The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1909-06-17


on the following morning, and Abigail
was now busy in the big garnet pack
ing some forgotten belongings.
AS Abigail began upon a second
trunk Zephaniah stole miserably down
the stairs and out into the felds-his
theirs fathers to the third and fourth
generation before him. The old man
walked through them unsteadily, not
ing lovingly every familiar undulation.
every knoll, every outcropping Of rock.
He passed through the bare rye field
and came to the rail fence, opposite
the elm tree, where he and Matthew
had quarreled eight years ago. The
fare Of reddening creeper could be
seen in the windbreak; the fields were
empty and brown. He remembered
how the grain had swayed and nod
ded before them on that other day.
At the end of the western road the
sun was beginning to set in glory Of
purple and bold, and the sweet notes
Of a hermit thrush came now and
again from the elm tree.
A completer realization Of all that
he was about to lose mastered the old
mans heart. Mutely the scene about
him spoke Of work that was done
the cleaned fields, the setting sun, the
creeper reddening in death. Zepha-
niah, too, stood In the evening and au
tumn of his life. But the sun would
rise again, the creeper would put forth
new leaves, and the young grain would
come up where the old had been cut
down. But for Zephaniah there was
no resurrection. In anger he had cast
his seed from him. He buried his
thin, scanned face in his hands "Oh,
Matthew, my son, my sonw he cried.
Again the beat of hoofs fell upon the
air, but this time the judges bays,
driven by a young woman In gray,
came out Of the west. AS they drove
alongside Zephaniah they were drawn
sprang out into the roadside.
"Fatherw The clear voice came like
the answer to a prayer, bridging the
eight years.
Matthew And the old man held
his "boy" in his arms.
The judges daughter drove slowly
on toward the house. She and Matthew
had but that day learned of the mort
gage on the farm. and. armed with
it's cancellation, Matthew had decided
to brave once more his fathers wrath
and to tell his parents Of his coming
marriage. Margaret insisted upon ac-
companying him.
perhaps he will not forgive you,
and then that will be my only chance
to know your MOTHER" she had said.
Down by the rye field the young pro-
lessor of agricultural physics was
bracing himself by his elbows against
the rails and saying:
"By keeping my nose in a book four
years you see l have succeeded in
pleasing the judges daughter. Now
will you let me try to save the farmY
Zephaniah was looking at the pro-
fessor with the eyes of starved
lover, and now he laughed. low and
happily.
BOY" he said. Tets go in and see
Abigail"
And so it came to pass that Zeph.
aniah Whitcomb lived to see the
despised book learnin'" bring back
the full. glad harvests of his fathers.
The soils were carefully analysed by
the young professor and their filth
and fertility intensified. Crops were
rotated scientifically. and prosperity
returned. And "the hand Of the Lord"
which his fathers had seen in, the
prodigality of nature, Zephaniah Whit
comb now wonderingly beheld in ths
knowledge of his son.
new TO TRAP WILD ANIMALS
40 page trap book illustrated,
picture of As wild animals in natur-
al colors, FUR ANIMAL CALEN-
OAR, gun and trap catalog, also
prices Of hides and furs. All sent
postpaid for 1Oc stamps or silver.
FREE to those who ship to, or buy
of US. Address Fur Dept, N. W.
Hide Il Fur Co., Minneapolis, Mimi.
OeWITT'S e e::ss':;:s WITCH HAZEL
- VAT R~~ DsH~~ n..-. 60