Middletown transcript., 1910-06-04
" UNCLE BEN'S ~
~ NEW YEARS GIFT VI

HICKS, q aC0m1ofbaDI6I IhE4n6T1 SUMS
fifty miles from Cincinnati, that
I'll take . trip over to s., and
see how Peter is coming on.
/ wish you would, replied his
wife. There's not much to do
now, and you can go for Q week
as well as not. 1t will be a good
opportunity to see the family, and
Judge Of things from your own
observation. Hannah makes a
dreadful sour mouth whenever
she writes.
I know she does, and that's
why I thought OF going. There's
something wrong, depend ont.
Something wrong. Than Peter,
there isn't a harder working man
anywhere; I'll give him credit for
that. He ought to get along COM
fortably and lay up money. No
one has a finer piece Of farm land;
nor one that ought to turn ont
more to the acre.
And / can speak for Hannah,
said the old lady, ] raised her,
and she hasn't a lazy bone in her
body.
It isn't want of industry on
either side, remarked Benz. The
defect lies in the want of manage.
ment, or the profitable disposi.
ton Of that they make. Hand
work is all very well; but it's often
like rowing with one oar; there
must be Q head work to make the
boat shoot lightly forward. Yes
yes, I must go and see them.
ltwas o few days before Christ
mas, that this brief conversation
took place. On Christmas day,
the old gentleman arrived by the
stage in S.. He entered the
farmhouse of Peter Miller, which
neither within nor without, pre-
sented an air of thrift or comfort.
A hearty welcome did Uncle
Ben receive from Peter and Han.
nah, and the children. Of the
latter, there were four living
two had died. The oldest was
Ellen, a girl in her 10th year;
Henry, just IA, came next. Be-
tween him and Hannah, q bright
noisy creature, 2 years old, there
had been a brother and sister;
but two small hillocks in the
graveyard near by, marked the
spot where their dust was min
Cling with it's kindred dust. A
baby, 2 years old, completed the
household treasures.
The pleasure that was felt at
his coming beamed from every
countenance. Peter was talka
tive and cheerful, and Hsnnah's
face was lit up with a constant
succession of smiles. After sup.
per, however, and the quiet of
the evening made the thoughts
sober, Peter grew silent. and
Hannah now and then sighed in
voluntarily.
How are you getting on now,
Pster? asked Mr.. Hicks.
Not so well as I could wish,
Uncle Ben, replied Peter. j
I'm sorry to near you say that.
You were always honest and in.
dustrious and in the country,
honest industry should rise by its
own inherent buoyancy.
Peter works hard enough, dear
knows ! spoke up Hannah, we
ought to get along. If he goes
on as he has been for the last few
years, he win break himself
down.
That's bad, said Uncle Ben,
very bad work, even hard work
Is better for the health than idle
ness. Rust destroys more than
friction. But overwork is not
good.
That I already begin to feel,
said Peter. I give out much
quicker than I did some years ago
Bad, bad! returned Uncle Ben,
his head. You're just in
the prime af life, Peter. At your
age I could go through more work
fatigue, than at any time
before.
And what Is worstof all, sighed
Peter, i don't seem to get in the
least beforehand. In fact, for
the last three or four years, 1
have found itimpossible to make
both ends meet.
Yes, that is the worst of all,
Peter. I'm sorry to hear you
'sy that.
Last winter, resumed Peter, ]
ost twenty sheep and two fine
lows. /
We've been very unlucky, Uncle
Ben, said Hannah, and we're down
light discouraged. Peter had to (
mortgage the farm this year.
Mortgage! mortgage! The old (