Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-17
CHAPTER /.

ture that never could see anything but tne
bright side of life, no matter how dark tne
outlook might be. He might be hungry put
he would not admit that he was, ana MAJ,
frozen in his thin, threadbare garments pu'
he would not own to the fact, even TO hlnisei, \;
The next boy was Caleb, year ana nan
Younger than Trux close third was WIN,
cheIl' commonly designated Winch 'for short,
and little Tommy, ''four going on tive as ne
was particular to let everyone know VINO
asked him his age.
last. but by no means the least, was Eisie'
the baby. Blossom, as they all nked pest W
call her. such sweet, fower-faeed httle tning
was she. Their mother, small, delicate wom-
an. did not look able to successfully prlng up
such a sturdy, growing quartet OF Doys, anu
really felt hopelessness that she 1rleo ia
vain to conceal.
Mr.. Dana had now been dead three months,
and here it was mid November, and the two
tail poplars shading the south window OF
their humble home, situated not Tar from the
high altitude of the Catskill Mountains, were
already beginning to shiver in the chill "inds
If Mrs. Dana was physically not strong and
fearful of the future for her little ones, she
had in her mother an energetic, resoureeiui
manager, woman of marked courage and oe,
termination, one to face the worst In PROUD
silence and ask neither pity nor charity such
as is ordinarily bestowed upon those whom
fortune has dealt hardly by, and especially If
they have seen better days, and enjoyed sn-
perior advantages in time past. 1t was from on!
Grandma Ogden that Trux had inherited has
good looks, as well as his brave spirit ana
stout heart.
Years ago it had been said in her native
town of Norton that lovely Emily Earle had
married beneath her when she accepted John
Ogden, and SO continued to say the gossips
of the small hamlet of Dayton. he had run
through" his own not large fortune, also, the
considerable one his wife had brought him,
and these same gossips unanimously summed
il all up in the sententfbus assertion that she
was 'too good for such an easy-going. indo-
lent man, anyway"
Be that as it may, however, Emily Earle
married John Ogden, and she, being one OF
rage vow meant literally for better or for
worse until death broke the bond, made no
complaint, although she soon realized the ms
take she had made, and that life for her
henceforth must be one of patient self-denial
and unavailing regret.
Mrs. Dana favored her father insofar as she
possessed his dependent disposition and lack
of ability to withstand the stress of adversely
and consequent heplessness that came with
her husbands sudden DEATH AS a child she
had been her mothers sole comfort and joy.
The little daughter for whom she had viii
lingly toiled and sacrificed the best years of
her life, and now when both were widowed
and actual want stared them in the face, it
began the desperate fight of keeping the wolf
from the door. She idolized her grand-chil-
dren, and for them would endure no end Of
hardship and privation.
There was little one. could find to do in a
village like Dayton; the farmers wives and
daughters doing their own work, and as for
the others, the more well-to-do, they mainly
did their sewing themselves and the few who
didn't, Mrs. Dana and her mother both knew
by bitter experience, paid very little, and that
most Prudglngly, to have it done.
The Danas nearest neighbors were the Bar
neys.. He was the village blacksmith and
wheelwright, and there were six young Bar
neys in all, Joe and Sue being the oldest of
the half Dozen Joe was fourteen and Sue
two years younger.
In the other direction, mile across lots.
but good three miles by the road, was the
stony farm and old, low-roofed homestead of
Silas Craig. He was bachelor of sixty years,
and with the exception of his half-sister, Han
nah, lived alone. He was a big broad-shoul-
dered old fellow, with deepset, light blue
eyes that twinkled in friendly way when
ever he met an of the ''Dana kids" for from
Trux down to Baby Blossom they were an
prime favorites of his, while the Barneys he
utterly detested.
The fast through trains never STONED at
Dayton. 1t was too small place for that
The village store was also the postof6ce. and
the common centre of attraction for the snr.
rounding country folk There was very un-
pretentious frame church and school house
and few dwellings scattered along the main
street, which constituted the village proper.
The Danas lived at the extreme end of this
street. in weatherbeaten home. sadly in
need Of paint, but quite private, since it stood
apart, by itself, the owner of which had gen
erously allowed the widow to remain in Il
rent free until the following April. This was
Judge Thornley,, who had once been State
p Senator, and was still the great man of the
village.