Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1892-01-21

Il
would have been pretty talk for an after
dinner rhapsody at the old mansion he
had spoken Of in England There, as he
paced with me, guest. after pointing
out the gables. wings, oriels, porches
that had clustered about the old build
ing age after age, he might have waved
it away into q vision, and spoken with
disdain of civilization aud with delight
of the tent and the caravan
Speaking of Lancashire, we fell upon
the subject Of coal mining. was sur
prised to find chat Mr. Clitheroe had
practical knowledge Of that business.
He talked for the first time without any
OF his dreamy, vague manner. His in
formation was full and clear. He let
daylight into those darksome pits.
Il am miner, too, said l. 'sbut only
Of gold, baser and less honorable sub
stance than coal Your account has a
professional interest to me. You talk
like an expert.
Il ought to be. If | once saw halt
my fortune fly up a factory chimney,
saw another half bury itself in coal pit.
have been buried myself in one. am
not ashamed to say it; | have made
daily bread for myself and my daughter
with pick, shovel and barrow in d dark
coal mine, in the same county where
was once the head Of the ancient gentry,
and where saw the noblest in the land
proud to break my bread and drink my
wine, [ am not ashamed Of it. No,
glory that in that black cavern, where
daylight never looked, the brightness Of
the new faith found me, and showed the
better paths where | now walk, and
shall walk upward and onward until 1
reach the earthly Zion first, and then the
heavenly"
Again the old gentlelnan's eye kindled
and his chest expanded. What tragic
life he was hintingl My heart yearned
toward him. had never known what
it was to have the guidance and protec-
ton of a father. Mine died when was
child. longed to find compensation
for my own want-and bitter one it
had sometimes benin being myself
the guardian Of this errant wayfarer
launched upon lethal currents
''Your faith is as bright as ever,
Brother Hugh" said a rasping voice be-
hind me, rs Mr.. Clitheroe was silent.
''You are an example to US all The
church is highly blessed in such an earn
est disciple"
Elder Sizzum was the speaker He
smiled in wolfsh fashion over the
group, and took his seat beside the lady,
like privileged guest.
''Ah, Brother Sizzum, said Mr. Clith-
eroe, with cheerless attempt at well
come very different from the frank
courtesy lie had showed toward us, '.we
have been expecting you. Ellen dear, q
cup of tea for our friend"
Miss Clitheroe rose to pour out tea for
him. Sleeps clothing instantly covered
the apostles rather wolfsh demeanor
He assumed manner of gamesome,
sheepish devotion. When he called her
Sister Ellen with familiar, tender air
l saw painful bushes redden the lady's
cheeks.
Brent noticed the pain and the blush.
He looked away from the group toward
etrs blue sierra rar away UD ti1e- s0utif. a
hard expression came into his face, such
i as had not seen there since the old DAYS
of his battling with Swerger.
Miss Clitheroe at once grew cold and
stern. Nothing could be more distant
/ than her manner toward the saint. She
treated him as highbred woman can
treat a scrub-sounding with every ges-
ture and measuring with every word the
inetfaceable gulf between them. Yet
she was thoroughly civil as hostess. She
even seemed to fight against herself to
be friendly. But it was clear to by
stander that she loathed the apostle.
That she was not charmed with his So
ciety even his coarse nature could not
fail to discover. Anywhere else the
scene would have been comic. Here he
had the power. No escape; no refuge.
That thrust all comedy ont of the drama
and left only very hateful tragedy. Still
! it was a cruel semblance of comet V over
a tragic underplot, to see the Mormons
/ cringing approaches, and that exquisite
creatures calm rebuffs. Sizzum felt
himself pinned in his proper place. and
writhed there, with an evil look, that
said he was noting all and treasElring all
against his day Of vengeance.
And the poor, feeble old father-how
all his geniality was blighted and with
cred away. He was no more the master
I Of revels at a festival, but the ruined
man, with bailiff in disguise at his
/ dinner table. Querulous tones murmured
in his voice. The decayed gentleman
\ Disappeared; the hapless fanatic took his
7 place. Phrases Of cant, and the peculiar
/ Mormon slang and profanity, gave the
\ color to his conversation. He appealed
to Sizzum constantly. He was at once
/ the bigoted disciple and the cowed slave.
! Toward his daughter his manner was
sometimes timorously pleading, some
times almost surly. Why could she not
repress her disgust at the holy man, at
least in the presence Of strangers? That
seemed to be his feeling; and he strove to
Withdraw attention from her by an
I eager, trepidating attempt to please his
master In short, the vulgar, hard
headed knave had this weak, lost gentle
man thoroughly in his power. Mr..
Clitheroe was like lamb whom the
/ shepherd intends first to shear close,
then to worry to death with ours, and
at last to cut up into keebaubs.
Brent and kept aloof as much as we
might. We should only have insulted
the chosen vessel and so injured ou1
\ friends.
+ With sunset Elder Sizzum, after some
oily vulgarisms Of compliment to the
lady, walked off on camp duty.
We also rose to take our leave. We
must look after our horses.
Mr.. Clitheroe's old manner returned
the instant his spiritual guide left US.
+ pray come and see us again this even
ing, gentlemen, said he.
eve will, certainly" said Brent, look
ing toward Miss Clitheroe for her inyi
tation.
1t did not come.
"Oh, yesr' said Mr.. Clitheroe, inter
preting Brent's look; my daughter viii
be charmed to see you. To tell the truth,
our brethren in the camp are worthy peo-
pie; we sympathize deeply in the faith
but they are not altogether in manners
or education quite such as we have been
sometimes accustomed to. 1t is one 81
the infamous wrongs Of our English sys.
TENS of caste that it separates brother
men, manners, language, thought and
4 life. We have rs vet been able to have