the iron puddler-第9章

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　found　that　a　minstrel　show　had　been　thrown　out　of　its　regular　route　by　a　flood　and　was　playing　our　town　unexpectedly。　The　stage　hands　knew　me　and　passed　me　in。　I　was　seeing　a　high…　priced　show　for　nothing。　But　when　it　came　nine　o'clock；　I　went　home。　I　told　my　mother　that　I　had　walked　out　of　the　most　gorgeous　minstrel　show。　She　asked　me　why　and　I　told　her　because　she　wanted　me　to　be　in　bed　by　nine　o'clock。

〃Why；　Jimmy；〃　she　said；　〃I　wanted　you　to　be　in　bed　so　you　wouldn't　be　in　bad　company。　It　would　have　been　all　right　for　you　to　have　stayed　at　the　minstrel　show。　All　I　want　to　know　is　that　you　are　in　good　company。〃

I　guess　mother　thought　I　was　a　bit　soft；　but　I　had　seen　the　best　part　of　the　show；　as　in　those　days　the　curtain　rose　at　seven　forty…five。

Minstrel　shows　were　the　greatest　delight　of　my　youth。　I　learned　to　dance　and　could　sing　all　the　songs　and　get　off　the　jokes。　Dupree　&　Benedict's　were　the　first　minstrels　I　ever　saw。　I　marched　in　their　parade　and　carried　the　drum。　George　Evans　（Honey　Boy）　was　a　life…long　friend。　We　were　born　within　three　miles　of　each　other　in　Wales　and　came　to　this　country　at　about　the　same　time。



CHAPTER　XI

KEEPING　OPEN　HOUSE


Our　little　four…room　company…house　in　Sharon　had　its　doors　open　to　the　wayfarer。　There　was　always　some　newcomer　from　Wales；　looking　for　a　stake　in　America；　who　had　left　his　family　in　Wales。　Usually　he　was　a　distant　kinsman；　but　whether　a　blood　relation　or　not；　we　regarded　all　Welshmen　as　belonging　to　our　clan。　Our　house　was　small；　but　we　crowded　into　the　corners　and　made　room　for　another。　His　food　and　bed　were　free　as　long　as　he　stayed。　We　helped　him　find　a　job；　and　then　he　thanked　us　for　our　hospitality　and　went　out　of　our　house　with　our　blessings　upon　him。　This　form　of　community　life　was　the　social　law　in　all　the　cottages　of　the　Welsh。

It　was　like　the　law　of　tobacco　among　Americans。　Tobacco　has　always　been　〃nationalized〃　in　America；　and　so　have　matches。　Your　pipe　is　your　own；　but　your　tobacco　and　matches　belong　to　everybody。　So　it　was　with　food　and　shelter　in　the　Welsh　colony　at　Sharon。　Each　newcomer　from　the　Old　Country　was　entitled　to　free　bed　and　board　until　he　could　get　a　job　in　the　mills。　When　he　found　a　job　his　money　was　his；　we　never　expected　him　to　pay　for　the　food　he　had　eaten　any　more　than　you　would　expect　pay　for　the　tobacco　and　matches　you　furnish　your　friends。

These　sojourners　in　our　family　were　heroes　to　us　kids。　They　brought　us　news　from　the　Old　World；　and　each　one　had　tricks　or　tales　that　were　new　to　us。　One　man　showed　us　that　we　could　put　our　hand　on　the　bottom　of　a　boiling　teakettle　and　find　the　bottom　cool。　Another　told　us　about　milking　goats　in　the　Old　Country。　We　asked　him　how　much　milk　a　goat　would　give。　He　said；　〃About　a　thimbleful；〃　and　we　thought　him　very　witty。　Another　had　shipped　as　an　〃able　seaman〃　to　get　his　passage　to　America。　When　out　at　sea　it　was　discovered　he　didn't　know　one　rope　from　another。　During　a　storm　he　and　the　mate　had　a　terrible　fight。　〃The　sea　was　sweeping　the　deck　and　we　were　ordered　to　reef　a　shroud。　I　didn't　know　how；　and　the　mate　called　me　a　name　that　no　Welshman　will　stand　for。　I　thought　we　were　all　going　to　be　drowned　anyhow；　and　I　might　as　well　die　with　my　teeth　in　his　neck。　So　I　flew　into　him　and　we　fought　like　wildcats。　I　couldn't　kill　him　and　he　couldn't　kill　me。　And　the　sea　didn't　sweep　us　overboard。　But　after　that　fight　the　mate　let　me　do　as　I　pleased　for　the　rest　of　the　voyage。〃

Knowing　how　strong　are　the　arms　of　an　iron　worker　and　what　a　burly　man　is　a　ship's　mate；　we　realized　that　the　fight　must　have　been　a　struggle　between　giants。

We　were　fluent　readers；　much　better　readers　than　our　parents；　but　we　had　no　books。　We　took　the　Youth's　Companion；　and　it　was　the　biggest　thing　in　our　lives。　Every　week　we　were　at　the　post…　office　when　the　Companion　was　due。　We　could　hardly　wait；　we　were　so　eager　to　see　what　happened　next　in　the　〃continued〃　story。　Surely　so　good　a　children's　paper　as　the　Youth's　Companion　could　never　be　found　in　any　country　but　America。　America　was　the　land　of　children；　and　that's　why　parents　broke　their　old…home　ties　and　made　the　hard　pilgrimage　to　America；　it　was　for　the　benefit　of　their　children。

