The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-12-11

but what heroic deed had the straight
limbed left on earth for cr;ppleS to per-
form? Meanwhile, my weakness and
puny stature rendering me OF little use
to any one. | was allowed to attend the
village school as much as health per
mitted and inclination suggested. Bat
although | was IN incessant reader OF
such odd volumes as our library al
forded and would be curlcd up with my
book for hours at time il the sunniest
corner of the south porch, where my
grandfather, needing me no more than
the dog at his feet. sat upright in his
high-backed chair, his two powerful
hands claSped over the head OF his stick
and his wistful eyes turned seward,
vet my attendance at the little school
house on the hill was decidedly desultO-
~. This arose partly from my aversion
to the society of other lads of my own
age. so much larger and more vigorous
than myself, and partly from the unsat-
isfactorv character of the instruction,
dispensed by tiaxcn-headcd young fell
lows from a ncighbOIing academy, who
logged only rs much arithmetic and
geography into the small boys on the
front benches as was compatible with
their keener sense Of duty toward the
large girls on the back settee.
But this winter a LADY had taken her
place behind the iIl-stained desk
a girl Of some twenty Summers, dark
haired and graceful. ana nv devotion
TO school had received an unprecedented
impetus As put the matter 70 myself,
with the delighted sense of the final, the
predetermined. the inevitable, l had
found nv destiny. had met nv cOun-
terpart, | had fallen in love. | was n
worm beside her. Be it granted. If
warmed? The blood of dauntlesS
race was flowing through my veins.
With that pale face as Il guiding star,
the path to fortune might open even yet.
In point of fact. in me the RainfOrd
energy, my legs being disabled, had gone
to the brain. anu many romance had
spun in consequence through the long
and idle hours of M childhood. My
deformitv and my feeblencsS were so
rcpulsive to the sturdy instinct within
me that | lived in an ideal world apart
from these. In my daily lot ley weak
ness, scorn and bitterness. These were
too airy materials for frcakish fancy to
build with, and thus. although left to find
her own straw, she had wrought so
raily and so well that had grown quite
wonted 10 the image Of myself as a
gallant young mariner, the crown of all
the Rainfords. who by one swift turn of
the fateful wheel had won inches and
graces. wealth and fame, lovely bride
and a granGfather's blessing and who
should bear himself, in his old age,
with the most exemplary consideration
toward all less fortunate sc.OLs Of his
blood.
SO there sat fancy, like q rogU;Sh
spider. spinning cObwebS in the crippled
boys young brain, just rs she has some
times spun them since even within the
rrav pate of respectable old doctor OF
my acquaintance. and weaving with
every one the vision of Il sweet, grave
face. And so. when in the course OF that
nomadic existence known is boarding
round, highly cherished by the cduca-
tiunal fathers as device at once social
and economical, Miss Celia Lincoln
knocked at my grandfather door.
acted scarcely more cXtravagant pari
than many taller youths Of eighteen
summertides, in slipping my first poem
fervid if occasionally numerical dec.
laration of my sentiments, under tho
northumberland pin-cuShion that my
careful mother had drawn from the
camphor-chest and placed upon orr Wis
itor's bureau. Ii was the remembrance
of this decisive act which made my thin
hand shake upon the rafting latch as
opened the kitchen door next morning,
but once within the influence of that
CHEEKY spot, the one room in the hous
where my mother reigned supreme,
dropped upon a cricket and gave myself
up TO the expectation OF breakfastinc
with the teacher.
1t must be confessed, to begin with,
that the Widow RainfOrd, to make Use
of village phrase, was preparinga break,
fas. much more elaborate than usual
The little. widespread table, carven in
strange fashion from understanding
woods that never grew on honest Yam
kee soil. stood :mugly on its twisted
lees before the dumpy cooking-stOve,
much ut a loss to understand why it
should be thus called upon to support !
platter of bony herringS and Il dish oi
chubby doughnutS, in addition to il
| customary morning burden OF buck
wheat cakes and coffee. The pictured
iug. also, too ugly for UTliness and sc
perforce called beautiful, brought from
Japan as it was by the Youngest Captain
Rainford. on his last hOme-returning
voyage. was equally put about in mind
to understand for what reason it had
been so abruptly emptied Of the rcluc.
tant molasses and filled to the brim, in.
stead with golden maple syrup.
But whatever perpleXity may have be-
set such stray articles of foreign furni-
ture and crockery, the bright little
kitchen, in general. seemed well content
with these indications of festiyity. The
kettle sang jovial song. The fiat
irons, standing in an even row on the
n,antel shelf. with their black nose:
turned up disdainfully toward the cell
inc, nevertheless elbowed one another
in secret excitement. The portrait o!
George Washington above the clock,
| albeit somewhat dimmed by the smoke
of many broiling. smiled through its
stains benignantly Yellow Tabby,
shifting the delicious odors that hung
upon the air, wrapped her eestatic tail
more tightly about her paws and shu
her blinking eyes against temptation
But the most comfortable sight of al
was the face of my comely mother her
self, rs she finally raised her flushed
cheeks from the fire and said, il a voice
musical with motherly Tenderness ant
| household cheer:
Now, Ralph. RIM and call YOU
| teacher 70 her breakfast"
| Dnar mnthcri She would ALWAYS for