Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1914-05-09

You're going, so make up your mind
to it, quick
with that | went over to her
chair, and kissed her just as | used to
when | was a little boy, and do you
know, she just put her arms around
my neck and drew my head down on
her shoulder, and cried kind of soft
like, because she was SO happy. Gosh,
| didn't know she was pining for a
kiss all these years, but she was, and
says |: That's one tree planted any
way
"She let me go, but her face was
all smiles, and she looked 20 years
younger as she said: What do you
mean about planting trees?' So | told
her the Sand Farmers story, and how
| was going to do kind deeds, and
plant trees.
She just smiled and said, "God bless
you, my boy"
"Well, told her | was going over
to the station to see about her ticket,
and she laughed as | have not heard
her since father died, but she thought
| was fooling' for she knew we didn't
have any money.
81 asked the station agent how
much it was to Joyvile.
'Forty-two dollars he said, and
whistled. didn't know it was so
much, but mother hadn't seen her
twin sister since | was born, so | was
the fellow that had been keeping her
home.
"Well, | figured new dress, hat,
and fiXin's would cost sixty dollars
more, and she would need some money
to spend down at Joyville, just to
make the visit complete. So | got
busy and began to see how could get
the money, and this is the way | fig
ured it: Pm going to sell the cow
and heifer, all the chickens, and pigs,
so | won't have any live stock on the
place. That will give me money
enough to send mother down to Aunt
Hates for a four-months' visit. I'm
going to shut up the old house, and
take the team and go over to the
Sand Farmers and work for him this
summer. and see if | can't learn how
he makes crops grow out of this white
sand"
So you're going to the Sand Far
mer's to work." said Mr.. Brown 81
thought you were born on farm, and
knew all there was to farming
That's just it, said Sam, $50
many farmers think that because they
were born on a farm they must have
absorbed all the learning on earth.
and can't learn any more. The Sand
Farmer is asking questions of his soil
all the time, and says he don't know
the first things about real farming,
although he can raise more off that
oil hn Of
that know all there is to it. I'm go
ing to work for him this summer, if
| have to work for nothing and board
myself, for | want to see how he does
it. Goodnight boys" and Sam drove
home.
"Did you ever see such a change in
a man, as in that SAM" said Mr..
Brown to the "heavy setters," who
had gathered while Sam was talking,
"He has not held down a cracker bar
rel since he told us about that Kings
Union He has stopped chewing and
smoking, he keeps his face shaved,
and looks clean inside and out. Now
he's getting ambition to be a farmer,
but the most surprising thing of all
to me is that he's getting human.
Think of that mother of his going to
see that twin sister that she's not seen
in twenty-five years.
What do you think of that tree
planting story of the Sand Farmers?
Sam said | was making the road
dusty. | suppose he meant | had cut
down all the. trees could reach in my
life, but | had never planted one to
take their place.
Say, boys, have you heard about
Arbor Day? All the school-ma'ms
are asking the kids to plant trees, and
they're sending out letters to the far
mers, and what they call 'public-spir-
tied citizens, to plant trees, and make
the school yards more beautiful They
say the state will give any fellow the
trees to plant if he will pay the post
age or express on them.
give just been thinking that you
fellows might put in some of your
time that you spend around this store
doing nothing, planting trees, and |
tell you what I'll do, if you'll agree
to put in Arbor Day planting trees
I'll shut up this store and go with you
and We'll plant trees either side of the
highway from here into Smithville.
81 see the Sand Farmer is going tC
set out a half-mile along his fence
and it won't hurt us any to do little
tree planting, too"
"I'm with you" came from all Of
the "heavy settlers" "We1l plant
trees like other folks next Arbol
Day"
"That's a CO." replied Mr. Brown
as he began to put up the window anC
turn down the lights, as he closed vi
the store.
Next Arbor Day saw the road clea
into Smithville set out with littl,
trees, and the whole town began t,
clean up, and improved from that da.
on