Part 8 (2/2)
My house in the tree on the hilltop, where I had often rehearsed my orations and sermons in such stentorian tones that the ah and took to their heels, welcorown branches
My second brother, realizing that as ”unto the bow the cord is, as unto the child the mother, so unto man the woman is--useless one without the other,” had taken unto hihbor My mother thus had a much needed helper, as their farms, like their owners, were joined in wedlock
[Illustration: I Rehearsed My Orations with Startling Effect]
The worthy deacon and ious father alternately led the fa machine, horse-hoe, corn-planter and power-rake dispensed with the drudgery of the scythe and back-breaking hand tools A protective tariff had set thecities, thus furnishi+ng excellentshoe ht and day for a feeeks and then leaving them to semi-starvation for the rest of the year, had not yet arrived
One of my brothers had, like most of the farmers of that day, his little shop where in winter he coined a few hundred dollarsboots and shoes, and where I earned es and occasionally pegging by hand, all of which is now done by machinery
We could now afford occasional holidays, e all gaily sailed down the river, dug claaled ourselves with toothsome chowders, broils and stews in the open air, and hadin the breakers, frolicking, old and young, like children We pitched our tents on old Bar Island, slept on the fragrant hay at night, played ball, and renewed our youth inhaling deep draughts of the salty hich bloweth in fro hofar abaft, we espied a boat sub our yacht up into the wind, we took the craft in tow to the landing, and were surprised and delighted beyond e lobsters, held there by a wire netting For weeks we and all the neighbors held high carnival boiling and eating the luscious crustaceans
We hadexcursion at the expense of a parsimonious member of our crew At first he alone pulled in the much prized too in, each one for hiy ceased to catch any, while the rest of us pulled in the fish as fast as we could throw the hooks Mr Greedy looked very soleer, shouted: ”I think we better share all alike!” ”Too late,” was the chorus, and while he carried horeat abundance
These sees, but they coreater events are all forgotten
When the crops were all harvested, and the winds and snows of winter shut reeary of the monotony of the indoor country life, and once more went to the city of Boston in the endless quest of the unattainable
Restless as the sea, we are never satisfied this side the stars; but we are all looking forward to that sweet by and by, ”as the hart panteth for the water brook”
I shall be satisfied, not here, not here Not where the sparkling waters fade intosands as we draw near, Where in the wilderness each footstep falters, I shall be satisfied; but, oh, not here
Not here, where every dream of bliss deceives us, Where the worn spirit never finds its goal, But haunted ever by thoughts that grieve us, Across our souls floods of bitter ue longing, The aching void, which nothing earthly fills, Oh, what desires upon , As my eyes turn upward to the heavenly hills!
Shall they be satisfied, the spirit's yearning, For sweet communion with kindred , The inspiration, which no language finds?
There is a land, where every pulse is thrilling, With rapture, earth's sojourners may not know, Where heaven's repose the weary heart is stilling, And peacefully earth's storht, while yet the flesh enfolds us, Lies that fair country, where our hearts abide, And, of its bliss, naught more wondrous is told us, Than these feords, I shall be satisfied
CHAPTER XII
FROM PHILISTINE TO BENEDICT AND A HONEYMOON
The fates, who lead the willing-and drive the unwilling, guided me to the old time firm of B & T publishers They were overwhelreat army of the impecunious, and did not wish to pay any more salaries; but ”mercy tempers the blast to the shorn lae profits on their Worcester's Dictionaries, to strike out on my own hook and endeavor to induce a reluctant public to buy these instead of the popular dictionaries written by ”Noah Webster who caranted by the publishers enabledtheir adoption as regular text-books by school boards, I made more money than ever before in my life, someti I was filling the ular prices, hired me at a liberal salary as representative of all their publications
In this business I won h the coents at the sa with school committees for the adoption of their books, the merits of the publications ”cut but little ice”
Nearly every school official ”had his price,” wanting to knohat there was in his vote for hi and wining teachers and co their libraries with compliht the most fish”