The Opelousas courier., 1892-03-19
AGAINST WIND AND TIDE.
By ANNA SHIELDS.

'helr shoulders when Marx Lamson wa
mentioned, and usually the expressly
gesture was followed By some depreca
ting remark.
"Comes OF bad stock old Judge Len
nox would say, in his pompous dictator
lal manner. "All the Lamsons wert
worthless, and Mrs. Lamson was
lodge. and everybody knows what they
are"
The house in which Mark was born
and where he scrambled up to manhood
was a large farm house, tumbling to
pieces inside, with a roof always being
patched against leaking, doors without
locks and with shaking hinges, windows
that ratified in every wind, ceilings that
cropped plaster whenever a heavy foot
shook the upper rooms and furniture in
the last stage of shabbiness. His father
ana mother were slatternly in dress,
shlftless in household management, and
the handsome. bright boy was over-in-
dulged and neglected as their own indo-
lence suggested.
But Mark Lamson inherited none of
the leading traits of his parents. Prob.
ably in some remote ancestor there was d
mixture o energy, resolution and ability
OF which the Maysville gossips had never
heard, and for which they certainly gave
Mark no credit. It was III vain that the
Principal of the Nfaysville High School
declared that Mark had graduated with
the best record he had ever given in the
school. 1t was useless for the lad HIM.
sell to keep his life free from blame, aud
earnestly endeavor to do his duty.
Maysyilte could rot forget that he was
3 Lamson, and his mother was a Hodge
-tbad stocki"
As he passed from boyhood to man
hood, Mark began the unequal struggle
against fate and circumstances, that vas
dictated only by his own energy. His
father had been able to get bread from
the farm by a lazy tillage that gave the
bare necessities for the teble; his mother
had a very small income that gave the
three clothing of tie poorest description,
and both we're in open. mouthed wonder
that Mark was not content, as they had
peen, to dawdle through life and amake
out" with what they had.
And Mark, struggling to attain better
things, with only a vague, undisciplined
longing for Improvement, met no en-
couragement at home or abroad. He
tried to obtain a situation, but employers
were shy about giving work to a Lamson;
ne met but a coohreception at the Mays.
vile social gatherings, having no knowl-
edge of how to repair his own linen or
keep his poor clothing even tidy. Boy
like, he imagined a new suit and CAV
neehtie were all-suficient for d party.
and did not heed the frayed cuffs and
broken collars at which the Maysville
bellies turned up their noses.
But, in spite of his fathers IazF com.
ments, his mothers fretfuI remonstra ices,
Mark Lamson, finding no employment
outside, determined to see if the farm
would not find him in work.
sob, yes do as you please,n his
said. ssBut there is no money
for new-fangled fixings, and the land
i about out. Plenty Of ID, to be
sure, but faint worth shucks.n
So, single-handed Mark undertook the
work of bringing up the old farm. Early
and late be tuiled, repairing fences, weed
ing, picking stones, roofing out dead
preparing his land, without one
stretched out to help him, one voice
wish him success. Thomas, the only
nan his father employed, gave a sarIY re-
fusal TO aid, upon the ground that his
routine of siaiftless farming took
III his time, and Mark patiently SUBJ
He was twenty one years old, when
into his dull, monotonous life. came d new
stimulus hope, bright as a vision and
as baseless. He fell ia Iovel He
lid not walk in cautiously, counting his
'teps aud weighing his chances, but he
in plump, suddenly, hopelessly.
There had been q warm discussion at
Judges about inviting Mark to the
party that was to celebrate ESTES
eighteenth birthday ard her final return
rom boarding. school. But the pet of
he house had 4 will of her owu and 4
lively recollection of Marks handsome |
ace and boyish ~gallantries, and insisted
ipon his being invited. Mark, CARRYING !
y bis memory. only i pretty little girl,
onnd himself confronted by an andeni-
lble beauty, q face to via homage il far
more Pretentious circles than Maysville