Smyrna times., 1910-03-09
AVarnpiire
How His Old Father and Mother
Stood by Their Son Even to
Giving Up the Farm.
By T A. Mitchell.
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

incidents typifying the different phases
of human life is witnessed by anv
class that every day passes before
bankers. Sometimes whole stories are
enacted before us spread over a term
of years. ! am the repository OF one
such story that | watched from it's
beginning to it's climax.
One afternoon a weather beaten old
farmer with silky white hair scattered
over his head came to my desk and.
pulling out wallet, asked for draft
on Denver for 5000 in favor of Thomas
Williams. He counted out the money.
and then, having nothing to do while
the draft was being prepared, began
to tell me the beginning of this story.
Pm sendin' the money" he said.
Ito my boy out in Colorado. He went
out there a year ago. takin' some
money with him that give him, but
he hasn't had much luck. and it's all
gone. First he got sick: then when
he got well he went prospectin' and
struck sOmepin that looked good, but
some other fellers jumped his claim.
whatever that means. and took it all
away from him.
"Then Tom got sick agin and went
to horSepittle and stayed there three
months. Now he's got out of the
hOrSepittle and loOkin' about for some
pin I'm Sendin' this money to give
him a chanct. Toms his mothers pet.
and she lays awake nights worritin'
about him. I'm mighty fond of the
boy myself somehow. He was always
u smart little chap-tOOk lots of prizes
and things at schule
when he got old enough to work :.
wanted him to help me on the farm.
He tried it for awhile. but see purity
quick he didn't take to it. He was
too smart TO be cOntented to follow a
| plOw same : his father. who didn't
never get nO eddicatiOn So | says
to him one lay: Tommy. reckon you'd
better go To the city and work that
| Away This don't suit you He was
mighty we'll pleased at that 1t al
most broke mas heart to part with
him. hut she knOwed ii was better for
him and let him 90
Tom didn't like it in town so well
as he thought he would. Leastaways
he didn't stay long in the place he
went into. They must a thought a
heap of him. though. for they raised
his salary twice. so he wrote me- But
he got into Il fight with one of the
head clerks and got himself discharged
He said the head clerk accused him OF
stealin' some money
Tom was alluS an ambitious little
chap. and after leavin his place he
concluded he'd 20 west aud try and
do SOmepin big. for ma and me agir
we got too Old tn work. So we scrapPC
up 500 and give it to him. and he
At this moment a clerk laid th'
farmers draft on my desk. and til,
f"''t cl"HTPf of his story waS finished
fer w., u'c:jl H. 0Int over mis- Sule,
AMI t"''' ujl.S. row ard a"ain wPttir;
his thu"'h - a.:; l.p a' ne turned ihe:'
up lh.F!. lcavi:" ITEM 20 me aE'
carpfGlI: fcr,iMa ms draft. he put il il
his wallet. raHidCd the wallet dow
into the bottom of bis pocket an.
| '
bank.
The second aapter of the story
very shore, ThYrp is hardly enough il
ii t. make Il chapter. but there is
good dear iprp;iIb the few words re
quired to toll it, \ girl Of eightee
came to the bank. laid down SD. neal
ly all in silver coin. aud asked for
draft to cover the amount.
ITO whom Will you. have it mad
payabe:" ! as.,ed.
Tom Williams" in a soft voice. a
most Il whisper.
I ordered the draft made out. an
the girl stood waiting. Unlike tn
farmer. she didn't tell all would hav
r liked to know. so | asked:
: us Tom Williams your brother"
NO" she replied. looking down o
the floor
had not liked the indications as
Toms character as they appeared
his fathers account of him. and no
e that money was going to him from b
| sweetheart | began to despise him.
handed the girl the draft and had
: good opportunity to study her. Tor 81
p never once looked up at me- 81
! went out with it hugged up again
her heart. as though she loved it b
cause she had saved it for Tom.
My next visitor in behalf Of To
was his mother. She stood by n
desk emptytng on it from a carpetbs
a lot of bills and silver and copp'
coins. Not knowing who she was,
asked what should do with Il
money. and she said. Send it to Tom
n By this time was not likely to forg
. Tom and asked II she wished dra
for Thomas Williams. She said 81
did. turned her funds over to
clerk to count. and he reported tn
they amounted to S643.47. | orders
the draft t. be made out. placed
chair befer" the old lady and sal
with a view to my enlightenment:
"Mr. Williams pretty busy now
daysT
'No, pa amt busy. He's sick.
wish we had our boy here to help I