West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-11-21


John Dorm that day. for i'm the future
he sew his son. strong. sturdy limLed
and ruddy, steering with heavy hfnd
the laboring so-sei, aulling merrily sie
weary oar, ana ON the sabbath day
trudging maniuly TO church with a
swarm of rosy children John Dorm
smiled and hummcd n solemn hymn
and in the height of his contentedness
stopped down and imprinted upon his
daughters wavy hair forgiving kiss.
HcncefOrth tho innocent little Girl
should not be denied the love which dis
appointment had withheld for so long a
time. As he guided his sloop through
the serpentine channel leading out to
the bay his heart became as water. and
In the ennoblirg influence of that feel
ing he seemed to lose his sunburn and
his wrinkles and to grow young again.
Quickened by the breath of awakened
love, the vague ambition of carly life
came back, and in the mirage that
somehow doomed above the blue surface
oil the bay he saw his son. and incident
ally himself, crowned with all the hon
ors that n grateful. respecting local
community could bcstow. UnQuestion-
Eng assumption of the probability, or
even the possibility, of future social or
political prefernert for his son, was
proof positive that no such distinction
~ns likely TO DO accorded him, the ar
Cument in the matter being, in effect
'hsf nothing but the most dishearten-
fEc ~ native plodIers could come of
fi.rh combination of dulness and un-
reasoning hs.e. Had John Dorn's
ambition taken definite form and sought
by such means as lay within the narrow
circle OF the life along shore to carve
out the way to the coming mans en-
noblement, there might have been
strong grounds for hope, and willing
hands from the great city whose dusky
confines lay but II little beyond the dis
tant Wow Of earth and sky might have
stretched out to help the inStinctless
wayfarer over unknown paths that lead
to the goal of his ambition; but ut its
best John Dorm s ambition was rs
lormlcss rs the night, and as discourage
ING rs his wiic's infcriOrity. In such
a rayicss gloom, what hope for light?
Who but purposclcss enthusiast would
sec the flower of genius in such a track
less waste.
All the tendencies of nature were
against John Dorm, but yoC, working
bllthcly on the wide marshes, he sang n
song that filled his soul with ioy. The
chances in life were against John
Dorm $ ambition, and yet ne hoped. In
simple truth IL must be said that this
ambition, never wholly stationary or
definite, changed as often rs the wind.
Sometimes his much-loved son guided a
stately ship to distant seas; oftener he
sang cheer ly in II fishing boat in the
Great South Bay, and once i'm rare
while he stood within the torchlipbt's
glare to discuss the burning issues of
The hour. Always it was the goal, and
not the pain.u weary means. that this
ambition touched upon; always results,
never the process OF attainment. The
NiYiscctionist is right, though cold and
unsympathctic, there was little hone for
either John Dorm or his son.
CLAIMS were plentiful that dav, and
John Dorn's broad, flat feet cfurned
them out OF the thick mud with more
than usual rapidly and ease. Aoain
and again the wicker basket returned
to the waiting boat. piled high witt.
captured shells, until, when the tide
ceased to run out and the western sun
dipped angrily toward the hazv west
John Dorm drew his brown arm across
his heated brow and SAID that he mad
done enough. Smiling contcntedly at
the sieeply little girl, he said that he
would 90 home with the new tide. To
90 homc' To whom? To the baby;
10 his sol? Perhaps by this time his
wife, remembering previous CONVERSE
ions on the sub cct, had named him
And would he answer to the plain. old
fashioned name John? Perhaps so
1t was o.d-fashioned, no doubt, to have
the paicrnal name descend throuoh
many generations, but il was a GOOD
honest way, and to one honest plo1.
ding woman in the little house AMONG
the trees IL would give deep satisfac
ton.
Waiting for his boat to float. John
Dorm spattered the advancing tide
mcrrlly with his bare feet and PLAYED
hlle-and-Go-seek with his little Girl.
All resentment over the birth o a
daughter had vanished now, and the
father was happy and proud in having
both daughter and son. 1t made
things even, h thought, and who couId
tel what the future would brinoP
Then, as he stood there aimlessIv
swinging his foot to and fro I'm the cool
water. an idea seemed to enter into and
take possession OF his mind. A vaone
de ire to do something for the yoiiny
'''D NN' W ultHS HIS lie
mad, in some unaccountable way. for
mulrted itself into n tangible idea. and
he tried, unsuccessfully for a time. 10
give it practical form. He realized
swkwGrdly enough, it must be con.
tossed. that on this dav he ouobt to
carry en- Offering TO the cradle of his
child, an Offering from the sea, In
that moment, it is true. his patient
Woodworking wife was almost FORGOT,
ten, and his first-born son filed his
newly-awakened Imagination with a
radiance like the glow i'm the western
SKY. This seeming neglect of his wife
appeared TO him excusable. for tic
hard-headed reason that IL was fbrougb
the nstrumentality OF his son. and nor
his wife. that his de,ultorv ambition
was 10 be realized And besides bis
vie has been with him many voars
and had not been accustomed 10 sucb
hOnors at his hands. Would IL be reason.
able therefore. to begin now? He
thought not.
IN Offering from the sea surely wos
not hard 10 find, and yet he hesifateJ
Shells were thrown in prodigal profu.
sion, and shells always have been cor.
sdcrcd the time-hOnorcd tropbies ~
The ea. Jhells were good enough In
their way, and suitable Tor All occasions