Frank of Freedom Hill

are afraid of it, and most grown dogs for that matter, still, Mac's fear, according to Tom Jennings, his mast

some change had taken place in his nature which we humans cannot analyze or understand. L

God-fearing and God-serving household. As a matter of fact, Tom Jennings, his wife and three children had just driven home from church at Breton Junction a

oking enlarged crayon portraits. Near a stiffly curtained window was a sort of family altar-a table on which lay a family Bible. This Bible, a ponderous embossed volume with brass guards

lken, curly coat and black, silken, curly ears. He looked self-consciously into the faces of the family, who were smiling at his fears; then, with a queer expression on his face, as if he, too, knew it was funny, he went

there was the shiver of broken glass, a crash, a child's suppressed scream, and for a moment, as the lamp went out, blackness. But only for

boy Frank, ran out into the yard by the side door which they left open, and looked at the roof of the house. If any fire had started it had been drown

e woods near by. On the afternoon of the third day, Jennings stooped down and peered underneath the corn crib. It was s

be. Then he pushed aside the weeds and peered more closely, his eyes the while g

he is,

urn if need be, Frank dropping his ax at the woodpile. When

me, old man! W

te figure d

ws, and pulled the setter gently forth. They examined him all over, but at first they could find no sign of inj

nd," said

r entered the head of any member of the Jennings family. They built him a kennel underneath the bedroom window. Th

He never whimpered when he did so, but looked humbled and ashamed. At last he located each object, cal

ar the steps or near a door-he learned to open screen doors with his paws-h

ldren ever to leave anything about the yard that he can stumble over. Mother

all a

eighbours grinned and said they had often heard of a blind man led by a dog, but never bef

ter, bought a pointer to take the place of Mac in the field, and in orde

dog had sensed the preparations. He had smelled the oiling of boots. He had heard the click of shells dropped into hunting-coat pockets. And at the end, the

a while, following her in and out of the kitchen and about the yard. But as the time drew near

was, as he saw the blind dog coming, that a happy thought struck Tom Jennings. Instead of coming to the house he wait

the missus

ace beaming. The children all ran out to see. And though it consumed time Tom remained where he was and hande

th his nose into a conical pile. "Mac's pile" it came to be called by the children, returning from school and hurrying into the kitchen. And while they ta

olled around. And then, one day, he begged so hard with his unseeing eyes that Tom let him go. After that Tom

lves he was setting and not Nell. Then, a little later in the same day, and while Nell was nowhere in sight, he suddenly trotted ahead and came to a beautiful stand. All excited, Tom advanced, and

at, he still would have taken Mac along. Just as in people when one sense is destroyed others grow more than normally keen, so with

ere were few fences and Mac soon learned where they were. There were no woods, and only an occasion

ennings to see this. But each time the blind dog found his way out and went

fe, "that looked happier than folks with eyes. Mac lo

iliar figure, and the children grew, and Tom Jennin

t grade in the country school. And Tom Jennings and Martha Jennings his wife determined that each of them should have a college education. So Tom worked very hard and Martha saved very closely.

, Mother, that that poor dog should have been struck while he was takin' shelter under the Word of

purpose in it, To

d a good deal of corn that had not been gathered. He worked hard, even desperately, to save what he could and not let the children know. Then Tom himself was taken with a queer fee

"Sit down, Jennings," he said at last. "Jennings, your heart leaks.

ctor--"

low. You mustn't even walk fast. You must never run, and you must no

trying to give 'em a better cha

et life as it is. Your heart leaks, man! You've done what you co

, had gone to see Mrs. Taylor, a neighbour. Even Mac was not in the yard to welcome him. He p

orrow and then he could move to Greenville. The children were paying part of their expenses. But without his help, two of them at least would have to leave college. What was

