The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-04-17
AS ITHERS See Us.
BY ROSE TERRY COOKE.

BY ROSE TERRY COOKE.
II don't know about it !" said q shrewd
faced man, leaning over the counter of a
country store and addressing person
who was evidently clergyman, : though
his worn clothes and shabby hat showed
that he was Of. the class denominated
poor minister's" :.
"You see, Mister Knight, he is one of
them happy creturs who know they'r re all
right always; I've found it isn't any use
to deal with such folks against their
grain. He's no thought but what it's
just as right for him to smoke up half
. his months wages, and let his children
want for food and his wife want clothes
1T to go to meetin' as It's for you to
preach"
perhaps you are right, Deacon Peck, !"
said Mr.. Knight sadly.
"There are some people the Lord only
cap awaken to sense of need and duty.
II they could see themselves as He sees
them they would be startled enough"
ut would do most as we'll, [ guess, if
they could see themselves as ithers see
EN-, as that Scotch Teller said," replied
the deacon.
"Reallv> Mr.. Peck, that is nonsense"
said grim dry voice behind the minis
ter: voice proceeding from the lips of
Artemus Hoagh, an elderly man, with
the long, hard face. half shut supercili
ious dyes, stiff, high nose, narrow head
and harsh mouth drawn down at the
corners with sanctimcnious contempt,
which We see in pictures of old Crom-
wells councillors and fuglemen. 1.-The
idea that person OF average mind and
education and protesting Christian
does not understand himself better than
outsiders can i, truly absurd" and Mr.
Hough's gray whiskers seemed. to bristle
with Indignation, and his white hair
stand up more like a shoe brush than
ever, as he perked up his long chin and
strobe ont of the door.
'lm half Of his mind, too" said Joe
Packer, the village lawyer, a stout, good
looking young man of twenty eight,
whose handsome face and broad shout
ders, twinkling blue and gray eyes and
full lips betrayed man who loved his
ease and his pleasure, and enjoyed
nightly the good things of this life; a
man who would have a hard fight with
the world, the flesh and the devil, if he
felt like fighting them, And there were
times when he did for he was a member
NJ Mn inr1,t al, O,,1 70,
Bible class Of young men: and was
earnest in good works-spasmodically
Every little while he had IN attack of
courage, resolve, and strong intent to
live up to the Bible, and he would run
well till something came in his way,
which he was too easy and lazy to fight,
and then he "lct it slide" to use his
favCrite phrase. He considered him.
self a pretty good fellow, not censorious
or hard on other people, fairly good
Christian example, an acute lawyer, a
first rate Sunday School teacher, and
general gain OF some Importance to
Stamford.
II don't always agree with Mr..
Hough," he said, rising from the arm
chair where he was smoking Il pipe, and
to- try their easy strength, "but it does
not seem reasonable chat a man should
understand himself better than people
who only see the outer demonstrations
OF his personality.
"And yet our Lord said. BY their
works shall we know them" said Mr..
-E:ight. gently.
Artemus Hongh walked home across
the street, swelling his inward self-im-
portancc; if his thoughts had been spok-
on ont they would have run in this
wise: GAS if anyone in Stamford could
lsapprove of me- except the sinful and
evil. \ man as orthodox as [ am, O.
strict life and conversation, church
goer, a protester against lax modern
Thought and practice, a virtuous, up
right, devout person, family prayers
always and blessing every meal, a
leader in prayer meeting and a con-
Sccntious Sabbath school teacher. I
should like to know what any person Of
brains could SEQ in me that don't see
myself"
Suddenly in that, lightning flash way
peculiar to Scripture texts, the words
glitterel across his mind, "These things
ought We to have done and not to leave
the others undone." "Odd!" he thought,
'whv should that text come into my
head?" but there the thought ended !;
his armor of self-complacency was proof
oven against this divine arrow, and all
qlndisturbed he opened the door Of his
house and found his wife, q fair, pale,
sad faced woman, just making the tea.
She turned her frightened blue eyes
ut him as he entered.
TEAS just ready!" she said, in an ap-
prehensive tone, casting furtive glance
1T the table.
He also looked that way, and his face
hardened.
Baked apples. and cake, too! Eliza
replace that loaf in the locker. [ can
not have such extravaganza. We shall
come to poverty if you are so reckless.
Mrs. Goodenongh sent it in, Mr..
Hough," timidly answered his wife,
land she said it ought to be eat right
away; it's feather cake, and amt good
after day"
well, we'll! that alters the matter
some ,ibut set away the backed apples.
Cake and bread and butter is plenty,
plenty think of the starving heather"
What good her baked apples did or
Gould or could do to the famished mill
ions Of India had never been quite clear
to Mrs. Hough, but she was too we'll
subdued to ask questions. Artemus
Hough believed in his headShip in the
l'amily, as Nero believed in his head
ship Of the empire, only Artemus never
relaxed his so far as to fiddle under any
circumstances. The frugal supper over,
Mr. H. worked in the garden as long as
he could see, came in and held family
prayers in the twilight, repeating
psalm instead of reading, and went
straight to- bed to save lamp-ight,
while his wife stole into the shed on
some pretence of getting kindlings for
morning, and sat down upon the door
Step for a little peace and refreshment
from the cool night air and the shining
march of the stars across the moonless,
purple summer heavens. She felt so
safe, so rested, at this lonely hour that
she was almost happy.
But Artemus went to sleep ut once.
Neither teeming brain nor uneasy con-
Science awakened him. It was one Of
his boasts that he slept the sleep of the
righteous" always. Tonight though,
he grew rather restless. Perhaps the
unusdal cake disturbed his digestion.
He began to hear in the air about him
busy whispers. He thought, as the Wis
ions crystalized into shape, that he was
going about the streets of Stamford as