The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-03-06
XIV.

! Use My Own Compass at . Fork In
the Road.
Swiftly now I 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.
While we ate our luncheon he de-
scrlbed Jackson and spoke Of the ia
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.
Rives, Calhoun and Benton. I remem
least Of them, although at his best the
greatest orator. We had a delightful
day, and when / drove back to the vii
lsge with him that night he told me
that l could 60 into the office Of Wright
& Baldwin after harvesting.
1T will do for a start" he said. "A
little later I shall try to find a better
place Tor you
My life went on with little in 1t
worth recording until the letter came.
! speak Of 1t as "the letter." because
Of It's effect upon my career. 1t was
from Sally. and 1t said:
Dear Bart: It's all over for a long
time, perhaps forever-that will de-
pend on you. I shall be true to you.
II you really love me. even II I 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 l stop 1t? I guess I
would have to stop living. But we
shall have to depend upon our men,
cries now. l 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 q dent In the floor.
Talk about slavery-what do you think
Of that? Mother says that we must
wait-that 1t would make father q
great deal Of trouble II 1t were known
that I allowed you to write. I 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-and I suppose hat we
can do as we please then. The day
is a long way of. but I will agree to
meet you that day at eleven In the
morning under the old pine on the
river where I 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 vincIt, but do not sign
your name.
SALLY"
What a serious matter 1t seemed to
me then! 1 remember that 1t gave
Time q rather slow foot. / wrote the
words very neatly and plainly on q
sheet Of paper and mailed 1t to Mrs.
Dunkelberg. I wondered If Sally would
stand Arm, 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 1t.
/ was eight months with Wright 4
Baldwin when I was offered a clerk.
ship in the office of Judge Westbrook
at Cobleskill, In Schoharie county, al
two hundred a year and my board.
knew not then just how the offer had
roine but knew that the senator must
"~ recommended me. l know now
mat he wanted q reliable witness Of
the rem troubles which were growing
acute in Schoharie. Delaware and Co
lumbia counties.
1t was a trial to 60 so far from
home. as Aunt Deel put It. bat both my
aunt and uncle agreed that 1t was "for
the best"
How 1t wrung my heart, when Mr.
Purvis and l got into the stage at Can
ton, to zee my aunt and uncle standing
BY the front wheel looking up at me
How old and lonely and forlOrn they
looked! Aunt Deel had her purse In
her hand. I remember how she took q
dollar out of tt suppose 1t was the
only dollar she had-and looked at II
a moment and then handed 1t up to
me.
you better take It," she said. I'm
fraid you won't have enough"
How her hand and lips trembledi
have always kept TINT dollar.
Icouldn't see them as we drove away
The Judge received me kindly and
gnve Purvis a job In his garden.
was able to take his dictation In sound
hand and spent most Of my time In
taking down contracts and correspond
ence and drafting them into proper
form, which I had the knack of doing
rather neatly. ! vas impressed by rhs
immensely Of certain towns In tn,
neighborhOod. and there were som
temptations In my way. Many people
and especially the prominent men. In
dulged In ardent spirits.
We had near rs there q little scctios
Of the old world which was trying. In
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