The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-10-31
FULL STEAM AHEAD.

With the Ferrols life suddenly took
on the stress and strain OF Crisis.
Since John had been compelled to
give up his job with the publishing
firm not only all their savings but
their source of income was sunk, In
vested, sacrificed for the little vol
ume with which they hoped to. win
economic freedom.
Suppose it failed! The Ferrols and
Sara Selden didn't allow their minds
to dwell on such a possibility. 1t
would have meant sinking of heart,
loss of courage and vitality. They.
needed every bit of their force and
spirit to carry their project to success.
It was almost funny to see even
the kiddies doing their part Small
Jack insisted on sealing and stamping
the hundreds of envelopes containing
circulars about the book. Jack licked
them by tongue-power until his sister
Virginia, who was the circular-fOlder
of the "Ferrol Company" introduced
efficiency and the higher sanitation in
to Jackie's 1abors by making him sub
stitute damp sponge.
Edith and Miss Selden threw them
selves into the work of making the
book ready for sale, with the astonish-
ing ardor and tirelessness of women
shown in times of crisis. John labor
ed on the marketing of the volume as
he had never exerted himself as a
paid salesman. Early and late he
worked, never letting his mind off his
problems; even dreaming of them at
night
The whole Ferrol household felt
they had tapped what William James,
the psychologist, calls hidden reser-
voirs" of strength and energy.
Yet there were times in spite OF
the flow of vitality, when Edith's spirit
grew tired There was something
within her which cried out for safety
and the steady income rather than
this high pressure even with its prom
Use of reward
Edith Ferrol came from family OF
fine and worthy folk who had some
how never quite been able to make
good livings She remembered her
childhood as period of ups and
downs, of comfort and dire poverty, OF
high hope and teary despair on the
part of her long suffering mother
Edith, as a little girl, had often felt
! rebellious at the lack Of comforts her
home possessed at times. In her un-
| reasoning child mind she had blamed
| her mother. Now, as she looked back
/, she knew what miracles of economy
! that same mother had often achieved
| She realized that what she had often
| denounced in her kiddie soul as her
mas ''stinginess' was the result OF
her poor mas utter lack of funds.
Edith's daddy had been dear man
! full of charm and elegance. kindness
! unselfishness and love for his family
He was the gentleman and scholar
But he could never work for another
man He was of the type who must
! be his own boss. But nature had mol
provided him with the aggressiveness
necessary Edith remembered many
time finding her mother in tears over
another of fathers failures" How
often she had heard her mother say
"If only he would work for salary
| how comfortable we could bel
| 1t had been a good deal the same
with Edith's brother Edgar. But there
seemed more reason in Edgar's per
sistent efforts to be his own master
Time and again he had proven his
! talent for invention, only to have Il
come to nothing by lack of money OF
streak of bad luck Edith still hao
faith in Edgar.
1t was this faith. and her big, sis