Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-05-05
A BROTHERS SACRIFICE.

ut that Time five or six and twenty, full o.
aspirations for a better, purer existence
than the life we lead.
His day dream, cherished for q long
time, was to leave society, and, choosing
some retirea spot, live there alone with
nature, Ia study and contemplation.
1Talk, y his friends called 1t when they
heard Of IL. But Kenneth through all his
work--and he was no idler-retained the
notion Of this plan. At last an unexpected
legacy enabled him to leave the bar and
purchase the chosen site for his new
nome.
It was a ruined chapel on the side OF q
moor, a place he had known all his life.
OF the wayside chapel nothing was left
but an archw'ay. Behind this he had new
walls built, dividing the house into tive
rooms, one over the. other. When all was
completed he went there. Some peoples
know, thought him mad; his sisters
laughed, saying he would soon be tired OF
his scheme. I believed in him. / would
gladly have Joined him, but q man with a
wife end child is not a free agent. He can
not retire into a life of contemplation,
I however much he may wish it.
1 went to see Kenneth in his new home.
The place was almost inaccessible; had
not Kenneth met me on the hilltop and
shown me the way over moor and moss ]
should never have found it. The chapel
was in q conse; a wild stream brawled by
1t. The oak, alder, and holly were re-
strained bya fence from encroaching on
the chapel, and marsh plants thrust their
stems through the bars. The nearest house
was farm half o mile away. Kenneth's
bedroom was staple, his sitting-room fur
nished In perfect taste. On the walls soma
line. etchings, o plaster relief whence
smiled the homely face of Socrates, on :
bracket an image OF Buddha. Between
these was an engraving OF Dore's Vale of
Tears. Books, too, there were in plenty,
and the fox terrier-such were Kennethss
companions.
And nature, he said when l made this
remark.
And here 1t is that you will stay, in
peace and quiet,oI said, Huntil your mis-
sion sends you fortn.1
aPeace and quietan he answered, smil-
ing; mo, those are not for me. / have, a
presentiment that this ideal life will not
last long, 1 shall marry
looked ;incredulousIy at him. He
showed me his hand. 1T is written here,n
he said; II see 1t only too plainly. Far as
1t Is from my desires, 1t is fated.n
For more than six months | heard moth
Ing OF Kenneth. We went for tho winter
to Torremouth, / and my wife, and to our
surprise and pleasure found the Lamberts
had the house next our own. We had q
fiat, and on the fiat below us lived Mrs.
Vernay. Mrs. Vernay was the belle Of
Torrenouth, and Justly, I never saw. any
WoHla no beautiful, never shall again see
such Q face. She WAS tall and slight, with
fair skin, blue eyes shaded with dark
.iashes, and her shapely head crowned with
really golden hair. No art was there, it
was all nature, nature in her utmost per-
lection. b was Young, q widow, said to
be enormously rich, but had she been q
beggar maid we all should have woTsiiiped
her. Young, old, single, married, there
were none but paid homage at her shrine.
Frank Lambert was badly bitten by her
Charms. He WA two~and-twenty, home
for his first long leave. Mrs. vernay en-
ccuraged him more than any of the others;
perhans being such q boy she looked on
HIM as q safe game. / know thntshe 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 afternoon
a bAS AkhukOpllS uIa Hl1lH-rUUm 4W0elf
Kenneth walked in. Torremouth was not
more than ten miles from his retreat. and
he md walked over, net to pay his Inatiher
apassing visit, but to stayis5
have him.
Did any mother ever refuse to receive
her eldest son2 How the girls laughed at
himi declaring their prophecies true;s.sa;
saying he was weary Of solitude, felt q
little surprised at him. Only one person
preserved her faith in him; this was Craze
Cheslyn, the girls friend, almost like an
other sister. She was staying with them.
and upheld Kenneth Whatever we might
soy.
Mrs. Yernay dined that night with the
Lamberts, coming In like some beautiful
being froni another world, Jewels glinting
In her dress and In her hair 4 snake TINT
glittersd with diamonds and rubies.
We al came and paid court to her, Ken
meth included. She looked with interest at
him, saying:
sAhi The hermit brother. r have 20
syantedto see you. Have you left your Sc
clusionsn
Eyes, we all knew he would uuoth
Marie Lambert sThe cold weather On
that moor could not be endurad.n
MY sister is mistaken said Kenneth.
# left fer other reasons, and did not par
ticularlylike coming away from my soil.
tude.
" will teach you the pleasures OF so.
ctety,a Mrs. Vernay cried. SOLITUDE il
horrible. Man was not made to live
alone 5 -
Did ] soc Kenneth vince, Icould not
tell.
Then Grace came, asking Mrs. vernay
to write in her birthday book. And the
beauty inscribed Lilly Vernay" In a clear.
beautiful writing, matchless us herself
Kenneth read it over Grace,s shoulder.
aYour name IS Lilith," he said to Mrs.
yernav.
replied:
8 know II without offering any sxpla.
aLilithi horridlr murmured Grace. as
with Frank. Mrs. Vernay moved toward
the piano.
r think # pretty; why horrid,a Marie
asked.
do you know about Lilithfn her friend
replied. sShe was Adams first wife. ana
tor transgression was turned ont Of pn,a.
disc. She is the enemy.o OF all little chiI.
drefi, and when Jewish babies are born
the nurses write Iilith, avaunts acainst
the wall, lest she should come and XII the
child. And tradition says thst she ann
'hAunts b world as q beautiful woman.
who entices men to marry her, and then
strangles them In her golden nair.p
"A tradition, y said ], asomethinp fika the
legends of the Greek Isarsia.u
How do You know that there is mot
truth IN traditions and folly In reiecttnu