St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-06
"AS IN A GLASS DARKLY. -
CHAPTER l.

says the old Book, and the young Cal
5inistic student drew his yet unblotted
iO0lscap toward him. and prepared to
enlghten mankind OIL one of the most
perpleXing problems of this perpleXing
world. With the concordance, Oil one
side and the commentary on the other,
It presented few difficulties to him.
1t was his trial sermon he was pre-
pairing and, as he marshaled his proofs
of Gods arbitrary dealings with the
children of men, there was just small
alloy of human pride in his religious
enthusiasm as he saw in fancy the grave
and reverend elders of the little chapel
lodding their heads IN solemn approval
IF one who was sound in the faith.
Study came hard to him, though, for
he sprang from a race all unused to
book learning, and the cottage kitchen
where he sat looked more place for
labor with The hands than with the
head, yet just now it was quiet enough.
The only other inmates were an elderly
woman, who sat in the Swallowed corner
Of the freside, and young girl, who
leaned against the easement and gazed
out YEARLY.
q
she looked. Tie March wind swept
over the Northumbrian fell, while the
sky o'erhead was dark, and the shadow
of approaching night lay on all the
broad eXpanse OF coarse gray-green
turf, unbrokcn save by tufts of yet UNI
budding furze or withered bracken.
Only III the distant west faint streak
of primrose fingered, and a ragged fir
tree or two stood out against the light.
Once or twice she turned and glanced
and glanced into the room behind, and
her eyes fingered wistfuly on the bowed
head of the would-be preacher. then she
turned to the window again with sigh.
"Ah, dear, ali, dear, one could only be
young once, and life was so short, why
would he not speak the words that were
ever trembling on his lips, or showing
themselves an open secret within his
dark eyes TO the girl who loved him?'
The pain of his silence made her
wicked, too; made her hate the creed to
which he chung, the profession he had
chosen: nay, at times, the very God he
served.
The girls nature was attuned to love
and beauty. The murmur of the wind
through the trees, the bleat of the lambs
III spring, the song Of the lark. and the
flowers that sprang even on the broad
and rugged fell, brought her hints of
heaven and of her Father there, but
none helped her to interpret them, and
because the long and gloomy sermons,
and the dreary metrical psalms
gave her no enjoyment, she was
taught to believe that covenant
blessings" whatever they might
be. had been denied her. Wildly
rebelliOus was she at times, and her
moods puzzled the grave aScetlc student
not little, and checked the words he
Ionged to speak. What sort Of help
meet would such a hayward creature
make for one who had the care of many
souls. and whose greatest ambition was
to go forth to heather race and preach
God willing to pardon chosen few?
Sometimes his love seemed temptation
of the devil himself, and he trie.i
fight ii down. Still. even through his
Studious preoccupatlon tonight his
nerves thrilled every time the girl's
eyes rested on him, and once, when he
raised his own and met her gaze for an
instant, he flushed through all his sun
burn, yet, without 3 word. turned again
to his work. The flush that dyed his
check was answered by an added pale
ness on that of Gladys Lyall.
4 mans blush means much; a
woman's still more: a girls means lit
tie, but when the hearts throb draws
all the life current TO itself and leaves
the fair cheek pale. he who runs may
read.
She was::a strangely beautiful creature,
the young orphan niece Widow Dodd
had taken to her home, and a man,
though twice minister, might be par
doned if he found his eyes tangled in
that wealth Of chestnut hair, or felt his
pulses beat the faster If his voice made
the color come and 60 in that wildrOSe
face, or the wonderful limpid eyes sink
beneath his own.
The cottage homo had another in
mate, and even now the widows
younger and favorite son came stridlng
up the path.
Her fayorite, though, alas! Jims
boisterous, full-blooded humanity was
all uncurbed by the religion she had
tried 10 force on him ever since. little
chap in petticOatS, he had been taught
the shorter catechism at her knee, with
the oft-used "tawse" lying ready for
application should his memory need in
cemtive. Never, from his birth, had the
gCntler Robert given her one moment of
spiritual anxiety; yet, even in hel pray
eTs, she had to confess the prOdigal
Infinitely nearer to her heart Gener-
Gus, passionate, audaciouS, Jim's savage
manhood forced something of surrell-
der from every woman he came near,
from his mother downward, and, in her
worst moods. Gladys found a sort of re-
lief in his unregenerate contempt for
all restraint. Woman-Iike. too, there
were times when in the pride of her
beauty she enjoyed playing off a too
administrative admirer against one all
too little SO to satisfy her.
Now, as Jim came in whistling a roI-
licking time, she turned toward him
with a smile. Here. at all events, was
break in the evenings monot0nous
sOlemnity, and here was one who did
not think these dreary books better
worth looking at than her own bonny
self.
Poor Iassie, playing with hell fire and
feeling warmed by the sparks set agloW-
ingi
That smile fred jim, and before she
knew what he was doing he had her in
his arms.
"Hi-sweeiheart, glad to see me back.
are you? If I'd guessed you were
walchin' and wearyin', the Black Bull
would have lost sight o. me a good hour
back" he said, and his hot lips and
foul breath touched her pure maiden
mouth. With cry Of pain she freed
herself, and her look of mingled humil-
iatiOn and appeal was turned to Rob
ert.
You coward! how dare YOU touch
the girl?' he cried springing to her
side, and Involuntary he drew her
toward himself with one arm, as he
raised the other to strike his brother.
The blow did not fall. and Jim's half
intoxicated cOnceit made his good ma
ture for once invincible; it seemed SO
impossible that any girl could fail to IA
vor SO daring a suitor.
"Ha! you'd do it yerself, man, if we'd
the pluck; but next time, my hinny.
Wen choose minute Whe there's no
body to spoil SPORT" he said, chuck
Ing her under the chin as he passed,
and staggering 20 4 seat by his mother.
just as he reached it hot coal
sprang. from the fire and fell at the
widows feet.
"a coffini coffin, and no mistaken
the token" she grOaned, as, picking it
up, she held it first to her ear, then bent
fnrNuarl To nyanino Il n, a., 49, -