The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-15

naclty at times reVOlted. A cad from
the Potter row once struck him in the
mouth; he struck back. the pair fought
il out in the back stable towards the
meadows, and Archie returned with a
considerable decline in the number OF
his front teeth, and unregenerately
boasting of the losses OF the foe. II
was a sore day for Mrs. Weir; she wept
and prayed over the infant backslider
until my lord was due from court. and
she must resume that air of tremulous
composure with which she ALWAYS
greeted him. The judge was that day
in an observant mood, and remarked
upon the absent teeth
! Il am afraid Erchie will have been
fetching with some of they blagyard
lads" said Mrs. Weir.
My lords voice rang out as Ii did sell
dom IN the privacy of his own house.
I'll have nonn of that, sir?' he cried.
DO you hear me?-nonn of that No
son of mine shall be speldering in the
glaur with any dirty raibble"
The anxious mother was grateful for
so much support; she had even feared
the contrary. And that night when she
put the child to bed-"Now, nv dear
we seer she said, II told you what your
father would think of 1t, IL he heard We
had fallen into this driedful sin; and let
you and me pray God that We may be
keepit from the like temptation or
siren thened to resist it,"
Inc inimitable womanly falsity of
this was thrown away. Ice and iron
cannot be welded; and the points of
view of the Justice clerk and Mrs. Weir
were not less unassimiraple. The char
acter and position of his father had
long been stumbling block to Archie
ana with every year of his age the diff
hculty grew more distant The man
was most SILENT when he spoke at all.
II was TO speak of the things of the
world, always in worldly spirit, often
in language that the child had been
schooled to think coarse and sometimes
with words that he knew to be sins in
themselves. Tenderness was the first
duty and my lord was invariably harsh.
COO was love; the name of my lord Ito
all who knew him) was fear. In the
world, as schematised for Archie by his
mother, the place was marked for such
q creature. There were some whom II
was good to pity and well Though very
likely useless) to pray for; they were
named reprobates, goats, Gods enc
mics, brands for the burning; and
Archie Tailed every mark OF identifica-
tlon ana drew the inevitable private in |
ference that the lord justice clerk was
the chief of sinners.
The mothers honesty was scarce |
complete There was one influence she |
feared for the child and still secretly /
that was my lords: and half |
lnconsciously. half in a wilful blind |
ness, she continued to undermine her
husband with his son. AS long as
Archie remained silent, she did so ruth
essly, with single eye to heaven and |
he child's salvation; but the day came
when Archie spoke. 1t was 1901, and
Archie was z. and beyond his years for
curiosity and logic, when he brought
ne case up openly. If judging were
sinful and forbidden, how came papa |
o be a Judge? to have that sin for a
rade? to bear the name of it for dis
melton?
Il can't see it," said the little rabbi,
md wagged his head
Mrs. Weir abounded in commonplace
eplies.
mo. 1 cannae see it," reiterated
Archie. And I'll tell you what, man.
na, don't think you and mes justified
n staying with him."
The woman awoke to remorse: she
aw herself disloyal to her man, her
overeign and bread-winner, in whom
with what she had of wordliness) she
ook certain subdued pride. She ex-
atiated in reply on my lords honor
nd greatness his useful services in ,
his world of sorrow and wrong, and ;
he place in which he stood, far above ,
here babes and innocents could hope !
see or criticise. But she had builded !
} well-Archie had his answers nat.
the kingdom of heaven? Were not .
onor and greatness the badges of the .
ORD? And at any rate, how about the
lob that had once seethed about the r
It's all very fine" he concluded.
but in my opinion, papa has no right c
be It, And 1t seems that's not the :
orst yet of 1T. 1t seems he's called
he hanging judge'-it seems he's crool. q
II tell you what Ii is, mamma, TIERS
tex borne upon him; it were better q
n that man If milestone were bound /"
pom his back and him flung into the =
.epermost parts of the sea-" q
20, my lamb. we must never say the 6
re of THAR she cried. "Ye're to honor =
ther and mother, dear, that your days a
ay be long in the land. It's Atheists .
at cry out against him! French Athe- =
Is, Erchiei Ye would never surely,
en- yourself, down to be saying the h
me thing as French Atheists? 1t | -
Ould break my heart to think that of
u. And o, Erchie, here arena you o.
tting up to Judge? And have We no h
rgot. Gods plain communicable first
tn promise. dear? Mind you upon the a.
am and the moter' y
Having thus carried the war into the :"
emy's camp, the terrified lady =,
eathed again. And no doubt IL is as 6
sy thus to circumvent a child with n,
tch words. but IL may be question y,
w far it is effectual An instinct in y,
breast detects the bubble and a ~
ice condemns II. He will instantly ",
bmit. privately hold the same opin-
l.. For even i'm this simple and an n,
ue relation of the mother and the NJ
lid, hypocrisies are multiplied. ",
When the court rose that year and the 81
nily returned to Hermiston, II was a n
nmon remark in all the country that
, lady was sore failed. She seemed an
lose and seize again her touch with
). now sitting inert in a sort of dur to
e bewiderment, anon waking to fe- er
'ish and weak activity. She dawdled al
put the lasses at the work, looking dc
pidly on; she fell to rumaging I'm old ur
)inets and presses and desisted when
II through; she would begin remarks H
III an air of animation and drop ~
IN without a struggle. Her common 70
oearance was one of who had for TIC
ten something and is trying to re- be