The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-05-12
THE HIRED MAN

Last winter two starved cats came
to our house. My wife thought we
could stand for giving them something
to eat. We did. This spring the Hir-
ed Man made up his mind that the cats
could make it alone. A boy with .22
came along and then | had but one
cat left We have fed this one just
enough to make him feel at home. |
felt hard toward the boy and his II,
but today l am wondering about it.
There is not lark's nest in a quarter
of a mile of our house. There is not
wren's nest in the rocks where last
year there were several, and the swal-
low village of last year shows no signs
of habitation. On the other hand there
are no squirrels and no gophers left.
My cat prowls about over the neigh
borhood. l look for him to come up
disabled some day. If you see him,
take a shot at him in way that will
miss him if he is catching gophers and
that will hit him if he is after birds.
| Next spring if | want a cat | will get
me pussy-willow.
The Hired Man knows a young man,
hired hand on a farm, who is liked
by more young women in his region
than any four other fellows. He is not
half as brainy as others there. He is
not so good looking as several. He is
simply Just mannerly. He never jokes
any girl. He knows it is natural for a
girl to pardon lack of sense quicker
than lack of manners. He doesn't
spend half the money on the girls that
other fellows spend, but when he does
let loose of dollar. he does it in
such a way as to make that girl feel
she has been honored. He talks freely
of the girls mother and can pass hall
makes her feel that her girl is making
good acquaintance. He never pulls
off shady suggestion under the guise
of a Joke, and he is not eternally try
ing to make the girl laugh all the
the line and his mo" is no all the way
back. He can say good night with a
meaning that drives away bad dreams
and makes the girl want to hear II
again a week later. He is quiet and
gentle and mannerly. He never play:
for first place at the expense of ano
Their. He never impresses the girl thai
he has an unreciprocated love for him
self. He never tells how much none,
he has made in bees, in running
chicken farm, in peddling apples on
fall, in gathering sweet clover seed, II
trading buggies with ninny. in short
changing a street car conductor. II
selling fake gold stock, in skinnint
sheep that had starved, in selling !;
} patent right, in making. home-mad
mirrors and water witching in Arkan
} sas. He is just simply mannerl
fellow with good wholesome respec,
} for young women, and little BIRD tell
= them they are in the presence OF
genuine man.
: A young man driving a sleek blac
Young horse with style and trim" t
U it leading two ragged, but full-bloot
ed dogs behind his buggy, but VIII
. does not want his name mentioned /
= this connection. stopped me on tn
, street this week and said he wante
lk the Hired Man to stop certain ma
III about a mile from town from unmel
III cifully whipping his boys. He did ne
III give me the mans name. According
IN this irate informant. this man is in til
N habit of slapping the daylight out {
HI his little boys, falling them to tt
III ground, where he actually kicks the
III and pounds them around. OF cour:
the Hired Man has never been al
III pointed overseer for other men an
III their families, and he really believ'
III that a certain amount of a certain kir
N of whipping administered in certa
HI way for certain purpose does certain
III ly have a certain good effect on &c
H tain kind of boy; but the man WI
N keeps logging his boys along the she
III route and keep beating them up ar
Ill curses them at every provocation, w
III not be surprised when, as men, thu
HI answer their mothers telegram Iii
III this: do not hold the funeral; v
Ill cannot get away. The bees are swarr
III ing heavily now and the clover is
IL cut and the hired man has felo
III You come and live with u.s."
HI One of the leading men in Caldwe
M when getting ready in his young da,
III to ioin church, sat down and delibe
iii ately figured it out that he should 10
HI the church to which his best girl b
III longed. He has not been joked mu'
VI about this, for but few people ev