The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-25

ing decorously along the street with
my reverend guardian, 1t found eX-
preston. A cart was passing heavily
laden with calves on their way to
market. 1 pointed them out to my
companion. What are those?" 1 ask
they look!' exclaimed. what is the
he answered. why did they die?" I
inquired anxiously; Ibid God want
them, too2" Mr.. Mavis paused mo-
ment. Perhaps he felt weary and un-
equal to another long-winded debate
upon the subject; at all events, he con-
tented himself with a simple assent to
my suggestion. YES" he said; Ger
tainly; God wanted them" I remem-
Der we'll the thrill of satisfaction that
went through me at the discontinue
OF my enemy. WELL I said, with a
toss of the head and a little laugh Of
malevolent triumph, HE didn't get
them, did He?"
-proportioned punishment. Horror
stricken by the fiippancy Of my re-
Jolnder, Mr.. Mavts turned me face
about and marched me home, sending
me to bed with dry bread and cold
water for my only sustenance till
morning. So were all my little I'M
thinking and generally unintentional
acts Of folly dealt with. A prejudice
against God and Heaven took hold Of
me. l was not overly rebelliOus, but
l secretly hated religion for all the
privations it entafled
1t seemed to me at times that was
the only creature alive in the whole
village. I was bursting with animal
spirit and ViVacfty. I was consumed
with lively instincts and impulses,
quite natural and harmless in them
selves, but which, had I disclosed them
to my guardian, would have awakened
in him the fear that I was the vic
tim Of an evil possession.
The spirit of my actor-father was
| strong in me. I loved all kinds OF
movement and excitement, but above
and beyond every other exercise 1
loved that of dancing; my fondness for
it was a genuine passion. AS 1 grew to
womanhoOd my limbs became long,
1.-the, shapely and supple; willing and
capable servants Of the rhythmic i'm
pulses that rioted in my brain. My
body ever moved swayingly and with
charm. / think, even at the transition
period when girls are usually awkward
and gaWky, I never fell from grace.
Some surreptitious amusements I had;
indeed, my only real amuSements were
Of that character. The dearest, most
beloved, that of which / never tired,
was that which I was most careful
to conceal. For dancing, IL II were uOt
regarded quite as one Of the Seven
Deadly Sins, was yet held in strong
disfavor and reprobation at the par
sonage, where my guardian was,
think, ever on the alert for signs in me
Of my fathers mercurial and vicious
temperament. 2H-za
There was an old man in Sheraton to
whom 1 became warmly attached. He
was the village shoemaker, and about
his hoary head the nimbus Of homely
| romance hung-a fact which alone
would have endeared him to me, as
! one who had at least trodden the
| boundaries of Already. Up to the age
| Of fifty his life had been sufficiently
prosaic, yet somewhat distinguished
| from mere horticultural development
by the companionship of a. lady of high
| degree-no less a person, indeed, than
| a Heavenly maid that had descended
from her lofty estate to enthrone her.
| self in the breast of a humble but fer
vent worshiper. But Music had been
his only female companion throughout
his five decades. Then, alas! one day
| Grove Pensy was taken in hand and
married by buxom widow Of thirty
| five.
Not long did he remain a Benedict.