Milford chronicle., 1888-02-03
NANCY.

/
The July sun beat mercilessly upon the
rocky summit Of Old Foggy as two soil
tary travellers mounted the dusty, yellow
road on the two sides OF the hill, each
looking up and urging his sweating horse
TO the shade Of wild cherry tree upon
the summit. The one from the eastern
side reached the summit and gallOped to
the shade, just as the other equestrian
reached the level space and turned toward
the tree. The two riders glanced at each
other carelessly, then with look Of sur
prised recognition.
"John Jordanl sure as death. Why,
hello, old fellowr' and the other responded
to the hearty hand clasp with, "Can it
possibly be you, HaywardP
II believe 50, sort Of revised edition OF
me, leather bound, without any silver
clasps" The two young men slipped
from their horses and sat down upon the
/ parched grass under the tree, tanning
their flushed faces with their straw hats.
"Well, Jordan, what in the name Of all
that Is holy are you doing on the top OF
this God forsaken hill9 Running from
the sheriff"
''No. Ny business here is probably as
legimate as any that brings you to the
same place. have finished my course at
the Theological seminary, and have been
appointed 70 this circuit since left col
lege. am going 70 one OF my churches
now, whore hold services tomorrow. -
'0h, shades Of the mighty How are
we fallen from our idealsl am stalking
out an air line for branch road to the
river. Be some cutting through these
hills, won't therei My force went on last
night 70 Rocky Fork chats the name,
isn't it9 and ! am going down to spend
the Sabbath with them. Am getting
hungry. We couldn't find a boarding
house in these virgin forests, and have
had to camp. We were all cooks, but for
various reasons we've lived chiefly on
bacon dlsd watermelon, and I pine for q
change, the flesh pots, you know, and
things that are made with ice. Being a
clergyman, you probably pick a chicken
wing occasionally, but hen roosts are not
an element OF barbarism, Well, how
goes your preaching, old boyi How is
your crop doing, il that's what you call it,
Nour souls, mean; do they thrive under
your farmingg"
4 panied expression crossed Jordan's
sensitive face. lie hesitated Hayward
saw it and bit his under lip with annoy
ance. lie was continually reprOuching
himself for wounding Jordan in his old
college days.
NO Tom, TO be frank, am somewhat
discouraged over my work. / don't seem
to get at my people am trying to study
them as / never studied Homer and
Quihtilian in the old times, and / feel sure
that when put myself fully in sympathy
with them that / can influence them
greatly. They need it. You cannot
imagine what field there is before ME
here, il am only worthy to fill it.
Hayward glanced ut his friend as kindly
IS he might have done at hurt chhd.
"Old fellow" he said, cautiously,
''you're mistaken. You'd laugh at any
body who would come down here and buy
y hundred Hcres of this land for a farm |
and try TO cultivate it. Why, the crows
weep over It; look Mt these hemlocks and |
the blackberry bushes trying to find
hold for their roots; look Mt that patch Of |
stunted corn over there, and those bony |
erags sticking through the soil. You can't |
grow souls on such soil. They're not |
here; no wonder you're wearing yourself /
out trying. Give It up and come into a |
little better region
Jordan looked over the wide view spread \
before them and the panied look returned.
Soul is not a product Of the soil, Tom.
You always were advancing some strange
idea. OF course, the difficulty Of living |
here, the poverty and isolation, make |
the people less intelligent, but they are
immortal just the same" Hayward
smiled. Jordan, Jordan, " he exclaimed,
'tell me honestly, If, in all the churches
in your circuit. there is one soul" " The
young minister hesitated. SIN the in
tellectual sense that you mean. there Is
M I NJ,
so 1 thought. Now, if you will ex-
cuse mo for mentioning It, one OF nv
chainmen is going home, and you will
do more good TO society, yourself and the
Lord il you will take his place and help
us build a railroad that will open M
the country and cultivate souls a thou
sand times faster than the present way.
Now, my dear boy, you're pounding
away at a flint hill, and when you're
worn out you will have only pieces Of
Clint for your labor"
A sickening sensation OF dread and
doubt erept over Jordan. EIe rose and
caught his horse. Come down to my
room with me and stop for dinner. then
go down to the Fork In the cool Of the
evening, Hayward. I want to ask YOU
about the fellows and hundred things.
You're the first one I've seen since our
commencement day."
Hayward nssented, and they commenced
the precipitous descent of the hill. Both
horses went down with slow caution
until they neared the foot, and then broke
into gallop In tho soft dust Their feet
were almost noiseless, and as they rounded
q huge bOwlder that made sharp curve
In the road, q kneeling figure seemed to
them to rise from under the horses feet
and turn a frightened face to them, SO
were they upon her, Jordan
drew up his slack bride, but too late;
the horse's knees had struck the girl and
she fell heavily forward, rolling into the
deeep dust OF the road. With an ex-
clamatioa OF horror Jordan flung himself
from his horse and followed her. Hay
ward was scarcely behind him. Together
they lifted the senseless form and carried
it to the shade OF the roadside.
''Her head struck that stone and she's
stunned, " said Hayward, soothingly, not
Ing the anguish OF his friends face.
No, no; she's killed. ] have killed
Ter. Oh, my i. Why have lived to (
take the life elbow creaturei ] am a
murderer. r. dash the water In her
lace Nancy, Gvi' you know mef Nancy,
open your eyes"
But the eyes were fast closed and she
form was limp and still. With trembling
hands Jordan knelt by her side, bathing /
her face with water that Hayward had Z
brought from the spring near by, while
Hayward, doing what he could, looked at :
them with u compassionate face. ,
''She certainly cannot be seriously hurt,
John; such little fall. It wasn't your I
FAULT, anyhow. Don't mind 1t, old fell /
low; she is some poor creature whose life !
was hardly worth living at the best, poor, 4
gnorant and dull. Even II she is dead, I
aud I'm sure she isn't, death is not such I
! calamity" But Jordan's faos was D
ieathly pale, a cold perspiration had /
started upon his forehead and his lips r
luiyered pIteously. It had never, in his !
lastOrnte, yet been required Of him to {
Itand at tho gate OF death and usher the y