The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-02-13

left a box and a letter from Mr.
Wright. addressed to my uncle, which
read:
Dear Sir-I send herewith Il box
of books and magazines in the hope
that you or Miss Bayncs will read
them aloud to my little partner and in
doing so get some enjoyment and
profit for yourselves.
Yours respectfully,
IS. WRIGHT, JR.
"P. S.-When the contents of the
box have duly risen into your minds
will you kindly see that it does Il
like service to your neighbors in
School District No. Z? S. w. Jr."
Il guess Bart has made a friend o.
this great man-sartin ayes!'' said
Aunt Deel. Il wonder who'll be the
next one?"
The work of the day ended. the
candles were grouped near the edge
Of the table and my aunt's armchair
was placed beside them. Then l sat
on Uncle Peabody's lap by the fire
or, as time went on, in my small chair
beside him, while Aunt Deel adjusted
her spectacles and began to read.
l remember wildly the evening we
took out the books and tenderly felt
their covers and read their titles.
There were "CruikshaRks' Comic Alma
nae" and Hoods Comic Annual" ::
tales by Washington Irving and James
K. Paulding and Nathaniel Hawthorne
and Miss Milford and Miss Aus, in !;
the poems of John Milton and Felicia
Hemans. OF the treasures in the box
l have now in my possession: 4 life
Of Washington, 1.-The Life and Writ
fngs of Doctor Duckworth." 1.-The
Stolen Child" by John Gait, Esq;
''Rosine Laval" by mir. Smith; Ser
mons and Essays by William Ellery
Charming. We found in the box also,
thirty numbers of the United States
Magazine and Democratic Review
and sUndry copies of the New York
Mirror"
Aunt Deel began with 1.-The Stolen
Child" She read slowly and often
paused for comment or explanation or
laughter or to touch the corner of
an eye with a corner of her handker-
chief il moments when we were all
deeply moved by the misfOrtunes of
OuT favorite characters, which were
acute and numerous.
In those magazines we read of the
great West-"the poor mans para
dise"-"the stOneless land of pIen-
ty"; of its delightful climate, of the
ease with which the farmer prospered
on it's rich soil. Uncle Peabody spoke
but Aunt Deel made no answer and
concealed her opinion on that sub
ject for Il long time. As for myself.
the reading had deepened my inter-
est in the east and west and north
and south and in the skies above
them. How mysterious and inviting
they had become
One evening neighbor had brought
the Republican from the post-office
opened it and read aloud these words
in large type at the top of the page:
'Silas Wright Elected to the u. S.
Senate"
''WeII I want to knowl" Uncle Pea
body exclaimed. THAT would make
me fO~git il If 1 was goin' TO be
hung. Go on and read what it says
1 read the choosing of our friend
for the seat made vacant by the res
ignatiOn OF William L. Marcy, who
Ind been el' cred governor. and the
part hicl IaOst impressed US were
these words from a letter of Mr..
NYri .-ht TO Azariah Flagg of Albany,
written when the former was asked
to accept the place:
Il am too young and too poor for
such an elevation. 1 have not had
Ihs experience in that great theater of
politics to qualify me for a place so
exalted and responsible 1 prefer
therefore the humber position which
now occupy"
That's his way" said Uncle Pea
body. '"They had hard work to con-
vince him that he knew enough to r.e
Surrogate"
big men have little conceit-aygs :"
said Aunt DeeI with a significant
glance at me.
The candles had burned low and I
was watching the shroud of one of
them when there came rap at the
door, 1t was unusual for any one to
| come TO our door in the evening and
we were a bit startled. Uncle Pea
| body opened it and old Kate entered
without speaking and nodded to my
| aunt and uncle and sat down by the
fire. Viyidiy 1 remembered the day
IF the fortune-teIIing. The same gen
| tie smile lighted her face as she
| looked at me- She held up her hand
with four fingers spread above il.