Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-04-11

/ or so separated into parts as to be assist
ing in many things.
| asked my brother to tell me what had
become OF the crosscHt saw that I bought
| for the sum Of g, and that used, assisted
by one ozias, saving pine logs intoshingie
/ stuff. He told me that he had loaned it to
someone who had forgotten to return it.
| The old hand-cart that l had pulled in
| like an OK, was among the missing also.
| The youngsters Of the succeeding gefier-
alton had finished it completely, there be-
| ing no wheelwright to keep it in repair.
The old workshop gonei Here is where
father kept his two chests of tools, the
| tools always in good order; where there
was piled a lot OF hewn crooked timber,
such as might be needed for repairs on old
hulks of the sea; where l had seen hun
dreds of tree-nails made; where were
kegs and half kegs OF spikes and plugs
| marine supplies; where were the flax
brake and swingle; and where father used
them on dry, windy, March days, breaking
and swinging fax until the fibre became
as soft as silk and ready to be braided into
skeins or knots for combing.
And hereby hangs tale for which l
was, in very large measure, responsible,
and to my sorrow; and only because l
found package of fax seed, in the garnet,
one Sunday; and being anxious to know
what it was, having never seen any before,
/ took it to father; and after he had given
me good deal of information about it, as
well as the name Of the slippery, brown
seed, he concluded be would lead me sew
eral steps further, so that / might acquire
practical knowledge of raising fax; and
so he planted the seed, or rather, sowed it
on a pretty little knoll near a running
brook, near the shore; and SO / had the
pleasure of seeing il grow on soil that
father said was the right kind to produce
the best fax.
1t did indeed grow abundantly here, and
was very handsome when waving its blue
blossoms in the gentle breezes; and later,
musical, when its ripe bells ratified to the
temper OF the wind. But had to pull that
fax up by the roots, and it seemed as II my
back would break before could finish the
job Then / had to thresh out the seed,
taking what I could OF the stalks, at a
time, in both hands and beat over the
rounds Of a ladder.
o, what {. tedious job! And how re-
pented again and again because Of my
Sunday exploration and discovery Of that
fax seed that father, once upon a Hna,
purchased 10 make pouitices fer car
buncle he possessed! How many times
vas so very sorry he had not kept the
carbuncle long enough to use up all Of the
seed instead of having some left to tuck
away in the garnet for my unlucky find!
Yes, this old workshop, so full of things
and so rich in associations, had been
moved away and turned into barn from
which it had come to be a workshop.
Then thought would visit the wood
shed. Strange thoughts somehow got
into my head when used to saw wood in
that old woodshed, As the sharp saw
sang its harsh notes TO me gli its way
way through poplar, spruce and hack
matack, was trying to think out and
plan some way Of escape. Whoever saw
boy fond OF saving wood7
Would you believe it, that then, In |
those days OF my life, had thought Of /
California as my future home. Well, it |
was even so,
! had examined the maps Of the states
time and times; and there was something
about California, even as il appeared on ,,
the map, that attracted my attention more
than that Of any other state. The shape
and the color of the picture pleased me.
TheB, again, California vas long way
of. hated 10 work on the old farm and
wanted 70 get far way from it. thought
then that if could only once succeed in
getting forever away from picking up
stones, digging potatoes and saving wood
all the troubles and trials of my boyhood
would vanish out OF my life, and / would
be happy. l never once thought or
dreamed that there would be ten thousand
chords running through memory's tubes
that could never break; that there would
be pictures stamped on the sensitive film
OF my mind that could never wipe out.
/ did not then imagine, what now know,
that these chords of memory would grow
stronger with years, and the pictures
clearer with experience.
We cannot hide ourselves away from the
old home, and that is the excuse for this
society-this converting of Maineites in
social, helpful eoncourse.
/ would not forget that Of my youth
which seems to me to have been good
qualities, and / do not think that it
would be best for me II could forget the
bad qualities of my youth; for I can see
that even when was harnessed down by
the latter, ] strove hard for a greater pos
session of the former; and that in the
struggle, long and exhausting though it
was for the time, nevertheless there came
to me measure of growing strength of
character; and in this rejoice to-day as /
have rejoiced at every advance step along
the way.
am exceedingly sorry that ] was so
bad boy; and am glad that l was as
good as i was; glad that there was
enough Of goodness in me to wish and