Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1910-03-04

/ mout fix de truck patch wuk, lax yo'
say. but dar's odder tings. aim to
hep yo' nanny bout her chickens
an washln' an housewuk. She ain
strong lax she mout me-"
Wash dug his heels deeper into the
sand and shifted. AS he heard It a
sudden hardness came into the old
mans eyes.
AN dar's anudder fling" he con-
tinued, leaning again upon bis hoe
handle and looking straight at Wash.
Il aim to chop an pile up heap O.
nice wood fo' yo' nanny. She hab
to go out un'er de trees mos cherry
day to pick up bits O. stick an bark
an chips to kin'le her fire, case dey
ain notin' round de wood pile 'cep'in'
big sticks witch yo' pap brung an
witch ain chop up. aim to cut hit
all an pile hit 'ginst de do whar hit'll
be handy TO- yo' nanny. No, no,
honey, | cayn't 60 fishin' nohow. Yo'
mus do de fishin' yo'se'f now"
Wash dropped his gaze to the ground.
an unusual thing for him: but, then,
NhC WoOAI0ttlhB was OhC VA AhG ChOA Cd
he SO studiously shirked.
IFS gwine wuk hard wen is big
GER" he muttered deprecatingly. my
nanny say boys mus make mos O.
dere playtime. Wen rs a man rs
gwine wuk hard lax my pap, an'-an'
be a soger," for In spite Of their an
tagonism, Wash regarded his father as
embodying all that was manly and
heroic.
'Yo'll nebber be lax yo' pap" Uncle
Nose said. He study an wuk hard
wen he's boy. Yo' mo- lax ole rag
ged Jake" Then his gaze dropped in
sudden abashed consciousness of hav.
ing upbraided his favorite, and IL the
boy had waited q moment longer he
would have heard the most AFFECT apol.
ogy and contrite Don yo' min
honey; hits jes' de ole man a tallkin
Yo's good boy. sho' nough good
boy"
But Wash did not hear. He was
speeding toward the woods with din
eyes and heaving breast. He like dis
reputable Jake. the scoff of the entire
community! II his father or any OF
those who were accustomed to upbraid
him had said the words he would moi
have remembered them a minute after
they were spoken, but Uncle Nose
who had never scolded him In all his
lie before and from whom a harsh
word could not be wrung except by
direful provocatlon!
The words were true. He knew II
even while combating them In impo
tent anger and wrath And they stung
and dashed him to the big tree, to his
traps. to spot In dense thicket
where he lay for full hour picking
Tindlctiyely at the leaves and finally
to his bed In the loft He not to b.
like his father when everybody sale
he was growing up big and strong ana
would some time be his very image
| And this WIS his last thought when
far IN the night, he fell asleep will
two big tears still undrled on his blacl
checks.
The next morning Uncle Moses frs
thought was of reconciliation will
Wash. But the boy was not in his beC
nor IN the kitchen below, and only
when he went to the door and hearC
| faint click clicking from the trucl
patch did he understand that Wasl
was digging bait for an unusually
early start. Shutting In the direction
Of the sound. the old man stopped al
the corner OF the COW shed In sudden
incredulous amaZement. for there was
the boy. not digging bait. as he had
supposed. but hoelng potatoes.
Wash looked up with an odd smile
on his good natured face.
"Yo' better go hep nanny wild he'
chickens. gran'pap," he commented
not even pausing TO rest on his hoe
handle as lie spoke. but working Wig
orously on II finish desc taters."
Then. us the old man opened BIZ
mouth without seeming able TO make
a sound. the boy continued:
~ tlnk bout what 70 say. gran
pap. an Is gwlne be lax pap, an
ain gwlne be lax ole jake. An
reckon yo' right bout nanny. ain
nebber motifs befo but dis mawnln
low she do look porely. Wen des'
taters Is done rs gwine chop dat WOOD
an do lots Odder things. Now 20 bet
ter go long. gran'pap case rs In
hurry"
This was the beginning OF BIZ
reformation In Wash-a reformation
brought about by the force Of exam
/ pie. And this is the origin Of all ref0r
nations Great military leaders have
not said go" but Follow me-" The
Christian martyrs supported the IN
FAINT religion by an example that wal
effective not only 1000 years ago, bu
IL a shining light to millions of Chris
tians to the present day.
And so It is IN our everyday life
Uncle Nose, II Is true. spoke TO thu
boy about wbat he was doing, but oDiJ
to explain why he did II, that he nigh
make the lesson OF his own industry
the more effective.
A week later there was not weet
left In the truck patch, not stick Of
wood that was uncut and not a chor'
about the place that was In urgen
need Of being done.
Uncle Nose was acquiring q chronic
habit Of rubbing his hands, NANNY
was smiling to herself almost contin
ually, and Wash grinned even while
his hands we're being blistered by thu
unaccustomed tools.
And then one day, at mammy's In
stigation. Uncle Nose and Wash mad
a compact. It was to spend every Sat
urday afternoon under the big tre'
on the Suwanee.
And what Saturdays they were
Wash has learned that pleasure 4
mainly contrast with work On,
cannot enjoy rest without being tired
One cannot enjoy ldleness wlthou
having been busy. 80 Wash. after |
hard weeks work. knew the pleasure
Of Incidence
|