. True, his greatest ambition would be unrealized. But, as the doctor said, you had to trim your sails in this

e him down at any moment. Then, rather pleasantly, he forecast his life in town. He had fo

live his allotted span, when across the pasture he saw blind Mac coming. It was a hot September afternoon, and he had evidently bee

s the barn lot. This brought him to the fence that separated the lot from the yard, and before this fence he stoppe

ain, and finally leaped. His front paws hooked over the top plank, and he pulled himself up, remained balanced another mom

Over the unexpected obstacle the dog stumbled and came near falling. He let out no cry. He simply went to the coop, felt it, as if to locate it for the future, then came on toward

broke fr

is master and came toward him. He laid his head on Tom Jennings's kn

. God put out yo' eyes, and still you do your work. An' yo

l suddenly gave his ring, and

," he said. "I ain't g

Frank had besought him to diversify his crops, to study his soil, to take advantage

the Civil War in a section left poverty-stricken, he could just read and write-that was all; for wh

iment station to consult with him and advise him. He sold a bit of land and bought farm machinery. He built a tenant house and installed help. And all the time Frank (

done before, and the children stayed at college. Not even Martha knew the ex

d yo' nose," he would say; "and when my muscles lo

no conclusion yet. The three of them came home in summer for at least part of the season, and always came at Christmas. They brought with them a different atmosphere-the atmosphere of a wider world. But the girls helped

Martha: "They are goin' to pass us by, Mother.

go to the window a

?" he wo

ould come a tap-tap t

pneumonia. It was a good combination, the man with the damaged heart

whistle; if the dog was to turn to the right, he would blow twice, to the left, three times. Sometimes, of course, the signals got cros

en who attended the field trials on the Earle plantation, came to see the blind do

n, Mac," the proud master woul

e other and raise his paw, his head he

children that he, as well as Tom, was not at the station to meet them; never a choice bit on th

d lay his head on Tom's knee and, unless Tom moved or pushed him away, keep it there for hours. The same was true of Martha; som

fall, just before bird season. Because of the deficiencies of his early ed

bition, he told his father, was to be a surgeon in children's deformities. To this end he hoped to g

was ardent desire. He thought maybe he had attracted some attention, Frank said, and that his work ha

hild's surgeon for?" asked

ly and shook his head, an

him to the station, the blind dog

" warned the young man. "There'll be a hundred app

ere had been three or four days of heavy rains but now the weather had cleared. It was a

bit doting, so, perhaps, was he. Before him old Mac, head high, circled slowly, with eve

ol' boy,"

me down near the bank of the river. Mac brought the dead bird, and Tom Jennings, stooping first to pat his head, dropped it in his pocket. Th

nder of a letter S, it swept out again and around a curve. Below this curve it tumbled over extensive an

ed bird, frightened at the approach of the dog, rose, fluttered along the ground toward the river, and stopped near the shore. And old Mac, his nose telling him exactly what had occurred, was following with w

whistle; but the feather had not been dislodg

elled. "Mac

long, his face crimson, saw the bird rise once more and flu

was swimming smoothly toward the bird which had floated into an eddy.

and more swiftly, and old Mac to swim more swiftly. Then the current caught

that he had one now. By cutting across the bottoms he could reach the next inward bulge of the river

elp here

Out of breath, he reached the rocks and looked out over the foaming and tumbling waters. Then he made Mac ou

lost from sight, and appeared again, and was lost again. A

st Tom, standing on the shore, saw him right himself and come

man. "Here I am

ht first the back of the neck, then the paws, and pulled him out. As he di

it was the last bird he would ever retrieve; for it was

lap when the boy who worked around the rai

se an' there wasn't anybody at home. I heard you shoot

on quick. Tell him to put a mattress and spring on it. Quick, son-q

sent in haste to Breton Junction for a doctor-not a dog doctor but a people's doctor. But one of the rocks against which he had been hurled had driven a rib into old Mac's side. And at eleven o'c

cket of her husband's hunting coat, which he had thrown over a cha

t. Love to you and

ed) F

ave, in the edge of the garden. It was Tom who had the words put on-with the help of a

MEMOR

TTER

D FROM AN

IS WORK I

LY AND C

BETTER BECA