Our　home　was　a　happy　one；　for　we　children　were　fond　of　one　another　and　all　loved　the　father　and　mother　who　worked　so　hard　for　us。　We　were　the　first　to　realize　that　our　home　was　insecure；　upheld　by　a　single　prop；　our　father's　labor。　The　breaking　of　his　right　arm　might　have　broken　up　our　home。　We　wanted　to　acquire　property　so　that　mother　would　be　safe。　For　we　knew　that　God　was　a　just　God。　He　did　not　ordain　that　one　class　should　labor　and　be　insecure　while　another　class　owned　property　and　was　safe。　I　learned　that　the　banker；　the　hotel　keeper　and　the　station　agent　had　all　been　poor　boys　like　myself。　They　started　with　nothing　but　their　hands　to　labor　with。　They　had　worked　hard　and　saved　a　part　of　their　wages；　and　this　had　given　them　〃a　start。〃　The　hotel　keeper　had　been　a　hack　driver。　He　slept　in　the　haymow　of　a　livery　stable。　He　had　to　meet　the　train　that　came　at　two　o'clock　in　the　morning。　No　other　man　was　willing　to　have　his　sleep　broken　at　such　an　hour。　He　hated　to　lose　the　sleep；　but　he　wanted　the　money。　At　the　end　of　four　years　he　had　saved　a　thousand　dollars。　He　wanted　to　buy　a　hotel　but　needed　more　money。　The　banker；　knowing　he　was　a　stayer；　lent　him　the　cash　he　needed；　and　so　he　became　a　property　owner。　He　no　longer　slept　in　the　haymow　but　had　a　room　of　his　own　and　other　rooms　to　rent　to　the　〃high…toned　traveling　men。〃

From　this　I　learned　that　laborers　became　capitalists　when　they　saved　their　money。　Right　then　I　made　up　my　mind　that　some　day　mother　would　own　a　home。　If　father　couldn't　save　the　money　to　buy　it；　I　would。　Years　afterward　a　wealthy　Pittsburgh　man　who　had　just　built　a　fine　residence　in　the　fashionable　section　of　that　town　found　himself　in　difficulties　and　unable　to　occupy　the　house。　He　offered　it　to　me　at　a　bargain。　So　I　took　my　parents　to　this　place　and　told　them　it　was　to　be　theirs。　Mother　declared　that　she　certainly　never　dreamed　of　having　a　〃magnificent　home　like　this。〃　She　seemed　to　be　greatly　pleased。　But　now　I　know　that　the　sparkle　in　her　eyes　was　for　me。　Her　boy　had　done　all　this　for　his　mother。　If　I　had　given　her　a　pair　of　shoes　that　pinched　her　feet；　she　would　have　worn　them　smiling　for　my　sake。　Father　looked　out　the　windows　at　the　neighboring　residences。　〃Who　lives　there？〃　he　asked。　〃And　who　lives　yonder？〃　I　told　him　the　great　names　of　his　neighbors。

〃Son；〃　he　said；　〃you　do　not　wish　to　lock　your　parents　up　in　a　prison；　do　you？〃

Then　he　explained：　〃We　do　not　know　these　people。　We　are　too　old　to　make　new　friends。　We　would　never　be　at　ease　here；　we　would　be　lonely。　We　like　the　little　home　that　we　bought　with　our　own　savings。　It　has　become　a　part　of　ourselves；　it　fits　us　like　the　wrinkles　on　our　faces。　If　we　moved　here　our　old　friends　would　never　come　to　see　us。　This　magnificence　would　scare　them　away。　No；　son。　We　thank　you　for　offering　us　this　house；　but　it　is　not　for　us。　We　will　stay　in　the　little　cottage　where　our　old　friends　will　be　free　to　come　and　light　a　pipe　and　chat　and　drowse　away　the　evening　hours　that　yet　remain。

How　wise　he　was！　He　knew　the　fitness　of　things。　His　simple　comforts；　his　old　friends；　these　he　valued　more　than　riches；　and　the　valuation　that　he　put　upon　them　was　the　right　one。



CHAPTER　XII

MY　HAND　TOUCHES　IRON


When　I　was　eleven　I　got　a　regular　job　that　paid　me　fifty　cents　a　day。　So　I　quit　school　just　where　the　Monitor　had　sunk　the　Merrimac　in　the　〃first　fight　of　the　ironclads。〃　Thereafter　my　life　was　to　be　bound　up　with　the　iron　industry。　My　job　was　in　a　nail　factory。　I　picked　the　iron　splinters　from　among　the　good　nails　that　had　heads　on　them。　This　taught　me　that　many　are　marred　in　the　making。　Those　that　are　born　with　bad　heads　must　not　be　used　in　building　a　house　or　the　house　will　fall。　In　the　head　of　the　nail　is　its　power　to　hold　fast。　Men　are　like　nails；　some　have　the　hold…fast　will　in　their　heads。　Others　have　not。　They　were　marred　in　the　making。　They　must　be　thrown　aside　and　not　used　in　building　the　state；　or　the　state　will　fall。

I　put　the　good　nails　into　kegs；　and　the　headless　nails　and　splinters　wer