Nan Sherwood at Pine Camp | Page 8

such way.
"Both your father and I, honey, had the benefit of more than the
ordinary common-school education. I went three years to the Tennessee
Training College; I was prepared to teach when your father and I met
and married. He obtained an excellent training for his business in a
technical college. We hoped to give our children, if we were blessed
with them, an even better start in life than we had.
"Had your little brother lived, honey," added Mrs. Sherwood tenderly,
"we should have tried to put him through college, and you, as well. It
would have been something worthwhile for your father to work for. But
I am afraid all these years that his money has been wasted in attempts
to benefit my health."
"Oh, Momsey! Don't say it, that way," urged Nan. "What would we
ever do without you? But I sometimes think how nice it would be had I
been a boy, my own brother, for instance. A boy can be so much more
help than a girl."
"For shame!" cried her mother, laughing. "Do you dare admit a boy is
smarter than a girl, Nan?"
"Not smarter. Only better able to do any kind of work, I guess. They
wouldn't let me work in the file shop, or drive a grocery wagon."
"Goodness! Listen to the child!" gasped Mrs. Sherwood. "I should hope
not! Why, honey, is your mind running continually on such dreadful
things? I am afraid your father and I allow you to hear us talk too
frequently about family matters. You must not assume the family's
burdens at your age."
There was that trend to Nan Sherwood's character, however. With all
her blithesomeness and high spirits she was inclined to be serious in
thought.
This conversation occurred several days after the evening when, on
their way home from school, Nan and her school chum, Bess Harley,
had read the yellow poster at the gate of the Atwater Mills.
The district surrounding the mills, in which most of the hands lived,
had put on an aspect of mourning. Some of the workmen and their

families had already packed up and gone. Most of the houses occupied
by the hands were owned by the Atwater Company, and if the poor
people remained till January 15th, the wages due them then would be
eaten up by the rent of the tenements.
So they were wise to leave when they could. Many who remained
would be a burden upon the taxpayers of Tillbury before the winter was
over.
Nan and her folks were not in such a sad situation as the laborers, of
course. Mr. Sherwood had a small sum in bank. He had, too, a certain
standing in the community and a line of credit at the stores that he
might have used.
Debt, however, save that upon their house, he had fought to keep out of
all his married life. That his equity in the Amity Street cottage was so
small was not his fault; but he owed not any man.
"Now we must go fishing," Mrs. Sherwood said, in her sprightly way,
when the little family really discussed the unfortunate situation after the
announcement of the shut-down of the mills was made public.
"Goodness, Momsey! What a reckless creature you are," laughed Mr.
Sherwood. "Waste our precious time in such employment, and in the
dead of winter, too?"
"Now, Papa Sherwood, I don't mean that kind of fishing at all!" cried
the little woman gaily. "We are going to fish for employment for you,
perhaps for a new home."
"Oh!" gasped Nan. The thought of deserting the little cottage on Amity
Street was a dreadful shock.
"We must face that possibility," said her mother firmly. "It may be.
Tillbury will see very hard times now that the mills are closed. Other
mills and shops will follow suit."
"Quite true, Momsey," agreed the husband and father.
"I am a very logical person, am I not?" said the smiling little lady.
"But the fishing?" cried Nan curiously.
"Ah, yes. I am coming to that," said her mother. "The fishing, to be
sure! Why, we are going to write letters to just everybody we know,
and some we only know by hearsay, and find out if there isn't a niche
for Papa Sherwood somewhere outside Tillbury."
"So we can!" cried Nan, clapping her hands.
"I am afraid there is general depression in my line of business

everywhere," suggested Mr. Sherwood. "For some years the
manufacturers have been forcing cotton goods upon a false market.
And the recent attempt to help the cotton growers by boosting the price
of raw cotton will come near to ruining the mills and mill workers. It is
always so. In an attempt to benefit one class of the people another class
is