The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-09-21

, fest. He is the richest man in the coun-
ty-and reputed to be the stingiest. He
! was asking me about you the other day
and told him you were lawyer.
determined, however, to become bet
ter acquainted with the old man and to
that end called upon him one evening.
l found him living all alone in what must
have once been comfortable home. But
it had run to seed. Weather-beaten, d.
lapidated, and stripped of all its finery,
! it seemed to me the merest husk of a
home. And yet it comported we'll with
! the time-worn old man who was its sole
occupant. He greeted me in civil
almost friendly-manner and | soon
found myself telling him the story of my
life. He seemed greatly interested in
| nv father and in his last words of adj
vice to me.
"Uselessness, said he, comes near
! to bein' the greatest sin of young men
I today, an lawyers are the worst of the
lot. You're dom more good than you
ever could within away at the law, an
if you amt happier, you ought to be-"
II don't know that I'm happier" said
l, ''but I'm at least more contented.'
"Workin' as a farm hand," said he,
''is good way to be educatin' yourself,
but don't be keepin' it up too long. Get
farm of your own an trent if you can't
buy. Get farm an get a wife that's
the only way young man can ever pros
per an amount to shucks."
l am afraid l blushed when the old man
advised me to get wife, for l at once
thought of Nancy. She and had been
together great deal during the summer
and l had begun to rejoice in the thought
that she, like myself, was poor. We
often enjoyed the simple social pleasures
of the community together, and Mr..
Rannals and his wife had dropped into
the habit of occasionally drifting out of
the sitting-room during the evening and
leaving us together. | have always
known that Mrs. Rannals was largely
entitled to my gratitude for that.
1t was in January that asked Nancy
to marry me. Sitting before the hard
coal burner in the cozy sitting-rcom-
with one of the worst storms of the Win
| ter bowling outside-I asked Nancy to
marry me.
Bob" said Nancy-and though the
tones of her voice were smooth and even,
her blue eyes were swimming-''I am
i willing to marry you-but how in the
think we would live?''
Potatoes" said l.
Potatoes" she laughed. "a monot-
onous diet, am afraid
"Now listen to me, Nancy" l said,
! land don't laugh. We are both poor,
but we can still be happy-and maybe
happier because we are poor. We shall
rent that old Durkin thirty acre farm
! and raise potatoes. | have saved four
| hundred dollars-and have learned how
to grow potatoes. know that's small
/ capital, | know it will be struggle, but
| can make good, Nancy-only l need
you"
'You are a foolish boy" said Nancy,
''but | believe you can make good-and
| love YOU"
| Nancy's blue eyes invited me and |
| kissed her-and then we said silly, alb
surd and tender things to one another
, after the fashion of all lovers, rich and
poor alike.
At Nancy's although l did
not then understand her reason for max
ing i'll said nothing to her uncle or
aunt for couple of days, and then / told
Mr.. Rannals that loved Nancy and
| wished to marry her. | also told him
how l had planned to support her, al
/ though it seemed ridiculous enough when
tried to justify it to hard headed and
practical farmer.
You are couple of simpletons, "
| grumbled Mr.. RannaIs, land I'm not
sure but Nancy is worse than simple
ton. So you are going togrow potatoes,
are YOUR
II am" l said, land can make good:
| am going to grow potatoes, work hard
| and take good care of Nancy"
'1'm not worrying about that said
| he. Nancy is quite able to take care
Of herself" He looked me over with a
slow and inscrutable smile and continued:
Il believe you'll do it, my boy-and
here's hoping that both you and Nancy
may win"
| Nancy and were married in the spring
and moved into the dilapidated Durkin
house. We had little money but a great
deal of love for each other. Mrs. Rannals
gave US enough old furniture to make US
comfortable, though without any pre-
| tense at style, and certain new furnish
ings mysteriously appeared which l also
attributed to Mrs. Rannals, although
Nancy smilingly refused to either con-
first real home l had known since the
death Of my mother and l rejoiced riot
ously in it, for the time almost forget
ting our poverty and the struggle ahead
of me-
Potatoes mean plenty of hard work
and by no means unlimited wealth, but
had chosen to rely upon that crop because
it is staple-something that people
must have. l was not afraid of work,
and Nancy, dear girl, seconded my
efforts nobly; she was constant and
never-tailing source of inspiration and
the very thought of her drove me to do
my level best.
1.-THE potatoes shall be your work,
Bob," said Nancy, land you will have to
get up early in the morning to beat my
chickens and garden
did get up early in the morning .and
went to bed late at night; had no fear
of hard work. Of course, neither my
means nor my strength permitted me to
plant the whole farm to the appetizing
tubers, but did what could and rented
the balance on shares to one of the
neighbors. By dint of hiring some work
done and paying for it by my own labor,
| managed to get along and soon had
fine crop under way. Of working tools
l had few, only an old team, pillow, and
a harrow.
Three times during the summer Mr..
Rannals took Nancy to the city on some
mysterious business, and once l saw in