The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-06-29
TO THE END
WHY CONSIDERABLE MAN SOUGHT
FEW MORE DAYS OF LIFE.
Thought Of Hard Work for the
Horses-Record Of One Good 9th
zen as Related by Caleb Peas
lee to Pesslmlst.

Nov and then" remarked Caleb
Peaslee, thoughtfully, you run across
q genuine consolidate man, n that
just naturally thinks of kindly things"
Huh" grunted Mr.. Hyne. ri guess
they amt very plenty"
NO." agreed Caleb readily, they
amt, much as they're needed. But
this town Of Dtlmouth used to have
one-he died, I guess, before you
moved over here. I've been thinkin'
of him more'n once today. Mebbe it's
because this Is the sort Of day he used
to like-kind Of warn and pleasant,
like a good deed done kindly. Wilbur
Aiken was his name. You don't re-
member him, do your"
I've heard Of him." Mr.. Hyne ad-
mitted, guardedly. Wasn't he kind Of
easy-goin', and didn't folks use to i'm
pose on him."
Some did," acknowledged Mr..
Peaslese. There's folks thatll impose
on their own mothers. But sometimes
he helped EN- do the imposin'. Take
the time when that Frenchman's fam
lily had scarlet fever, and he couldn't
work out, count Of the board Of
health. They didn't have a nam
able thing to eat in the house,
and he went to skirmishin' round
nights to see what he could find laytn'
round loose. He came to Wilbur
Aiken's house. and got the outside
cellar door open, but it squeaked so
loud it scared him away-'fraid he'd
wake up the folks IN the house, you
know. What would you have done II
you'd known it, same as Wilbur knew
it?"
Took a shotgun to him." grunted
Mr.. Hyne, promptly.
Wilbur didn't" said Mr.. Peashee,
placidly. He took some goose lie, and
creased the hinges so they didn't
squeak a mite, and then he set out a
ham, and some potatoes, and a sack
of hour, and a round Of pork, right
handy on a bench near the door, and
in the morntn' they were gone"
"Of course" commented Mr.. Hyne,
pessimistically. More fool he for
doin' It"
"Oh, we'll" observed Caleb. cheer
fully, "he didn't RELY lose 'em out
right, for the next haydn the French
man came and worked for him, and
wouldn't take any pay for two days he
worked, SO I guess Wilbur didn't lose
by It, and he saved hurtin' the mans
feehn'B. That was his way.
And the result was" went on Caleb
warmly, that there wasn't a man IT
town that didn't like him, nor one sin
gle child that didn't think the worlc
and all Of Wilbur Aiken. Even the
brute beasts seemed to take to hin
more'n they did to most Of us. I know
his COWS did better, gave mill
than any others in town, and hi
horses were always as fat and a
slick as offers. The last word tina
he aver spoke to me was about kind
nes to horses.
you know what the hill road IL
goin' to the buryfn' ground, In tn
spring Of the year-mud clear to tn
hubs, and no more footin' for a hors
than Their would be on a quakin' bog
Well, a few days before Wilbur passes
away I went up there to see him. H
was layin' in the bed In the spar
room, and he looked SO WORKOUT an
thin that when I went In I couldn'
speak q word. He reached out an
took my hand and held 1t while h
talked to me-tust a whisper was 81
he could manage.
Don't look so sorry, Caleb h
whispered. You've no need to Zee
any worse about it than I do, and
don't feel bad at ALL and then he ha
to stop for breath
at just want to hang on till tn
middle of May he says, after he &C
his breath again-'til 1t gets settle
~travelin' and the mud dries up SOM
I hate to think of the horses havin' t
haul me up that hill in mud-time.' "
Youths Companion.