St. Paul daily globe., 1893-06-12

clap together! So Paxton reflected and
remained silent. and his father found
absorption in the guidance of horses that
a child might drive, and the conduct of
each was proof to the other.
"There's MOTHER" said the farmer, as
they drew up before the old homestead
and the hired man slouched to the
horses.
Paxton waved response to the well
coming apron, and then went to the
rear of the wagon to lift out his satchel.
He did not see the expressive glances
between the aged couple. nor the warn
inS My Sake poor OF ms dear saa: cried his
mother, as she EMBODIED him in her
arms. All, routine and environments
could not stif1e maternity. but how sad,
how subdued she straightway became
as if ashamed of natural emotion
The evening dragged until the cracking
of the hickory logs and the sing Of
the kettle became dirge of despair. and
the great mahogany clock with the
somber harvesters on its face ticked out,
"Such is life! Such is lifeE' until Pax
ton sought diversion in Young's
"Night's Thoughts" but in vain. His
father, with family Bible and concord
ance, was plodding through the Sab
bath school lesson. His mother was
busy, SO 1t seemed, with the Identical
mending which had .engrossed her
leisure during mis- boyhood. They both
were silent. and both were wistful. but
Paxton noted only the former attribute.
81 think shall 60 to bed," at length
he said.
paxton, won't you remain for family
Worship"
Excuse me, tonight, mother. [ am
so very tired" AND as he withdrew to
his room the silence was again broken,
for the old people sighed.
But the next morning matters seemed
more endurable TO Paxton. The sun
was shining with cloudless glory, and
buds were hailing its return. The air
was balmy and buoyant. Here and
there on the encircling hills the pre-
dictions of summer could be read.
The little village in the valley below
seemed to eXhale peace which the mel
low bell from the square wooden tower
OF the church of his fathers softly pro-
claimed. Paxton no longer thought of
the melancholy beat of the somber old
clock, for the whole world eXultantly
cried out, "This is life indeed"
And, besides, the blissful assurance
was his that in few hours he would
see Bessie and relate his triumphs and
receive his rewards. Oh, how happy
she would be, and so proud, so proud of
him! Gone were his morOSe dOubtingS
of the previous day, born of disappoint-
ment and fatigue. He greeted his par
ents with old-time cheerfulness, and
was not so self-absorbed as to fail to see
that it gratified them. He wandered
impatiently throughout the messuage.
reviving boyish memories and marveling
at their sweetness. until the great,
clumsy wagons creaked out their return
and he held Bessie, smiling and rosy
and altogether delicious. close to his
heart.
You poor, dear boy" she whispered.
show you have suffered, and so
bravely! After dinner you must tell
me all your trials, and forget them in
the telling"
And Paxton almost wished tn at he
had failed, her sympathy was so allur
ing.
After dinner came. His parents de-
parted for Sabbath school. and Uncle
Abram Holmes loudly trumpeted from
the lounge his preference for slumber.
They were alone, and with Bessie's
little hand within his and BeSsie'S
earnest eyes bespeaking approval, he
began:
ut seems strange that you didn't get
my letters of last week."
NOW, Paxton. don't go into that
again, please. You know how isolated
we are during such weather as we have
had. Besides, our people are old
fashioned, and Pm sure we both love
them the more for it. And after all
isn't it better? You probably were low
spirited when writing, but you can't be
when you are telling me face to face"
"Well, then. you know that some of
my wealthy friends in the metropolis
conceived the idea that there were great
opportunities for investment in the
newly discovered mining country, and
that they sent me thither with authority
to draw on them for certain large
amount if | found promising chance
to place it. l went with high hopes.
which were quickly dIspelled. OF all
cold, barren, comfortless. barDarous
spots in the world that settlement is the
extreme, verify believe.
IA cluster of huts on the mountain
side, buried by the snow and racked by
gales; a collection Of excavations, aban-
doned and in operation, but all danger
Gus, Of gaunt. creaking derricks and
great piles OF debris, and gathering
together of the reckless and the vicious
from the four quarters of the globe, not
to mention an undue proportion of the
unfortunate, who. of course, are every
Where-that is Midasville.
"Never have l felt so helpless, so ri
diculously incompetent, and must have
looked my feelings, for the sharks
population) Immediately marked me as
prey and offered me the most tempting
opportunities of disposing of my friends
money. But was cautious: perhaps
that is why my friends selected me; so,
after little the sharks desisted, and
then became 80 lonesome that | quite
longed for their disinterested attentions.
/ wandered and | observed, and the
more did so the less l discovered, ex-
cept, indeed, fraud and failure. | be-
came discouraged and determined to
return home, where one, at least, had
the privilege of dying among Christian
people. 1t was then that | wrote the
letters which you and father received,
and which prepared you for disappoint-
ment."
"Poor Paxton!" sighed Bessie, with a
tender stroke of that little hand.
"Aye, Poor. Paxton l remember.
oh, so vividly! the night mailed those
lelterS. LII was intensely cOlQ, ana Jne
snowfakes cut like heated sand. The
gale from the mountains was the sweep
of two-edged sword. AS was hasten
ing to my lodging l stumbled at the
very entrance over prostrate form.
Scraped away the enShrouding snow,
and there lay man, great burly tel
low, overcome by drink, and in pleasant
dreams, freezing to death. There was
no time to deliberate. l managed to
raise him in my arms, to bear him to
my room, and, after working over him
for hours, had the satisfaction of per-
ceiving that his slumbers had become
normal and would lead to recovery by
morning."
what noble deed!"
"Oh, as to that | was rewarded by the
heat generated. So | crept into bed be-
side him, and before knew it it was
daylight. and my stranger guest was
gazing at me with eyes which said graf
itude as plainly as yours say love-"
"They. must have been very ex-
pressive."
) she was Swede, practical miner.
He knew me and my purpose at Midas