Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-07-13

tried harder to raise his boys right
than / have. I 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 a great unrestn There
amt any man alive smart enough to
see what it's goin' 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 it from all over the world for
a good many years, and the old camp
meetin' days are dead and done with.
Church amt what it used to be. Moth
ms what it used to be-everythlng'
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' If
you're goin' to keep your balance on
the top Of it. 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
it. And the woods are full O. mighty
industrious men that's only got one
motto: Get the other fellows money
before he gets yours" And when
mans built as l have, when he's
built good and strong, and made
good things grow and prosper-those
are the fellows that lay for
chance to slide in and sneak the ben
eft of it and put their names to it!
And what's the use my havin' ever
been born, if such a thing as that is
goin' to happen? What's the use my
havin' worked my life and soul into
my 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 regarding
the troubled and drOwsy figure by the
fireside. His throat rumbled thunder
ously; the words came with stormy
bitterness. "You think this is a time
for young men to be lynn on beds Of
ease? I 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 a man lays down they'll eat him be-
fore he wakes.-but the live man can
build straight up till he touches the
sky! This is the business mans day;
it used to be the soldiers day and the
statesman's day, but this is ours! And
it amt Sunday to go fishin'-it's tur-
MOL! turmoil!-and you got to go out
and live it and breathe it and make
it yourself, or you'll only be dead
man walkin' around dreamin' you're
alive. And that's what my son Bibbs
has been dom all his life and what
he'd rather do now than go out and do
his part by me. And if anything hap
pens to Roscoe"
ooh, do stop worryin' over such non
sense" Mrs Sheridan interrupted, irri-
tated into sharp wakefulness for the
moment ''There amt anything goin'
to happen to Roscoe, and you're just
tormentin' yourself about nothin'.
Aren't you ever goin' to bed?'
Sheridan halted. Cali right, NAM
ma" he said, with a vast sigh. Lets
go up" And he snapped off the cleo
trio light, leaving only the rosy glow
of the fire.
did you speak to Roscoe" she
yawned, rising lopsidedly in her drow-
siness "Did you mention about what
1 told you the other EVENING""
"No. I will tomorrow"
But Roscoe did not come downtown
the ext day, nor the next; nor did
Sheridan see fit to enter his sons
house. He waited. Then, on the
fourth day of the month, Roscoe
walked into his fathers office at nine
pened to be alone.
"They told me downstairs you'd left
word you wanted to see me-"
"Sit down." said Sheridan, rising.
Roscoe sat- His father walked close
to him, shifted suspiciously, and then
walked away, smiling bitterly. "Boh"
he exclaimed "Still at it!'
eyes," said Roscoe. eve had a
couple of drinks this morning. What
about it?'
II reckon better adopt some decent
young man." his father returned. I'D
bring Bibbs up here and put him in
your place if he was fit. I wouldw
Better do it, Roscoe assented, sui
lenly.
''When'd you begin this thing?"
Il always did drink a little. Ever
since l grew up, that is"
Leave that talk out! You know
what I mean"
"Well, don't know as I ever had
foo much in office hOurS-unti1 the