Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-04-02

S Morrow in her chair in the kitcht
= asleep, mother and son were alon
| "Wel," Mary said softly, Eat az
rate, one of you boys has had Il GO
. lege education.'
ayes, Ma"
Tom arose and took Il couple {
: turns up and down the room. H
was big strapping fellow now-si
feet in his stockings-wth sha,
forceful features and Il steel-gra
eye. He pulled out his college jim
my-pipe and filled it thoughtfully
standing by the window and lookin
out into the fragrant rainy night.
Tommy" breathed the mothe
fearfully at last, from her place be
fore the devastated dishes, "--is
ALL completed, Tommy"
The young man flushed deeply.
"You mean, Ma, the the
theological SCHOOL,"
"Yes," she said half-hopefully.
He was Il long time in replying ant
in that moment the mother knew sh,
had another disappointment to bur,
in her life.
"Confound it, Ma, hate tt
say it, know it hurts you like
sin, but what's the use of trying
to follow up something l don't care
anything about and amt fitted for?'
ut was the dream of my life
Tommy, from the first night |
looked into your little face, that you
should some day be minister. And
I'm I'm willing to keep right on
workin', Tommy, to see you get the
money to help you out there ALSO
"That's the trouble, Ma, you've
been working too darned much! I've
felt ashamed of it lots of times. But
I've got the satisfaction of knowing
l didn't cheat-I plugged to get
through as hard as you plugged to
have me-"
81 know you did, son. 1t would
MT be in Jack Purses son to cheat"
She waited a long time. Then she
said: "And you aren't going to try
to be a minister"
"What's the use, MAJ" he cried
without looking into her face. "1'm
simply not cut out for it,; my bent
doesn't lie in that direction. Honest
it doesn't. What's the use of spoil
ing a good blacksmith to make a
rotten preacher"
"But you don't want to be black
"You know what l want to be, Ma.
We've talked it over times enough"
Mary placed her tired hands to her
,hrobbing temples. Yes, they had
,alked it over times enough, indeed.
ats in my blood, MOTHER" Tom
vent on. otis something you and
lad have bequeathed to me. It's
ground into my very bone and fibre.
You can't blame me. l was born to
t."
eyes," agreed Mary. "Perhaps
,ou were, Tommy. But if your father
lad lived, this would about break his
leart."
Because dad was only a second
alter; he never got to the top in his
Profession. And Pm going to climb
o the top-Springfield, Boston, New
,ork! Watch me! And dad mar
led too young and encountered HIM
elf with family before he could
ford it. l shant do that. I'm a
olling stone until I've rolled my
elf up to the top of the grade. Then
IL marry and stay there"
"My son-only newspaperman-
Ike his daddy before him! Oh well!
t doesn't matter; it's honorable even
it's poorly paid. Maybe may
e some of the other boys will be
minister's although / can't say
III be the same as if it was you,
ON. You were my first baby, you
now. 1t makes a difference"
"Mother, don't take on SO. I'll
e at the top of my profession the
ame as / stood at the top of my
lass. And III see that you're not
orry you released me from the minis
rial obligation" He said this last
18th an attempt at pleasantly. But !;
fell paCneClcally IlaC.
She arose and came over to him ,
fter time. He knew when he look
/ at her that the situation he had ,
readed for months was successfully
the past. She took him by the
,pels of his coat with her scrawny
ands and he took the Jimmy-pipe
ON his teeth that she could look in
, his face.
"Tom," she said. "Then be good !
Remember you're
ealing with the deep and sacred v
lings of life, the hearts and
,uls and destinies of men and wo- v
emf
"I will, mother" he said quietly. i
1t was silent in that room for a
me. Then the boy said huskily: l
Mother, you won't feel so
vful, awful badly if I don't become {
preacher, if become really good S
really BIG, newspapermanw
The answer was long time in
ming. But it came. She smiled d
onderful smile, as she turned her
veet face up to his as she had turn s
it up to another man in the by n
me years.
"No, Tom," she said brokenly. ~ q
ont feel awful bad, over it," +
And that night Thomas Joshua
lrse left for Boston to take a job .
the old Chronicle. 8