Danville High School - Cardinal Yearbook (Danville, VA)

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TIIE CARDINAL lim's father, though very angry at his decision, did not force him to stay. Though stubborn and stingy, he would not go to that length. He would let the boy gog ,lim would Iind his mistake and be wiling to return. After some little job hunting, .lim found a job with the publishing house. lt did not pay any high salary. The margin above his board did not allow him to save much. But anyway, he would save what he could, and perhaps he could eventually Iind a better job. l-le had to work only eight hours a day. He had been putting in twelve and more on the farm, so he Felt like a gentleman of leisure. llle spent most of his evenings in the library. for he was a lover of reading. lilesides, most other amusements cost money, and were not instructive, and he must save money. l-le wrote to his mother every week, and in return received letters of encouragement. Old John Mclierson missed the boy from his home. lt was not only his help that the father missed. The house seemed lonely without him. lfle missed his lively spirits and the eheerfulness that overwork did not entirely overcome. XVhen he came in from work in the afternoon he seemed to be interested in whether or not a letter had come from jim. He sometimes asked his wife if ,lim was yet tired of city life. His wife was wise, so she spoke little of jim, and would not, of her own accord, satisfy the curiosity and interest she knew her husband had, but would not express. Almost a year had passed since Jim left home. He had not saved much money. and it looked as if he would not be able to enter college in the fall. john Melierson seemed to have grown several years older in the one year. He was not quite so close or as interested in business as formerly. l'l.is rheumatism became so bad that he grew to be almost an invalid, and was conlined to his bed near the lirst of August. l-le was still worried over Jim and lonely because of his absence. One day as he lay watching his wife at her ironing he was moved to speak. Jane, he said, if you would write to Jim, perhaps he could come home. But you know. replied his wife, concealing her joy, that he is trying to save up money for college. il would pay that. he promised. 'lGood, John! I shall write him to-day. ' lslis father'S sickness, and his wanting to see him, together influenced him to go home. jim was glad to see the farm once more. After all. it was home. and he had had some wood times here, in spite of his father. A His mother met him at the gate, embraced him, and led him in to his father. Oh! I'm sorry, Dad, to see you sick. cried Jim, as he came in. l'm glad to see you. jim. Come over and shake hands. After you've seen after things here a little, you will go to the universityf, Dow Coousv. 44

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TIIE CARDINAL Father Relents P00553 W fjgig IM MCFERSON stopped at the branch as he came i11 from the lield where KD Q he had been plowing hard all day. He watered his horses. just as he L X started to open the gate to go into the barn lot, Joe Robinson, a 'friend who 3' '31 A lived near, drove up in his car. ' oCfS Hello, jim. 'Been working pretty late, haven't you? he called, as he came to a stop. Yes, I have pnt in a full ,day to-clay. Father's going to put in a large wheat crop-this fall. He thinks there is bound to be a mend in prices after this big slump. Then besides he is sowing a lot of erimsonlclover. He always turns crimson clover under, in the spring, on the land he intends to plant in corn. 'LYou will be at that party over at Burton's this evening, won't you? I don't know, Joeg 'l' am tired and have iseveral chores to do yet, I doubt whether I shall feel like going. i ' t'That's too bad. You work too hard. You are going with me to the university next week, aren't you? NVQ would have line times together. You know father is opposed on principle to my studying agriculture at school. Any- way, he says I have got to stay here and work till l'm twenty-one: and when he has set his head tl1ere's no way of changing it. NVell, Joe started his car, I hope you can make some arrangements to go. So long. Good-bye. . The car rolled oft down'the road, and ,lim took his horses into the barn. john Mclferson, 1im's father, was one of the wealthiest 'farmers in Bradford County. He was as a child one of a large but poor family. By hard work, stingiuess. and native Scotch shrewdncss in business. he had succeeded better, Iinancially, than any of his neighbors. He had done without all comforts and luxuries, and had spent only what he was forced to spend for living expenses. The money he saved in this manner he invested in land. As soon as one piece was paid for, he added another to his farm, ln this way he had built up a farm of hundreds of acres of highly improved land. Recognizing its money-making value, he had built a line barn for his stock: but his house was small and shabby and cheaply furnished. lkfhen that night at supper Jim breached the subject of going to the university, his father Hatly refused. His mother undertook to rcmoustrate. Then his 'father exploded with wrath. Don't mention that infernal subject again! ,l' have said that Jim is not going, and that is the end of it. jim went to bed tired in body, but angry in spirit. l-le stayed awake a long time, think- ing. l-le knew that his father was unwilling to let him go to college, mainly on account of stinginess. lrle wanted Iim's work on the farm, and did not want to spend any money for college expenses. ,lim finally decided to leave home. He would go to town, get work. and when he had saved two or three hundred dollars he would work his way through college with the help of that. 43

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TIIE CA RDINAL UHUIJUITUIIJ GfL'1fI5Ul1 In the hush of a Sabbath day Death called our warschief away. He who gave for us his life And led our nation through years of strife, Safely and gently fell asleep, And o'er his body nations weep. The world has lost a leader, brave, But though he sleeps in a soundless grave He cannot die, for his spirit lives. His days among the dead have passed And life around him we beholdg A halo round his head is cast, He walks on streets all paved with gold, He sings the songs the angels sing, He lives his life with God: This world no sorrows to him bring As when upon this earth he trod. 0 world, we need not weep for him, For death is but the break of dawn- The waking from a weary night To the gladness of another morn. -CAROLYN O 45 GG