Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-07-16
opyright. 1909. by American Press
Association.

ing UP the reinS which his father had
dropped. Ii was not to be temporary.
he understood. but complete renun-
citation or all his plans-of his life as
he had hoped TO make II. There were
SIX children and rundown farm and
mother whose waning strength
should be nourished rather than
drawn upon. 1t was the only way;
better to sacrifice his ambition than
that they should be forced upon char
ity. In his own plans IL would be
years before he could educate himself
and make a living.
So the books were laid aside, and he
forced his energy TO study OF the
farm and Its possibilities. His father
had been content with the old meth
DDS and had fallen behind He must
push on into the new, not only for tho
necessary livelihood. but for the grow.
Ing needs OF his brothers and sisters
and their education. A city was but
few miles away, and gradually he
fertilized the barren fields to renewed
productiveness To such vegetables as
the markets called for.
He was shy by nature, scholar
whose world was I'm retirement with
his books. but now he forced himself
upon peddler's cart and sold vegeta-
bles and fruit from house TO house.
bargaining for the needs at home. He
counted his earnings like a miser and
planned for their shrewd expenditure.
and he lost sleep I'm the study OF con-
Verting soil and sunshine aud labor
into hard, necessary dollars
But with it all the road was difficult
and sometimes almost beyond his DOW
er OF endurance. Ten years and he
still wore the coat he had worn back
from college, now frayed and patched;
the mortgage on the farm remnined
the same, and he still went from house
to liorse selling vegetables, not yet
able TO hire boy to do the marketing.
But, on the other hand, the brothers
| ana sisters were all ha could have
wished. The oldest hoy was working
| Ills way through an agricultural col
| lcge. with nh ambition for n higher ed
ucation beyond; the next was I'm a
technical school at Philadelphia study
ing to be a civil engineer One girl
| was ut the state normal, another learn
! ing to be II nurse. while the two young
|
thought much about their future. Dur.
Ing vacations they came home and
| helped him, md from time to time all
Of them had entreated to be allowed
TO do their share in the support But
here he was firm. They should haze
what he had missed. he declared, and
1t was too late for him To go back and
take up life as he had left Il. gr
So the years went on, and he toiled
early and late and planned and bar
| gained and improved. but for all that
he was not farmer and never could
be. for 1t was his will in the work
not his heart. He never went to
house TO ask trade but what lie shrank
back as from blow, aud long after
his hands had grown hard and knotty
his thoughts would wander surreptI-
| tiously TO the books he had laid aside
Perhaps it was his recognized dis
taste for the work that made him do
IL so thoroughly and conscientiously
There was not farm IN the country
round that was better managed or that
produced more for It's size. John Whit
son was crank. the neighbors said,
which meant that he was always on
the lookout for weak, sensitive places
in fence or field as In himself, that
could be strengthened by timely re-
newal or patching or toniHg up. IL
there was any duty he shrank from,
that was the duty he was apt TO seek
first and do most thoroughly.
BY the time the younger children
were ready for the final studies which
were to fit them for their chosen call
ings the college graduate ana the cigif
| engineer were at work and sending
their mites 10 the home fund. and
with the coming OF these mites came
Johns first opportunity 20 turn his nf
tention TO the mortgage
OF late years he had not permitted
himself to regard the future as per
sonal problem II was too fnr away.
But with the lessening of the mort
gage and the near establishment OF
the last OF the children his own ~
ture was again dra wing marvelously
near What should he do with IL?
How unite &c with the books which
had practically been laid aside for
twenty years? lie had no taste for
farming, but ne understood IL and
could wrest from even his few acres n
comfortable living. Could ne do as
much with his books and dreams, Of
| which he had made no test?
But even In his thoughts he did not
hesitate. The books and dreams were
his. and. burden or banner. 10 was right
that he should take them into his III
turc when the future should be clear.
\ lie would lift the mortgage first and
would train n boy TO competent man
! agcment OF the place and would put
! aside enough for household needs.
| Then ne would be free 10 go. There
/ would be no further necessity for his
I presence here. His mother was old,
Of course. aud needing care. but Jane,