Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-05-31


Miss Aunerly liked to work in unfa-
vorablc soil. There was no credit in cul-
tivaiing things that grew naturally she
would say, with one of her whimsical
smiles; but take something that others
had passed by, and coax it on 80 sue
cess, and -wcll, that was work that was
worth while
This theory brought out many sur
prisng results from the bare spots of
her e." rocky acres. Ncighboring farm
crS looked and smiled. and looked again
and purSed their lips into low whistles
of aStoniShmcnt. Marshes that they
would have passed by as hopeless gradu-
ally grew into cranberry boys and fields
of cowslips; shallow brooks became sub
merged gardens of water crcSS. and
sandy bits of hillside, which the most
sanguine Of them would not have looked
at Il second time, were found by this
eXperimentcr to be just the place for
watermelons and those early grapes that
brought FIRST prices in market
And even more surprislng-to them, at
least--were the practical results of the
theory as applied to her help She had a
preference for obstinate soil, even here.
and her boys were the dregs Of n neigh
boring pOorhouse. or the cnders that had
sifted through the meshes of the sur
rounding farmers. But they turned out
very much as her bleak hillsidcs and
waste marshes. .Tudicious experiment.
ing and encouraging had given equally
good results, and where one of her boys
had proved a failure. she had sent a doz-
en- out into the world to fill acceptahly
better positions than she could offer.
But when she took furtiye-cycd Stub
Grpcn--not from the pOorhonse or gutter.
but directly from serving Il sentence in
the penltcntiary her ncighbOrs declared
that it was the last straw. Now she
would inevitably rue her tenacity and
fOolhardineSs.
And after a month Of continued failure
and eXasperation, Miss Anncrly herself
almost came to the same conclusions
There did not seem to be single soft
pot in the whole armor of Stub dcprav-
ity. His eyes remained furtiye. and the
corners of his mouth continued to droop
in sullen defiance. She went further with
him than she had gone with the other
boys, and taxed him with only the sim
plcst duties. She tried to draw him into
long walks, aud to interest him in the
birds and the flowers, and the farm work.
she got a dog for him, and gave him rab.
bits for pets. and even bought him a fish
ing pole and told him to go to the brook
whenever he wished
But not one of these gifts brought light
"a stubs eyes or acknowledgment to his
lips. He would receive them with dun
Il
thcr" was some Interior motive. The
only occasions on which she spv good
humnr on his face We're when She caught
hlm t"rncnting the farm animals or
beating some of the smaller ncighb0r-
hood boys
And yet She did not quite despair
This shell Of sullcnnrsS and brutality
meant II part in the boys life that she
shuddercd 10 contemplate. HarshueSs
to him would have been understood, but /
Kindness was something 50 utterly for |
eI2n 10 everything he had ever known !
that he could only meet it with suspicion. |
SO it went on for Il while. until one |
morning, when she went to his room 10 /
call him. he was not there. A. soon as |
the ncghbors heard Of it they shrugged /
their shoulders and asked how much he /
had taken, and when she declared that /!
she had not missed anything they looked |
incredulous
\ week passed and nothing was heard !
Of him, and she was planning, regret /
fully, tn hunt another boy, when one day |
she found Stub crDuched on the doorstep. !
and. with pitifui besceching eyes, utter |
ly different from the defiant ones She /
had known.
why. you poor boy she cried, us she
mad" him come into the house. why /
didn't Won knock
Il das,cnt." in a weak, scared voice.
II took something, an ! come back to !
tell"
ooh. no. you didn't take anything
soothiu2Iy: "you are just tired and worn
out. IA get you some soup 10 drink. and /
then YOU must take n long nap. After !
that you'il feel better
She BUSTED away into the kitchen. and /
presently returned with bowl of
steamiug soup.
Here: drink this. Steye'-she had .
called him this from the first, for she |
said It was a prettier name than Stub.
Il da ssent" he repeated, trying Ia push |
away the howl with his hand; mot till ! |
tell | swped your pocketbook.'
ooh, 10. you didn't. Steve" triumph
antly. I've got it here in my pocket |
now Sec"
Not that ONE eagerly: ''the one up-
stairs in the chest drawer
e. 10 InnL-nI r1nzrInd AhntA