The Delta independent., 1897-02-10
VI
.RELUcrANr sAMARITAN.

Let good resolution warp IN the cco!-
ing. He Was self-made, in the sense
that he owed his parents little beyond
the fact of existence; and the world,
after it's wont with waits, human or
otherwise. had tempered him in a salt
ish bath of diversity and sharpencd
him upon the grindstonc of experience.
Having made shift to climb scme in
considerable distance up the sliprcry
hill Of knowledge By his own uaaiiea
exertions, Ec fell easily into tie habit
of thinking himself more capable than
other men. The demonstration wa
simple and conclusive. He had proved
his ability 10 wiring . measure of sue
cess out Of adverse circumstances " here
others, with all the advantages of pre-
paratory training, had failed. He was
too kind-henrted to be cynical, Lat he
could not help making comparisons;
and they were usually urfavorable to
those who inspired them.
In the short conversation on the no.
tel veranda, Protheroe had taken
Thorndyke's measure with a consider
able degree Of accuracy, and but for
the enlistment Of his sympathics Re
might have been inclined to look upon
the New Yorker - q person who would
probably serve, upon better acquaint-
ance, TO point the moral of another
comparison. As II was, however, crit
icism was swallowed up in charity,
and is minutes after leaving Thorn
dykes room Protheroe was galloping
out one of tho prospective streets,
which, turning abruptly around the
shoulder of Johns mountain, became
a country road leading up the valley
OF the Little Chiwassee. His destina-
tion was . small farm-the home Of
the DuncanS-lying six miles up the
valley; and his object was to prevail
upon his friends to open their doors
to the sick man.
There was . ama1l romance at the bot
tom of the 0coeeAman's settlemenf in
Alabama. Duncan had been q school
master in Lanarkahife, and Martha Kin
ross was firs4 his pupil nnd later his
sweetheart. Martha was the laird's
daughter, and the laird, having just
regard for worldly gear, objected to
tho pennilcss pedagogue. For once in
a way, Duncan put his hereditary eau
ton under foot, gave up the school,
married the girl, and together they ran
away from the laird's wrath and from
the old world. Once over sens, the win
tcrs of Quebec became q sufficient pre-
text for farther wanderings, and these,
being aimless, ended ns we'll in Alabama
as elsewhere. They had bought the
worn-out farm In the Little Chiwassec
valley before Elsie was born, and the
.h;>S r,>o%sva fv> {xa ~>1>Ntirs1 INA IN a
which neither Duncan nor his wife
would have acknowledged. The mar
row valley w~s scottish glen; the sur
rounding mountains were the hills OF
Lanrk magnified somewhat by the
kindly perspective Of time and distance; {;
and it was within The compass Of mere
y practical Imagination to transform
the small river into Scottish burn
Not 70 b outdone in . matter OF
sentiment, the valley had repaid the
| parents in kind by giving what . mild
| climste and inspiring scenery may give
toward the sDdowmen& Of the daughter.
Elsie Duncan vs. eolnely and passing
| fair 70 look upon, - the native-bosn
daughters Of aliens Gro wont to be;
moreover, she was simple and true
hearted, thinking that there were NO
mountains like hG own mounkAins and
few mem - good - her father. She
was the apple Of Duncan's eye, and for
her sake he had turned schoolmaster
again, giving her what she had other
wise gone wanting in . bookless Land.
Without having been pointed thither.
ward, Duncan's efforts to lift his
daughter above the educational level