Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-01-18
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The
Graphie's 3
Useless Jim
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jim Doty was the son of industriou
and thrifty parents. but he was no e,
emplar Of the doctrine of heredity. A
a boy he had gone to school becaus
II he had not gone there the truan
officers would have made existenc
elsewhere uncomfortable for him; an
jim dearly loved to be comfortable
AT school it was easier to remain a
the foot OF the class than higher UP
so he philosophica!y chose the easies
thing, and stuck to it. Jim was not
mlschievous boy nor a bad one in an,
sense, because those attributes requir
ed effort to maintain them. AS some
body had to be at the foot of the class
and there We're those who were dis
contented there. the teacher accepted
Jim as special providence, and made
the most of him.
Its beyond me about Jimmie" his
mother was wont to say. "He aim
a bad boy or up to mischief, and you'd
think when he went to school he'd
learn his lessons. because he didn't
want to learn nothin' else; but he
won't learn 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
anlmadversion upon Mr.. Doty, because
mat worthy man not only made a
very comfortable living, but owned a
small farm and had money laid away
for a rainy day.
When Jim was old enough TO 90 ro
work his father secured a place for
him to learn the carpenter trade.
which was rather surprising selec.
tion, as success in that depends 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 inquiring friend, be
cause I've seen that boy set on SOAP
box in the shade and whittle for six
hours hand runnin' OF course, he
never Mhittles nothin out of the wood
he uses UP. but kind of thought may
be he would learn to if put him at
carpentering
Time, and not a very long time.
either, proved the speciousness of
Mr.. Dotys logic, and Jim was no long
er seen abut the shop where he had
esayed to handle the drawing knife
and the saw.
After this attempt to make a skilled
laborer Of his son, Mr.. Doty thought
possibly there might be an undevelop-
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 par
entail roof
Whats the matter now? inquired
his father when Jim walked into the
house at supper and calmly took his
accustomed place at the table as if
he had not missed meal
Dunno, replied Jim unconcerned-
ly "Old man Sparks said re reckOned
the mortgage on the palce was all the
load it could carry at present and he
told me | could go
Mr.. Doty smiled He couldn't be
harsh with his only son, because,
while he did nothing to add to the
glory and honor and wealth of the
name of Doty he did as little to bring
shame or sorrow upon it. Mr.. Doty
recognized in jim a negative blessing,
and many fathers would be only too
glad if they had such sons.
By the time Jim had reached his
25th year he had tried his hand at
every kind of work the village and vi.
cinity had to offer, and he had acquir-
ed the ti;1c of Useless jim" But Jim
did not worry. He was a philosopher,
and his good nature was impeturable
why the dickens don't you go to
work, JIM" 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 like to give meo'
responded Jim in a willing tone, an(
the groceryman disappeared. Ht
might be anxious enough to see jim
have job. but he did not care to as
sumo the relationship of employer
AS nothing else of permanent char
acter offered itself, Jim concluded, en
tirely on his own volition, to fall il
love. They say an idle brain is tn
devils workshop. and surely he foun
fine place for his business in jim
Why Jim ever fell in love nobody coul
say and he did not know himself no
did he think it worth the effort to dis
cover 1t was enough for him tha