Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-06-02
The Home Circle
Thoughts from the Editorial Pen

~ANN-O ~-ON~St ~ my ocJs - -APS
that will cause him to hold up his
head, and throw out his chest, and
look his fellow men in the eye.
There is nothing like little money
to put ginger into mans soul, and
make him feel that, after all, people
have some respect for him.
I'm glad for old Hank Martin.
Life has not been one perpetual sea-
son of holiday joy for him. In twen-
ty-five years he has not had a real
vacation. During the cperiods that
his employers have granted him va
cations he has put an the time trying
to get caught up in repairs about the
place.
That wouldn't be so bad if he had
ever been able to catch up But he
never has. His place has always re-
Elected the down-and-outness of its
owner-if a man could be called
owner of place that was mortgaged
to its full value, with interest COM
ing due with discouraging regularity.
Rather might it be said that the
place owned him, body and soul.
1t has been source of great an
noyance to old Hank Martins daugh-
ters that the front door sagged on
its hinges and that the paint was
worn off the front steps-worn off
principally by creditors.
They have complained bitterly
that the screens were never taken
down until nearly time for the peren-
nial fly, and then never put up again
until the season for the pest was we'll
advanced.
They let the outside of the win
dows go unwashed, because father
never seemed to have time to wash
them. Also, the poor old man was
frequently reminded that his daugh-
ters could not dress as we'll as their
associates, and that, instead of hav-
inC hired help, they were obliged to
do their own work.
They had no mother, poor things
In a month of disbursement she
had laid down the burden, when they
were all quiet young, and somehow,
by the grace of God and the lending
hand of the neighborhood, they had
all three entered into a haphazard
young ladyhood.
There had been no one to show
them how to cook or to manage. If
things happened to turn out all right,
well and good; if not, it was lightly
tossed into the garbage can.
Lettie, the younger one, finally
achieved some distinction as a maker
of salad, but salad does not usually
appeal to tried and hungry toiler.
So if truth were told, old Hank Mar
tin often went to his work lily nour-
ished.
He was easy with his girls-too
easy, perhaps. And though they Of
ten made cutting remarks about their
poverty, they kept ON buying extrav-
agant clothes, and paid small heed to
the grocery bills.
None of the three ever thought of
going to work. 1t did not need all
three of them to keep the house go
ing. One fairly capable person could
have done better than did the three
together.
But they had some social position
to maintain, by virtue of keeping
themselves well in the foreground Of
events, and they felt that to work
would deprive them of the opportuni-
ties for social enjoyment. And any,
way, what was a father for, if not
to provide for the wants of his fam
lily?
They entertained frequently, did
old Hank Martins girls. And at
such times father was given to un-
derstand that his presence would be
a handicap. Il don't see, Father"
they would sometimes say, "why you
always look so seedy!"
He could have told them, but he
did not. Some instinct, buried be-
meath his pathetic shabbiness, told
him that he owed debt to his girls
that he could never pay. And it was
this instinct which kept him going
-'round and round and round in
his poor little restricted cage, bur-
dened with work, harassed by cred
itors and reproached by his girls.
And now someone has left him
some money; not great fortune,
but enough to lift the burden. He
will probably install a servant in the
house and oil the hinges. He will
have a man to cut the grass and
wash the windows, and put up the
screens at the proper time. Z
He will pay off his debts, and buy
some new furniture. He will buy
some beautiful clothes, and probably
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