The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-06-11
The Governors Story.

his heart was pounding with pleasure 1t was the
bappiest moment of his life. 1t had just been an
nounced in chapel that he was the winner of first
bonors of the senior class.
But he had not walked two blocks until the chill
ing recollection came that they did not cheer when
his name was read. There was little perfunctory
land-clapping, but nothing fine and spontaneous
like last year, when Cyrus Field won.
Directly the pleasure was all gone and az often
before, he moodily wondering why he had no
fellowship with the other students, why he was al
ways left out why none seemed to care at either his
failure or success. Like most moody. sensitive
ogeselfconscious people, he failed to see that he
shut himself out by shutting himself up He gave
none Of himself to them, and, of course, they had
little interest in him. But jeff thought resentfully
that it was because of his poverty and humble
family
Two men sat in front of store, talking, over
carelessly, men often do, and the boy overheard
They say that boy of old Gardeners learns like
everything"
1T won't do him any good, remarked the other.
"IIe's got too much of the old man in him. Old Jim
Gardner has always failed at everything he tried;
and Jeff is just like him. He will never be any
thing but old man Gardeners boy"
The bell rang, and he tried to make himself 90
back to his class. But what was the use? He was
only old Jim Gardeners boy
An hour later a seventeen-year-oId bow dinner
pail arm. his shoulders bent like an old mans.
trudged down the road toward home
The Gardeners lived on a small rocky farm three
miles south OF town. 1t was nearly noon when Jeff
reached home. His father was in the ward hammer
ing at the wheele of the market wagon The vege-
tables intended for the early morning market were
still in the wagon box wilted and wzened until +bev
would be scarcely be salable at ALL They were sec
Ondrate vegetables, anyway reflected jeff bitterly
The GARDENERS never had anything that vast first
class.
just as the wheel seemed almost mended the fa-
Their struck little too hard with his hammer. and
broke fely. The work had to be done over again.
JEFF turned into the house sick
In the desolate little sitting room he noticed his
fathers glasses among the litter of papers and old
magazines on the table. Besides the shelf of worn
books sat the one rocking chair where his father
had left II, for old man Gardner loved his books
JET felt Tor the first time angry at his father
angry because of the poverty and failure which had
branded him merely, "Old Jim Gardeners son."
Why away from school?" asked Mr. Gardner,
tmldly, at dinner He was mild, apologize little
man.
i am not going any more" Jeffs tone was sharp.
WHO not, son" The father spoke in Intellectual
surprise
"Oh, what's the use?" said JEFF, angrily. at
won't do any good. The Gardeners always fail-none
OF US ever amount to anything"
The father looked at him wistfully a moment.
Iled TO speak, but his lips trembled and he pushed
back has chair and left the table Jeffs aunt-bis
mother had been dead many years-expostulated
with HIM in a querulous way. She was hopeless
hattern with pitiful little whine tackled to the end
OF her words
Je1 paid no attention to her. not even consider
ing 1t worth while to reply. He got up, took his hat
ana struck out upon the open road in the opposite
direction to town.
occasionally he got work. At times he conferred
all ms energies his task and did remarkably well.
Tor he was both strong and deft. But always when
4edf success, the thought came ooh, WELL Pm only
jim Gardners son-whats the use z" His courage
would slip away; he would grow listless and care
less and directly lose his Job
or two years he tried nearly everything He
worked on farm a few months, then at a sawmill.
-Ie cIefked IN store newsboy on a tram
'aNIaSsed tor book, and did dozens of odd jobs
Sometimes he would fercely declare, II will sue
cea' but always when at the point of success came
mat haunting obsession, Il can't-Pm only Jim
warmers boy-none of us ever succeed" The
OeheF ne tailed the less grew his energy and self
'O11dence lie had shifted around until his clothes
we're shabby and he wore a cringing hangdog look
~ 1ad never written to his father for his heart
was oJter and he blamed him for all his failures
az last he reached bottom, and was tramping the
Ely searching for work-anything to pay for a meal
~,
1sE from the changing noises of the street "Old
I'm I Oardners boy" written in his cringing,
ua- . lag attitude, as he asked vainly for work
For week he lived on one meal a day, and slept
.ne1erer the police would let him-on vacant lots
III leaedyards in boxes.
Ihen one day met him, and looked him
over alphabetically.
a.. Ife city is place for boy like you" he said
! VIII be winter and you'll freeze and starve
Is ME of oa+,
SIlng corn there now"
| can't" he answered duly; Give nothing to
Il, Here," and the man gave him three dollars;
-lat VIII take you a hundred miles into the coun-
drst train"
Ell sat by the window as that car sped along
lu wondered if he really could get job gathering
1Ofn-It was November now-if he only could it
"oqId mean plenty to eat and place to sleep.
!, Inc train slowed down for a station. There was
.ue music Of a band and the sound of much cheer