The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-05-12
THE AWAKENING OF ELI.
BY MARY K. MAULE.

20 yes, it's pretty enough" said
Eli, dispiritedly flicking a horse-hy
off the ears of the roam mare, but
it's dull +; things are not what they
used to be on the cape"
Nonsense Eh," replied the
young westerner, "don't be a croaker,
times are better than they ever were
before"
"Not with me-"
"Then it is you that is out Of joint,
not the times. Why, man alive
there never was time in the whole
history of the world when a man Of
energy, grit and hustle had the chance
he has now"
Eli squared himself about on the
seat of the blackboard and looked at
his companion.
He was brown and spare and SIM
ewy pride and courage looked out of
his keen New England eyes, determi-
nation showed in his firm chin and
square jaw, and unremitting energy
and toll had rounded his broad shoul-
ders and bent his supple back before
its time.
"I'd like to know how. I'm 81
years old, and if ever a man worked
hard, saved tight, figured close, and
worked every opportunity that came
his way have"
"Of course you have. I know that,
but -'
"I started in when I was eight
years old, and I've worked as hard as
any man could work ever since. I
did chores for the neighbors to buy
books so I could go to school I cut
ice, pitched hay, hauled wood, tended
horses; fished in the winter, farm
ed in the summer, saved up enough
money tc put me through Boston
University-and now, at 81 what am
1? Driving stage, carrying passen-
gers to and from the beach, at twenty
five cents a head !"
eyes, but that isn't all you"
eyes, Iown little farm, but it's
mortgaged I've got an interest in
the general store, but we don't sell
any goods; I act as baggage-master
at the station, but don't get any
salary L"
You've got good house and four
horses, you carry the mail, you cut
the hay, you dicker around in cram
berry bogs, you run the schools
what more do you want, man -
Eli gave a short, grudging laugh.
Money" he answered emphatic
ally, "and leisure; time to think,
time to read, time to do something
and be something besides the narrow,
slab-sided drudge I've become. For
the amount of time and energy I put
in between four o'clock in the morn
ing and nine o'clock at night every
day in the year ought to be laying.
up money; but I never will at this
rate; I'll Ue uruuge an my meas
my fs.va.>-r-v---. t>ef,r~
Beardsley tipped his hat over his
eyes, put his feet on the dashboard
and gripped his pipe between his
teeth.
'Ever been out West, Eli?" he
asked suddenly.
Eli shook his head. "Never been
out of New England"
"That's what you want. You want
to get away from here for a while.
What you need is change, to get far
enough away from all this old life of
yours to get perspective of it. Your
worlds too small, you need to widen
it Bit"
The New England man turned and
looked at his adviser, glow kind
ling in his eyes.
"Ye-es, maybe that's so, but l
can't go-can't afford it."
"There's where you are wrong,
Eli, you can afford it. What you
can't afford is not to CO."
"Why p What do you mean 7"
"Just this" and Beardsley took
his feet down from the dashboard, sat
erect, and beat off his statement on
the palm of his hand.
"You are a mighty bright chap,
smart and clever, and with lot OF
initiative and push that ought to put
you somewhere. But the trouble with
you is you're wasting your energies
You're like horse on a treadmill-
you go far enough every day to carry
you quite piece on in the journey ol
life, but your feet are fast and yor
don't get anywhere. Now what you
want to do is to break away from the
treadmill, run away, get up on high
hill somewhere and look about you.
A hungry, eager light came into
the drivers brown face.
81 know tive felt it /; I've beer
cramped, smothered, starved here
But how can 1 help it? How can
get away
"How? Why just go A fellow
like you can do pretty near anything
ne sets out 10 10. YOU sec, OAu SudP
the world is moving right along thes'
days, and fellow has got to move
with it. We can't afford to sit still
in one place. 1t don't matter mrcl
where you go, only get out and rul
elbows with the rest of the world
You'll be surprised how it will opel
your eyes. I've got as much out o
the East as you will out of the West
The old idea of grubbing along in tn
groove our fathers made for US ha
changed, Eli fellows got to Sc
the world these days and find on
what other men are doing in order L
keep up with the procession"
Eyes, that may be true-it is true
but how could / go? how could
afford it? where would l get tn
money p
"Tush, man, that's easy enough
Sell off a cranberry patch, part will
a horse, or a cow or two-it'n pa.
you in the end"
Eli made no reply, but, plunged il
brown study, finished the drive II
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