The Topeka state journal., 1900-11-17
OIiVer'S Three Gifts.
IFrom the Post-Dianatch.l

/
and three nickels for pocket pieces.
Go, my son" she said, land remem-
Der that. although kind words butter nc
parsnips. they make your going easier. -
Oliver thanked her and kissed her,
and set forth He paused at the front
gate to say: IF I am not back by Sat
urday with a fortune, it will be because
all the fairies are dead
His mother, who was blessed with a
sense of humOr, said in return: ''Then
I'll prepare dinner for but one next Sun
day. and with a fearful smile she waved
him a goodbye.
This was on Monday morning, and the
boy JOurneyed along with a light heart
jingling the three nickels in his pocket.
He had not gone far before he came
upon a poor scissors grinder who was
| walking along under the burden of a
heavy grindstone. Oliver walked along
side of him and said: Good morning,
| sir We need rain
Don't say that" said the grinder.
The going's bad enough as it is. It's
a weary walk to Waterbury, and I'm
| half sick of it,
Whats the matter with my carrying g
| your grindstone for mile or two? I'm
strong and hearty, and I'm ON my way
to make my fortune before Saturday
| night"
you'll need to work fast to get it
| made ON time, my good friend.' said the
man. I've been tinkering at mine ever
since was your age. and that's 40 years,
/
| Perhaps you were never sure of MAX
ing it as I am said Oliver.
We'll, there's something in that"
! said the old man. s.I was never sure
Of doing welI, and I never have. Enough
] to eat and a place to sleep and weary
miles to walk and the everlasting whirr
of the gT'indstone, with my nose pretty
close to it, and there you have my his
tory for the last 40 years.
They had now come to a farmhouse,
and a woman ran out and asked the
man to sharpen her scissors He
thanked Oliver for relieving him of his
burden, and as the boy slung the grind
stone off his shoulders, the old man
fumbled in his pocket and at last
brought out a key, which he handed
to the lad. Take this. my son. 1t will
open any lock if used honestly
Thanks" said Oliver, but you must
let me pay for it, The old man smiled,
and Oliver handed him one of the nickels
and then bad him a cheerful good-day
and skipped gayly along the road to
Waterbury.
He listened to the bobolink's tanlzling
notes, and they seemed to say, you'll
surely succeed
4 believe you,' said oliver, and ran
along as brisl1ly as if he had just been
He had made some two miles when he
came across a peddler whose cart was
stuck in a mudhole. His poor horse had
not strength to pull the wheels clear of
the mud, and the peddler was trying to
coax the animal.
Good morning. Don't you believe in
the whip?" said Oliver.
mo, my horse will do his best for love
of me. He'll do no more through fear
of me-
That's very pretty, and | like you for
it," said Oliver. But put your shoulder
to the wheel is worth a dozen kind
words. Come, you take one side, and
I'll take the other, and we'll put new
heart into the horse"
It was even as he had said His
strong young shoulder and that of the
peddler made 1t an easy matter for the
horse to pull the wagon out of the mud
hole; and then, the way being down
hill, the peddIer climbed into the wagon
and invited Oliver to do the same, and
the horse ambled along at a decent gait |
on the road to Waterbury.
What brings you tramping?" said
.sOh. I'm going to seek my fortune,
and I must find it by Saturday"
"And you have but six days? Why, |
my boy, I've been searching for that
very thing all my life, and I haven't |
ssYou lacked faith then. I'll go home
with fortune Saturday night, and don't |
you forget it,
ssNell, I'll say this much You seem
willing to stop in your hunt long enough |
to help others, and so I'm going to give |
you a little present. 1t may not be OF |
any use to you, but it may come IN
handy to guard against savage dogs on /
the road. It's bit of a root that nv /
father dug out of the Black Forest, and
it will make the widest animal friendly |
to you. It has something of the nature
of catnip."
The peddler broke a. piece from
black root that he took out of his pocket
and gave it to Oliver
Thanks, but you must let me pay for
it, said Oliver. He handed the man
nickel, and the peddler accepted it WITH
a smile. He had long ago learned that
money honestly come by should never
be spurned-
few miles further on and the ped
dler turned away from the road to Wa
terbury, so Oliver pursued his journey
alone. His ride had made him glad of a
little more leg exercise, and he ran along
whistling in a way to make the robins
envious
About three miles from Waterbury he
overlook charcoal burner on his way
to town with a load of charcoal. The
fellow had cut his thumb while whit
Ting a switch, and it was bleeding pro-
fusely when Oliver came up. What's
the matter-cut your thumb?" said Oil
yer. sympathetically.
Il have, and it's a nasty cut Haven't
any court plaster in your shoes, have
you?'' said the man to the barefoot boy.
Oliver laughed. mo- he said, but
my mother says that this is just as
good" and with that he stepped to
stone wall and picked two or three cob
webs with the morning dew still upon
them Wrap your thumb up in those
and it will soon heal"
The charcoal burner followed divers
advice. and the flow of blood was
s'WelI ,woodsman that I am I never
heard of that before said he. Where
are you going, to Waterbury,"
Oliver nodded. and the man invited
him to get into the wagon, and the two
rolled speedily along toward Water
bury.
What brings you this way?'' asked
the charcoal burner,
Going to build up a fortune by SatuT-
day night" said Oliver
You must be a master builder, then
said the man. I've tried to do a little
work in that line ever since was a kid,
but this doesn't look as If I'd got much |
beyond the laying of the corner stone
You don't believe in nyourself enough.