Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-01-18
CHAPTER XIV.
! Use My Own Compass at a Fork In
the Road.

/
Swiftly now l move across the Dor
der into manhood-a serious, eager
restless manhood. 1t was the fashion
of the young those days.
Mr.. Wright came up for a days fish.
ing in July. My uncle and l took him
up the river. q
While we ate our luncheon he de.
scribed Jackson and spoke of the fa.
nous cheese which he had kept on q
table In the vestibule of the White
House for his callers. He described
his fellow senators-Webster, Clay,
Rlves, 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 l drove back to the vii
lsge with him that night he told me
(. that could go into tire Office of Wright
& Baldwin after harvesting.
1T will do for a start" he said. "a
little later l shall try to find a better
place for you"
My life went on with little in it
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 ov/r for a long
time, perhaps forever THAT will de-
pend on you. l shall be true to you,
if you really love me, even If 1ave 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 l stop 1t? / guess
would have to stop living. But we
shall have to depend upon our mem-
ories now. 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
walt-that it would make father q
great deal of trouble if 1t were known
that allowed you to write. l guess
the soul Of old Grlmshaw is still fol.
lowing you, Wen, we must stretch out
that lovely day as far as we can. On
the third Of June, 1874, we shall both
be twenty-one-and suppose that we
can do as we please then. The day
is long way off, 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. If
either or both should die our souls will
know where to find each other. If
YOU will solemnly promise, write these
words and only these to my mother
Amour omnia vlnclt, but do not sign
your name.
SALLY"
What q serious matter it seemed to
me thepl I remember that it gave
Time rather slow foot. / wrote the
words very neatly and plainly on a
sheet OF paper and mailed 1t to Mrs.
/ wondered if Sally would
stand firm and longed to know the
secrets of the future. More than ever
| was 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 l was offered a clerk
ship in the Office of Judge Westbrook,
at Cobleskill, In SchOharie county, at
two hundred q year and my board.
knew not then just how the offer had
ONE, but knew that the senator must
anve recommended me. know now
that he wanted reliable witness OF
the rent troubles which were growing
acute In Schoharie, Delaware and CO.
umbia counties.
II was trial to go so far from
home, as Aunt Deel put II, but both my
aunt and uncle agreed that it was ''for
The best"
How 1t wrung my heart, when Mr..
Purvls and got into the stage Mt Can
son, to see my aunt and uncle standing
~ the front wheel looking up at me.
How old and lonely and forlorn they
ooked! Aunt Deel had her purse in
ler hand. | remember how she took
iollar out of it'll suppose 1t was the
lnly dollar she had-and looked at II
moment and then handed it up to
ne.
You better take It," she said. 'Tm
fraid you won't have enough"
How her hand and lips trembledt l
lave always Kept that dollar.
Icouldn't see them as we drove away.
The judge received me kindly and
ave Purvis job in his garden. |
vas able to take his dlctation In sound.
land and spent most OF my time in