The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-04-24
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! IN IDEAL SHATTERED
Pining For Country Comforts, Mich
olson Tried Them. He Came
Back to the City Diff
ferent Man.

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Nicholson took his feet down from
the radiator, threw away the butt Of
his cigar and said to his partner:
II think I'll take run over to Mich
igan tomorrow, Smith. / haven't Wis
tied the old folk in winter for ten
years, and I've been thinking Of them
all day. Strange this beastly cold
weather always turns my thoughts to
the old freside, where on such day as
this we all used to snuggle around the
big coal stove in the sitting room and
eat apples, drink cider, spin yarns,
yawn, loll around as we pleased and
go to bed before 10 o'clock.
"Ah, Smith, we haven't anything like
that old fireside in this big, artificial
city. Here everything is done for you.
You get your fat ready heated, all the
hot water you need, groceries deliver
ed by speaking tube, sidewalks shovel
ed by the janitor and yourself carried
down almost to your Office door by a
street car. Artifciality everywhere.
It is life that tends to make us lazy,
to relax our muscles, to breed dyspep-
STA and liver complaint Give me the
good old days when we had to hustle
to be comfortable. That was when we
enjoyed our little luxuries, because we
knew we had earned them. Now, as
l picture the old folk beside that big
stove, have an overweening desire to
step in and share its comforts with
them, If only for day. 1 guess you
can get along without meY'
Certainly" said Smith. "Stay Ion
ger, If you wish. should say that
such prospect would make you long
to spend at least a week at home.
can get along for that time. And
may say 1 envy you the pleasure you
are to have. Alas, have always lived
in this city, and I know nothing but
the artificial comforts of steam heat
ed fat. / wish were going with you.
Take week, old man, and tell me all
about it when you get back"
Thanks, old fellow" said Nichol-
son, rising briskly. IF you can stand
1t, guess I'll stay away for week
lIOLA 0QAQuys hoCCS ILLS 10 O0L0A0uJs
can catch an afternoon train, get to the
old home early this evening and sur
prise the old folk while mother is set
ting up her batter cakes for tomor-
rows breakfast. Ever eat any Of those
homemade batter cakes? Haven't
Well, my dear fellow, you haven't liv-
ed more than tnree-eighths Of your life.
Now Pm off. See you in week. You
know my address should be wanted
sooner"
Sunday the thermometer dropped
away below zero, and Smith found no
trouble in following his inclination to
remain in his coy, heated fiat, read
ing, smoking, doing and playing with
the children. He had nothing else to
do, for the janitor kept the steam at
proper pressure. There was no coal to
carry in, no kindling to split, no early
fires to build-nothing, In short, to do
but rest, or, rather, as he called 1t, loaf.
He pictured Nicholson In fancy, and
the picture actually made him envious.
A dozen times during the day he wish
ed he had been born on farm or in
small country village, so he could have
enjoyed the old Preside, the roaring
logs in the CRATE, the cider and apples
and the strenuous life which all this
implied. To have everything done for
ones comfort, and by some one else,
was not in keeping with his ideas of
proper enjoyment. Nicholson's graphic
picture had made him trifie discon-
tented.
Sunday night the mercury took a
drop a few degrees lower, but there
was no snow, and the janltor did his
duty nobly. Monday morning was col
loQuially termed "corker," but as
Smith had only block to go to his
train he suffered no inconvenience and
reached his office with but a vague I'M
preston that it was cold day.
At o'clock that afternoon Nicholson
walked in, dropped his grip in a cor
ner, kicked the cat over the transom,
lighted small gas heater and sat on it.
Smith was so surprised at first he
could do nothing but stare at his part
ner. Then gradually he found his
tongue "What's the matter, Nick?
Didn't find anything wrong with the
old folks, did you? Cider run out?
Old freside covered with icicles"
'Look here, Smith"-and there was
world of pathos in Nicholson's voice
II wouldn't tell you word about that
trip if was not convinced it is my du-
ty. / may have set your fancy going
with my description of the time l was
to have. may have made you discon-
tented with your hard and barren lot in
this city. want to be square and hon
est even at my own expense. l am the
originator of that expression I'D rath-
er be right than be president / want
you to listen to me while relieve my
mind and incidentally rend one of the
biggest myths on earth"
"Then you didn't find things as you
fancied themY began Smith, but Mich
olson waved him to silence.
"You just listen to my plain. unvar
nished tale and draw your own conclu-
slons. No schoolboy ever started out
on his long vacation with lighter heart
than | had when l boarded the train
which bore me away from Chicago.
The pleasant hum Of the car wheels
played an accompaniment to a varied
assortment of day dreams in which l,
as lanky, half developed boy, played
central part So wildly did fancy
play that / could actually taste those
batter cakes, and l want to digress
here long enough to remark that they
were the only part of the visit that was
not bitter and humiliating olsen
chantment.
"If you have ever gone around the
head Of Lake Michigan on the train,
you may have noticed that at village
called Porter there is often quite a
perceptibIe change in climate. At that
point you swing from the west to the
east side Of the lake. You may leave
Chicago in balmy spring and on the
same trip of an hour or two pass Por-
ter In winter that would be no disgrace
to Dakota. And that's just what hap
pened to me. Nothing finer in the way
of weather could have been wished
than the brand that waited me. from
Chicago Saturday, but we hadn't been
around the point at Porter half an hour
before / was conscious of a disturbing
element to my dreams. At first could
not account for it. Then l noticed 1t
was showing briskly. Ten miles far
Their on the train was running heavily
through drifts of considerable depth.
We were not making schedule time,
and as we plowed along there was
more than suspicion In my mind that
l might spend the night in a snow bank
miles from any town or village.
.'When | reached my old town, the
train was more than an hour late, the
mercury had fallen below zero, and |