The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-04-02
A SACRIFICE.

meth Lambert. He was younger than
myself, at that time five or six and
twenty, full of aspirations for a bet
ter, purer existence than the life we
lead.
His day dream, cherished for a long
time, was to leave society, and, choos-
ing some retired spot, live there alone
with nature, in study and contempla-
ton.
Talk" his friends called it when
they heard of it. But Kenneth,
through all his work-and he was no
idler-retained the notion ofthis plan.
At last an unexpected legacy enabled
him to leave the Bar and purchase
the chosen site for his new home.
1t was q ruined chapel on the side of
moor, a place he had known all his
life. OF the wayside chapel nothing
was left but an arch way. Behind
this he had new walls built, dividing
the house into two rooms one
over the other. When all was
completed he went there. Some peo-
pie, I know, thought him mad; his
sisters laughed, saying he would soon
be tired of his scheme. / believed in
him. / would gladly have joined him,
but a man with a wife and child isnot
a free agent. He cannot retire into a
life OF contemplation however much he
may wish it.
| went to see Kenneth in his new
home. The place was almost inaccess-
IDLE; had not Kenneth met me on the
hilltop and shown me the way over the
moor and moss / should never have
found it. The chapel was in a copse; q
wild stream brawled by it. The oak,
alder and holly, were restrained by q
fence from encroaching on the chapel,
and marsh plants thrust their stems
through the bars. The nearest house
was a farm half a mile away. Ken
neth's bedroom was simple, his sitting
room furnished in perfect taste. On
ZIG WdlIS 6OUlC lIilO ODIHlllSSJ ~ pld0IOL
relief whence smiled the homelv face of
Socrates, on q bracket the image Of
Buddha. Between these was an en-
craving OF Dore's Vale ofTears. Books,
too, there were in plenty, and the fox
terr1er-such were Kenneth's compan-
ions.
"And nature" he said when / made
this remark.
"And here it is that you will stay, in
peace and quiet" ! said, suntil your
mission sends you forth"
Peace and quiet?" he answered,
smiling; t'no, those are not for me. |
have a presentiment that this ideal
life will not last long. / shall marry"
Hooked incredulously at him. He
showed me his hand. ut Is written
here" he said; IT see it onlytoo plain
". Far as it is from my desires, it is
fated.n
For more than six months | heard
nothing OF Kenneth. We went for the
winter to Torremouth, / and my wife,
and to our surprise and pleasure found
the Lamberts had the house next u
own. We had q Hat, and on the fiat
below us lived Mrs. Vernay. Mrs. YER
nay was the belle OF Torremouth, n
justly; / never saw any woman so
beautiful, never shall again see such q
face. She was tall and slight, with q
fair skin, blue eyes shaded with dark
lashes, and her shapely head
crowned with really golden hair.
No art was there, it was all nature,
nature in her utmost perfection. She
was young, a widow, said to be enor-
mously rich; but had she been a beg
gar maid we all should have worship
ped her. Young, old, single, married,
there were none but paid homage at
her shrine.
Frank Lambert was badly bitten by
her charms. He was two andtwenty,
home for the first long leave. Mrs.
Vernay encouraged him more than
any of the others; perhaps being such
a boy she looked on him as q sale
game. I know that she stole his heart
with the first glance OF her violet eyes,
and that he has never recovered from
her influence.
We were sitting together one after
noon in the Lambert's drawing.room
when Kenneth walked in. Torremouth
was not more than ten miles from his
retreat, and ne had walked over, not
to pay his mother q passing visit, out
to stay il she would have him.
Did any mother ever refuse to re-
ceive her eldest son? How the girls
laughed at him. declaring their proph-
ecies true and saying ne was
weary OF solitude. felt O
little surprised at him, Only one per-