Chapter 7

Some are eager to be famous, some are striving to be great, Some are toiling to be leaders of their nation or their state, And in every man's ambition, if we only understood, There is much that's fine and splendid; every hope is mostly good. So I cling unto the notion that contented I will be If the men upon life's pathway find a needed friend in me.

I rather like to putter 'round the walks and yards of life, To spray at night the roses that are burned and browned with strife; To eat a frugal dinner, but always to have a chair For the unexpected stranger that my simple meal would share. I don't care to be a traveler, I would rather be the one Sitting calmly by the roadside helping weary travelers on.

I'd like to be a neighbor in the good old-fashioned way, Finding much to do for others, but not over much to say. I like to read the papers, but I do not yearn to see What the journal of the morning has been moved to say of me; In the silences and shadows I would live my life and die And depend for fond remembrance on some grateful passers-by.

I guess I wasn't fashioned for the brilliant things of earth, Wasn't gifted much with talent or designed for special worth, But was just sent here to putter with life's little odds and ends And keep a simple corner where the stirring highway bends, And if folks should chance to linger, worn and weary through the day, To do some needed service and to cheer them on their way.

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ROSES

When God first viewed the rose He'd made He smiled, and thought it passing fair; Upon the bloom His hands He laid, And gently blessed each petal there. He summoned in His artists then And bade them paint, as ne'er before, Each petal, so that earthly men Might love the rose for evermore.

With Heavenly brushes they began And one with red limned every leaf, To signify the love of man; The first rose, white, betokened grief; "My rose shall deck the bride," one said And so in pink he dipped his brush, "And it shall smile beside the dead To typify the faded blush."

And then they came unto His throne And laid the roses at His feet, The crimson bud, the bloom full blown, Filling the air with fragrance sweet. "Well done, well done!" the Master spake; "Henceforth the rose shall bloom on earth: One fairer blossom I will make," And then a little babe had birth.

On earth a loving mother lay Within a rose-decked room and smiled, But from the blossoms turned away To gently kiss her little child, And then she murmured soft and low, "For beauty, here, a mother seeks. None but the Master made, I know, The roses in a baby's cheeks."

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THE JUNK BOX

My father often used to say: "My boy don't throw a thing away: You'll find a use for it some day."

So in a box he stored up things, Bent nails, old washers, pipes and rings, And bolts and nuts and rusty springs.

Despite each blemish and each flaw, Some use for everything he saw; With things material, this was law.

And often when he'd work to do, He searched the junk box through and through And found old stuff as good as new.

And I have often thought since then, That father did the same with men; He knew he'd need their help again.

It seems to me he understood That men, as well as iron and wood, May broken be and still be good.

Despite the vices he'd display He never threw a man away, But kept him for another day.

A human junk box is this earth And into it we're tossed at birth, To wait the day we'll be of worth.

Though bent and twisted, weak of will, And full of flaws and lacking skill, Some service each can render still.

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THE BOY THAT WAS

When the hair about the temples starts to show the signs of gray, And a fellow realizes that he's wandering far away From the pleasures of his boyhood and his youth, and never more Will know the joy of laughter as he did in days of yore, Oh, it's then he starts to thinking of a stubby little lad With a face as brown as berries and a soul supremely glad.

When a gray-haired dreamer wanders down the lanes of memory And forgets the living present for the time of "used-to-be," He takes off his shoes and stockings, and he throws his coat away, And he's free from all restrictions, save the rules of manly play. He may be in richest garments, but bareheaded in the sun He forgets his proud successes and the riches he has won.

Oh, there's not a man alive but that would give his all to be The stubby little fellow that in dreamland he can see, And the splendors that surround him and the joys about him spread Only seem to rise to taunt him with the boyhood that has fled. When the hair about the temples starts to show Time's silver stain, Then the richest man that's living yearns to be a boy again.

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AS FALL THE LEAVES

As fall the leaves, so drop the days In silence from the tree of life; Born for a little while to blaze In action in the heat of strife, And then to shrivel with Time's blast And fade forever in the past.

In beauty once the leaf was seen; To all it offered gentle shade; Men knew the splendor of its green That cheered them so, would quickly fade: And quickly, too, must pass away All that is splendid of to-day.

To try to keep the leaves were vain: Men understand that they must fall; Why should they bitterly complain When sorrows come to one and all? Why should they mourn the passing day That must depart along the way?

