The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-03-23

stand this here life much longer.
There's the old man, he wants me to
stay here and see life and become Gull
tured. Jest as if hadn't seen all there
was of life! And what do want with
culture? Catch me fooling away time
with books and pictures and that truck!
Well, l leave it to you, is there any
good in civilization?"
Certainly: great deal. You can
see it all around you, if you will only
look. But what use is there in your
prairie paganism? None at all. You
brand your cattle, rope your steers, and
spend the rest of your time in sheer
ing at the people who can't or won't do
that sort of thing. Civilization is
| much finer than that. 1t never sneers
at the things it despises; it only pities
them. Besides, it is not the physical
things that make life worth living; it
is the fine things, the delicate, grace
| full attributes of the days and their
| people. A spring day on the avenue,
! when the dog carts are passing swift
ly, and well-dressed women are going
| by in steady stream, cheeks of ruddy
| red, and walks of Juno's stride, the
scent of violet bouquets in the air-all
that is even prettier picture than
when the wild flowers are blooming
among the mesquite grass, venture to
say. But why do l talk to you? You
will not understand You are not worth
| it,"
| NO" he responded, ~ reckon mebbe
I'm not But, you see, it can't well be
helped; you have your way of looking
at things and | have mine, and they're
everlastingly different, that's all"
And yet, somehow, almost impercept-
IDLY, the views OF the youth from Texas
began gradually to assume a less de-
cided and critical aspect, at least so
far as they were openly expressed.
He still rebelled inwardly, perhaps,
but he no longer reviled openly. He
began to 60 to theaters and attend re-
citals, and all that sort of thing. and
always with Madge. She said it was
really getting to be a most amusing
procedure, this tanning of western
shrew, male edition. He used to do the
most dreadfully shocking things at
first in defiance of all etiquette, but
she even got used to that She declared
that to know the Little Tin God as she
did was liberal edu, alton in simplici-
ty, and provocative of disbelief in the
| theory of original sin.
One day, in the early summer, Jack
Placer-for that was the young mans
name in his baptism IN the waters of
the Rio Grande-was riding leisurely in
h. 4
to the ridicule of the street urchins,
who objected to his lack of Rotten
Row attitudes in the saddle, and he
took canter through those spacious
| avenues very often, thinking good
deal of the Texas prairies and their de-
lightful freedom. Well, on this day he
was aroused suddenly from a reverie
by curiously uneven clatter OF hoofs
behind him. He looked round to
where cloud of dust was rapidly APP
proaching, and soon perceived that it
was caused by runaway. On they
came, the frightened horses galloping
along in mad recklessness, the driver
white and nerveless in his long black
coat, and in the body of the carriage
| two women shrieking. 1t was only
| moment and Jack had set spurs into
his pony's sides. AS the carriage came
nearer and nearer the rider increased
his own speed until they were racing
in parallel swiftness. Then, through
the cloud of dust about the rapidly
moving mass, the frightened bystand-
ers saw the riders big sombrero dip
| down, down, until it seemed as if the
owner must be falling off his steed.
For several seconds they raced thus;
then the mans body came up with
sharp skillful jerk, and in his hand were
the reins that the maddened horses by
his side had torn from their drivers
hands and flung into the road, where
| they had been trailing like writhing
hoop-snaies. The reins were fastened
about the high horn of the Texas sad
| die, that had always seemed so useless
to the sneering park riders Gradually
| the speed of the obcdient pony was
slackened until the runaways began to
| feel the reins again; few more yards
and they stood still, painting, steam
ing and quivering in fear and weak
| ness. For the first time Jack turned
to look at the occupants of the car
riage. Then he uttered quick mar
| tiGulate exclamation, handed the reins
to the humbled and apologize driver,
and rode up to the side of the vehicle
1t was to Mrs. Collingwood and the
unconscious form of Madge that he
| lifted his hat.
shes tainted" said her mother.
will you tell the coachman to drive
| home as quickly as he can? And if you