The daily Alaskan., 1919-03-08
One Day Mr. Grimshaw Came Out |
 the Field to See My Uncle.

One Day Mr. Grimshaw Came Out in
 the Field to See My Uncle.
 walked away to the shade of a tree while the hired man and went on with the hoeing. I could hear the harsh voice of the money-lender speaking in loud and angry tones and presently he went away.
 ]. "What's the rip?" I asked as my uncle returned looking very sober.
 "We won't talk about 1t nOw," he answered.
 In the candIe-light of the evening Uncle Peabody said:
 "Grimshaw has demanded his mort gage money an he wants 1t in gold coin. Wen have to git 1t some way, I dunno how"
 "W'y of all things" my aunt ex- claimed. "How are we goin' to git all that money-these hard times.7- ayes! I'd like to knowT
 "Wen, can't tell ye," said Unclo Peabody. q guess he cant forgive Us for savin' Rodney Barnes"
 "What did he say7" asked.
 "W'hy. he says we hadn't no busl- ness to hire a man to help us. He says you an me ought to do all the work here. He thinks l ought to took you out O school long ago."
 q can stay out O school and keep on with my lessons" l said.
 Not an please him. He was mad when he see ye with book in yer hand out there in the cOrn-feld."
 What were We to do now? I spent the first sad night of my life undOing the plans which had been so dear to me but not so dear as my aunt and uncle. decided to give all my life and strength to the saving of the farm. 1 would still try to be great, but not as great as the Senator.
 One day in December of that year. I had my first trial in the full reSpon. sibility of mans work. was allowed to load and harness and hitch up and 20 to the mill without assistance. My uncle and Purvis, our hired man, were busy with the chOpplng and We were out of flour and meal. It took a lot of them to keep the axes going. So I filled two sacks with corn and two with wheat and put them into the box wagon, for the ground was bare, and hitched up my horses and set out.
 reached the mill safely and be- fore the grain was ground the earth and the sky above were white with snow driving down in cold, stiff wind out of the northwest. l loaded my grists and covered them with a blanket and hurried away. The snow came so fast that 1t almost blinded me. There were times when l could scarcely see the road or the horses. The wind came colder and soon 1t was hard work to hold the reins and keep my hands from freezing.
 Suddenly the wheels began jumping over rocks. The horses were in the ditch. I knew what was the matter, for my eyes had been filling with snow and I had had to brush them often. Of course the team had suffered in like manner. Before I could stop l heard the crack of felly and front wheel dropped to its hub. I checked the horses and jumped out and went to their heads and cleared their eyes. The snow was up to my knees then.
 How the thought of that broken wheel smote me! It was our only heavy wagon, and we having to pay the mortgage! What would my uncle say? The query brought tears to my eyes.
 I unhitched and led my horses up into the cover of the pines. How grate- full 1t seemed, for the wind was slack below but bowling In the treetops! l knew that I was four miles from home and knew not how I was to get there. Chilled to the bone, I gathered some pitch pine and soon had fire going with my flint and finder. l knew that I could mount one of the horses and lead the other and reach home prob- ably. But there was the grlst. We needed that; I knew that we should have to go hungry without the grlst. It would get wet from above and be- low if I tried to carry 1t on the back of a horse. I warmed myself by the fire and hitched my team near 1t so as to thaw the frost out of their forelocks and eyebrows. 1 felt In my coat pock- cts and found a handful of nails everybody carried nails In one pocket in those days-and remember that my uncle's pockets were A museum of