INDEX

Answering Him....................... 126 Apple Tree, The..................... 68 As Fall the Leaves.................. 188 At the Door......................... 132 Autumn at the Orchard............... 136

Be a Friend......................... 97 Bear Story, A....................... 134 Boy That Was, The................... 186 Breakfast Time, At.................. 50 Bumps and Bruises Doctor, The....... 107

Canning Time........................ 66 Can't............................... 52 Care-Free Youth..................... 78 Challenge........................... 145 Courage............................. 72

Defeat.............................. 111 Division............................ 141 Dull Road, The...................... 67 Duty................................ 133 Duty to Our Flag, Our............... 58

Easy World, An...................... 158 Epicure, The........................ 74 Eternal Friendship.................. 167 Expectation......................... 176

Failures............................ 83 Faith............................... 168 Father.............................. 46 Father and Son...................... 128 Fishing Cure, The................... 102 Finer Thought, The.................. 164 Finest Age, The..................... 76 Folks............................... 36 Friend's Greeting, A................ 32

Gentle Gardener, The................ 75 Going Home for Christmas, On........ 24 Gratitude........................... 179 Greatness........................... 73 Guessing Time....................... 148

Happiest Days, The.................. 88 Happy Slow Thinker, The............. 103 Hard Knocks......................... 43 Hard Work........................... 177 Home................................ 28 Homesick............................ 117 Home-Town, The...................... 70 House-Hunting....................... 156 How Do You Tackle Your Work?........ 62 Hunter, The......................... 59

I................................... 170 It Isn't Costly..................... 14 It's September...................... 60

James Whitcomb Riley................ 54 Joy of a Dog, The................... 116 June Couple, The.................... 130 Junk Box, The....................... 185

Laddies............................. 48 Lady in the Electric, To the........ 122 Life................................ 63 Life's Tests........................ 85 Little Master Mischievous........... 38 Living Beauties, The................ 49

Ma and Her Check Book............... 100 Ma and the Auto..................... 22 Man, A.............................. 142 Man, A Real......................... 180 Man Who Couldn't Save, The.......... 124 Mother.............................. 19 Mother's Day........................ 140 Mother's Glasses.................... 94 My Creed............................ 15 My Paw Said So...................... 80

Neighborly Man, The................. 182 No Place to Go...................... 110

Obligation of Friendship, The....... 162 Old Friends......................... 34 Only a Dad.......................... 42 Opportunity......................... 39 Other Fellow, The................... 57 Out-of-Doors........................ 104

Path That Leads to Home, The........ 30 Patriotic Wish, A................... 112 Peace............................... 109 Peaceful Warriors, The.............. 82 People Liked Him.................... 152 Perfect Dinner Table, The........... 118 Prayer, A........................... 121 Preparedness........................ 81 Price of Joy, The................... 113 Princess Pat's, The................. 96 Promotion........................... 174 Purpose............................. 93

Raisin Pie.......................... 84 Ready Artists, The.................. 86 Real Bait, The...................... 90 Real Singing........................ 106 Results and Roses................... 56 Revenge............................. 173 Rich................................ 21 Roses............................... 184 Rough Little Rascal, The............ 13

Selfish............................. 20 Song, A............................. 33 Sorrow Tugs, The.................... 40 Spring in the Trenches.............. 44 States, The......................... 160 Story Telling....................... 64 Stuck............................... 166 Success and Failure................. 77 Sugar Camp, At...................... 26 Sulkers, The........................ 92

Take Home a Smile................... 71 Thanksgiving........................ 98 Things That Haven't Been Done Before 172 Things That Make Soldier Great, The. 114 Toast to Happiness, A............... 146 To-morrow........................... 120 Treasures........................... 144 True Nobility....................... 91

Understanding....................... 150 Under the Skin of Men............... 163

Vow, A.............................. 143

Wish, A............................. 16 What a Baby Costs................... 18 When Father Shook the Stove......... 154 When Pa Comes Home.................. 138 When Pa Counts...................... 108 When You Know a Fellow.............. 11

INDEX OF FIRST LINES

A man doesn't whine at his losses............. 142 A man must earn his hour of peace............. 109 Are you fond of your wife and your children... 57 As fall the leaves, so drop the days.......... 188 A smudge on his nose and a smear on his cheek....................................... 13 A table cloth that slightly soiled............ 118 A touch of the plain and the prairie.......... 96 At Sugar Camp the cook is kind................ 26

Be a friend. You don't need money............. 97 Before we take an auto ride Pa says to Ma..... 22 Be grateful for the kindly friends............ 179 Be more than his dad.......................... 128

Can't is the worst word that's written........ 52 Cheek that is tanned by the wind of the north. 59 Courage isn't a brilliant dash................ 72

Did you ever sit down and talk with men....... 163 Does the grouch get richer quicker............ 14

