The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-01-21

handle and looking straight ut Wash.
Il aim to chop an pile up heap O.
nice wood TO 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 not'in' 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 70 yO' nanny. No. no,
honey. | cayn't go fishin nohow. Yo'
mus do de fishin' yo'se'f now"
Wash dropped his gaze to the ground,
nm unusual thing for him: but. then,
the woodcutting was one of the chores
he so studiously shirked.
''Is gwine wuk hard wen Is big
GER he muttered deprecatingly. "My
nanny say boys mus make mos o.
dere playtime. Wen rs man rs
gwine wuk hard lax my pap, an'-an'
be soger," for in spite of their an
tagonism, Wash regarded his father as
embodying all that was manly and
heroic
"Yo'll neb5er be lax yo' pap" Uncle
Nose said. He study an wuk hard
Wen he's Il boy. 70 mo- lax ole rag
ged Jake" Then his gaze dropped in
sudden ahashed consciousness Of hav-
Ing upbraided his favorltc, ANA if the
boy had waited moment longer he
would have heard the most abjcct apol-
ogy and contrite Don 80 min,
inLy' .In al H.:
Yo's n good boy, sho' nough good
boy" I.
But Wash did not hear. He was
speeding toward the woods with dim
eyes and heaving breast. He like dis
reputable Jake, the SCOT Of the entire
community! If his father or any OF
those who were accustomed to upbraid
him had said the words he would not
have remembered them a minute after
they were spoken, but Uncle Nose,
who had never scolded him in all his
life before and from whom harsh
word could not be wrung except by
direful prOvocation!
The words were true. He knew it
even while combating them in imDo-
tent anger anG wrath. And they stung
and dashed him to the big tree, to his
traps, TO Il spot in Il dense thicket
where he lay for Il full hour picking
ut the leaves and finally
TO his bed in the loft lie not to be
like his father when everybody said
he was growing UP big and strong and
would some time be his very image.
And this was his last thought when,
far in the night he fell asleep with
two big tears still undriel ON his black
cheeks.
The next morning Uncle Moses first
thought WAS Of reconciliation with
Wash. Bat the boy was not in his bed |
nor in the Kitchen below. and only |
when he went TO the door and heard |
Il faint click-clicking from the truck |
patch did lie understand that Wash |
was digging bait for an unusually |
early start Shutting in the direction
Of the sound, the old man stopped at |
the corner of the COW shed in sudden |
amazement. for there was |
the boy, not digging bait, as he had |
but hoeing potatoes.
Wash looked up with an odd smile
III his good natured face.
"Yo' better go hep nanny wild her
chickens. gran'pap,' he commented.
lot even pausing to rest. on his hoe
handle rs lie spoke, but working Wig
on. IL finish desc taters."
Then, as the old man opened his
mouth without seeming able to make
| sound, the boy continued:
~ t'ink bout what yo' say, gram
zap. an rs gwine be lax pap, an l
lin gwine be lax ole Jake. An l
eckon yo' right bout nanny. l ain
lebber motifs befo'. but dis mawnin'
low she do look porely. Wen desc
alters is done Is gwine chop dat wood
n''do lots odder t'ings. Now yo' bet
er go long. gran'pap. case Is In a
lurry."
This was the BEGINNING OF big
eformation in WaSh--a reformation
'rought about by the force of exam
lie. And this is the origin of all refor-
nations. Great military leaders have
ot said 900" hut "Foilow me-" The
christian martyrs ST. ported the in
ant religion by an example that was
Elective not only 1000 years ago, but
J a shining light TO millions of Chris
ians to the present day.
And so ii L., In cur everyday life.
jhcIe Nose, it il true, spoke to the
oy about what he was doing, but only
D explain why he did It. that he might
lake the lesson of his own industry
he more effective.
A week later there was not q weed
1T in the truck patch. not stick of
rood that was uncut and not a chore
bout the place that was in urgent
eed Of being done.
Uncle Nose was acquiring q chronic
abit OF rubbing his hands. nanny
'as smiling to herself almost contin-
ally. and Wash grinned even while
Is bands were being blistered by the
tools.
And then one day, at .nammys in
igation. Uncle Nose ard Wash made |
compact. 1t was TO spend every Sat-
rday afternoon under the big tree
q the Suwanee.
And what Saturdays they were! 9