The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-12

children of men about the earth, he felt almost glae that his boy had never lived upon pagueinfected world But in the soothe of twilight, the old pipe persuaded him to pleasanter view of his boy alive and always doing the right thing, avoiding the evil
 His motto Erie would have done different" He was sure of that It his constant conclusion
 After graduating from au imaginary Yale, Erie went to an imaginary law school in New York City less. Then he admitted to that imaginary bar where lawyer never defends unrighteous cause. loses case, yet grows rich And, of course, like every other American boy that dreams is dreamed of. in good time he had become President
 Eric lived so exemplary a life, was so busy in virtue unbemshed of fault that he could not bs overlooked by the managers of the quadrennial na- tonal performance, searching with Demosthenes lantern for man against whom nothing could be said. They called Eric from private life to be head liner in their vaudeville.
 Against Fries bameless Iife the arrows of islander like darts shot toward the They fell back upon the archers heads. That was lively night in the tobacco lagoon when the election returns in and state after state swung to Fries column Rudd made it as nearly unanimous he could, without making it stupid The solid South he left unbroken; seems had devised what everybody else has looked for in vain solution of the problem to satisfy both North and Southland the negroes. .Unfortu~ nately the details have been lost
 Marthy there, of course; rode fn the same hack with their boy Some of the politicians and the ex- President wanted to get in, but Eric said
 "My mother and father ride with or won't be President"
 That settled 'em Eric even wanted to ride back ward too, but Will. his father, insisted and Of course, Eric obeyed, though he was President And the weather was more like June than March, no blz-
 
 Once the administration was begun, the newspapers differed strangely in their treatment of Uk4c from Washington down Realizing that Eric was an hon. orabe trying to do the right thing by the people, editor Of cartoonist dreamed of accusing him of unworthy motive unwise act As for the tariff labyrinth matter of trouble to certain Presi- dents pulled in all directions at by warning stituences, Eric settled that in jiy And the best of 1t that everybody satisfied, importers and exporters; East, West, and Middle; farmers, manu- facturers, Iumbermen. omen. painters-everybody.
 ArIr uhov,b bic Arcf4 o<u ard Republicans realizing that they had at last found a perfectly wise and honorable ruler, nominated him by exclamation at both conventions The result was delightful; both parties elected their candidate
 Marthy and Will sat with Erie in the carriage at again about who should ride backward Rudd said ::
 Eric, your Excellency, these here crowds came to see you,and you ought to face 'em. As yogr dad. order you to set there side of your mother"
 But Eric said: Dad. your Majesty the people have seen often enough. and the President of these here United States, order you to set there side of your wife"
 And of course Rudd had to do it. Folks looked very much surprised to see him and there quite piece in the papers about it.
 To every man his days work and his nights dream sWiI Rudd has poor nourishment 1.-the former. but he is richly fed of the latter. His failures and bis poverty and the monotony of his existence public knowledge his dream is his triumph and the greater for being his secret
 The Fates seemed go out of their way to be cruel to Will Rudd, but he beat them at their game Cotho Lachess and Atropos kept Jupiter himself n awe of their shears and the old Norns Urdur, Yer. dandi and Skuld ruined Wotans power his glory. But they could not touch the shoe clerk. They shat tered his little scheme of things to bits but he rebuit it to his hearts desire He spread sky about his pipe planet and ruled his little universe like tribal god He, alone of all men, had the oldest vainest prayer that was ever said sung: 70 God, keep the woman I love young and beautiful, and grant child happiness and success without sin sorrow"
 He would have been proud to be the unknown father of 8 great man He was not permitted to be the father even of a humble man. Yet being denied the reality, he has taken sustenance in what might have been, and has turned "the saddest words Of tongue pen" into something almost sweet If his child has missed the glories of what might have been he has escaped the shames that might have been and the bruises and heartaches and remorses that must have been, that always have been. That is the in- creasing consolation bitter world offers to those who love and have lost. That was Rudd's solace- And he made the most of 1t; added to 1t dream Hs After he paid his sorrowfui debts his next slow savings went to the building of monument for his family. 1t is one of the handsomest shafts in the cemetery. If Rudd could brag of anything he would Dbrag of that The inscription took long time to you might notice the blank space left for his own name when all three shall be together again
 croaching time when he shall be too feeble get up from his knees after he has dropped upon them to Rudd must provide their own pensions There is wil however which bequeaths whatever s left of his funds to an orphan home Being 2 sonless father; hs what he was fajn to do for his It is not large fund for these days when rich men tess millions tips to pestery but 1t is pretty good for shoe cie And it will mean everything to Eric that gees himself really born.
 If you drop in at the Emporium and ask for a pair of shoes boots slippers rubbers, trees pumps and wait for old Rudd to get round to yous you will be served with deference, yet with prids of occupation that sis almost priesty And you win probably buy something, whether you want 1t net
 The old man is slightly shufay in his gaitera Hh own eastics are less resilient than they were. If you ask for anything the top shelf he rfns slow getting the ladder and rather ratchety n clam bering up and down. and his eyes growing tired that he may offer you 6D when you ask fer 3A-
 But above all things, don't hurt his pride hy oaer ing to help nlm to nts if hs suowy dnncuIu in rising when ne kAs perfo.zasa Ais sgaxueuon bs fore you Just pretend not to wou1d prs tend hot to notice any inhrmity vanity of yours It is his vanity to be still the best shoe clerk n towT as he is
 oopws0hs 1910. sy Ketroso'stam NsVssas~ synStssss