Norwich bulletin., 1914-02-04

| In the pioneer days of a certain Western state man named Josiah Flint took up 80 acres Of lana: Thousands of other men took up lana in the same state, but there was no particular occasion that tne ae' oh se
 Josiah Flint could have taken up forest CT prairie land-acres that would. double in value in a year, but he passed them all by and selected the worst spot in four counties. Josiat might raise huckleberries on his marsh and blackberries on his hill, but men said he could hope for noth- ing better.
 If he had any explanations as to why he selected such claim they were lost as time went on. He and his family lived in his moving wagon for few months and then passed on. In 10 years almost all the land in the country was settled except Flints hill and marsh. The nearest farmer opened a gravel pit at the base of the hill and sold enough to pay the taxes each year, and constituted himself the agent of the absent. The county wanted to drain the swamp and to cut roads, but To one could find Josiah Flint. The only in formation was that he had gone fur ther west.
 By and by. in the village that had grown up two miles away, there came S1S~~~N office. It was furnished with two chairs, table, a Bible and Deacon Hardy, The Deacon was one of the first settlers and good man. In connection with the real estate office was department for the sale of Bibles and hymn books, and where one might subscribe for a Sunday 1 school paper or donate any sum he chose to the welfare of the heather of | Africa. r1bo, -x-a- o-,o+bo- 5ona-+-,,ao+ 5a voted to the sale of garden seeds and | roots and barks, and in this depart I ment a keg of root beer was always kept on tap. Every caller was invited | to drink whether he bought land or not. | nd lastly the Deacon's wife held l herself ready to take orders six days ! a week for notices of No Place Like l Home,'' at very reasonable prices and | money back if you were not suited. l With all these departments in full | swing the Deacon ought to have been
 a money maker, but he wasn't. Why l he wasn't was a matter that worried | him long time and was still worrying
 him when his wife said to him one l evening;
 ful and conscientious" VI try to be- Martha" was his reply l "There are lots of other men who
 are not as you are"
 | Yes, and I feel to pity 'em."
 "I don't think you need to. They l are getting new houses and barns, fine
 hesses and pianerss and we are right l where we was
 Yes" sighed Josiah.
 And I've thought it all over, ana think I know what is the matter"
 T hope you do, I didn't hardly carr
 my salt this last year.
 You are too goed.'
 Can feller be too good?"
 He can. and you are a living ex,
 ample of it.. You've got to get the big
 end of the bargain
 But the Bible commands"
 ''I know 1t does, but you've got t.
 take your chances, same as the rest They are trading and selling spavines 1 horses and holler horn cows righ
 along and expecting to go 10 heaYei when they die'
 'T've been thinking 1t over, too } said the Deacon, but I dunno. , want to soar away on golden wing
 when my time comes, but I'll b
 my life in this humble old log hous
 and eat johnnycake and fried porl three times a day. The Deacon was waiting for an op portunity to be less good when keen-eyed young man of 22 bley l into the village. His home town wa , 50 miles away. and he wasn't sayini , i.why he left it.
 After hanging about for four or f1v days and taking long walks out int
 the country he entered Deacon Hardy
 real estate office one afternoon an
 flung out chunk of marble on tn
 table and asked
 Do you know what that is?" Looks kinder like marble was tn
 reply after inspection.
 Kinder ike?" Why, man alive, it marble for sure. And maybe you ca . tell what this is
 Its some kind of siIe"
 You bet it is. and it's a kind wort
 n1oneyi It's peat. And what is that 3 T should say it was clay" f And you hit it. Finest kind of pot
 ters clay. And what's this?"
 More clay''
 You've hit it again. It's brickmak
 CTS clay and as smooth as silk. One, s what's this y
 e There's sand and there's gravel" f Good guesser. And where did a
 this come from?"