Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1916-06-29

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"Papaw she exclaimed, drowsily.
"Why'n't you go to bed? 1t must be
goin' on 'leven o'clockv
She yawned, and seated herself near
him, stretching out her hands to the
IRE. whats the matter?" she asked,
sleep and anxiety striving sluggishly
with each other In her voice. 81 knew
you were worried all dinner time.
You got something new on your mind
besides Jim's bein' taken away like he
was. What's worryin you now, papa p
"Nothin'."
She jeered feebly. "N' tell me that,
You sat up to see Bibbs. didn't your"
'He starts in at the shop again to-
morrow morning" said Sheridan.
"Just the same as he did before?"
Just pre-ciselyw
"How--long you goin' to keep him
at it, papa?' she asked, timidly.
Until he knows something's The
unhappy man struck his palms to-
gether then got to his feet and began
to pace the room, as was his wont
when he talked. Hell go back to the
machine he couldn't learn to tend prop
erly in the six months he was there,
and he'll stick to it till he does learn
it! That boys whole life, there's been
a settin' up o. something mulish that's
against everything I want him to do.
don't know what 1t is, but it's got
to be worked out of him. Now, labor
amt any more simple question than
what it was when we were young. My
idea Is that, outside o. union troubles,
the man that can manage workin' men
Is the man that's been one himself.
Well, | set Bibbs to learn the men and
to learn the business, and he set him
self to balk on the first job! That's
what he did, and the balk's lasted close
on to three years. If he balks again
I'm just done with him! Sometimes l
feel like ! was pretty near done with
everything, anyhow
81 knew there was something else"
said Mrs. Sheridan, blinking over a
yawn. "You better let it go till to-
morrow and get to bed now-'less
you'll tell me?"
Suppose something happened to
Roscoe" he said. "Then what'd
have to look forward to? Then what
could l depend on to hold things to-
gether? A lummix! A lummix that
hasn't learned how to push a strip O.
zinc along groovep'
| "Roscoe" she yawned. "You needn't
worry about Roscoe, papa. He's the
strongest child we had. never did
know anybody keep better health than
he does. don't believe he's even had
a cold in five years. You better go up
to bed, papa"
Suppose something did happen to
him, though. You don't know what 1t
means, keepin' property together these
days-just keepin' 1t alive, let alone
maxim it grow the way / do. l tell
you when man dies, IL that dead
mans chuldern amt on the job, night
and day, everything he built II get
carried off. My Lord! when think
o. such things comm to me! 1t don't
seem like deserved it--no man ever
tried harder to raise his boys right
than l have. ! planned and planned
and planned how to bring 'em up to
be guards to drive the wolves off. and
how to be builders to build, and build
bigger. tell you this business life is
no fools job nowadays--a mans got
to have eyes in the back of his head.
You hear talk, sometimes, ID make you
think the millennium had come-but
right the next breath you'll hear some
body hollerin' about the great unrest
You bet there's great unrestv There
amt any man alive smart enough to
see what it's goln' to do to us In the
end, nor what day it's got set to bust
loose, but it's frothin' and bubblin' In
the boiler This country's been film
up with II from all over the world for
good many years, and the old camp
meetin' days are dead and done with.
Church amt what 1t used to be. Moth
| ms what 1t used to be--everything's
| turned up from the bottom, and the
growth Is so big the roots stick out In
the air. There's an awful ruction goin'
on, and you got to keep hoppin' II
you're goin' to keep your balance on
the top Of 1t. And the schemers! They
run like bugs on the bottom of a board
after any piece o. money they hear Is
loose. Fool schemes and crooked
schemes: the fool ones are the most
and the worst! You got to fight to
keep your money after you've made
| 1t. And the woods are full o. mighty
industrious men that's only got one
motto: Get the other fellows money
before he gets yoursv And when a
mans built as ] have, when he's
| built good and strong, and made
good things grow and prosper-those
are the fellows that lay for a
chance to slide in and sneak the ben
eft Of it and put their names to It'll
And what's the use my havin' ever
been born, If such thing as that is
goin' to happen? What's the use my
havin' worked my life and soul into
Any business, If it's all goin' to be dis
persed and scattered soon as I'm In
the ground"
| He strobe up and down the long
room, gesticulating-little regarding
the troubled and drowsy figure by the
Preside. His throat rumbled thunder
ously; the words ~came with stormy
bitterness. you think this is time
for young men to be lynn on beds Of
ease? | tell you there never was such
a time before; there never was such
opportunity. The sluggard Is de-
spoiled while he sleeps-yes, by George!
If man lays down they'll eat him be-