The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1921-06-16

CHAPTER Samson and Sarah Tray
YI WIN their two children, Josiah and
betsey travel by wagon from their home
IN Nergennes. Vt. to the West the land
OF plenty Their destina tion Is the Coun-
uy OF The saugamon. In Illinois
Samson woke the camp at daylight
and merry song was his revelile
while he led the horses to their drink
When they set out In the morning
samson wns wont TO say TO the little
lad, who generally sat beside him !:
We'll. my boy, what's the good word
this morning. whereupon Joe would
say, parrot like:
God help us all and make His
face 10 shine spon US"
well said :" his father would an
swer, and so the days journey began.
Often. near its end. they came to
some lonely farmhouse. Always sam.
son would stop and 20 10 the door
20 ask about the roads, followed by
little Joe and Betsey with secret hopes
One Of these hopes was related to
cookies and maple sugar and buttered
bread and had been cherished since
an hour OF good fortune early In the
trip and encouraged by sundry rood
hearted women along the road An.
other was the hope Of seeing . baby
mainly. II should be said, the hope
OF Kelsey. Joe's interest was merely
an echo Of hers. He rega rded babies
with an open mind, a. Il were. for
the opinions Of his sister still had
some weight with him, she being Q
year and a half older than he, hut
babies invariably disappointed him.
their capabilities being 20 restricted
Still. not knowing what might happen,
he always took q look at every baby.
The children were lifted out OF the
wagon TO stretch their legs at sloughs
and houses They were sure to he
close behind the legs Of their father
when he stood at strangers door.
Then. the night being near. they were
always invited to put their horse. in
the barn and tarry until NEXT morn.
ing. Tbs wa. due In part 10 the wist.
ful faces Of the little children fact
unsupported by their parents what
mothefy heart could resist the silent
appeal Of childre1's faces or fail to
understand ~ Those we're memorable
nights for Sarah and Joe ami Betsey In
Q letter to her brother the woman said:
You don't know how good IL seems
TO see u woman and talk TO her, and
we talked and talked until midnight.
after all the rest were asleep. She
let me hold the baby In my lap until
II was put To bed. How good " felt
10 have q little warm body In my
arms again and feel II breathing! In
all my life I never saw a prettier
baby. II fel' good to be In . real
house and sleep Ia a soft, warm bed
and to eat Jelly and cookies aud fresh
meat and potatoes and bread and but
ter. Samson played for them and
until bedtime They wouldn't take
a cent snd gave us a dozen eggs In Q
basket and piece Of venison when
We went away"
On a warm, bright day In the sand
country they came To crude, half
finished, frame house at the edge Of
a wide clearing The sand lay In
drifts on one side OF the road IL
had evidently moved In the last wind.
A slckly vegetation covered the field.
A ragged. barefooted man and three
scrawny. ill-clsd children stood In the
dooryard. II was noontlme. A mon
grel dog. with bit OF the hound In
him. came bounding and barking to-
ward the wagon and pitched upon
Ssmbo and quickly got the worst OF
II. Sambo, after much experience
In self-defense. had learned that the
hest way out OF such trouble was to
seize leg and hang on. This he
did. The mongrel began to yelp Sam
son lifted both dogs by the backs Of
their neeks. broke the hold Of Sambo
and tossed aside the mongrel. who
ran away whining.
THAT reminded me OF a bull that
tackled a man over In Vermont" he
said. THE man had a club In his
hand lie lodged and grabbed the
bulls tail and beat him all over the
lot. As the bull roared. the man hol-
Tered: I'd like to know who began
this fuss anyway"
The stranger laughed.
els that your houser' Samson said.
The man stepped nearer and an
swered In a low. confidential tone:
Say. mister. this Is a combination
poorhouse and idiot asylum. l am
the idiot. These are the poor"
He pointed TO the children.
"You don't talk like an idiot" said
Samson.
The man looked around and leaned
over the wheel as II about to impart
. secret
Say. I'll tell ys." he said In 9
low tone. "A real. first-class idiot
never does You ought to see my
sctiosc"
Tint land is an indication that
YOU'RE right" samson laughed.
1T proves It." the stranger wills
psred