Foxes can talk if you know how to listen...... 80 Full many a time a thought has come........... 103

Gentle hands that never weary................. 140 God grant me kindly thought................... 121

He little knew the sorrow that was in his vacant chair................................ 24 He spent what he made, or he gave it away..... 124 He was going to be all that a mortal should... 120 He wiped his shoes before his door............ 132 How do you tackle your work each day.......... 62 How fine it is at night to say................ 164 "How much do babies cost?" said he............ 18

I am selfish in my wishin' every sort o' joy.. 20 I believe in the world........................ 168 I'd like to be a boy again.................... 16 I'd like to be the sort of friend............. 32 I'd like to be the sort of man................ 112 I'd like to leave but daffodills.............. 75 I do not say new friends are not considerate.. 34 I do not think all failure's undeserved....... 77 If I had hatred in my heart................... 173 If never a sorrow came to us.................. 85 I might not ever scale the mountain heights... 143 I'm not the man to say that failure's sweet... 43 I'm the bumps and bruises doctor.............. 107 I'm up against it day by day.................. 166 I never knew, until they went................. 49 It's an easy world to live in if you choose... 158 It's coming time for planting................. 44 It's guessing time at our house............... 148 It's September, and the orchards are afire.... 60 It's the dull road that leads to the gay road. 67 It's tough when you are homesick.............. 117 It takes a heap o' livin' in a house to make it home..................................... 28 I've sipped a rich man's sparkling wine....... 74 I've told about the times that Ma can't find her pocketbook.............................. 94

Lady in the show case carriage................ 122 Less hate and greed........................... 58 Let others sing their songs of war............ 82 Life is a challenge to the bold............... 145 Life is a gift to be used every day........... 63 Little Master Mischievous, that's the name.... 38

Ma has a dandy little book.................... 100 Ma says no, it's too much care................ 116 Men are of two kind, and he................... 180 Most every night when they're in bed.......... 64 Most folks, as I've noticed, in pleasure an' strife...................................... 176 My father often used to say................... 185 My Pa he eats his breakfast................... 50

Never a sigh for the cares that she bore...... 19 Nobody hates me more than I................... 170 None knows the day that friends must part..... 33 No one is beat till he quits.................. 111 Not for the sake of the gold.................. 93

One day, in ages dim and dark................. 177 Only a dad with a tired face.................. 42

Pa's not so very big or brave................. 108 People liked him, not because................. 152 Promotion comes to him who sticks............. 174

Right must not live in idleness............... 85

She is fair to see and sweet.................. 130 So long as men shall be on earth.............. 39 Some are eager to be famous................... 182 Some folks leave home for money............... 70 Some folks I know, when friends drop in....... 144

Take home a smile; forget the petty cares..... 71 Thankful for the glory of the old Red, White and Blue.................................... 98 The happiest nights........................... 110 The green is in the meadow.................... 86 The kids are out-of-doors once more........... 104 The little path that leads to home............ 30 The man who wants a garden fair............... 56 There is no star within the flag.............. 160 There must be great rejoicin' on the Golden Shore to-day................................ 54 There's a heap of pent-up goodness............ 84 There's a lot of joy in the smiling world..... 40 There's a wondrous smell of spices............ 66 There's nothing that builds up a toil-weary soul........................................ 102 There was a bear--his name was Jim.......... 134 The skies are blue and the sun is out......... 78 The sumac's flaming scarlet................... 136 The things that haven't been done before...... 172 The things that make a soldier great.......... 114 The world's too busy now to pause............. 92 'Tis better to have tried in vain............. 83 To do your little bit of toil................. 133 To gentle ways I am inclined.................. 90 To happiness I raise my glass................. 146 To live as gently as I can.................... 15 Time was when spring returned we went......... 156 'Twas not so many years ago................... 154

Used to wonder just why father................ 46

We can be great by helping one another........ 73 We was speakin' of folks, jes' common folks... 36 When an apple tree is ready for the world..... 68 When God first viewed the rose He'd made...... 184 When he was only nine months old.............. 76 When I was young and frivolous................ 150 When Pa comes home, I'm at the door........... 138 "When shall I be a man?" he said.............. 126 When the hair about the temples starts to show the signs of gray...................... 186 When you get to know a fellow................. 11 Who does his task from day to day............. 91 Who has a troop of romping youth.............. 21 Who once has had a friend has found........... 167

You cannot gather every rose.................. 141 You can talk about your music................. 106 You do not know it, little man................ 88 You don't begrudge the labor.................. 113 You ought to be fine for the sake of the folks 162