The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-21
WHAT WAS THE MAKING OF
JONES.
He Forgot Himself Went to Living for
Others and Was Rewarded

|
Others and Was Rewarded.
Perhaps Jones accepted life in too Sc
rious a spirit; perhaps he was oversen-
sitive and overmodest perhaps he at
tached an undue Importance to certain
emotions which in the breast of ordl-
nary men are transitory, but certain 1t
is that the days of his early manhood
were deeply tinged with blue; that ne
fell backward in the fight for place ana
permitted bitterness to enter MS heart'
although it passed not his lips; that he
loved sincerely and with constancy
unwavering.
Those who knew Jones in his early
days found in him a source OF merit
ment. Poor chap! Every smart Oh
cheap village wit found him Vulnerable,
and when he struck back, which was
not often, he did 1t with such gentle
ness and awkwardness that he appear
cd quite ridiculous. His love affalr
with Mary Brown furnished amusement
for two summers and two winters 1t
was not much of a love affair. Beyond
the fact that he was smitten by the
girls charms, which were many, both
OIL HllHu anu DOuy, IL was iioA ou'"oiNA'
o love affair at all.
There are reasons for thinking that,
had the girl not sickensd, he would
have asked her to marry him. and
| would have been refused. But the sick
ness came while the words were yet
unspoken. and one day ne was missed,
| He had gone west, his mother said,
vaguely. to those who inquired. She
was afraid he would never return. He
was a good boy, she added, her voice
| breaking slightly, but he had never
seemed able to get along with the peo-
| pie He was not understood. She had
hoped to see him and Mary Brown mar
ried, but he had spoken to the doctor
about it, and the doctor had discour-
aged him. 1t was not right, the doctor
said, for folks with consumption to
marry She was glad he had not pro-
posed to the girl; it would have made
| it so much more painful for the girl,
poor dear!
| More than one young man left the
| village that year to seek his fortune, as
| the saying is 1t was like other viii
| lages--a place to be born in and to be
reared in; that is all. 1t offered no en-
couragement to the ambitious. Occa-
sionally one of its sons, battered and
| bruised by the outside world, came
back, haltingly and tremblingly, to die;
but few returned to live. Some of these
young men went into the market
places, some into the gold fields, some
here and some there; but two of them
enlisted in the service of their country.
And it came to pass, not strangely at
all, but naturally. that they met at an
army post in the far west and accosted
each other fervently and with joyous
ness One of them bore the red cross
on his sleeve, and the other touched it
lightly with his finger when the long
handshake was over.
GLOW did you come to get into 1t,
Jones?" he asked.
There was the slightest of uninten-
tional emphasis upon the pronoun, and
Jones' sensitive lipe quivered for an in
slant.
IT don't really know" he replied; "it
just happened so. When l left home
seven years ago went to work in
drug store at Davenport. 1t was not
a. very good job, The druggist laughed
when | applied for it. He said he
wanted boy. Still, he would rather
have big chap like me If / would be
satisfied with the pay. I didn't prom
Use to be satisfied, but took the place.
I was tired of looking for work, and the
little money I had was getting alarm
ingly less. That was the beginning. In
two years, by hard study, I was reg
istered pharmacist, and getting fair
wages, but | wasn't happy. / don't |
suppose I'll ever be regularly happy,
although I've been nearer that way
since I got into this than I ever was
before I never knew before what it |
was to have any ones face light up |
with welcome when they saw me COM
ing. I never knew before what it was |
to have my fellow men cling to me !
and depend on me: and it's sweet, |
sweet"
He drew long breath, as if lnhaling
pleasant fragrance, and there was a |
far-away look in his eyes, akin to rap
ture.
IT studied medicine after I received |
my degree in pharmacy he went on,
suddenly recalling himself. II covered
the course In two years and got my
permit to practice; but somehow-the
same old reason, l suDDose--no one
seemed to care whether l practiced or
not For few months l drifted around
looking for a location. OF course, I
didn't find it. Young doctors have to
push in these days and couldn't push.
l wanted to settle down, but wouldn't
settle In any place where the people
weren't glad to see me, Finally chance
took me in hand. I saw a pacard at
the door of a recruiting office, and I
went in. 1t was a matter of sheer i'm
pulse There were vacancies in the
medical corps. My credentials were
good. I enlisted"
II am glad you are here, Jones'" said
the other, and he looked at the tall,
un-browned surgeon adniringly. This
was not the Jones of seven years ago
The old Jones had shown few qualities
to inspire respect, and this was a man
who had proved himself worthy of
many things. He was not to be laugh
I'd at now.
II am glad 20 have seen YOU" said
Tones, "but leave here tonight, while
you"-he glanced significantly at the
ow buildings about the parade ground y
twill probably remain for some time.
am off on special duty 7 may return
1ere and I may not. 1t makes little
Inference anyway. Since mother died {
have nothing to-"
He turned away his head and his