The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-06-02
UNSELFISH TO THE END
WHY CONSIDERABLE MAN SOUGHT
FEW MORE DAYS OF LIFE.
Thought of Hard Work for the
Horses-Record of One Good Citi-
zen as Related by Caleb Peas
lee to Pessimst.

Now and then" remarked Caleb
Peaslee, thoughtfully, you run across
a genuine consolidate man, one that
just naturally thinks of kindly things ;"
HUH" grunted Mr. Hyne 81 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, l 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 nam
able thing to eat in the house,
and he went to skirmishin' round
nights to see what he could find 4yin'
round loose. He came to Wffsur
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 if
you'd known it, same as Wilbur knAw
it?"
Took a shotgun 70 him. grurtsl
Mr.. Hyne, promptly
Wilbur didn't" said Mr.. PeaaAos,
placidly. "Re took some goose lie, s,sd
creased the hinges so they didn't
squeak a mite, and then he set out
ham, and some potatoes, and SACK
OF -four, and 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
doin' 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 / guess Wilbur didn't lose
by it, and he saved hurtin' the mans
feelin's. That was his way.
And the result was" went on Caleb,
warmly, that there wasn't a man in
town that didn't like him, nor one sin
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. l 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 Quakin' bog?
Well, few days before Wilbur passed
away / went up there to see him. He
was layin in the bed in the spare
room, and he looked SO worn-out and
thin that when I went in l couldn't
speak a word. He reached out and
took my hand and held it while he
talked to me-just a whisper was all
he could manage.
Don't look so sorry, Caleb he
whispered. You've no need to feel
any worse about it than l do, ans I
don't feel bad at ALL and then he had
to stop for breath.
81 just want to hang on till the
middle Of May he says, after he got
his breath again-'till it gets settled
travelin' and the mud dries up some.
/ hate to think of the horses havin' to
haul me up that hill in mud-time. -
Youths Companion.