Norwich bulletin., 1915-07-31
NO PLACE LIKE HOME

a new handle but was stil the same
 old knifel
 And perhaps the visions have come
 true. The oft dispouraged country
 lad has stuck to his work and his
 purpose through countless discourage
 ments and failures and hard knocks. But the end has come at last! Snekels are piling up faster than lie acn spend them now-he with his simple tastes ;aithough he may have married in the intervening years. may have fashionable wife and fravuled. butterfly daughters, and may come back to the little paintless station with retfuue of smart and wondering maids and possibly a shrugging valet.
 There may be sad changes too, ther are pretty suro to be sad changes. The old folks gon, maybe; brothers and sisters and schoolmatss dead. or scattered all over the naoitable globe. But he is still the boy, coming back home, with something of his youth and simplicity and boyish hope hidden in his heart-although the old neighbors see In him merely the dig nified Jurist. the worid-famed hnan- cier. the successful merchant. the
 skilled artist.
 About the tea tables there is chat concerning his wonderful wealth, the big powerful car in which he has journeyed from his town house, the
 costly changes he, has made in the
 old place.
 Perhaps he has been only near-sue- cessfui, instead of one of the typical country boys who go away to seek their fortune and find it.
 Possibly it may have meant sacri- flee to him. to donate so much money A --arT AN. ~ for improvements. He may have started its library, or given substan- tial aid to the old church. or sent the principal of the high school 6 little
 nest egg for prizes at graduation In
 any event. he is a big man when he he counts for not much more than
 grain of sand on the seashore. On the other hand, ho may have earned fame in his chosen work; but it is not by the critics standard that
 he measures himself.
 If only he returns to have Silas Jones grasp his hand when he alights from the accommodation train, to say, as he wrings his fingers, "Glad t see you, John! tell y we wuz pround t read in the Weekly how you stood out against them robbers in that move t force up tn prices of COTEl, GneT0 III FIOQuC6 ExCnanK0,
 he feels at last that he is some pump-
 kins; that he is a really big toad
 in the puddle, that he has achieved famel
 But, aIasai. If he is received as one famous actor told of being welcomed | by a friend of his fathers. with the rather scornful inquiry,
 well, Bill, what be v a-doin now; | Be you a-theaterin on it yet?" How I low he sinks in his estimation of his accomplishments A kindly man, who has done much
 to aid and uplift his birthplace in .
 neighberins town, tells of his boy. hoods visions; how he used to dream of going off as '49-er, perhaps, o coming home with pockets buIgfnf | with gold. to build a new town haIl
 to paint the church, and put velve
 sufficient money to each household. ! CT 1 nthe town to enable him tC paint up and clean up, to plant flower in his door-year and have a smar new concrete walk from the front sat, to the front door, and, oh, so man! | plant elIns all along the sunny street through which he used to walk il
 the summer heat. and to buy bench Ies to place along the river banks
 where men might sit after their day work and get cool.
 We'll, he has more than realized hi
 dreams of wealth, though througl
 another source, and has the pleasur
 and happiness of seeing how much h
 has been able to do, to perk up tn old home town and inspire his towns people to activity fin improving thei l surroundings and themselves. Ther
 Is probably no sweeter consolation ol earth than is hisi
 
 | And that Is one of the best thing
 about summer and the vacation sea son, that 1t brings. back. home. tn boys who never grow old in heart
 and the girls, too. of course; and tha they enjoy spending their money t
 beautify and preserve the old land marks. and in so many cases to per petuate the honored names of man whose work and whose ways migh
 otherwise pass from the minds c men.
 THE DICTAGRAPH |