Show j Grandma Townsends Townsend's Best Christmas WELL Liza perhaps youre you're right but I cant can't see what good under the the sun it is going to do Ben to go goto goto i ito to school all his life and never find out how to take care of himself Yes Charles but then you know Ben Benis is not strong and and That's just it Ben has never been strong and when in the world will he ever become so if he stays in school w and lolls over books forever I tell you Liza what that boy wants is to get out in the fields and and rustle a little more and that would fill him out and put a little li life e into him Hes He's been kind kinda a sickly and weve we've been too careful of him and let him have his own way too much A little littlemore littlemore littlemore more more knocking about would put so some ft Ii Vi c backbone into him If lie he has gone as asfar asfar far as our school here will take him that's all we can afford These are too hard times to teach boys to be gentle gentle- men Hes He's been to school more than I ever did now and Joe Joe- Joeand and John were earning their own living at his age It'll cost fifty dollars for tuition at that school in town and how can we afford to pay this and then pay his board besides besides besides be be- sides with taxes coming due and that addition to be put onto the house f But the addition can wait you know The house will answer very well for another another another an an- r other year and Ben is so anxious to go f Let us not him if we can r help it We will plan to make out the money somehow I guess Well Ill I'll see But I shant have time to 10 look k after it today hurt him if he is a little late anyway With this Mr Townsend gave the thelast thelast last buckle a climbed into his f. f buggy and was just taking up the lines fi when Ben stepped from around the corner corner cort cor cor- t ner of the house straight for the wagon Y 17 He was a green lanky cou country try youth rr whose hands and feet were ev evidently dently the k i y most conscious part of him but now t his face was as flushed his deep blue eyes t were lit up and his feet were planted f firmly on the ground heels first as he strode across the little yard to old Neds Ned's r side and patt patted d the horses horse's neck affectionately r His boyish frame trembled a rp little as he met his fathers father's inquiring j gaze p Well what's the matter Ben said his father a little impatiently 2 Id like to make you a proposition Father said Ben speaking rapidly r now that he had found his tongue the color coming and going in his face and andt t his whole frame quivering with excite excite- 5 ment If If you will let me go to school this year Ill I'll never ask you to send me meto F to school again and some day Ill I'll pay 1 you back for my tuition this year ear I Ill I'll ll IT stay at home and walk and walk back and forth t i P t w and look after the stock at the lower A barn That's rather of a sided one bargain my lad and I fear youre you're getting the worst of it But if you are dead in earnest earnest earnest ear ear- nest and mean it heres here's a go and I wont hold you to the stock job either Reckon yourself a goner be ready to tobe be begin in your contract on Monday and you see that he dont don't go back on his word mother With this parting salute Mr Townsend Townsend Townsend Town- Town send hit old Dick a cut and turned toward toward toward to to- ward the busy little town of Swarthmore four miles away Ben and his mother sought each others other's eyes for a moment and the next he was at her side and received a mothers kiss while his boyish boyiCh heart swelled with pride as he heard her My noble boy God bless you It was not nota a time to talk and they t turned away to think But as Ben went about his accustomed tasks it was with a far lighter heart than he had for had many a day He was no longer a mere boy The last half hour had wrought great changes in Ben Townsend He was fast becoming a man As he finished up tp the chores and with hoe on or his shoulder started for the potatoe field his mind was as busy The world orld seemed to him a larger place than it had ever been before and life far more of a reality What am I going to be anyway mused he What am amI I going to do cio in in the world Father evidently thinks it is high time I was wasat wasat wasat at something I am rather of a good for nothing anyhow I guess I suppose suppose suppose sup sup- pose Joe and John were a good deal smarter but hut land Id I'd hate to be in either of their boots today Theres There's Joe Joe house house full of kids and just having one everlasting rustle to keep their mouths full And John it seems to me isn't much better off He just knocks around the country the whole time He sees lots of the world I spose sose but hes he's s 1 L J just as s restless and unhappy as he can be Hes He's never satisfied with anything If I am aTI not earning my own living as soon as they were I dont don't quite want to haul up at the same stations they seem to have got off at No sir e er Dad ill not have a chance to say I dont don't know how to take care of myself much longer not if this chick knows himself I can dig potatoes take care of stock milk cows and even pick stone all my days but I wont If I lean can go to school this year next fall Ill I'll be almost eighteen