AUSTIN TAKES CARE OF HIMSELF
Some men set a high value upon honor, others will sell themselves for a
trifle. The value of a man is not one whit higher than the value he sets on
his honor. Some men scorn to be dishonest in the small affairs of life, and
as friends and neighbors are ever upright and honorable, yet can be tempted
in greater matters to sell their birthright for the gain of the profiteer
or the influence of the politician. Other men abhor these greater forms of
dishonor, but in little things are petty and mean. They are like the woman
who prides herself on her cleverness when she cheats the milkman out of a
quart of milk or the peddler out of a paper of pins. When a boy undertakes
to look out for himself, he must learn to deal with these petty meannesses
in others or be continually deceived.
Austin met the world with no expectation of fraud or ill will, and when he
found these, he was surprized and grieved, and was quite unprepared to cope
with the situation. His first summer’s work was to teach him a rather
severe lesson in human nature. Farmer Coles knew the boy and that he was a
good worker, and deliberately planned to get a farm-hand at a very
reasonable rate. He was careful to see that Austin earned fully every
dollar he received all the summer through, but he had no intention of
keeping him during the winter. When school began the first of September,
there was yet much to be done in the fields, and Austin consented, at the
farmer’s suggestion, to keep at his work for another month, but the first
of October he quit and started to school.
From the time he entered school, the atmosphere about the home, and Mr.
Cole’s attitude toward his choreboy, changed completely. Where he had been
pleasant, he now was surly and cross. He found fault with all that Austin
did, and it seemed impossible to please him in anything.
One evening Mr. Coles told Austin to get out the car and have it lighted
and ready, for he intended to go to a neighbor’s. This Austin did, carrying
out with him a few matches to light the car-lamps. He had intended to take
the surplus matches back to the kitchen, but as Mr. Coles came out ready to
start, Austin forgot them. It was a thing forbidden about the Coles’
premises that a hired man should carry matches in his pockets. Mr. Coles
had been particular about this rule, and thus far Austin had not offended.
When they were ready to start for home, Mr. Coles had trouble in lighting
his lamps, and his last match blew out. He was in the act of going in for
another supply from his neighbor when Austin remembered those in his pocket
and handed him one.
“Carrying matches, Austin?” asked the farmer sharply.
“No, not ordinarily, but I had two or three left from lighting the car this
evening and had not yet carried them back to the kitchen.”
“See that you dispose of them at once when we get back.” But it was late
and Austin was sleepy and again he forgot. He did not think of them till
early in the morning while he was helping with the milking. His lantern
went out, and he had started to the house for a match when he remembered
those in his pocket, and, taking one out, struck it and lighted his
lantern. Now the farmer had the excuse he was looking for. He had no
intention of giving the boy his board all winter. Far was that from his
mind. He had not liked to turn him out without a cause, but rather to make
life so uncomfortable for him that he would not stay. Not till now had he
found a real cause for an outburst of wrath, and using his opportunity to
its fullest extent, he railed out at Austin, using abusive language.
“I am sorry, Mr. Coles, that I forgot to take the matches from my pocket,
but you know very well that I do not smoke and have no need of them about
me. Also you know how I came to have these at this time,” said Austin
hotly, for his anger burned at the language and accusations heaped upon
him.
Mr. Coles’ retort had been more bitter than ever, and Austin picked up the
milk-bucket and lantern and walked out of the barn and to the house. Here
he strained the milk, put away the lantern, washed himself, and went to his
room, never saying a word to the farmer’s wife, who looked at him
wonderingly because he had come to the house before the chores were
finished. He did not come down to breakfast, for he was too angry to eat at
the same table with Mr. Coles. A little later he was ready, and coming
down-stairs with his suitcase, he stopped to bid Mrs. Coles good-by.
“Why, Austin, what does this mean? You are not leaving us!”
“Yes, Mr. Coles and I have had trouble, and I will not stay any longer.”
“Come, come, Austin, you are hasty. You kept your part of the agreement all
summer, now do not leave as if we drove you off.”
“Mr. Coles knows he has been unjust,” said Austin going on out.
There were those who knew Mr. Coles to be the man he proved himself, and
were not surprized when Austin gave up the place. One person who understood
perfectly was Harry Coles, the farmer’s nephew. He was a young married man
just starting in life. The help that Austin could give night and morning
was just what Harry needed with his milking and other chores, and here
Austin found a home at once.
This family was congenial, and Austin was soon settled and steady at his
school-work. He was made to feel that what he did fully paid for what he
received and that he was not in any way an object of charity. As the weeks
moved on so smoothly and pleasantly, Austin also made good progress in
school. But his very happiness made him more sad when he thought of the
children. How his surroundings contrasted with theirs! While he was
enjoying such kindness at the hands of these friends, he knew they were
being neglected.
Though he had never written home, and they knew nothing about him, he kept
in pretty good touch with their affairs through the letters the girls wrote
to their cousins. In every one they had spoken of him, and when cold
weather came on, the burden of their letters was for Austin.
After Austin left, his father had hired a woman to keep house for a while,
but she did not stay long. Help such as he needed was hard to get, and he
had not been able to procure another housekeeper. The girls were hardly old
enough to understand how to keep all the ends of the housework going, and
their father was as helpless as they. Home had gone in a most haphazard
manner. Mr. Hill had encouraged the children to accept places to work as
they had been offered. It was only occasionally that they were all at home
together. A sense of love and loyalty for home was fading out of their
minds, as was also the sense of moral obligation. The younger children were
becoming rebellious and evil-minded. All this Austin read between the lines
of the letters. His heart ached as he thought of his dear mother and how
different it would have been had she lived. He would be jolly all the
evening with Harry and his wife, but when he lay upon his bed, his pillow
was often wet with his tears. As yet, though, he could not see it his duty
to go home.
“Where do you suppose Austin is? Does he ever think of home? I wonder if he
is yet alive. Have you heard anything of him?” wrote Amy in one of her
letters.
“Do not worry about Austin,” her uncle had written in reply; “he is able to
care for himself, and I am certain he is getting on all right.”
“Listen to what Uncle John says about Austin,” said Amy as she read the
letter, “I have an idea he is with Uncle John, else he would not be so
confident he is all right.”
Henry Hill read the letter carefully. He wanted Austin, he needed him. He
had his lesson and would not nag the boy any more. While Austin was
patient, it was plain to be seen that he would not stand to be trampled on.
Thinking it all over, he decided to send a letter to his brother-in-law
that would bring the boy home if he were there. It was not to be a harsh or
authoritative letter, but an appeal for the children. He knew Austin would
come home if he had assurance of better treatment.
While these matters were being worked out in the Hill home, Austin was
tasting of pleasures which were to make him see life in a new light. We can
not always see the plan of the Master in all his dealings with us, but
afterward we look back and know that when the way seemed darkest and the
path before us the most dim, the hand of God was guiding all the way.