The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-01-30

They tOld me that ne was cutting
corn in the back lot, where / found
him.
"Mr. Dunkelberg came this morning
and wanted to buy me some new
clothes and boots" l said.
The senator stopped work and stood
looking at me with his hands upon his
hips.
II wouldn't let him do 1t II / were
you" he said thoughtfully.
Just then / saw a young man come
running toward us In the distant field.
Mr.. Wright took out his compass.
"Look here" he said. "you see the
needle points due north"
He took a lodestone out Of his
pocket, and holding it lei the COM
pass moved it back and forth. The
needle followed 1t.
The young man came up to US
breathing deeply. Precipitation was
rolling off his face. He was much ex-
cited and spoke with some difficulty.
Senator Wright" he gasped, Mrs.
Wright sent me down to tell you that
President Van Buren, is at the house."
remember wildly che look of mild
amusement in the senator's face and
the serene calmness with which he
looked at the young man and said to
him:
"Tell Mrs. Wright to make him conf
Portable in III easiest chat and to
say TO the president that I shall be up
directly"
To my utter surprise he resumed his
talk with me as the young man went
away.
"YOu see all ways are north when
you put this lodestone near the
needle" he went on. "If II is to tell
you the truth you must keep the lode
stone away from the needle. It's that
way, too, with the compass of your
soul, partner. There the lodestOne Is
s~elfiShness, and with its help you can
make any direction look right to you
and ~soon-yOu're lost"
He bound the last bundle and then
we walked together toward the house,
the senator carrying his sickle.
Slluii iouuNC you W lhC DIcSl-
dent" he said as we neared our des-
tination. "Then perhaps you had bet
ter leave u.s."
l could not remember that I had
ever been introduced" to anybody. I
knew that people put their wits IN ex-
hibitiOn and often flung down a "snag''
by way of demonstrating their fitness
for the honor, when they were intro
duced in books, l remember asking
rather timidly:
"What shall 1 say when-when you
Introduce me?"
"Oh, say anything you want to say"
he answered with a look Of muse
ment.
"Im kind o scared" / said.
"You needn't be-he was once a
poor boy just like YOU"
"Just like me !" / repeated thought
fully, for while l had heard a good
deal of that kind of thing in our home,
it had not, somehow, got under my
jacket, as they used to say.
"JuSt like yOu-cOwhide and all
the son of a small freeholder in Kin
derhook on the Hudson" he went on.
body and kept his heart clean. So of
course he grew and is still growing.
That's a curious thing about men and
women, Bart. If they are in good
ground and properly cared for they
never stop growing never!- and
xLa&,, N Drntfu Full yynr6-tsn't $40
We had come in sight of the house.
l Jagged behind q little when l saw
the great man sitting on the small
piazza with Mrs. Wright. / e WV
luIy, as I write, the full figure, the
rudy, kindly face, the large nose, the
gray eyes, the thick halo of silvered
hair extending from his collar to the
bald top Of his head. He rose and
said in a deep voice:
"He sows Ill luck who hinders the
reaper"
Mr.. Wright hung his sickle on a
small tree In the dooryard and an
swered:
"The plowman has overtaken the
reaper, Mr.. President. 1 bid you well
come to my humble home"
ut is a pleasure to be here and q
regret to call you back to Washing
ton," said the president as they shook
hands.
Il suppose that e an extra ses-
sion," the senator answered.
First let me reassure you. 1 shall
get away as soon as possible. for I
know that a president Is a heavy bur-
den for n to have on his hands,"
Don't worry. L can get along with
almost any kind of a human being, es-
pecially If he like pudding and milk as
well as you do" said the senator, who
then introduced me In these words:
"Mr. President, this is my young
friend, Barton Baynes, Of the neigh
bOrhoOd of Lickitysplit in the town
Of Ballybeen-a coming man of this
county"
"Come on" vas the playful remark
Of the president as he took my hand.
81 shall be looking for you"
I had carefully chosen my words
and remember saying, with some dig
nfty. like one In n story hook althOuph