Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1914-03-21
Ambition

The Sand Farmer and his family
had spent SUNDAY morning by all go
ing to church and Sunday school, anC
Dan and Little Pete had gone to the
hospital in the afternoon, with the
a little friend who was i'll, and take
him a puzzle, and few words OF
cheer, while our big boy Rob had LED
his first Y. i. G.. r. S. meeting at six
o'clock. His topic was ambition"
While all were gathere around the
piano, as is the usual Sunday evening
cu~tom at the Sand Farm, and were
singing the evening hymns before the
younger members said goodnight, and
left for dreamland, Rob's topic had
been discussed more or less between
the hymns.
The Sand Farmer had left the
group and gone into the other room to
sit by the wood fire, and listen to the
others sing, when Little Pete came to
his chair, and putting his arm around
the Sand Farmers neck, snuggled
down in his lap, and said: "Daddens,
what's ambition?"
ambition, son." said the Sand Far
mer, "is large word, and a good
thing for you to have.
but I want to tell you a story about
a farmer who had an ambition for a
little boy like you. He wanted his son
to go to college, and have a good edu-
cation, so he would know how to make
the most of his life, and be of use in
the world.
"He was not a rich man, and knew
that if he waited until his boy was old
-. In
have the money any more than many
of his neighbors, whose boys had gone
into the city to go to work because
they could not continue Poing to
school.
''But one day he got an ambition for
his SON Most fathers want their boys
to be better and wiser men than they
are. and that was this fathers ambi-
ton for his son. He had heard 1T
said, Where there's q will there's a
way and began to look for the way
to send his boy to college.
''He had 20-acre field, that had al
ways been called the brush lot be-
cause it was full of briars and buckle
berry bushes, and had never been Gull
tivated He had always thought that
when he got time he would clear it up
but somehow had never gotten time.
This day, as he looked at the brush
lot he got an idea, and he said out
loud, TO himself, There's one thing
can give my boy and never miss it.
AS he turned toward the house, the
idea pleased him more and more, and
when he entered the door there was
smile on his big face.
"His good wife Kate noted new
expression in his eyes, and said, Why,
John, what makes you look so hap
py?'
Just this he said Il have been
thinking how you wanted Little John
to 90 to college. You have been a
good wife, and it nearly breaks my
heart to see you sit so quietly some
times, with that PARKWAY look in your
eyes, for ] know you are thinking
about Little Johns education. | know
you want him to go to college, and he
is going, too
whats the matter with you, John,
have you gone crazy?' said Kate.
mo, I'm not crazy, but l have an
idea, and | tell you John is going to
college
"Then he told his wife about the
brush lot, and how he intended to
clear it up, and how he was going to
get some sheep to put in it, and save
all the money from the wool and in
crease, and put it in the bank for
Johns education.
"'Kate, said Big John, some men
have said that lacked ambition, and
/ guess they were right, for have not
done all that / could with the old
farm. But have an ambition for that
boy and / have it hard That old
brush lot has been an eyesore for