The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1900-04-26
{ Another Ideal Shattered
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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 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 60 to bed be-
fore ten o'clock.
'Ah, Smith, we haven't anything like
that old freside in this big, artificial
city. Here everything is done for you.
You get your fat 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. Artificiahty every
where. 1t is life that tends to make us
lazy, to relax our muscles, to breed dys-
pepsia and liver complaint. Give me
the good old days when we had to hus-
tie to be comfortable. That'was when
we enjoyed our little luxuries, because
we knew we had earned them. Now
picture the cid folk beside that big
stove. have an overweaning desire to
step in and share its comforts with
them, if only for day. guess you
can get along without me?"
Certainly" said Smith, "stay longer,
if you wish. should say that such
prospect would make you long to spend
at least week at home. can get along
for that time. And I may say envy
you the pleaure you nre to have. Alas,
1 have always lived in this city, and
know nothing but the artificial COM
forts Of steam-heated fat. wish
were going with you. Take week. old
man, and tell me all about it when you
get back"
Thanks, old fellow" said Nicholson,
rising briskly. IF you can stand it
guess I'll stay away till week from
Sunday. See, this is Saturday. ! can
catch an afternoon train, get to the old
home early this evening and surprise
the old folk while mother is setting her
batter cakes for to-morrow's break
fast. Ever eat any Of those homemade
batter cakes? Haven't! Well my dear
fellow, you haven't lived more than
three-eighths of your life. Now I'm off.
See you in q week. You know my ad-
dress should be wanted sooner"
| Sunday the thermometer dropped
away below zero, and Smith found no
trouble in following his inclination to
remain in his cozy, heated fiat, reading,
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, kindling to split, no early fires
to build-nothing, in short, to do but
rest, or, rather. as he called it, loaf.
He pictured Nicholson in fancy, and
the picture actually made him envious.
A dozen times during the day he
wished he had been born on a farm
or in a small country village, so he
could have enjoyed the old fireside, 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 trifle
discoptented.
Sunday night the mercury took q
drop a few degrees lower, but there
was no snow, and the ianitor did his
duty nobly. Monday morning was col
loquiaYy termed ''corker," but as
Smith had only block to go to bis
train he suffered no inconvenience and
| al I, ,s, 4, l..
preston that it was a cold day.
At three o'clock that afternoon
Nicholson walked in, dropped his griI
in corner. kicked the cat over the
transom, lighted small gas heater
and sat on 1t.
Smith was so surprised at first he
could de- 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 flreside covered with icicles?"
"Look here, Smith"-and there was
world of pathos in Nicholson's voice
-"I wouldn't tell you word about
that trip if ! was not convinced it is
my duty. may have set your fancy
going with my description of the time
l was to have. / may have made you
discontented with your hard and bar
ren lot in this city. Iwantto be square
and honest even at my own expense
l am the originator of that expression
I'd rather be right than be president.
l 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 you
fancied them?' began Smith. but
Nicholson waved him TO silence
You just listen to my plain. unvar
nished tale and draw your own con
clusions. No schoolboy ever started
out on his long vacation with lighter
heart than ! had when | boarded the
train which bore me away from Chi
cago. The pleasant hum of the car
wheels played an accompaniment to Q
varied assortment of day dreams in
which l, as lanky. half-developed boy
played central part. So wildly die
fancy play that could actually taste
those batter cakes-and | want to di
gress here long enough to remark that
they were the only part of the visit
that was not q bitter and humiliatine
disenchantment.
If you have ever gone around tht
head of Lake Michigan on the trair
you may have noticed that at village
called Porter there is often quite per
| oh sx, IL, 4 <I