Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-10-19
of them" she went on. 81 shall have

Penny grinned from ear to ear.
ooh, man." she petulantly, "don't
grin like that. Itmakes me sick. What
do you say to it?"
"Well, MISS" said he, "if you be
willin' be.
Aud with that brief wooing Miss Cur
teen became Mrs. Penny. The relations
between the pair were scarcely altered.
She remains autocrat still, and he, good
easy man, was still steward, with but
little increased responsibility. He was
placid and obedient, aud their life was
happy enough. In the course Of time q
son and heir was born-the young maEg-
naDt whom we found casting stones at
the Jenny wrens, then about fourteen
years of age, plump, well-grown, affec-
tionate boy.
Mrs. Penny had from his birth des-
tined him for the church, the living of
E'mholt being in her gift, and the lad,
with placldity which would have done
no discredit to his father, acquiesced in
the destiny. Not that he felt any special
vocation for that sacred Office, of which
he would even (the young scapegrace }
with considerable humor make fun when
he made his way into the kitchen, and
extemporized pulpit with a couple of
chairs, and surplice with tablecloth,
| to the infinite merriment of the servants.
The proclivity of the boy for finding
companionship in the kitchen was Mrs
Penny's greatest trouble. She had been
at infinite pains to make him understand
that he was gentleman, and must avoid
GLOW company" such as that afforded
| by the servants and-his father. That
Penny" should prefer to sit in the
kitchen, smoking his pipe and chatting
with the laborers after his days work.
was natural and right; he belonged to
"that class of people," but her son was
expected to keep state with her in the
parIor, or in a dignified promenade up
and down tie filbert walk. Gus OPP
posed to this arrangement passive re-
sistance. When caught and marched
off with Mrs. Penny's hand in his col
lar, he made no complaint, took his book
or his pencil, listened to his lecture, and
rendered obedience so long as the matern-
al eye was on him; but the moment he
was released from that stern gaze, he
slipped back with unimpaired cheerful
ness, and with as much perseverance
as moth pursues his own shadow on
the ceiling, evidently regarding the par
Tor existence as merely parenthetical.
"He will grow out of it, said Mrs.
Penny, when she cautioned her steward
not to encourage him in the practice.
But he did not grow out of it. Even
after his experience at genteel board
ng-school, he would come back to shud
der away from the dull decorum of the
gentlefoIks' quarter of his home to the
cOsiness, warmth, freedom and fun of
the common folks. Gradually, too,
there grew up in his mind a painful
sense Of his fathers position. 1t did not
come to him early, for from his baby
hood his father had always been quiet,
good-natIned cipher, and the perception
of straneeness in conditions rendered SO
familiar to us comes slowly and comes
late. In him it came surely, and while
he grew more studiously polite with his
mother, he grew more and more atfec-
tionate with his father. He loved to
walk around the fields with him, pick up
from him scraps of natural history and
folklore, listen to his broad but inno-
cent jokes, his kindly gossip of village
affairs.
college will knock all that out Of
him." said Mrs. Penny when she was,
with something of retcent pride, giving
a hint to the rector; but college did
nothing of the kind.
Gus passed through his university
career respectfully, though without at
tanning any distinctions; but he came
back to Elmholt with a fixed determine
ton, which he was quite prepared to
maintain, that he would not be parson.
"Eh, lad, % said his father to him once
soon after he left college, CT amt fit
company for the likes O. thee. You go
and talk to your mother.
"Ah, you sly old gentleman" an
swered Gus, taking his arm as he did
so. What mischief are you thinking
of that you want me to quit you? [
have Just he'd a very long talk with
mother aud now [ want long talk WITH
YOU"
The old gentleman was mwarily de-
lighted. He was immensely proud of
this tall, fine, handsome, happy son,
such fine scholar and such fine gentle
man and yet SO companionable.
His pride Notwithstanding, the old
man said:
sEh, lad th'ourt pleasant to me as
harvest to hay-suck "a hedge-spar-
row. but don't zee go for to vex your
mother. Her'l be like dry brock +"
water course) ''wi'outen thee YETI
'fWhat self-wiIled old boy it is, %
said Gus smiling. "No; [ am coming
with you, and with nobody else, for [
have something very particular to say to
you"
"Well, lad, well. It makes bright
day to me to have thee, but thee mustn' t
vex thee mother"
"That's just what I'm afraid [ shall
have to do replied Gus gravely, and
that is what wanted to tell you. You
know mother has always intended me to
| be rector of Elmholt ?''
Eyes, zartip."
"Wen, shall never be. I am not 60
ing into the church..
The old man stopped abruptly, and
looked with awe-struck dismay in bis
sons face as he calculated 60 Scissors !''
There was whole world of wonderment