The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-05-09
OURBOYSAND GIRLS
Dave and His
Wheelbarrow.

"Cr-e-e-gee-gh! Cr-e-e-gee-gh!
groaned the over-tried wheel of the
old wheelbarrow, as 1t swayed under
It's load around the house from the
garden, across the front yard to the
barn, and then around to the swamp
hole behind, which needed to be fill
cd, and SO was used for a dumping
place for all sorts OF refuse.
No one ever though to grease the
wheel and Dave in his enthusiastic
energy crowded double the weight 1t
ought to bear into the wheelbarrow,
and then bent his own back in the
exertion of holding up the handles
and pushing 1t forward.
Dave was ready and willing. and
the wheel was ready and willing,
too; but 1t bent first to one way and
| then to the other, under, the load,
and voiced It's pain In discordant
wall at being forced to wear out
prematursly Just for want of littlo
grease.
But no one had told Dave about
It. and he had not yet found out for
| himself, though more than once he
had bent over and peered into the
wheel in search of possible stone or
stick that might have worked into It
! somewhere.
Dave was not real country boy
who knew all about such things, and
! the woman who employed him was
not a real country woman, who
! might have known. She had bought
the big farm Just for a place to stay
at few months in the summer with
her friends, and Dave, whose grow
! ing ambition had made him walk out
from the city, had been hired for n
| month. with promise that If lie
suited he would be engaged perma-
nently, and could help look after the
place in the winter, when the owner
would be away.
For this he would receive SIS 4
month, and, If he wished 1t, the use
of a tiny house at the foot of the or
chard.
The house had appealed to Dave
even more than the wages. If he got
1t he would send to the city after his
mother and sister, who were out Of
work and wanted to leave.
That is why he put double loads
into the wheelbarrow and tried to
trundle 1t around behind the barn
twice as often as any other boy
as the creaking grew louder and
more insistent, he began to glance
toward the windows apprehensively.
Then, at what seemed the critical
moment, a bit Of Dawes bread upon
the water returned to him. A neigh
boring farmer stopped by the gar
den wall one day and looked at him
curiously.
Amt ye the boy who fixed up q
dogs foot In the road one day" he
asked-"a yaller dog?"
Yes. sir; there was big splln-
ter in It,"
We'll, l seen We cross the field.
1t was my dog. an twas nice of ye.
But why don't ye grease that
wheel?"
Grease it-how?" asked Dave.
blankly.
"Why-but wait a minute.
guess I've got some grease in my
Vaughn"
In few moments the man climbed
over the wall and removed the bar
row wheel. then with stick he ap-
piled grease literally to the inside OF
the hub.
There" he said. as he replaced
the wheel. "S'pose ye try 1t now"
Dave did SO and his face shone.
why. It don't make a bit OF
noise" he exclaimed. 1T runs Just
as still as the rubber-tired carriage
/ believe it'll get me the Job"
Perhaps 1t did, and perhaps It was
the way Dave worked. At any rate
when the owner paid him at the end
OF the month she said she had de.
cided to engage him permanently.
Tho next day he sent for his