The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-04-26

Canterbury, VT.
June l.
! Dear Sir.-I am interested in tn
boy Barton Baynes. Good words abou
MN have been flying around lik
pigeons. When school is out | woul,
IKE to hear from you, what is the rec
ord? What do you think of the sou
In him! What kind of work Is hes
for 1t? If you will let me maybe
can help the plans of God little. Tha
Is my business and yours. Thankin,
you for reading this, l am, as ever
Gods humble servant.
KATE FULLERTON"
why, this is the writing of the 81
lent Woman" said before had reat
the letter half through.
'Rovin' Kate?'
Rowing Kate; | never knew her 9th
er name. but saw her handwritin.
long ago"
But look-this is a neatly written
weil-worded letter an the sheet is as
white and clean as the new snow. Tn
canny woman! They say she carries
the power O. God in her right hand
So do all the wronged."
Il wonder why Kate is asking about
me-" l said.
Never mind the reason. She is your
friend and let US thank God for IL
Think how she came to yer help in the
old barn an say thousand prayers
my lad"
Having come to the first flight of
the uplands. he left me with many a
kind word-how much they mean 10
boy who is choosing his way with a
growing sense of loneliness!
i reached the warm welcome of our
little home just in time for dinner.
They were expecting me and il was a
regular company dinner-chicken pie
and strawberry shortcake.
How well remember that hour with
the doors open and the sun shining
brightly on the blossoming fields and
the joy of man and bird and beast in
the return of summer and the talk
about the late visit of Alma Jones and
Mr.. and Mrs. Lincolni
While we were eating I told them
about the letter of old Kate.
Fullerton !" Aunt Deel exclaimed.
Are We sure that was the name. Bart 2"
EYES,"
Goodness gracious sakes alivew
She and Uncle Peabody gave each
other looks of surprised inquiry.
DO you know anybody by that
nameT I asked.
"We used to-" said Aunt Deel as she
resumed her eating. Cant be she's
One O. the Sam Fullertons. can itr
"Oh, prob'ly not" said Uncle Pea
body. Back East they's more Fuller
tons than We could shake a stick at"
A week later we had our raising.
Uncle Peabody did not want a public
raising. but Aunt Deel had had her
way. We had hewed and mortised and
bored the timbers for our new home.
The neighbOrs came with pixies and
helped to raise and stay and cover
them. A great amount of human kind
ness went into the beams and rafters
OF mat home and of others like II. I
knew that The Thing was still alive
In the neighborhood. but even that
could not paralyze the helpful hands IF
those people. Indeed. what was said
OF my Uncle Peabody was nothing
more or less than a kind of conyersa-
uonal firewood. cannot think that
any one really believed it.
We had a cheerful day. A barrel of
nard cider had been set up in the door
yard, and remember that some drank
Il too freely. The he-o-hee of the men
as they lifted on the pixies and the
sound OF the hammer and beetle rang
N the air from morning until night.
Mrs. Rodney Barnes and Mrs. Dorothy
'ame TO help Aunt Deel with the cook
ng and a great dinner was served on
In improvised table in the dooryard
Shere the stove was set up. The |
'hingies and sheathes and clapboard
we're on before the day ended.
Uncle Peabody and / put in the
ioors and stairway and partitions.
lore than once in the days we were !
together l tried to tell him
What Sally had told me, but my cour-
ge failed.
The d<y came. shortly, when had
q speak out, and / took the straight
ray of my duty as the needle of the
ompass pointed. 1t was the end of
summer day and we had watched the
usk fill the valley and come creeping
p the slant, sinking the powders and
horn tops in its food, one by one. As
'e sat looking out of the open door
hat evening l told them what Sally
ad told me of the evil report which
nd travelled through the two towns.
Damn, little souled, narrer con-
noted" Uncle Peabody, speaking in
low, sad tone, but with deep feeling.
1t off this highly promising opinion
efore 1t was half expressed. and rose
nd went TO the water nail and drank.
AS long as we're honest we don't
Ire what they say" he remarked as
> returned to mis- chair. Ii
IF they won't believe us. we ought I
show 'em the papers-ayes," said I
unit Deel II