The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-05-23
CHAPTER I.
How IL All Began.


er's tone made the six months
stretch encouragingly into six long
years.
see her now wildly as II II were
only yesterday. We were at our scant
breakfast, ] as blue as was ever
even rs. she brave and confident
And hers was no mere pretense to
reassure me, no cherries optimism
OF ignorance. but the through-and.
through courage and strength OF those
who finch for no DOGGY that life or
death can conjure. Her tone lifted
me; glanced at her and what shono
from her eyes set me on my feet. face
10 the foe. The table-cloth was darn
ed in many places. but 50 skillfully
that you could have looked closely
without detecting II. Not lump OF
sugar. nor a slice OF bread went TO
waste in that house: yet even had
20 think twice 10 realize that We were
poor. desperately poor. She did not
hide our poverty; she beautihed II,
she dignified II into Spartan sim
plicity. ! know II is not the glamour
over the past that makes me be-
neve there are no women now like
those OF the race TO which she be-
longed The world. today. yields
comfort too easily to the capable:
hardship is the only mold for such
character. and in those days. In this
middlewestern country. even the cap
able were strangers 10 hardship.
When | was young" she went on.
"and things looked black. as they
have a habit OF looking TO the young
and inexperienced" that put In with
a teasing smile at met used 10 say
70 myself: Well. anyhow. they can't
Kill me-" And the thought used 20
cheer me up wonderfully. In fact. Il
still does"
no longer felt hopeless. began
70 gnaw my troubles agaln-despair Is
still.
Judge CRANKY IL 4 dog" said I:
yes. q dog"
why 'dogf" objected my mother.
why not simply mean mann rye
never known dog that could equal
a man who set out TO be 'onery.'"
When I think OF all the work Two
done for him In these three years
For yourself" she interrupted.
Work you do for others doesn't
amount TO much. unless it's been nrst
and bost for yourself"
But he was benefited by u, too"
I urged. 'and has taken life easy. and
has had more clients and bigger fees
than he ever had before. I'd ike 10
give him a jolt Id stop nagginE
him TO put my name In 4 miserable
corner OF the glass in his door. I'd
hang out "a big sign OF my own over
my own once door"
My mother burst into a radiant
smile. I've been waiting a year 10
hear that" she said.
Thereupon had a shock OF fright
inside, for I'd never have dared 10
show fear before my mother. There's
nothing else that makes you so brave
as living with some one before whom
you haven't the courage 10 let your
cowardlce show It's feather. n We
didn't keep each other up 10 the mark.
what a spectacle OF fright and Fight
this vorlddrama would be! Vanity.
the greatest OF vices. n also the
greatest OF virtues. or the source OF
the greatest virtues-whlch comes 20
the same thing.
When did you DO IT." she went on.
and then I knew was IN for Il. and
how well-founded was the suspicion
that had been keeping my lips light. |
shut upon my dream OF indspend. |
once.
"Tll-ill think about a." was my
answer. In q tone which I hoped she |
would soc was not hesitating. but re-
Elective; Il mustn't TO too far-sr too |
fast"
Better 60 too far and too fast
than none AZ all rstorted my wise
mother. -once a tortoise beat a hare
-onos. II never happened asain. yer
the whole umid world has been tsIh.
Ing about II ever sinoe.- And she
fsil into . study from which al.
reused herself 10 say: You'd bessr |,
let mo bargain for tho once and the
furnitnre-and the big siga-" She
knev-buf could not or would not
teach mc-hov 70 get q dollars worth
for dollar; would not. I suspect. for
she despised parsimony. declaring II
20 DO another virtue which IL becom.
fng only In q woman.
of courso-vhen-" I beean.
We've got TO do something I'm m.
NEXT six months" she warned. Ana
nov she made tho six months seem
sir minutes.
l had at my tongues end some-
thing about tho danger OF drassing
her down into misfortune; but before
speaking I looked at her. and. look.
ing. refrained. To say II TO her would
have been too absurd-to her who
had been left 4 widow with nothing
at all. who had educated mo for col.
iege. and who had helped mo through
my hrst year there-helpcd mo with
money. j mean. But for what shs
gave besides. more. immeasurabiy
more-but for her courage in mo ana
round mo and under me--I'd never
u a