The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1905-12-30

Have you ever thought, young man,
! what it means to be dubbed ''old and
no goodP Have you an idea of the
hopeleSSnesS of age when the only out
! look is continued need and reduced
earning capacity? The truth came
home strongly to Jonas when he began
| to seek work. There was no work for
him. They wanted young men. lie
| was too old: he couldn't stand the
racket. And some We're less gentle
with the rebuff. Gradually his little
! fund dWiudled, and at last he made
Lis way by begging ut farm houses
along the road. lie found shelter in
hayricks and barns, sneaking in after
dark and leaving before dawn. Lack
! OF food began TO tell. The wrinkles
/ decDcncd in his face; his eyes took
on 4 hopeless expression; his gait was
| slower; his back began to bend. In n
| fcw weeks Jonas was an Old, old man.
/ And with weakness came the feeling
. Of dependence. His pride melted. He
| wanted Il strong arm about him. But
/ there was only one in all the world on
/ whom he might caI--"Sonny." And
where was Sonny" now?
There was ample time for Jonas to
regret the past. AS he plodded along
/ the frozen road he recalled the occur
/ rrnceS of ten years before, when
/ sonny had passed out of his life.
/ On the boys shoulders had fallen the
/ burden of the farm with its mortga ge.
/ Together they had worked, Bill doing
/ the lions share, to raise the encum.
] NNvh NJ,
most in hand, Jonas had loaned it,
/ against Billy's earnest protest to a
| friend on an unsecured note at heavy
interest. And when the friend failed,
Billy saw the fruits of his labor swept
away in Il night. Was it any wonder,
! then, that he proposed giving up the
farm ana moving to the city? Were
they to continue there, with noses to
the eternal grindstone, merely eklng
ont Il living? The mother agreed.
faith in her son being deep and abid-
ing; but Jonas said No, and when,
after months of argument Billy an
hounccu his intention of going alone
Jonas rose in wrath and showed him
the door, bidding him with Il curse to
TO- and stay, and never show your
face again Now, in his bitterness,
weak and weary, Jonas sat down by
the side of the road and wcpt quietly
the first time in years. Oh, if he could
only lind sonny Sonny" would
forgive him. His heart went back to
the old home: to the sorrowing mother,
who had pinned away grievlng for her
son. He did not know that on the day
of his departure, Billy prosperous and
generous, having heard Of the af,-
preaching sale, had appeared before
the astonished Squire Barlow and up
set that individuals prophecy by salts
flying all demands and rendering the
sale unnecessary; nor that for weeks
Billy had been advertising all over the
East for his father to come home.
1t was New Years eve. Jonas had
been on the road over a month. With
out knowing how, or. indeed, why he
had proceeded steadily north, through
the mountains, and now, as the bleak,
winter day drew TO ii close, he was ap.
preaching the great city Of Pitlshurg.
From affair he had seen the heavy
smoke lying low on the horizon. The
road was lined with beautiful resi-
dcnces, and as dusk came on. lights
"pIo''t ~ III INC "IHu.M vs. i4''rc was
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