The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-11

YOcky summit OF Olu 1OgES rs TWO SUI
tary travellers mounted the dusty, yellow
road on the two sides of the hill, each
looking mp and urging his sweating horse
TO the shade Of n wild cherry tree upon
the summit. The one from the eastern
side reached the summit and galloped 10
the shade, just as the other equestrian
reached the level space aud turned toward
the tree. The two riders glanced at each
other carclcssly, then with u 4 Ok Of sur
prised recognition.
"John Jordan sure as death Why,
hello. old fellow and the other responded
TO the hearty hand clasp with, Can it
possibly be you, Hayward
d" believe so, 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
parohcd grass under the tree, tanning
thcir flushed faces with their straw hats.
'\.r.l, Jordan, what in the nam of all
that IS holy are you doing on the top Of
this God forsaken hilly Running from
the sheriff.
NO. Ay business here is probably as
legimatc as any that brings you 10 the
same place. have finished my course at
the Theological seminary, and have been
appointed TO this circuit since l left col
lege. ! am going TO one Of my churches
now where ] hold services tomorrow"
.'Oh, shades of the mighty How are
we fallen from our ideals | am stalking
out an air line Tor a branch road TO the
river. BE some cutting through these
hills. won't therey Ny force went Oh last
night TO Rocky Fork that's the name,
isn't it0 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 10 camp. We were all cooks, bat for
various reasons we've lived chiefly on
bacon and watermelon, ana | pine for Il
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 boy How is
your crop doing, if that what you call it,
Your souls, Imean; DO they thrive under
your farming,'
A panied expression crossed Jordan's
sensitive face. He hesitated Hayward
saw it and bit his under lip with annoy
ance. lie was continually reproaching
himself for wounding Jordan III his old
college days.
mo, Tom, to be frank, | am somewhat
discouraged over my work. ] don't seem
TO get at my people. I'M trying TO study
them as 1 never studied Homer and
Quintilian 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 a field there is before me
here, if l am only worthy to ill it"
Hayward glanced at his friend as kindly
as he might have done at a hurt child.
''Old fellow" he said, cautiously,
you're mistaken. You'd laugh at any
body who would come down here and buy
a hundred acres of this land for a farm
and try to cultivate it. Why, the crows
weep over il; look at these hemlocks and
the blackberry bushes trying to find a
hold for their roots; look at that patch Of
stunted corn over there, and those bony
crags 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. In the i'll
tellectual sense that you mean, there Is
not-that is, / cannot now recall one"
80 | thought. Now, If you will ex-
cuse me for mentioning it, one of my
chainmen is going home, and you will
do more good 70 society, yourself and the
Lord II you will take his place and help
us build a railroad that will open up
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
flint for your labor"
A sickening sensation of dread and
doubt crept over Jordan. He rose and
caught his horse. Come down to my
room with me and stop for dinner, then
90 down 10 the Fork in the cool OF the
evening, i VAIN w doh yOu
about the fellows and a hundred things.
You're the first one I've seen since our
commencement day"
Hayward assented, and they commenced
the p%recipitous descent of the hill. Both
horses went down with slow caution
until they neared the foot, and then broke
into a gallop in the soft dust. Their feet
were almost noiseless, and as they rounded
a huge bowlder that made a sharp curve
in the road, a kneeling figure seemed to
them TO rise from under the horses feet
and turn a frightened face TO them, so
suddenly 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
deep dust Of the road. With an ex-
clamation 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
1t 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
her. Oh, my Godi Why have / lived to
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