Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1900-04-19
Gu.e-.@,G.e 80: e'2.e&e'ae
" e
$ Another Ideal Shattered :
1..SaStmGA 60.
M ICHOLsON took his feet down from


tied the old folk in winter for ten years,
and I've been thinking of them all day.
Strange this heastly cold weather al
ways turns my thoughts to the old fire
side. where on such day as this we all
used to snuggle around the big coal
stove in the sitting-room and eat APP
Piles drink cider, spin yarns. yawn, loll
around as we pleased and go to bed be-
fore ten o'clock.
''Ah. Smith. we haven't anything like
that old tiresiGe in this big. artificial
city. Here everything is done for you.
You get your fiat ready heated.
all the hot water you need. groceries
delivered by speaking tube, sidewalks
shoveled by the janitor and yourself
carried down almost to YOUR office door
by a street car. Artitciality every
where. 1t is a life that tends to make us
lazy, to relax our muscles, to breed dNs
pepsia and liver complaint. Give me
the good old days when we had to hus
tie to be comfortable. That was when
we en- Dyed our little luNuries because
we knew we had earned them. Now
picture the cid folk beside that big
stove. | have an overweaning desire I o
step in and share its comforts with
them. if only for a Gay. / guess you
can get along without me?''
"Certainly." said Smith. stay longer
il you wish. | should say that such IA
prospect would make you long % spen,
at least week at home. ] can get along
for that time. And | may say | envy
YOU the pleauIn you are to have. Alas.
l have always lived in this city, and
know nothing but the artificial COM
forts of a steam-heated flat. | wish
were going with you. Takca week. old
man, and tell lile all about it when Won
get back"
Thanks. OLD fellow said Nicholson,
rising brisLly. "If YOU can stand it |
guess I'll stay away till a week from
Sunday. See. his is Saturday. | can
catch an afternoon train. get to he old
home early this evening and surprise
Che Old folk while mother is set ting her
batter cakes for to-morrow's break
fast Ever eat amy of those homemade
batter cakes? Ilaven't. Well, my dear
fellow. YOU haven't lived more than
three-cighths of your life. Now I'm off.
See you in a week. You know my aG-
dress should | be wanted sooner"
Sunday he thermometer dropped
away below z,ro. and Smith found no
trouble in following his inclination TO
remain in his coy. heated fiat. reading
smoking, dozltg and playing With the
children. He Lad nothing else to do
FOR the lanitor kept the steam at
proper pressure. there was no coal to
carry in. llindlng 10 split. no early fires
to builo!-notning in short. to do but
rest, or, rather. as he called it. loaf.
T,e pictured Nicholson in fancy. and
the picture actually made him envious
y dozen times during the day he
wished he had been born on farm
or in small country village. so he
could have enjoyed the old tireside. 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 ofproper en- oyment. Nicholson $
graphic picture had made him a trtie
discontinued.
Sunday night the mercury took !,
drop few degrees lower. but there
was no snow. and the janitor did his
duty nobly. Monday morning was col
loquially termed Il ''corl1er' but as
Smith had only a block to 90 o his
train he suffered no inconvenience and
reached his Office with but a vague i'm
preston that it was a cold day.
At three o'clock that afternoon
Nicholson walked in, dropped his grip
in corner. kicked the cat over the
transom. lighted a 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. whats the matter. Nick :
Didn't find anything wrong with the
old folks. did you? Cider run out:
Old firesde covered with icicles?"
Look here, Smith'-and there was
a world Of pathos in Nicholson's voice
Il wouldn't tell you a word about
that trip if ! was not convinced it is
my duty. | may have set Your fancy
going with my description of the time
was to have. l may have made YOU
disseminated with Your hard and bar
rem lot in his city. want to be square
and honest even at my own expense
| am the originator of that expression
I'D rather be right than be president
want you to listen to me while | re
lieve my mind and incidentally reno
one of the biggest myths on EARTH"
Then you didn't find things as 70,
fancied them?' began Smith, but
Nicholson waved him to silence.
You just listen to my plain. unvar
nished tale and draw your own con
illusions. No schoolboy ever started
out on his long vacation with Lighter
heart than had when | boarded tn,
train which bore me away from Chi
cago. The pleasant hum Of the ca
wheels played an accompaniment t o
varied assortment of day dreams il
wnicn /, as a lanky, halflleveloped boy
played q central part. SO viviCily die
fancy play that ! could actually tast,