Detroit evening times., 1942-01-16
HATED To DIG IN

ESQ was 10 fork en- out
HATED TO DIG FM
Gosh How he hated 10 dig po-
tatoes He Clarcd rc>ontfuIN A.
the array Of wlltcd stalks IN front
OF hun and remembered that ho
always had hated 10 dig potatoes
from the first day nc ever had dug
them.
There was no reason for it
especially II was Just a farm
chore and a pretty easy one az
that. But he hated H.
He looked over has shoulder a.
the sun. II was getting near
o'clock. lie looked back al The
potatoes His mouth ughtcned
He was a tall boy with fair hair
broad shoulder and a SKIN burned
black-hTown. He had about hun
the anCularIty and the slight Stoop
Of the born-and-brcd farmer.
Another quality OF the heFn-and-
bred farmer he had was IN his
eyes They were hluc and, patient
Crinkled at the corners from look
ing into the sun. and a little sad.
DoCCOne, He wished his pop
would help him gust TINS one time
He'd said ne would. he had SAID
j. only this morning a. Jed got up
from the breakfast table
You 60 long out Ia the patch.
SON he said land start diggin."
I'll he along In minute or two.
Soon as I've looked over the
paper"
And jed had gone long with
out a word But he knew all the
time that that minute or Two Of
+ Caleb'S would stretch into a full
day II always had and it always
would Caleh,S- minutes nj
ways had stretched right on past
all periods Of labor ever since Jed
had gotten big enough TO take
over the work
Jed started digging.
He dug rhythmIcally HIS bright
fork slipped into the ground, His
back muscles tWltChed The fork
came out like a spoon carrying the
brown berries. 1t slipped into the
ground again
In a minute or two, he forgot
that he was digging His mind
swung away from the task. leaving
il 10 his body, He got 10 thinking
OF his future.
THenty-onc today. Caleb didn't.
know II but his mother did She
had remembered When he came
INTO the kitchen that morning, she
had brought his cup ol coffee I'D
It's saucer over from the stove and
put it down beside hI> plate Then
she leaned over and kissed hiW
Happy birthday, Jed" She
had said
He kissed hcr back and he.
grlnned
To-day could vote, ma be
reminded her III il was only the
first Tuesday after the first
Monday in November"
YES" she had agreed Bit
terly. "Nou could do lot Of
things. But YOU won't. Maybe
II would be better il you weren't
what YOU are. But YOU are
fine boy, jed.
SAME OLD STORY
Then his father had come iu
from the bedroom. NaWnnC. He
had sat down AZ the table.
Morning. mother ne had
greeted. Morning. jed Where's
the paper: led, you'd better
start on those potatoes today,
You 20 long right after break
fast and get them started. In
be- long i'm minute or two.
Soon as I've looked over the
paper
And here tc wasn't set And
here ne wouldn't bc am day That
the way pop worked it Ile never
did a tap around the farm lie
was al"at promising but never
performing io. Was always too
busy improving Dbl, mind
You had to ~y flat pop MAS "a
smart man About a> smart as
there wa, Ir fhe county ThGc
was nOfrin- ab94' local or foreign
affair tua, rr gasIar Eee Sol.
a. opinion oE af the drop ut laf
ie could have been president
ana II Ee was. gC.G Ho gErg Pie
colnt1t = better u.r.,'rat
than President Roosevelt Iie ALL
way, said ~. There wasn't a
morning that le C1tt DT'4..Je
"this fellow Roosevelt
one rf the 'hrE. fa'ar rr