St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-09-05

settee in the hall, and drew Reginald
close to his side.
Reginald he said, in low and
tender voice, II am more sorry Tor you
than YOU can guess. Your heart is not
pure, true heart; it sends out poison
GUS thoughts. Why do you cover them
up and keep them; why do you try TO
seem white while underneath is the MD
den trouble?''
Reginald's eyes sought the floor; no
could not look in his uncle face now;
He knew his heart was not pure ana
true, that it only appeared to. be So ouG
he had thought that his uncle believed
in him.
.sWhen you broke the rosebush,. why
did you make it appear that your baby
| cousin had pushed the box over ana
damaged the bushP When you dropped
the Ratchet in the cistern, why did you
cast the blame on your little friendg
When you broke my choicest grapes
from the vine, why did you arrange
that Dugald should be suspected OF the
act? Had you acknowledged the wrong
| deeds you would have been endeavoring
to lay bare the poison in your heart,
and taken the first step toward getting
rid of it; but, though you know it is
there, and is dangerous, and degrading,
you keep it, and cover it, and work to
hold on to it, and want nobody to know
about it, and try to appear white and
clean, when, in fact, under your pleas
ing face and manners is corrupt
heart"
Had Uncle Prescott struck Reginald
blow he would have been man enough,
in his own way, to have borne it, but
those words were worse than blows.
He had certain amount of pride which
made him wish to be respected and
thought well of. He did not care so
much about being honorable, but he
liked to be thought SO. He had imag-
| ined that Uncle Prescott believed all he
said, and thought him fair, square
boy.
His pride was wounded; his good
opinion of himself was humbled; he
| looked so utterly wretched that Uncle
Prescott took his hand and drew him
close to his knee.
'.Reginald,' he said, kindly, 81 am
only pulling some of the white paper
of, and looking at the impurity under
meath. Tell me truly, do you think you
have corrupt hearth
Reginald quailed under the question.
To be asked to own having such a pos
session was staggering requirement.;
yet he knew his uncle's charge was
true, and he could do nothing but &C
knowledge its truth.
'tYou can not easily be rid of the inn
purity, my boy" said Uncle Prescott;
s'vou have hidden it, and kept it, and
fed it until it has overgrown the good
in you. You have made it your sole
object to try to appear good and pure;
do you wish to 60 on feeding and hid
ing the poison while. 1t groW,s, more ana
more powerful and impurep"
Reginald was too heartily ashamed OF
himself to have much to say, and while
declaring that he did not wish to con-
tinue doing as in past, was much con-
cerned to know how much Of his decep-
ton, and how many of his tricks, per-
petrated during the past few weeks
spent in his new home, had been dis
covered by Uncle Prescott
} "If you do not wish to continue hid
? ing and keeping this poison, let us be-
gin now to pull the pure white paper
} off of it,, said Uncle Prescott; what
: did you cover up yesterday? | must
t have the secrets of each day since the
. time YOU came to share my home. Tell
t me frankly, what did you cover up yes
t terday?"
Reginald glanced at his uncle and
then at the floor. He was not all bad;
: he did think it would be more comfort
| able to be true and honorable. He did
feel a longing to be rid of his present
: inner life; he saw himself as he had
t never seen himself before; he felt q
loathing for the acts he had only
1 thought clever, smart
t "Uncle, YOU would hate men' he ex-
= claimed, passionately; Il never can
tell you the half. y
"Suppose | do hate you; suppose l
e never do and never can forgive or for
t get it; suppose you lose me as your
friend; what can that matter in COM
9 parison to losing your SOUL your self
8 respect, the respect of the whole world
who may ever happen to hear of you,
r losing your own heart of honorP I'm
Y cover the poison, Reginald, and let me
help you get it out of you"
Reginald was looking in his uncle's
t face; he was brave with a sudden brav-
ery; he was true with a sudden honor;
!, he was filled with a determination to
Il be free with a new freedom. He re-
5 counted trick after trick, accidents and
receptions, and Uncle Prescott could
e have been angry enough had he not
V been in soul-earnestness, helping Regin.
r aid fight fight never to be forgotten.
Reginald, having confessed every
n fault he could think of, waited to hear
q the words which would Danish him from
+ his new home, but his uncle took his
band kindly saving: II believe YOU