St. Paul daily globe., 1893-06-12
AN EASTER AWAKENING.

AN GES En- n w hhEN1N0s
New York Times.
Paxton Barnes paused at the cross
roads and looked about him with uncer-
tainty and discomfort, which the chill
gray atmosphere seemed to share. To
the north lay his fathers farm, to the
west the home of his fathers half
brother, whom he had always called
"Uncle Abram Holiness" OF course he
ought to hasten to see his parents. but
then there was Bessie, whose relation
ship he denied for tenderer reason.
Should he not first tell her of his sue
cess? Should she not join in breaking
the news? But she hadn't written,
either; nor had she met him at the sta
ton, as he had surely expected she
would.
Why. then. should he tell any of them,
at least for day or so? They were so
accustomed to their vale of tears that a
peremptory ejectment might seem
heartless. Such strained. .self-contained,
apathetic people. without spark of in
telest in their own affairs except a con-
victon that these could not be changed.
Therefore, let Paxton, if he were silly
enough. worry, and strive, and fail; he
might 20, he might come, but the old
life must not sWerve from the old groove
or routine.
But Bessie-what bright, affection
ate little creature she was! Truly, yet
even she could not escape from the
trammels of her childhood. Had she
not sympathized more readily with his
people than with him? Had she not re-
iterated that he couldn't understand
them? Well, thank goodness, he was
different. He never would have con-
sidered leagues plod through the mud
proper welcome after journey of
5000 miles! Of course, he was different
in spite of blood. Had he not been edu-
Gated in the metropolis by his mothers
people, and encouraged to believe that
he would be well placed there9
Had not that prospect been shat
tered by misfortune aud death,
and had he not returned to
the farm. which had never seemed a
home to him. resolved manfully to per-
form his filial duty? Come now, had he
not done 80? Had he not struggled there
a sufficient time to appreciate how fruit
less such struggles were -? Had he not
found that the soil was sterile and ex
hausted; that the markets were too
near and too distant, and their prices
too meager?
Had he not perceived that the mort
gage was yearly gaining weight from
arrearageS, and must certainly crush
the old homestead? Come now, had he
not then accepted the proposition of
those city people who had confidence
in him, and gone into that wild, newly
discovered mining company, and in
three months made more than the old
farm could produce in century?
Come now, again, had he not thus
risked health and life, and endured
hardship and gone without food and
sleep for the sole purpose of aiding
those who could not help themselves,
yet who disdained his aid? Yes, and to
gain Bessie, of course. His Uncle
Abram Holmes wouldn't now refuse to
give him her hand. But Bessie, in
comprehending the strength and the
weakness of these people, where he
failed, did she not confess similarity
to them? Was she not also cold and
apathetic? Oh, no! tender memories
Shamed the thought, but yet
Paxton was. in fact, more grieyously
disappointed than he realized. He had
written to his parents and his sweet
heart In ambiguous terms. yet between
the lines had cleaned his great joy. He
had reiterated the date and hour of his
roll of his journey thither he had heard
songs of triumph In the flashes of
light and the plunges of gloom he had
seen their greeting, had felt his fathers
fervid grasp and Bessie's proud ca
resses. At length he had arrived.
There was the little brown station. an
outpost of civilization; the agent in
shirt sleeves despite the cold; and that
was all, except the mud, and the chill.
dark atmosphere. And straightway his
high hopes had become as gray as the
surroundings.
So Paxton hesitated, and so he COM
planned, when there was jolting rum
BILE and the sousing tread OF horses. He
looked up and beheld his father home
ward bound ON the farm wagon. The
old mans face expressed neither sur
prise nor pleasure to him, naught, in
deed. save the rigidity of years.
"Hullo, Paxton" drawled the farmer,
refining up his steed. "Got back, hey
ye? Jump aboard"
Paxton took his share of the buffalo
robe and of the professional shaking
up.
"How's mother?" he said.
Poorly"
'And Bessie?"
'Much as usual, guess. Abram and
she will set by to dinner tomorrow arter
service"
''Oh, in honor of its being Easter ?"
"Waal, don't know as to thet. We
don't obsarve the day in our communion.
yer know; still. all natur' celebrates
resurrection, though the spring is back
ward. And what the good Lord shows
IN the seed and the bud His creatures
ought to praise"
There was a pause which seemed to
say what next ?'' to Paxton, though
he was convinced that it was voicelesS
puffed vigorously. The old man looked
wistfully toward him, but he didn't per-
ceive the glance. The old man sighed,
and then chirped hurriedly to the
horses-an unnecessary caution, for he
did not hear him.
The farmer surveyed the horizonsas if
seeking inspiration. "Yes. we hev had
considerable weather." he venturad, as
If he had found it.
Paxton replied that he had encount-
cred snow storms wherever he had been.
(which way did you comew
''From Denver, Chicago, Philadelphia
and New York"
''Sho! rolling stun, guess. Waal,
you must trust to the sile, my boy.
There's only mother and me- to keep,
and we can't last long,"
Haven't you had any letters from me
lately9"
''Sartin. One week afore Christmas.
The roads been so rugged sence Pye
not gone to the Office. Bad news comes
fast enough without springing stock to
fetch it."
And Bessie, hasn't she?"
"Oh, allus git Abrams mail. Saves
doubling up.'
Paxton puffed more vigorously on his
cigar. Well he remembered the letter
which had been received, letter writ
ten in dependency and burdened with
gloom. Somehow it seemed natural
that this alone should have come, and
he blamed "these people" for it, for
they always felt as he had felt in his
first days al the mining camp before he
had chanced to befriend the drunken
n,