The herald., 1895-07-07
TWAS EVEN STARED AT IN cHuRcH.

cluded to touch up the revival and protest
against its interference with the course of
study that was presumed to be engaging
the attention of 200 young men.
Singularly unconscious of the BOOM
erang thunderbolt was forging, I wrote
pretty sharp criticism of the diversion
from the presumed occupation of the stu
dents of Farmers college. I found this
dreadful document so much to my notion
when it was finished l could not refrain
from forwarding it to Cincinnati, and I
am sure it must have been q satanic in
spiration that caused me to address it to
The Star In the West, the Universalist
weekly, which was at war with all the
evangelical Christians, and was from ever
lasting to everlasting In a hostile spirit,
fear, preaching from the most beautiful
and captivating Of texts, "God Is love-"
The recollection Is that to assist my grow
ing sense of literary Importance and pur.
pose of going forth into the world and
having my say with every creature about
everything signed my name to the arti-
clio forwarded to the western luminary.
OF course 1t was as welcome to the kindly
editor as hickory nut to a squirrel, and
special copy of the paper was sent me.
I was shade shaken by the typographical
show which was caused by my language
and for the first time discovered that
words sometimes seem alarmingly express
i've In print that in manuscript do not
convey meaning 80 redundant. may
add 1t was not the last time that impress
sion was made on my mind. A paragraph
written late at night about bad man in
public life sometimes in the morning
appears to acquire severity in the proc
ess of printing, especially If he seems
to have misunderstood you or to have un-
derstood not wisely, but too WE'LL and
gr1eves over your errors. 1t is not when
the victim Is angered that the worst trou-
bic comes. Pathos is the heaviest form Of
resentment. In day or two after the
arrival Of the loaded Star In the Wesu the
air was chilly for me. The faculty held a
meeting. The case was a rare one. was
not reprimanded so much as was remon-
strated with. fear that the revivnlist
was not as successful after The Star ex-
plosion. did not know the plaguy pa
por circulated so largely on College hill
1t was intimated to ME by good Presby-
terian woman, who had honored me with
kindness and for whom had reverential
regard, that the mischief had done might
have farreaohing and endless consequences.
did not enjoy myself and yet was not as
sorry as ought to have boen. I was even
stared at in church by the most eminent
citizens as II had been bear cub that
had just waddled from the woods into
Christian society.
The next time broke out in the news
papers was in q little story which was
meant to convey a mysterious message to
q mysterious and charming person passing
the winter at the female college. The story
was "The White Dove" Battered by con-
tact with the religious world for telling
the truth, turned to fiction and gradual
ly prepared two stories, "The White
Dove" and "The White Stag" The dove
was supposed to be trained messenger
between q languishing lover and the dam
sci Of his soul shut up in lofty castle
overlooking beautiful country. (The cas-
tie. of course, was the female college. }
The white dove Of tho story was service
able as letter carrier. (The real line Of
communication was by way of the Cincin-
natl postofice.) The bird was at last
stricken with a shotgun and its useful
life terminated, it's innocent blood staining
a love letter. ''See the point?" as Ward
MoAllister used to sayl The appearance
of this white Dove" story in a Cincin-
natl paper caused some emotion, and the
greater share Of it was mine. This began
to look like literature.
There was another term of schoolteach-
ing-that at the Hickory schoolhouse on
Indian creek 7 have already told of the
committee Of young ladies who took charge
Of that ol]-where there was an un-
pleasantness because the biggest boy,
when prohibited eating hickory nuts in
school hours, deliberately put a nut in his
jaws, turned his speaking features placid
ly upon me and cracked the delicacy with
a crash that was heard by every creature
In the house. I have only to say of this
that, after considerable physical exertion,
enforced the rule against hickory nuts.
In justice to the young man it must be
added that he made the best fight he could
for the maintenance of his privileges as
directors son.
Here took up the Legend of the Mi
ami" and other tales, and "The Legend"
was at last ready for the press At the
time was carrying on these varied labors
with the view of improving, not my mind.
but my imagination, spent the moon
lit nights in skiff on the Miami river,
rowing up stream awhile and then float
ing and trying to mediate. This reminds
me Of mean saying of q distinguished
diyine-that no one, elss eyer tried to think