Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-04-15
NOT QUITE A FAILURE
MANS LIFE NOT AS PLANNED,
BUT DUTY WELL DONE.
Quality of seIf-Sacrifice Counted For
Much When Ambition Was Put
Away at the Call of FiIial
Affection.

1 always like to see ambition in a
boy" said the doctor. "The best men
are those who as boys had little OPP
portunity, but who made the most of
what they had. As a rule the boys
who have worked their way through
college are about the best fellows I
know"
Z agree with you," answered the
schoolmaster. But I sometimes think
that there are boys who never so to
college who have done even better.
Did 1 ever tell you about John Smith?
1t was years ago, and l was prin-
cipal of the school in a little country
town. 1t was the only high school in
the county, and the boys and girls
from all round attended. Many of
them could not get away from the
farms until late in the season and so
dropped in at any time during the
term. Well, along about Thanksgiving
John Smith arrived. He told me he
lived six miles back in the country,
and had walked in. He was a big,
wellset-up boy, with bright, intellf-
gent face, and I soon found that he
had come to study. One day I was
struck with the amount of mud on his
shoes. You must have a muddy walk
to school, I remarked.
Yes, sir he answered, the roads
are pretty bad And then I found out
that he walked the six miles in every
morning and out again at night! If
boy took that trouble to get an educa-
ton, l was interested, and l had a
quiet talk with him. He had a wild
owed mother and a little sister, and
they owned a small farm. For the past
two years John had done all the work
himself, and he still had to do it. That
was the reason he had to live at home
instead of boarding in town. He told
me that he wanted to go to college
and become a doctor. His father had
been an unsuccessful lawyer, who had
given up his practice and bought the
farm. John told me his plans. He
was sure he could get another boy in
the neighborhood to look after his
place while he was at college, and his
mother was as anxious for him to go
as he was.
Naturally / gaze him all the help L
could, and although he had to leave
early in the spring, I lent him books
and gave him a little personal aid in
his work from time to time.
well, three years more passed in
the same way. John kept we'll up
with his studies by hard work, and at
last he was ready to enter college. He
was accepted for entrance on the
school certificate, and it was a pleas
ure to see the glad look on his face
when / showed him the registrars
letter saying that he was admitted. He
had saved a little money from various
odd jobs that he had done, and he told
me that he was al ready financially
for the first year, and that he had no
doubt that he could manage the 9TH
ers
Il left the school that year, but Just.
before it was time for college to open,.
wrote John a letter of counsel and
encouragement. I got this brief note
in reply: I am sorry to say that am
not going to college,
Il made 1t point to go down to see
what had prevented him from carrying
out his ambition. | found him hoeipgI
corn. He was very glad to see me-.
and told me what the trouble was His
mother had had a stroke of paralysis
Without a murmur he had given up
his cherished plan. When / asked him
whether he could not get someone to
take care Of her, while he went on
with his course, he told me that that
was impossible, since his mother de-
pended so entirely upon him. / shall
never forget the tragedy and love to-
gether in the boys face as he talked
to me of his vanished hopes and
watched his helpless mother"
II suppose he got to college some
how" remarked the doctor, and is
now famous surgeon"
NO" replied the schoolmaster,
that was ten years ago, but l heard
from him only yesterday. His mother
is still alive and still helpless. He is
still running the farm, making a small
living and caring for her. The little
sister he has just sent to the normal
school, but he will be a small farmer
to the end of his days. And I believe
he was just the man to have made a
splendid doctor Yet l hardly think
his life has been a failure"
81 should think not" said the doc
tor.-Youth's Companion.