The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-06-12
UNSELFISH TO The END
WHY CONSIDERABLE MAN SOUGHT
FEW MORE DAYS OF LIFE.
Thought OF Hard Work for the
Horses-Record Of One Good Cftl
zen az Related by Caleb Peas
lee to Pessimist.

Now and then" remarked Caleb
Peaslee, thoughtfully, you run across
q genuine consolidate man, one that
just naturally thinks of kindly things"
Huh" grunted Mr.. Hyne. Il guess
they amt very plenty"
NO." agreed Caleb readily, they
amt. much as they're needed. But
this town of Dilmouth used to have
one-he died, 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 warm and pleasant,
like good deed done kindly. Wilbur
Aiken was his name. You don't re-
member him, do you?"
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..
Peaslee. There's folks that'll impose
on their own mothers. But sometimes
he helped 'em 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 layin'
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
1xn fh4 I'll in "a hnuCo
know. What would you have done II
you'd known 1t, same as Wilbur knew
it,"
Took a shotgun to him." grunted
Mr.. Hyne, promptly.
Wilbur didn't" said Mr.. Peaslee.
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 sack
OF flour, and a round of pork, right
handy on a bench near the door. and
In the mornin' they were gone"
"Of course" commented Mr.. Hyne,
pessimistically. More fool he for
dom it."
"Oh, WELL" 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
feelins. That was his way.
And the result was" went on Caleb,
warmly, that there wasn't man in
town that didn't like him, nor one sim
gle child that didn't think the world
and all of Wilbur Aiken. Even the
brute beasts seemed to take to him
more'n they did to most of US. know
his cows did better, gave more milk
than any others in town, and his
horses were always as fat and as
slick as offers The last word that
he ever spoke to me was about kind
ness to horses.
"You know what the hill road IS
| goin' to the buryin' ground, in the
| spring of the year-mud clear to the
| hubs, and no more footin' for horse
/ than Their would be on a quakin bog:
| Well, a few days before Wilbur passed
s.! away I went up there to see him. he
/ was layin in the bed in the spare
room. and he looked so WORKOUT and
| thin that when l went in l couldn''
speak a word He reached out and
! took my hand and held it while ne
! talked to me-just a whisper was al
| he could manage.
Don't look SO sorry, Caleb, M
| whis pered. You've no need to fee
any worse about it than / do, and
don't feel bad at all,' and then ne mac
| to stop for breath.
ct just want to hang on till the
| middle of May he says, after ne go
I his breath again-'till it gets settiee
! travelin' and the mud dries up some
| / hate to think of the horses havin te
haul me up that hill in mud-time.
| Youths Companion.