Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1902-07-01
Copyright. 1902. by the

80. -. q
Jim DCty was the son of industrious
and thrifty parents, but he was no ex-
emplar of the doctrine of heredity AS
boy he had gone to school because
If be had not gone there the truant Off
Ger would have made existence else
where uncomfortable for him, and Jim
dearly loved to be comfortable. At
school it was easier to remain at the
foot of his class than higher up, so he
phiiosophically close the easy thing
and stuck to it. Jim was not mis-
chievous bog or bad one in any sense.
because those attributes require effort
to maintain them. AS somebody hae
to be at the foot Of the class. and there
were those who were Disconnected
there, the teacher accepted Jim as a
special providence and made the most
of him.
TITS beyond me about Jimmie" his
mother was wont TO say. "He amt a
bad boy nor up to no mischief. and
you'd think when he went to school
he'd learn his lessons just because he
didn't want to learn nothin' else, but
he won't learn a single thing, good or
bad. He just seems to be everlasting
do less = settin' around and settin'
around and settin around And I'm
sure he don't get it from the Anderson
side of the house neither"
Mrs Doty was an Anderson, and this
conclusion of hers was an unsupported
animadversion upon Mr.. Doty because
that worthy man not only made very
comfortable living, but owned q small
farm and had money laid away for a
rainy day
When jim was old enough to go 10
work. his father secured Il place for
him to learn the carpenter trade, which
was rather surprising selection. as
success in that depended upon a skill
which did not appear to be one of the
characteristics Of the young apprentice.
Il put him at that" Mr.. Doty ex-
planned to an lnquiring friend because
I've seen that boy set on soapbox in
the shade and whittle fer six hours
hand runnin'. OF course he never whit
ties nothing out OF the wood be uses
up, but | kind of thought maybe he
would learn to if put him at carpen-
TERM"
Time, and not very Iors time either,
proved the speeiousness of Mr. Dotys
logic, and Jim was 10 longer seen
about the shop where he had essayed
to handle the drawknife and the saw.
After this attempt to make d skilled
laborer of his son Mr.. Doty thought
possibly there might be an undeyelop-
ed instinct for agriculture in the youth,
and Jim was sent TO farm not far
from the village. His usefulness In
that field was manifested within three
days by his return to the parental roof.
What's the matter now?" inquired
his father when Jim walked into the
house at supper time and calmly took
his accustomed place at the table as if
he had not missed a meal.
Dunno replied Jim unconcernedly.
"Old man Sparks said he reckoned the
mortgage OIL the place was about all
the load it could carry at present, and
he told Ele | could CO."
Mr.. Doty smiled. He couldn't be very
harsh with his cn!y son, because, while
he did nothing 10 add to the glory and
honor aud wealth OF the name of Doty.
he did as little to bring shame or sor-
row upon II. Mr. Doty recognized in
jim a negative blessing, and many IA
Tiers would be only too glad if they
had such sons
ny the time Jim had reached his
year he had tried his hand
at every kind of work the village and
vicinity bad to offer, and be had ac-
CURED nothing except the title Of Use
less Ji.l. But Jim did not worry. He
was philosopher, and his good nature
was imperterbablc
why the dickens don't you 90 10
work, Jini?" said Hanks. the grocery
man, one day as Jim sat on a salt bar-
rel In the shade chipping away at the
chine with his knife.
Got job you'd ike to give me?'' re-
sponded Jim ID a willing tone, and the
disappeared. He might be
anxious enough to see Jim have a lob.
but be did not care 10 assume the reIa.
donship ef employer.
as morning else OF permanent char
acter offered itself, Jim concluded. en-
urely Oh his own yoiition, to fall in
love. They say an idle brain IS the
devils workshop. and surely he found
fine place for his business in Jim
why Jim ever fell in love nobody could
say, and he did not know himself. nor
did he think II worth the effort to dis
cover 1t was enough for him that he
was In love, and he was serious about
It. too-so serious, indeed. that he
wanted to marry the object of his
cnoice forthwith. thereby displaying a
wholly unsupported energy.
This object was Mary Candy. the
daughter and also the VII
rage schoolteacher She was pretty
ana bright. and she liked Jim because.
although cisinciined to bodily exertiou.
he was not slow of wit and he could
talk well.
For goodness sakes, Jimmie said
his mother-she called him Jimmie. as
II be were still boy-"whatever do !
you want to marry for? You can't sup
port yourself. much less a wife and
family. and married women can't /
schooiteach to support their hus-
bands"
Il dunno. uaother,' replied Jim, whit
ting stick down to fine point.
well, yoh ought to know" she said,
letting her temper show itself you I
just can't marry. that's all You're the
uselessest thing on earth now, and I
married yosd be worse"