Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1905-10-05
Grondfother's
Awakening

4
law that he persisted in hanging on ia
life upon which a man past so, accord
ing to Scripture, must feel that he has
no reasonable sort of claim.
Ever since the death Of Grandmothe,
Williams, Mrs. Cyrus had been abso
lutte ruler upon the immense farm. bu,
the fact that the title deeds for ali
those rolling acres and well-stocked
barns still stood in the name of the
cent old man was a ranking thorn In
that lady's peace of mind.
Not that he interfered in the slight
est with her arrangements or failed to
sign papers when told when and where
to sign, or asked embarrassing ques-
tions about household expenses which
were stretched to cover son Edwards
college bills, but 1t seemed such tire
some thing his hanging OH to the frayed
threads which connected him with
earth and earth's affairs.
Ever since the death of Maggie, his
wife, Grandfather Williams had
seemed in something of dream out of
which his faded eyes had looked indif-
ferently at the world in which he still
played a shadowy part.
Toward Mrs. Cyrus his manner
seemed TO convey a perpetual apology
which she considered nothing more than
her rlghtful due, particularly since he
had shown the questionable taste to re-
cover from an attack of lung fever in his
5ighty-folrth year, despite the fact that,
with the doctors word as her authority.
she had gone so far as to make all ar
-angements for an elaborate funeral
1t was the spring after this unpleas-
ant occurrence that Jimmy came to be
chore boy upon the farm.
Jimmy was without visible relations.
He was homely little fellow with an
ever-present unappeased appetite and
a talent for doing all sorts of unpleas-
ant tasks that other people didn't like
to do about the house and barn
Jimmy did not resent the fact that.
under the reign of the sharp-tongued.
hard-working Mrs. Williams, he had
over much to do, and not quite enough
to eat, and scarcely anything to wear.
sideration, and the heart which beat
inside his narrow chest was filled with
a natural kindness which would not
permit of the existence there of any
ranking resentment against his unre-
lenting mistress.
At first he did not see much OF
Grandfather Williams, but gradually,
he began to notice the old man, and
tried to show in little ways the timid
compassion he felt for one who, in his
ignorance Of worldly matters, he con-
sidered almost as unfortunate as him |
self.
1t was he who discovered the mystic |
rlous hiding places of the steel-rimmed |
glasses, and it was he who often thrust |
into the kitchen stove an extra stick OF |
wood when grandfather oTept otit from !
the frozen splendor of the family sit
ting-room in search of the heat needed |
by his enfeebled system.
Not that Jimmy deliberately planned |
being attentive to the silent old man |
In what he did he was merely inspired |
by the same instinct which made him
take time from his hurried journeys |
about the poultry yards to set droop-
ing chicken where the bright sun could
beat down upon its bedraggled feathers
Or to threw a specially attractive bit Of
garbage in the way of a poor spirited
hen hanging upon the outskirts of q
feast.
For a long time he never guessed |
that Grandfather Williams noticed his
timid efforts to throw little more of
comfort into his ckeerless life and then
came the great day When a secret COM
sprang 10 between them
First it was only small bag of rath-
err ancient peppermint drops laid dur
ing his abs snce uIon the three-legged |
stool beside his ne row bed, but, in |
time, such treasures collected in the |
tiny attic edroom as to make Jimmy |
the richest BOY in the country round.
An actual pocketknife with only one
blade. the same with which Grandfather
williams had once whitfield feebly as
he sat summing himself during the wal m
spring days, tin box in which he had
once kept the lODdCCO lOI WHICH ne no
longer had the taste, long, stout string
which Jimmy meant to use for a fish
line, and numberless other treasures be-
sides an actual piece of money; care
fully polished, and, what seemed to
Jimmy. an especially large quarter Of
dollar.
Oh, Jimmy needed no ones pity now,
besides, he and Grandfather Williams
often talked together Such nice, little
talks as grandfather leaned against the
pasture bars while Jimmy did the milk
ing which fell to his lot upon the great,
busy farm. Jimmy would then tell how,
some day, he meant to be a hired man
and get SIS a month and have a suit
of Sunday clothes and a red tie like
Henry Bates, and grandfather would
tell Jimmy endless stories of how ne
and Maggie had come to the farm when
they both were young, and what a
smart housekeeper Maggie was, ana
what a cute little chap "Cy' had been
That Cy, who was now so wonderful
man that Jimmy scarce dared lift his
eyes to his hard, set face.
o1cc ..,,,,fI ,.,1.. I.