eighteen eighteen teen and they'll give me that school down on Red Creek reek I might have had hadit it it it- this year if Id I'd been older Just a little time and well we'll see Time sped on Ben kept his part of the contract and Mr Townsend cheerfully cheerfully cheerfully cheer cheer- fully provided the tuition books etc The four miles on foot or on horseback night and morning wrought wonders for Ben physically and he was rapidly developing developing developing de de- into a closely built strong active young man The year passed on The next autumn autumn au au- au autumn saw Ben Townsend installed as principal and sole teacher in the Red Creek school district number thirty five Here our young hero met some of the most perplexing events of his life The big boys put their wits to the test in concocting schemes to try the kid as they called him Ben planned and worked earnestly day by day and then went home at at night to dream and teach school in his slumbers So affairs went wenton on for a couple of week weeks One day Ben would feel that he was gaining ground then the next perhaps the cowardly act of some lubber of a boy would cast him into the slough of discouragement But each morning a pair paAr of laughing eyes set in a sweet girlish face greeted him with a hearty cheery cheAry morning good-morning and this ray of sunshine gave him hope and courage One day in the third week affairs came to a climax Two of his full- full grown lads leaders in the spirit of un unrest un un- rest prevailing among part of his school departed at the afternoon recess skipping skipping skip skip- ping the rest of their classes for the day Ben said nothing thought the matter over qu quietly to himself and at opening exercises the next morning framed his usual talk to suit the occasion I I have come among you t. t said Ben not not to be your master but your teacher I am here to lead you to help you and to work with you in endeavoring endeavor endeavor- endeavoring ing to become grown full-grown men and women I have taken you all to be ladies and gentlemen and have endeavored endeavored endeavored ored to treat you as such I wish I might never have to change that opinion but two of our number have forfeited their right to be classed with the rest of ofus ofus ofus us as gentlemen By their acts yesterday yesterday yesterday yester yester- day they have openly said that they do donot donot donot not care for our association and help Therefore it becomes my duty to request th them m to take their belongings and leave us Then turning to the two boys he added I am sorry that you do not want to work with us we have wished to aid you and be your friends but since you do not care for our friendship in a manly way I must request you to withdraw from school Have either of you anything anything anything any any- thing you would like to say in your defense defense defense de de- He paused a stillness pervaded the room so great that all instinctive instinctively held their breath Then the larger of the two suddenly jerked himself to his feet a large lumbering youth of about abou seven seventeen teen I I dont don't want to leave school Mr Townsend t make my mother feel awful I dont don't mean to be bad We just tried to be funny but I guess we half so funny as we thought Wont you try me a little longer Well James ames said Ben we we shall be glad to have you stay shy with us if you really wish to and think you can show yourself a a man but of course course ourse we thought from your action yesterday that you did not want to remain with us We are pleased to learn the contrary f i and know that you want to be a gentle gentle- r. r a r man f At this juncture Charlie Jones the theother theother I other other truant truant was wa on his feet als also and Y with a sob in In his throat was asking the ft young teacher for another chance Ben put the matter to a vote and they t y were were unanimously given an opportunity r to redeem themselves This was was was' what ar Ben wanted and from this time forth ff the spirit o of that school was changed j t The and skill of their young u t leader gained their confidence and nd admiration admiration adt ad ad- t and his large sympathy and interest in their welfare completely won t- t c bi f their hearts There was no more testing 7 the II kid but enthusiasm and work was ft the watchword till that schoolroom fairly hummed with the desire of doing something something some some- f thing and being somebody and in th the forefront of it all was that pair of laughing laughing laughing laugh laugh- ing eyes set in the happy girlish face Ben had gained another victory and his father now hadn't the slightest doubt u but that Ben could earn earn his living The years sped on They were were full of struggle and hardships but also full of joy and satisfaction Some days were were crowned with victory while others brought only seeming defeat and many manya manyx x a time Ben sought that quiet mothers mother's face at home for advice and encouragement encourage encourage- ment or drew inspiration from the Ik i memory of a pair of bOI bonny ny eyes in the 1 e Red Creek school house Ben strove on working teaching and attending school ever climbing I higher the pride and comfort of his C father and mother upon whom the hand of time began to to rest rather