The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-12-15
IN THE MIDDLE WEST.
A Story of Life in the Great
Mississippi Valley.
BY ALvA MILTON KERR.
UoPYRIGHT, 1886, BY THE A. N. KELLOGG
NEWSPAPER COMPANY
CHAPTER XvlI.-CoNr1susD.

his legs eXtended lar anu stf"iSHb
under the table with toes turned up,
and with knife and fork standing loose
ly upon their handles within his hands
at either side of his plate. "Slick and
brilliant is the name of 'er, sir!' and
he winked both of his eyes at once and
very hard under his glasses. Just who
he was addressing was not clear, but
to Julius it was not very material with
this exhilarating scene before him and
the kiss of certain amber-colored
flask still lingering upon his lips
"Slick and brilliant, sir, are terms that
fit 'er like lily" he went on, blinking
his watery eyes up into the glare, sand
nothing should suppress the encom- /
iums due a lavish and generous man
like Whitney, sir! Such an occasion
draws the soul of a community out |
and directs it-and lays THE others
were talking of something else and
Julius paused and looked steadily and
severely through his glasses at the Rev
erend Cuttleton for moment. Then he |
said, severely: "Mr. Cuttleton, sir!'
That pleasant gentleman inquiring
julius pleasure. he proceeded: Il was
remarking, sir, that such brilliant and
rosy periods of unification as these had
tendency to draw out the soul of a
community and direct it forward in
slicker, happier channel; and that the
praise due such civilizer as Whitney,
our Christian, Catholic, Democratic,
Republican host, could not be too in
tensely amplifed. Furthermore, if
such generous commercial organizers
as he, men with such brilliant and slick
capacities for accommodating and again
radiating in munificent and rosy hospi-
tally, could be sent abroad as mission
aries to the benighted borders of the
world, sir, what might not their slick
and brilliant example achieve?'
Reverend Cuttleton, not being pre-
pared to say, Julius, after having thus
lit, at once took wing again.
"Why, sir, TO avoid ambiguity, l
must be permitted to advance the hum
BILE opinion that the example of such
missionaries could not be else than
electrical and of amazing power as a
civilizing influence. What the heather
need, sir, is not so much religion as
money; money is the slick thing, sir
the litter! the elevator! the shining
agency that causes men to stand erect
and wear store clothes! How can a
naked human being, sir, who procures
his food by killing animals with a
spear pointed with the polished thigh
bone of cannibalized Christian mis-
sionary, ever be expected to compre-
bend the subtitle principles and ideals
of Christianity? Impossible, sir, I'M
possible! They must first be moved
upon by the pOmp and circumstance
OF riches, and be crushed up
wards as it were! A thousand con-
siderations swim warmly into the
arena, sir; but the first step is money,
the next is refinement, and refinement
alone is capable of wearing the crown
of religious feeling. That is the golden
ladder, sir, by which nations climb
into Heaven; that is the whole human
question, sir, compressed into crystal
thimblen'
Julius lit again and glared through
his glasses at Rev. Mr.. Cuttleton. Rev.
Mr.. Cuttleton looked crushed. as who
would not? The others at the table
were now listening, mainly from the
fact that they could not well do other
wise, perhaps, and Julius spread hi:
wings and sprang into the air again
Salyo was looking at his mother, anC
his mother at her plate; the old lawyer
was looking at Julius with a grin
smile, for strange as it may appear h,
was easily amused, and Absalom, hav
ing eaten every thing within his reach
looked much borne down upon by tn,
rich food and Julius eloquence.
However, sir, when the welfare O
our own Nation is the only consider
alton to be laid in the balance" Juliu
continued. mo cloud comes NOR
Sticky into prominence than the fac
that our whole missionary procedure
should be reversed; reversed, sir, is tn
word. The thieves, murderers, de
faulters, and all criminals, as fast a
convicted, should be shipped at one
to heather countries and be placed il
exile, while our penitentiaries AM
places OF incarceration should be turne
into great and benificent schools TO
the instruction and correction of unfor
tunate and evil disposed children, thu
extirpating and crushing the poison il
the egg, sir, as it were. The mission
aries should be kept at home and EN-
ployed in the service of these grea
humanitarian establishments. By thi
arrangement, which under casual ex
animation seems selfish and ignoble
but is far removed from that, since on
battle with crime both at home AM
abroad is as futile as the battles ow1
smoke, we at least as a Nation Nigh
ascend the cleaning node Of purit
until our American star should brea
against the armament of Righteousness
and the pearly fragments be used q
the aureolas of angels!''
Julius was very red, and ended wit
his fork held high in the air.
Reverend Mr.. Cuttleton smiled fol
bearingly, the old lawyer laughed an
got up and walked away, and Absa
lom, at the evident hazard of breakin
into run, crossed the room to the as
sistance of Ether, and julius, adjust
ing his glasses, and allaying the porcu
pine state of his mustache, looke
around for new worlds to conquer.
Refreshments then having been dis
patched the tables were removed, an
up in the dancing room, to the musi
of two violins and cornet, and in tn
parlors to the music of the piano an
another cornet, and in the sitting-roor
and dining-room to the music OF tn
organ and still another cornet, whic
TO be truthful was slightly distractine
the young people fell to Waiting