Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1919-07-11
CHAPTER XIV.
Use My Own Compass at Fork In
the Road.

der into manhood--a serious. eager,
restless manhood. 1t was the fashion
of the young those days.
Mr.. Wright came up for days fish
ing in July. My uncle and took him
up the river.
While we ate our luncheon he de-
scribed Jackson and spoke of the ia
nous cheese which he had kept on
table In the vestibule of the White
House for his callers. He described
his fellow senators-W Webster, Clay,
Rives, Calhoun and Benton. remem-
Der that Webster was, in his view, the
least of them, although at his best the
greatest orator. We had delightful
day, and when I drove back to the viii
lage with him that night he told me
that / could go into the Office of Wright
& Baldwin after harvesting. sa,
st will do for start" he said. "A
little later ] shall try to find better
place for you"
My life went on with little in 1t
worth recording until the letter came.
/ speak of it as "the letter." because
of its effect upon my career. 1t was
from Sally. and it said:
"Dear Bart: It's all over for long
time, perhaps fOrever--that win de-
pend on you. / shall be true to you,
if you really love me, even IL have to
wait many, many years. Mother and
father saw and read your letter. They
say we are too young to be thinking
about love and that we have got to
stop 1t. How can stop 1t? / guess I
would have to stop living. But we
shall have to depend upon our mem
cries now. I hope that yours Is as
good as mine. Father says no more
letters without his permission, and he
!: stamped his foot so hard that think
} he must have made dent in the floor
Talk about slavery--what do you think
of that? Mother says that we must
wait-that 1t would make father a
great deal of trouble II 1t were known
that / allowed you to write. / guess
the soul of old Grimshaw is still fol-
lowing you. Well, we must stretch out
that lovely day as far as we can. On
the third of June, 1874, we shall both
be twenty-one-an suppose that we
can do as we please then. The day
is a long way of, but will agree to
meet you that day at eleven In the
morning under the. old pine on the
river where met you that day and
you told me that you loved me. II
either or both should die our souls will
know where to find each other. II
you win solemAly promise. write these
words and only these to my wother--
Amour omnia yincit, but do not sign
your name.
SALLY"
What a serious matter 1t seemed to
me then! remember that 1t gave
Time rather slow foot. / wrote the
words very neatly and plainly on a
sheet of paper and mailed it to Mrs
Dunkelberg. wondered IL Sally would
stand firm, and longed to- know the
secrets of the future. More than evel
Twas resolved to be the principal wit
ness In some great matter, as my
friend In Ashery lane had put it.
was eight months with Wright
Baldwin when was offered clerk
ship In the Office of Judge Westbrook
at Cobleskill, in Schoharie county, a
two hundred a year and my board.
knew not then just how the offer hat
come. but knew that the senator mus
have recommended me. know nov
that ne wanted reliable witness O.
the rent troubles which were growing
acute in Schoharie, Delaware and Co
lumbia counties. tssstss
1t was q trial to go SO far from
home. as Aunt Deel put II, but both m.
aunt and uncle agreed that it was $50
the best .x..-,
How 1t wrung my heart, when MI
Purvis and got into the stage at Can
ton. to see my aunt and uncle standin
by the front wheel looking up at me
How old and lonely and forlorn the,
IookedI Aunt Deel had her purse L
her hand. remember how she took
, dollar out of it, suppose 1t was tn
: only dollar she hnd-and looked at
q moment and then handed it ND I
me.
4You better take it, she said. Ell
fraid you won't have enough"
How her hand and lips trembledl
have always kept that dollar.
I IcCuldnst see them as we drove ava.
The judge received me kindly an
give Purvis a job in his garden.
/ was able to take his dicfation Fri SOUND
e, hand and spent mest Of my time l
Is taking down contracts and correspond
E. ence ana dfaftfng them into prope
ct form, whichsI had the knAck Of dom
rather neatly. I was Impressed by til
d immensely Of certain towns IN til
1. neighbofhood. ana s'thersr were som
a temptations ~ my way Many peopl
1T and especially the prominent men. il
n obliged IN ardent spifitS. 4
o. We had near ~ stherese little sectio
Re of the old world which was trying, In
In harf-hearted fashion, 70 maintain
10 self in the midzt Of q sdsmocracy.s