heavily and whose heads were being crowned with the snows of many winters Times had been hard and Johns John's wild ways had put a mortgage on the farm and caused them many a a sleepless night Now ow they r had lost all trace of hj him and tainy that vulture that feeds upon pon our 1 very life blood was fast weakening their 1 frames and leaving its tracings upon their j brows Bens Ben's summer vacations were usually spent upon the farm at home straightening things out and trimming trimming trimming trim trim- ming up the ragged edges and loose ends One summer however he had hadan hadan hadan an excellent opportunity to visit the with a government surveying party who were to explore the upper waters of the Columbia and he seized upon it The trip was just one long holiday for Ben The outdoor life the roughing it in camp the hunting and fishing and beyond all that the magnificent cent scenery were enough to strengthen strength strength- en cheer and inspire a less susceptible soul than Bens They had traversed the magnificent Snake valley from the headwaters of the river and were about to strike into Yellowstone Park one day when as they halted for rest by the roadside a horse came carne dashing around the bend in a mad gallop carrying a ayoung ayoung ayoung young woman who was clinging to it for dear life The efforts of those near the road to stop it were of no avail but in ina a flash Ben had swung into the saddle of a powerful g gray ay that stood close at hand and dashed after the runaway animal Faster and faster he urged the gray but the animal had considerable considerable considerable consid consid- erable the lead and seemed as fleet t. t as the wind But soon Ben and horse warmed up to the contest They struck into a along stretch of one of the new government roads in the Park and the gray began to gain rapidly Nearer and nearer drew Ben praying that he might save the girl whoever she might be Soon he was within hearing distance without shouting and speaking calmly and earnestly encouraged the young woman woman woman wo wo- man to still hold fast for he would soon rescue her The sound of his voice however seemed to give new strength to the runaway and Ben began almost to despair but the grays gray's mettle was i 1 r good and soon soon he he was alongside the flying animal Whoa Fan whoa now whoa beauty J soothingly spoke Ben to the frightened animal Be calm my girl gul and you'll soon be safe said he encouragingly encouragingly encouragingly to the rider without ever looking looking looking look look- ing at her In a minute more and he leans forward and grasps the bridle of her horse and with a gentle Whoa whoa there beauty whoa Fan brings the animal gradually to a walk and finally to a stop In a second more he has dismounted and reaches up to help the frightened girl to the ground Their eyes meet he is dumb with astonish astonish- ment There is no mistaking those eyes they are the laughing bonny eyes of Red Creek schoolhouse Delight in a moment dispels astonishment and covers his face with ripples of laughter No word is spoken t words words' are unnecessary He lifts her bodily from the saddle and too weak and numb to stand she sits down by a tree close at hand and he secures the horses He returns and stands before her her- with smiles chasing pach each other all over his face She has recovered herself somewhat somewhat somewhat some some- what and seems perfectly willing to smile b beck ck II How under the sun did you get here and what were you riding that fiery beast for inquired Ben II Where in the world did you come from and what were you chasing m me for retorted she They both laughed answers to each others other's questions and finally regained their composure sufficiently to talk She told him that she and her her mamma were on a visit t to the Park and were then stopping at at the hotel at the Lower Geyser Basin She had gone out with a party for a ride and her horse became frightened at some campers and ran away with her He learned that she no longer lived with her uncle at Red RedE E Creek but that her mamma was was- quite well now and they were living in their own home in Detroit After a little littlerest littlerest littlerest rest they again mounted and turned their horses heads towards the hotel It was pleasant to talk over those old days in Red Creek when she was a mere mere child and he a pedagogue and he then had the courage to tell her how much good her cheerful good morning had done him The history of these intervening years were sketched and both seemed to regret when the hotel was finally reached Ben our gallant was vas introduced to mamma Sevier while Miss Maud pictured vividly the rescue of the day with suggestions thrown in inhere inhere inhere here and there of how Mr Townsend used to teach school at Red Creek hen when she was living at uncle Joshua's and that she went to school to him It was all very funny Finally Mrs Sevier recovered sufficiently sufficiently sufficiently to to thank Mr Townsend most heartily and urged him to remain to dinner dinner dinner din din- ner with them but Bens Ben's limited wardrobe wardrobe wardrobe ward ward- robe and his anxiety to find his comrades caused him to decline the great pleasure and hasten away not however however how how- ever until he had promised to visit them at |