Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1905-08-25
Grdndfdther's
AWuk kening

Nv
law that he persisted in hanging on to
life upon which man past 80, accord
ing to Scripture, must feel that he has
no reasonable sort of claim.
Ever since the death of Grandmother
Williams, Mrs. Cyrus had been abso-
lutte ruler upon the immense farm, but
the fact that the title deeds for all
those rolling acres and well-stocked
barns still stood in the name of the
bent 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 it seemed such tire
some thing his hanging on to the frayed
threads which connected him with
earth and earths 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 perpetual apology
which she considered nothing more than
her rightful due, particularly since he
had shown the questionable taste to re-
cover from an attack of lung fever in his
eighty-fourth year, despite the fact that,
with the doctors word as her authority,
she had gone so far as to make all ar
rangements 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.
Woodworking Mrs. Williams, he had
over much to do, and not quite enough
to eat, and scarcely anything to wear.
He had never been used to much con-
siueration, and the heart which beat
inside his narrow chest was filled with
a natural kindliness 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 myste-
rious 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 crept out 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 a droop-
ing chicken where the bright sun could
beat down upon its bedraggled feathers
or to throw specially attractive bit of
garbage in the way of a poor-spirited
hen hanging upon the outskirts of a
barnyard feast.
For long time he never guessed
that Grandfather Williams noticed his
timid efforts to throw little more of
comfort into his cheerless life and then
came the great day when secret COM
radeship sprang up between them.
First it was only small bag of rath,
er ancient peppermint drops laid dur
ing his absence upon the three-legged
stool beside his narrow bed, but, in
time, such treasures collected in the
tiny attic bedroom 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 warm
spring days, tin box in which he hat
once kept the tobacco for which he NJ
longer had the taste. long, stout string
which Jimmy meant to use for fish
line, and numberless other treasures be
sides an actual piece of money; care
fully polished, and, what seemed tC
Jimmy, an especially large quarter of /;
dollar.
oh, Jimmy needed no ones pity now
besides, he and Grandfather Williams
often talked together. Such nice, littl
talks as grandfather leaned against th
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 hired ma
and get SIS a month and have a sui
Of Sunday clothes and red tie lilt
Henry Bates, and grandfather woul
tell Jimmy endless stories of how h
and Maggie had come to the farm whe
they both were young, and what
smart housekeeper Maggie was, an
what cute little chap ICY" had beer
That Cy, who was now SO wonderfl
man that Jimmy scarce dared lift hi