Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-05-17

|
} At first all these sacrifices, regarded al
temporary in their nature, were made ligh
} OF. But as sessions came and went, anC
Sandy brought home no honors, got no bur
: sary to ease the burden, no private teach
ing, except once summer tutorship, they
pressed more heavily
The fact was, that young Sandy Stew
J art, in the most critical years of his life, il
| place OF settling down to hard head work
J was Fighter and more prone to trihing-
as it was regarded at Clovenford thai
ever. He showed himself addicted to com
pany not bad company,-a true son of the
manse could not at once have degraded
himself SO far without great moral corrup
tion,-but to free mixed company, the
company at harvest-homes, fairs, and the
clubs, in which Woodend aped more fa
nous places. Gentlemen of higher degree
than the minister's Sandy, the young
Laird of Birkholm, for instance,--and even
ladies, the eccentric old dowagers and spin.
sters of the period, frequented these scenes
blamlessly but no one of them was to be
a minister, a p, esbyterian divine, whom a
single breath of scandal was sufficient to
blast
The word was not widely applied then
but Sandy was tainted with Bohemanism
And the lad was still fonder of making fac.
SMILES of the rural and genial life, inani.
mate and animated, he loved,-the very
materials waste of money, and the prac-
tice, which might have been amusing
enough to his family in other circumstan,
ces miserable child's play in lacking di.
vinity student.
Lines of care began to be drawn on Mr..
Stewards full massive face. He left off
with scornful magnanimity, inquiring into
his sons progress in his classes, when the
result was invariably disappointment but
he suffered his tongue to scoff bitterly at
the degeneracy of the times, and the effe-
inmate puppyism of "birkies," who put
their pride in tying up their heir with rib
bands, and sporting tights and silk stock
| ings.
The ribbons at least were cheap, and the
stockings were the fond transfer of the last
pair of six-and thirty snillings worth,-a
present to Mrs. Stewart, in handsome dis
count from the gallant old bachelor, the
true kirk man, in his snuf-brown wig and
purple rig and fur stockings, whom she
called genteelly her merchant" in Wood
en-. Mrs. Stewart would ten times rather
see the stockings on Sandy's legs than her
own, that for once she might have the
pleasure of looking on her bonnie laddie in
the guise of fine gentleman, as gentle
men at the Queens levees and state foot
men still figure. 1t was neither Just nor
generous in Mr. Stewart to taunt Sandy
with his mothers silk stockings, and to
add the gratuitous reflection that puppies
neither cared where their indulgences came
from nor to what they led but the minis
ter's big heart was sore.
On the other side, Sandy had hasty as
well as an affectionate temper, and was in
constant danger of rebutting unfair asper-
sions, and speaking back to his father words
ill-considered and unjustifable in the cir
cumstances.
Mrs. Stewart, moving gently about in
her little apple-green shawl, filled in with
what manufacturers and women call
! "pnes," and the cap of her own netting as
fine as gossamer, light cloud about face
still fair and delicate-too fair and delicate
for her years-was kept with both body
and mind on the rack, acting as piteous
mediator between the two sovreigns
Yet Mr.. Stewart had not swerved for
moment from his purpose and never sup
posed that Sandy had committed any grave
offence to forfeit what was in sort of in
heritance. Mr.. Stewart knew full we'll
that many a distinguished divine and good
man had begun life by sowing a crop of
wild oats. Could the minister have been
aware of it, his heart might have been COM
forted by the seeming coincidence that
gray old ST. Seguus was ringing at that
moment with the characteristic exploits Of
MnI
yet to ring with the virtues and renown of
her great orator and philanthropist. And
the minister would spare his bread as we'll
as his cheese he would take off his coat,
and break stones by dixie side for days
wages, if the laws of the kirk and his par
ishioners would suffer it, sooner than Sandy
should miss his natural call to do his fam
lily, his parish, it might be his country and
the world, credit.
1t was Jess who came to different con-
clusion. 1t was Jess who declared plainly
in her secret chamber "I don't believe
our Sandy will ever be a minister. Better
he should not if he do not put more heart
into his work, or he will cover himself and
US with disgrace, and bring down his faith
er's and mothers gray hairs with sorrow
to the grave. 1t is not long since Mr..
Home was put out of the kirk for writing
play and Sandy has songs, though he
has no sermons, flying loose about his
room when go in to make up his bed it
is we'll it is not one of the lasses who sees
them. He brags of going every night to
the theatre when Mrs. Siddons is in Embro'
Il wonder where the price of his tickets
comes FROM and | am sure, if the Assem-
bly, put out one man for writing play,
they could not in honesty keep in another
whose pencil is never out of his hand. |
catched him drawing the bethel and Miss
Mysie Wedderburn below the book-board
at the very summing up of the "heads" last
Sabbath and his excuse was, he must
have their heads out of his head to be at
peace to listen. He cares deal more for
the CLINT of sunny shower, or the gloom
of thunderstorm, or the crook of scrag
of tree, or the red of a gypsy's torn cloak,
than ever | could see he cared for the
bearing of a doctrine What about the
minister of Duddingstone would like
anybody to tell me whether he was not Ii
censed, presented, called, and placed, be-
fore he was known, to be gentle and simple,
as drawing-master If Sandy would but
mind his own business | have no faith in