The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-09-10
The Laurens Advertiser
$I.oo per Year in Advance.
An Obstinate Boy.

Anu ODotthhtO wy &hOh0 OSS
question about that. He had u good
position in the house of a very rich and
n very liberal patton. His duties were
not onerous, but such as they were he
fulfilled them in o most conscientious
manner. The position might have
been o snap, hut Donald did not look
at II in that way and all his waking
hours were gwen 10 the dong OF
things, required or not, which should
makefor the betterment of The stables
of his employer aud all they contained.
Donald had not had any education
to speak of-that Is, any education
lying within The realm of books, and
what training he had came from the
sterling discipline of his good Scotch
mother. |
Anyway it 80 happened that the
union of his mother and father had not
proved most fortunate, and The rugged
qualities of the material Scotch had
been neutralized by the indecisive
character of the father with his mix
ture of French and American blood.
AT any rate, when the boy was a mere
child, both parents died, aud Donald
was placed in servitude withthe family
of the wealthy Hobart Wayler. His
DltSG WAC Il III bltC oGhplSo INV tSio shN
full work did he do with the horses and
vehicles. For besides the Scotch blood
in his veins, which made him faithful
and persistent in his duty, there were
the lessons he had been Taught at his
mothers knee, who had instructed
him when a mere baby To be tho, ough
and careful in all the efforts of life.
He could not help it-no more Chan
,D,l1 oho. - unoo Tho hnritono of ihn
ages.
SO he plodded along, putting up with
the sneers of the lackeys and other M
ployees, who laughed at his consclen-
tious work, as best he could. 1t was
no small comfort 10 this homeless and
lonesome boy TO come in contact with
Ethel, the golden-haired little daughter
of the house, whose thirteen years
seemed TO give his fourteen something
of a right 10 protect and guard over
her. Being q bonnie lad and handy
with the horses, he found him
self almost always her c~ompauion-or
groom, IN The afternoon rides, and
there were rare afternoon racings over
the fine country roads and through the
groves. And through it all Donald was
exceeding careful and releasing the
high spirit of the girl as well as his
own superior strength and skill viii
the horses, he often taxed his ingenuity
TO permit her 10 win, albeit 1t required
the utmost strength and tact with III
own horse, crazed with the eXcitemen
Of the course-and his own youthful
head not SO cool as it might have been
For racing for a goal with a fiue secs
under you is not SO cold blooCed
proposition as would naturally permi
the average boy to regard it as a mer
incident.
The days and weeks and month
merged into years, and all the Tim
Donald became more and more salts
fed with life-especially as he rod
with Miss Ethel by day and dreame
of her by night. For she was in trut
a bonnie lass TO look upon, with he
bright blue laughing eyes, and he
sunny yellow hair, and her red lip
and her 1.-THE snd graceful physique
She inspired Donald 10 great thought
and filled his sturdy young mind wit
lofty purposes. And as he grew olde
and worked hard o. nights in his hi
loft In the barn, tying, poor boy, (
keep pace with his golden-haired il
spilation as she travelled & ong III
path of learning with her professor
and masters, a great purpose and
great inspiration came into his min
and heart. While it. was hard an
sometimes discOu s%iog to him b
came month by month TO realize tina
his brain was a,,le 10 solve the prob
lens presented by The books and Lh
high spirit of Independence, wbicI
ever characterized his lace, grew i,
his young heart until he wlispe~e,
softly 10 himself: "Why moi? Wb'
am not / as good as sue? Withou
masters or teachers 1 am able to teacl
her day by day how 10 do her tasks
Why can not L GO out and conquer tn
world aud come hack and" and theI
his dream Went off ipto the rosy realm
where it really is not safe TO vouch 70
their accuracy or their sanity.
And hen came Che crash. Ethe
had arrived at the age of sixteen, ant
was about to launch forth as q youns
lady in The devious and alluring path'
of soclety, under the skillful tutol shIl
of her mother. And Ethel was 6
willing Sunderland an apt, and the
horseback rides and The romps be.
came fewer and fewer and Donald
. fretted bis young spirit sore. But lie
was patient and faithful and many @
tilne when sorely disappointed did he
catch the CLEAN of kindly sympathy
from the eyes of Jennie Gray, Che
young maid who served Ethel.
"A fine lass" DC laid 10 himself
cam L pity her for having to spend
her time in The great house with its
sordid atmosphere. But still it is
worth all The trouble and humilia
ton TO be near Ethel oil the time.
One day after an ex%hiliaratlug ride
with Ethel, incident TO which there
had been considerable talk of books
and studies, Donald, warmed by the
companionship and exalted by his own
thoughts, fingered at the doorsteps,
after helping Ethel down, and poured
out his hopes and aspirations-his
dreams of an academic education and
a career as a surgeon. Then he would
return, he said, and lay his reputation
and his money at her feet.
The blue-eyed little patfician gazed
at him with curling lips and blazing
eyes.
Youl'' she exclaimed scolnfully,
you indeed. You forget Chat you
are my groom. How dare you spean
OF such things 10 me. Your foolish