The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-03-06

made solemn and thoughtful and a
bit ,fraid.
Wonder" said Slug suddenly in a
!. tone that wa3 strange for that easy
goins :, loo5e-habited Joung fellow.
''-->F.. T this crowd viii be all of
u1-t-we.tJ Or thirty years from to-
Eight!,
Indeed Truman had voiced the
feeling in the hearts of them all. And
they couid not reply. Just at the
moment their hearts were too full TO
repiV.
81 suppose" answered Sam lightly,
"-some of us will be married and
have fanilies-some of us will have
made successes of our lives and made
money or won fame-and some of
maybe-will- --dead perhaps
many years dead!"
There was a strange quiet in the
cabin. Even Mibb was sobered and
looked into the flames with staring
eyes. 1t came to them that moment
as reaction from the foolery of that
hour that had gone, how aptly San.
had spoken. Some among they would
indeed have families,-be tired, life
weary, heart-hungry men an dwomen
scattered over the old earth's furrow-
ed face-some would have won fame
and fgortune and made their mark in
the world. And some would not.
Some there would be failures hope
less pitiful failures. And some would
be dead indeed-perhaps many years
dead! Who would be the ones dead?
many years dead? Yes, the spell
of the hour, the place and the music
was indeed upon them. But there
was more There was the mystery of
life and living and the thoughtless
heart of youth made suddenly
thoughtful.
Herb Truman spoke again. His
tone was strange to those who knew
him we'll. He seemed musing aloud
on what Sam had sad:
eyes somell have families
and some1l be rich and some'l be
famous. But wonder which of
US will be the most successful -.
just plain downright successful
nevermind what our work in life hap
pens to be-"
"sucessful?" asked Mibb. What
do you mean by successful" :
'Just successful" replied Slu.g dog
ledly. 81 call success wherein we've
done the things we set ourselves to
do, to the best that's in u.s."
"You talk like a preacher" de-
clared Mibb II didn't know it was
in you!"
Indeed neither did the rest OF them.
And in that time-perhaps the first
and last and only time the Trun1ana
boy showed what really lay within
hin-the manner Of man he might
have been if he had not been handi-
capped-cruelly handicapped-first
by lack of a mother, second by the
woman whom he married. There are
folk in our town who have only harsh
words for Herbert Truman for the
things which subsequently happened.
Verify they judged cruelty from cir
cumstantial evidence. They never
took the trouble nor were given the
opportunity to gaze down into the
boys soul and learn of the stuff of
which it was made. Il they had, they
would not speak llarshly. # the God
in whom we believe is at all tie great
God we conceive Him, He is great
because He can tolerant of clap
like Herb. and forgive him many
transgressions. Verify we believe
that if there is a Heaven, Slug Tru-
| mann has found it.
They discussed success with the
thoughtful thoughtfulness of youth
for half ~. hour they talked of sol
emn things for they were on the
threshold, some of them of solemn
things for there is some truth to the
proverb that coming events cast their
shadows before. Then,-for what
reason not one in that party ever
found out, though they debated over
it, through all n1aturity-slug felt in
the pocket of his waistcoat and pulled
out coin.
"a twenty-dollar .pold piece" said
he. Gust had an idea. Going to
propose something funny
Funny? Don't break the charm
of the house and the atmosphere"
said Mary Wood.