Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-01-02
A New Years Story.
ANNIE ROBERTSON NoXoN.

a new lear S story.
ANNIE ROBERTSON NoXoN.
at any time since the leaden clouds open
ed at dusk the night before, and now al
the little paths leading over the hills te
the homes of the miners, and down the
valley to the mines and quarries, was
wiped from the white face of the earth
and the fences out On the farm and Oh
either side Of the old Trenchard road
were just peeking out asif smothered
and longing for breath. The old beeches
.end scraggy frs were so weighted down
e. TO threaten to topple over every mo
HYnent or to send down an avalanche Of
snow on the roof and gables of the aged
grey stone house which for years had
been the home of the Trenchards-theil
cradle at infancy, their death-bed in age
The wind had ceased to blow-had died
out in weird whispers and a deathlike
stiffness reigned as darkness settled on
the scene-shat midday duskiness and
twilight ominous hard to understand by
the ignorant-and very cherries. A
gloom which neither the flashing, blood
red glow of the fire nor the steady glow
of lsmp-light VIII dissipate. What
could be more dismal
Than this nightip noon,
Unleayened by the sun or moon.
But when twilight had settled on the
human heart how much harder is it then
to be SHREDDED in the leaden coverlid
ofs winters day.
Still, Logan Trenchard smoked his
pipe, sitting with his elbows on his knees
on stool with leathern bottom, his
clean-shaven face resting on his hands,
Ais grey hair tossed back from that
broad wrinkled brow, while his eagle eye
gaxed into the heart of the Goals.
Opposite in shadow sat his wife,
her hair growing whittier every hour, as
did the lawn outside, her knitting rest
ing on her lap, her fingers for once lying
idly or nervously twitching now and
then as the log sputtered in the Chin
ney. There they sat for hours with
little width of hearth between them and
q strip of bright home made carpet, to
the eyes of men. but to God and those
unseen ones, who'perhaps, hover about us
often, they were farther apart than the
the new world and the old, or one fixed
star from another.
They who had stood together at the
cradle eide of infants, and had walked
hand in hand up the hill fringed with
flowers and over the brow, now to separ-
ste and wander apart where the rue and
wormwood g ew in their wya in the val
ley.
1t was hard and the woman's heart
felt it most, as she had so long leaned up
on his stout arm, but she had too much
pride and belief in her own merits to
speak one word of defence or prayer.
No; rather would she have gone out in
the wild storm to plead with the storm
spirits than to tamper with the unrelent-
ing anger of Logan Trenchard.
He would say she had brought it on
herself, and none knew better than this
patient woman how uselsss the attempt
to argue him from his convictions. Soon
er would the hungry tiger relinquish his
prey than would he admit himself In
error. He WAS of that breed OF men who
believe that women were made servlle
and the ministers unto men-thelr mas
tiers. Wives and children should have
neither will nor purpose save to obey
this great head whatever his mandates.
His voice should proclaim a fiat, to pro-
nounce Jaw, and his the resp possibility,
right or wrong. If an eye offend you,
pluck it out. fan arm deviate from its
way, cut it off. If child disober, cast
it away forever. Such were his tenets, |
and he abided by them, even though it
cracked the strings of his heart and for
babe his food to satisfy the cravings of
his appetite. Was it worth her while to
plead with him again for Ellen? She
who had, in despite Of his iron will, left
the roof tree to go with q stranger-a
man who had no Christian hold on ma
ture or the Hereafter, the father of her
infidel children. No. Though the storms
ragged and Ellen sat houseless by the
1ayside while Logan Trenchard's cattle |
pre- warmly stalled and his pigeons fed
housed.
len had been the apple of his eye.
the core Of his heart. Around her
y head had shone the stars Of all
ppe. In her blue eyes were lighted
lmps of his faith. She had grown
linn as the knot on the oak-with this
6wth-until nothing could wrench
Shem asunder and either keep whole. |
Once it was thought that he could not
live without Ellen-his beautiful daugh- |
ter. the pride of all the borough round.
Yet cow ten years had passed since
her name had been spoken in his hear
ing, and he lived on. His head had
whitened and bis face grown scanned
with the pang of it all, but he ate, drank,
smoked, plodded over his lands, grew
richer year by year, had seen his sons,
noble in manhood, stricken down by the
visitation of Providence as he believed;
one had been crushed to death in the
quarry which he ordered closed, and Lo-
gan, bis manly namesake, had been
drowned while trying to save miners
child.
Still he lived on and smoked his pipe
in silence with his wife on the other side
Of the hearth, and their only link, the
brown haired, silent little thing, sitting
On = low stool between them-Jeanette|
tho baby of their old age. the tender
heexted bairn who chung to Ellen's ekirts
1>1tehing when she went away under
oIrht Of her father's cur Jaa1.l
giEhteen 4o0