing of the
little wooden bridge and listened to
the hurry of water underneath. There
was watery, intermittent moonlight,
and every now and then snowflake,
damp and adhesive, touched his cheek.
He looked up and saw Lyddy stand
ing in the road, her startled face peer
ing at him from its framing of black
shawl. With an exclamation of Joy he
went quickly to meet her.-New Eng
land Homestead.