The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1910-10-13
THE UPROOIING Of jim


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Jim Lesterton was rapidly settiins
down into confirmed old bachelorhood
Il was a pity. but he had played the
part OF father and mother both TO hi.
orphan brothers and sisters, six 81
them. all told-aEd played Il 80 well
that from their very childhood they
had felt no sense Of loss. To him they
had turned In all their Joys and sor-
rows. and he had never failed them.
To outsiders his life had always seem.
ed a singularly noble and self-denying
one To him his course OF action had
seemed the only one which could be
followed.
Now his children" had stretched
their wings. and the quaint old house
In Danechester High street knew chem
no more. The three stalwart lads. Roy.
Leslie and Maurice. were making their
way rapidly In Canada. The girls had
married wisely and happily.
Jim had only recently parted with
the youngest. Dorothy. his pet and
darling. and perhaps Il had cost him
more TO let her 90 than any OF the
others. She was so full OF life and
vivaeity that be seemed 70 find In her
bright youth the youth which had
passed him BY. For he had been 50
intensely occupied with family cares
from his boyhood that be often felt he
had never been young at all. The
small income left by his parents had
been miserably inadequate to supply
the needs Of a growing family. and
Jim had -toiled terribly" to supple
ment It.
He could have told. had he been 50
minded. sad stories OF those early
years. when there were 30 many hun
cry mouths at home. Il was 30 easy
for him 10 live hard and work hard. he
told himself. The spartan-llke sim
plicity Of the regime. fortunately. dId
not affect his constitution. He had
never been absent from bis daily work
BY reason OF illness. He could have
told also OF garments bought ready
made. on account OF cheapness which
his soul secretly loathed; OF thread.
bare greatcoats worn through bitter
winters. and OF sundry other econo- /
mics. cheerfully undergone for the /
sake Of his children" as he called /
them: but these things were hidden In
his heart. Jim Lesterton would have
scorned himself had he spoken OF
them. and n he sometimes felt a little
rad and over-anxlous during those long
years In which the young ones were
growing up. Il was never suspected By
hem. He was an arch-dissembler In
bis way. this blg-hearted. lovable Jim,
but the assembling was such as angels
mile over. always for the cheer and
Tell-belng Of others
God makes His heroes out OF such
'tun. and, quite unconsciously. they
IRE Is the shadow Of a great rock In
weary land 10 those around them.
There are more Of them amongst us
han we know. for often IN our own
VorIdliness and self-seeking our eyes
ire holden
But ~the years which the Iocusts
Iad eaten" lay behind the man now
Ie had risen to a trusted and prosper ,
US position. one which far exceeded
Is early ambitions. and was free from /
II anxiety concerning those dear to
I'm. Yet he was possessed at times
18th a rather painful sense that his
resent comfortable life was not actu-
ny as full and happy as the old toll
* meager existence had been. His
ays seemed empty and gray, and he !
as settling down to feel az he looked :
a dull old bachelor.
The great crisis Of our lives often \
me to US in a most homely and v
fashion. Jim Lesterton, n
ttfng at his breakfast one morning,
ID enjoying a morning paper sup. z
'rted BY a rather battered tea-cosy. a
hich he would not have replaced be- y
use his pet sister had made It for
m, suddenly caught sight Of his own ts
me in the Agony column. a,
If James Lesterton, eldest son OF a,
g late Marcus Lesterton. Of Felver- A.
!, Derefordshire, will communicates h,
tn the Messrs. Lawson, s. Chancery- h.
ie. London, r. C., he viii hear OF 0e
to his advantage" to
Jim gave a violent start, thereby
Jvokine the Keen resentment Of a In
lgnlncent Persian cat, which had
rched herself on his shoulder with
eye to stray tit-blts. She sprang to ha
ground, and esconced herself IN an sh
y chair opposite. keeping, however, ev
eye on her master. wi
'Gloriana, my dear, beg your lady "a
D's pardon" Jim said gravely. and De
d a slight inclination OF his head AZ,
the Pefsian'S direction. But when on
elbow hears quite sudden like that
elbow has only got to show himself tlr
hear something to that fellows ad. bu
Itage, why it's enough to make his an,
nner lack We're de We're repose." I'M
10 read the advertisement through ton
sfully once more. There was a pcs chi
lity, Of course. that some mistake exc
been made IN regard 70 name. had