The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-09-08
IN THE MIDDLE WEST.
A Story of Life in the Great
Mississippi Valley.
BY ALVA MILTON KERR.
COPYRIGHT, 1886, by THE A. N. KELLOGG
NEWSPAPER CoMPANY.l
CHAPTER /.

and fine, noble and mental, brave and
craven, and running back and out into
fields of long-forgotten history through
that narrow neck where backward gaz-
ing eyes see the prospective dwindle to
point. Out from that vast region the
red streams trickle and Irvine toward
us, infinitely mixed, and moving to
infinite results. That every mans his
tory lies against and is linked to a
thousand other histories running chain
like back into oblivion, stirs the story
tellcr's heart indeed. But fortunately,
however much the fires and forces of
the past be lost or have renewal in our
present, the chronicler, if he be wise,
ventures not over-far to rearward lest
he return unto his friends with other
matter than the truth. The case in hand
has doubtless measureless train Of
long foreshadowing causes, yet, by
what lanes of love and light, by what
paths of hate and evil, over what sun
lit heights, or through what sunken
regions, the souls we are to follow had
come into our Western realm, we find
but dimly indicated. Plainly the elder
John Earring was of tough, honest
Scotch fiber, though little bleached
and softened, be it said, in the great
bath of modern life. A touch perhaps
OF the asperity was there, and some
thing of the robust love, and hate, and
hardihood, that featured the lusty
Scots who laid their claymores about
each others ears in the good old
knightly days. Nevertheless, John
Earring was sterling worthy person;
morally well knit and in the main of
even temperate life. What he would
have been, removed from the gentle
tine-spirited creature who bore the
yoke of life with him, is, of course, con-
jectural. Certain we are that his short
life would have been less shapely, being
denied, mayhap, that rounding work OF
love which smooths away so many of
natures angles. Whether or not the
sweet laws of God had ever produced a
goodlicr example of womanhood than
his fair Saxon wife never troubled
bluff, square-shouldered Earring. That
her brow was high and her eyes tender
of light and very deep, he saw, but
considered lightly perhaps beside the
great fact that he felt her unspeakably
sweet. Not so much the soft turn of
check and chin, or the gentle dignity
of her carriage, laid him under trib-
ute. as her unfailing love and perfect
purity of heart. These in Elizabeth
Earring, as, indeed, in all women per-
manently beloved of man, supplement-
ed her fair exterior, and would, with
the inevitable destruction of her charm
ing outward gloss, have become the
sure and hallowed resting place of his
affection. Itwere little less than mar
vel then, considering the clean and rich
soil, were the fruit of this sweet union
other than of the best and finest text
ure. Eight years they had lived hap
PLY in the old hillside house, looking
out through its vines upon the Ohio
rivers placid reaches, ere the little be-
ing whose footsteps we are to follow
into the clouds and clear weather of
this great schooling-place, came blind
ly in at the doorway of the world.
Thereafter the field of life seemed very
wide and green and grateful to John
and Elizabeth Earring. Even we who
stand afar off may well-nigh rejoice to
mark the entrance of this dimpled bit
of humanity into our realm of hazard,
seeing it so Tapped in love and soft con-
ditions. Indeed at that doubtful date,
according to the averment of old Jade
Eric, who spent his days in digging
about the fat acres of the estate and
easing bis mental garnet of its inter-
minable phlegm, the future lord of
Earling farm shook his rosy fist full in
the worlds cold face, being so finely
housed and fed. And old Jade
shook his grizzled head again
and yet again, declaring the
youngster to be: ga whole field
full! A perfect heapr' and other large
apostrophes indicative of his approba-
ton. Something touching this great
event did old Jade growl forth good
humoredly through half the summer,
when coming home to his little house
among the meadows, he met the never
failing and ever agreeable picture of
Grandam Eric, with spectacles on
forehead and pipe in mouth, awaiting
him at the door. For John Earling,
the younger, was born among the flow
ers; his first greeting was with love
and summer; no cold and bitter trick
of Fate could rifle him of that felicity
at least, or drain his spirit wholly OF
their SAVIOR what use soever Fortune
put him to. Up in the mild old dwell
ling among the hillside trees he lay
blinking among his pillows, as pink
and white as the apple blossoms that
nodded Mt the windows. Over him the
mothers eyes, lit with unspeakable
gladness, kept happy vigil. and John
Earring the elder, invading the young
masters precincts at all seemly
and unseemly seasons, tossed up his
prospective heir with rough hilarity,
and freed his heart of many ridicu-
lous prophecy and soft, odd-sounding
quirk of gladncss. There, too, Gran
dam Eric often came, clad in her
best apparel, and fairly exuding nurse
ry knowledge and odors of the pipe;
also sundry other danes of high and
humble station from neighboring farms
and the near town, called with recipe
and praise, taking in return furtive
inventories of the fair New England
woman and her belongings, under the
large freemasonry of the event. And
Absalom Heater, the painting youth
who seemed ever in perspiration and
bearing half-healed hurt upon his
nasal member, and whose habitat en-
braced the kitchen and great barns
L, Al.