The Red Cloud chief., 1901-08-16
An Earnest Worker.

Il must 20 TO work." said Ralph.
with a positive air.
But you need a rest through the
summer" said his mother, with an
anxious glance 1t the slender boy who
had studied hard and grown beyond
his strength during the past winter.
Il can't rest at your expense.
though" said Ralph. with an Affection
ate glance. I'm through High School
now-never expected to be. shouldn't
have been u you hadn't pushed me on
from year to year. not letting me stop
when ! knew I ought to. I cant wen
now See how you managed It, poor
dear mother"
We'll. It's done now, and we've got
IT," said mother, with q triumphant
smile.
And now It's time for me to be
taking care Of you. Mr.. Carey" to a
friendly next door neighbor who had
sauntered in and with a slight nod had
taken his seat 9 Ralph on q step Of
the, porch, do you know Of anything I
could get 10 do for the summer tina.
would keep me out nj doorsf"
Something easy" put In his mother.
Well. II looks to me that the best
thing you could do would be to get out
on q farm for q while and get a little
flesh On your bones and your muscles
toughened up q Bit"
Wouldn't II be hard work." in
Qulred mother.
I'm not afraid of work" said
Ralph.
mo. you're not" said Mr.. Carey.
1T seems to me. ma'am." he went on.
that easy boys and easy places never
amount to much. A boy that's got
anything IN him is going In for the
tugs ~ they come along"
That's IT," said Ralph. in hssty
agreement. Now. please 20 on and
talk - X mother were not here or.
being here" with a pat on her Shout
der. were not such q goose"
"You want to 90 In for something
permanent In the fall" went Oh Mr..
Carey.
Yes. but good places are hard for
boys who have no n to push them"
And in the meantime you want to
build up your strength. Now II you
had some money to put into 1t you
would 20 OF to the seashore and DO
some boating and play golf and tennis
and come back about half 10 strong
- II you get out into the country and
work.
There's work about It, surs
enough" said Ralph to himself a. .
few evenings later he stood ami
watched with interested Dyes the vari-
Gus labors attendant upon the closing
In Of night on q largo farm. Horses
to be stabbed and ~fsd-poor. patient
animals, waiting for the rest which
followed faithful labor. Cows to be
MIXED and looked after; buoy women
hurryiug to minister to the wants OF
hungry men. smaller animals to be
housed--work. work On all hands.
Work Ralph found It AZ put to It tho
next day. He had expected to do
chores at hrst. but with prospects Of a
change Of weather and q valuable crop
In need Of being secured, all hands
were called to the field. For the first
hour In which. In the freshness Of the
morning he followed the reaper, shock
ing the sheaves thrown out by Its
skilled manipulation, he drew In the
air with delight as he brought to the
work all the strength given by enthu-
siastic determination to do his best IL
whatever came to hand.
But as the sun grew higher It shone
down more unpityingly upon unused
muscles, which began to cry out
against such unaccustomed demands
upon them. His back ached. his hands
were blistered. his arms seemed to
grow numb. He looked OF to the shade
Of a clump Of trees at n side Of thu
field. Oh, to lie for q few moments In
their friendly shade. But work must
10 ON. There were boys no older than
himself In the great expanse Of grain,
which under the burning suns rays
daxxlcd his eyes. who worked with en-
ergy. No thought OF stopping for rest
until the welcome mid -morning lunci,
time.
As Ralph finished dinner. too tired
to feel the hearty appetite which would
wait on his labor when he became
more habituated to 1t. he rose from the
table with the feeling that stern deter
mination was the only thing or which
he could build any hope OF being able
TO hold on through the afternoon
hours. But q pair OF kindly eyes had
been taking heed Of the slender boy
and as the men again turned toward
the field Mrs. Lane. the farmers wife
said:
II want somebody to help In the
garden, picking berries this afternoon
Can't you spare Ralph"
1.-THE crops got to be saved" said
Mr.. Lane. unwillingly.
80 has the berry crop. The rair
will be as bad for them as for any
thing else"
RALPH could scarcely believe his soot
fortune in being able to keep quiet II
the berry patch. sometimes In tn
shade, sometimes able to rest his ach
ing limbs by sitting under u vel.