St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-05-18
Under the Guise Of a
Wedding Ring.
BY LILLE BINKLEY, ATCHIsoN, KAN.
Written for The american.
CHAPTER ".

CHAPTER ".
LAS THE TwIG is BENT so THE TREE IN
CLINETH.'
It was spring. The long New York
winter had passed. Pauline Gray had been
a guest at our house much of the time.
She had won the heart of Blanch, and we
sometimes sighed when we thought of the
complete control she had of our girl at
fections. The winter had been gay one
for the young folks. Old puritan law and
order had suffered many depression.
"The day is near" said Sidney, one
morning as the carriage with our girls
ROY. NJ away for the nray mansion, up
ar9a E the hills, "when the serpent of the
world shall get behind ne. In the way
that am training my children they will
go when they are old. By losing dis
ciplined youth they are losing what years
of failure and experience will but begin to
teach them"
Silence fell upon us. We were alone.
l did not speak. l knew that many stern
thoughts were battling in my brothers
brain, and I wished no part in the conflict.
At last an enquiring glance from Betty
broke the calm. A glance was all, they
seemed to know each others thoughts.
Sidney's eyes fell upon me in a mo-
ments hesitation, then regaining their &C
customed decisive expression, and drop
ping In token of final resolve lie said
Before summer comes to New York my
children shall be free from the curses of
this worldly west, and under influences
that will make it easier for them to walk
in the straight and narrow way"
| looked at Betty, her face did not
change. If Sidney had wished to dwell
in a mountain cave it would have been
palace to her.
knew it was no use to oppose his de-
cision, but my heart rebelled. hated the
east. All in a moment | thought of
dozen reasons why change was unde
sirable, but it was all SO sudden that |
dared not speak unprepared. Not wish
ing to say things that might be better I'M
said, l left the parlor and strolled out
among the evergreens, and sat down upon
an old rustic beuch where we had spent
50 many happy evenings. i could not
bear to think of leaving the dear old place
Again and again | asked myself why we
should leave our free mountain home for
q conventional New England one. Then
l thought of the evening Anthony Gray
last met Blanch, how enraptured she
seemed in his company. l thought of
Paulines wonderful power over her. l
thought how little of self. discipline the
girls were receiving and last, that though
Sidney was sometimes rigid and severe in
his decisions they always worked for good.
So | said to myself, cit is well"
It was New England summer, The
middle of July. We were all there. 1t
was beautiful place to be sure. A five
minutes drive from Hartford, large old
house, ive-acre lot covered with oak
trees that might have shed their leaves
with the 'Charter Oak" We had new
customs, new friends, and, to the girls,
new religion. | had never thought my
brother puritan before, and never under
stood the meaning of GAS the twig is bent
so the tree inclineth," til | saw him step
by step go back to the precepts and ex-
amples of oar parents he had SO disliked
in early life.
Thank God" he said, as we stood on
bn6 Vlue-clau porch one evening, buat us
lance now divides my daughters from
their former associates. | can now train
them as | wish"
In that look and expression saw SO
much of my father. 1t had been no more
than thirty years since he fed from the
same training. But in his old days he re-
turned to the ways of his father. He wor-
shipped the faith of his church.
l loved my God and tried to keep his
commandments, but the formality of my
religion had been sown on the winds of
the west But we were there, and was
glad. for we all felt we had discovered i'll
formed ties.