Dickenson County herald. [volume] (Clintwood, Va.) 1939-195?, 1945-02-22

After I was through with school
l went to st. Louis and applied for
a job on the st. Louis Post-Dispatch
and, since they had been active in
launching the school of journalism,
pretty well had them. They offered
$50 week and I went to work for
that. now realize it was mistake
not to ask for more, for it is much
easier to get an extra five dollars
week when you are bargaining than
after you're established on the pay
roll. Some way or other, when you
get fixed at certain figure, it takes
an act of God to lift you out of it.
In addition to my job, was writ
ing stuff ION the side," and some of
it sold. Just enough to keep me
running after it, like mule with
nubbin dangling in front of it. Things
/ wrote seemed good to me, al
though now I realize how simple
and naive they must have been. In
fact, all my life the things I have
written seemed good to me at
the time wrote them. Some people
seem to have the ability of self
criticism. But I haven't and it has
cost me many heartbreak. The
things have shaved over and be-
ieved in so deeply, have made no
impression whatever. While some
of the things have tossed off, with
hardly thought, have made place
for themselves. What makes one
go and another fail is something I
don't understand. And now I have a
little philosophy of my own 7 do
everything as well as can and
hope for the best. Sometimes I
get it; often don't.
Once a week I would get letter
from Pa. In the upper left-hand cor
ner would be the return form with
his name written in indeible pencil.
Everything was as well as could be
expected. There had been wash
ing rain Thursday night which had
extended well over into Friday
morning. The water gap was out.
Some hoof-and-mouth disease in
eastern Kansas. Did plan on COM
ing home soon?
l was selling enough to give me
some self-confdence so walked in
and resigned a proud moment
indeed when announced Twas going
east" Then started home to see
Pa and the old farm. He was at the
depot, as always. 'I'll carry your
grip, Homer" How fast we talked,
how much must be said all at once.
Il expect you'll want to see some
of your old friends"
We walked up and down the street,
visiting with those knew, Pa stand
ing proudly little to one side. His
boyd been off in st. Louis! Said
they'd had considerable heat. We
went to the grocery store, more
friends there. Finally we got in
the hack and spread lap robe over
our knees. When he came to town
alone he didn't fool with lap robe.
When we got to the brow of the
hill, my eyes swept over the farm.
The white house and the red barn,
the corncrib and the granary and
the hay barn with the cupola and
the hayfork track extending out
little past the side of the barn. And
there were the cattle and the hogs
and the cows and a peaceful air of
contentment.
ST guess you see I've divided the
hog lot!''
We walked out across the farm, as
he always wanted me to do when I
got back. He had something he
wanted to discuss with me. What
did I think Of changing to short
horns? knew what that involved
and realized how much it meant to
him and tried to discuss it with him,
but was soon mired down. He knew
a thousand times more about farm
ing than ] would ever know. What