The Boy of Battle Ford and the Man

CHAPTER V

38 THE BOY OF BATTLE FORD than any other endowment or possession of which I had ever heard. In the summer of 1851 we heard of the death of a middle-aged woman, five miles away, with whom my mother had been acquainted from childhood. That was the first death we had heard of that close to our home that· I remember since we had come into the section. She was a Christian and a member of a 'Baptist church. People talked about her death and about her condition to meet death much for weeks, as the family was a prominent one and a death was seldom heard of then. I studied of my own need of eternal life more than ever before. I was perfectly satisfied that I must be born again and desired to enlist in the Lord's service at once, if I was old enough. and if I could only know how. member it well. It was a sad day. I reWe heard how the loss of the mother broke the heart of the husband , and how the large family of children missed her care and love, and how the whole community mourned her death. The only comfort anyone could deduce from the sad occurrence was that she was taken from this world of sorrow and misery to a place prepared for her in heaven (Rev. 14: 13.) I dreaded nothing else that it m'ight become my duty to do but to obtain eternal life. To become an eClucated man, I thought, would be an easy and enjoyable exercise. To become a rich man, I could do at odd times. To become famous, I regarded as possible to OHe who was willing to deserve it. Like Jacob of old, I was willing to labor sevEln years and joyfully add another seven years for what I wanted most of all. I did not speak to anyone of my great desire to become a Christian, and my continuous stream of mirth and play and fun doubtless led persons to think I was a very light minded and thou,ghtJess boy. I am sure no one knew how happy we were in our new home while improving it. and contemplating the wealth to be accumulated there. CHAPTER V. BUT alas! on the 17th day of June, 1852, we saw our dear mother and William A. Harris stand on the floor and be joined in the bond of matrimony by Elder Edmon Vinson, in the presence of the relatives and friends. We could not say a word that would effect anything, but felt that it was a great mistake on the part of our mother. Our prospects for doing great things on our beautiful place in the woods were blasted, and we felt a little like a Siberian exile feels when condemned to years of servitude in that distant and inhospitable country. The man who bec!lme our step-father was a prominent citizen and land owner, residing two miles north of where the village of Carrier Mills is now situated. and half way baCk towards the Battle Ford. He had taught the district schools formerly, but had been an officeholder for many years and farmer beside. He was a Christian and a Baptist. He stood well wherever known for honesty, wisdom and sympathy for the needy, but he was a poor financier and was not competent, as a father, to develop. those under his care into the best quality of citizens. He did not know that daily culture and restraint and direction and encouragement were necessary. He thought that the absence of very immoral and wicked conduct in a boy was proof that he was becoming an exemplary young man. He appeared to think that a small amount of literary education was sufficient. Our farm was a good one and we raised a great deal of produce on it. but if we failed to use it all, or to destroy it, or feed to stock that was not worth keeping, others used it at our expense. There was THE BOY OF BATTLE FORD 39 not another citizen of his prominence in that community who was so poor a manager financially, but there were many who knew as litt1e, and some of them cared less about raising their families well as he. And at this time, fifty-four years later in the world's history, I believe our country nesds competent fathers and competent mothers much more than it...