The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-10-13
Selrft Misrrllunq.
An Inherited Soul.
BY N. J. WELLES.

Ny Uncle Rudolph's country resi-
dence was delightful place. Since
my earliest recollection, it has been the
abode of plentiful hospitality, though
ofteu dispensed in rooms made chilly
by the lack of sunshine. There were
far-rcaching elms and ancient oak trees,
with fiower-beds of mathematical and
astronomical proportions. There was
an oblate spheroid, with horribly-fat-
tened poles, described in pale green
foliage. There were stars and cres-
cents and octagons, each more brilliant
than the Others There were shades
more fascinating than flowers, where
Dryads might disport themselves with
ease, hiding among the lunches of cow
slips and wood-violcts.
When l was young and visited my
uncle's house, busted myself in the
shade, sometimes keeping imaginary
company with the Dryads palmer
had not yet discovered his Browuies),
and, again, catching minnows from the
brook that gurglcs through the
grounds, under particularly pretty
bridge, to join a larger stream. Even
then | was familiar with the ancestral
pictures that hung on the walls of the
great salon. Especially do l remem-
Der my Uncle Orlando's picture. 1t
hung, bust-size painting, between a
fat lady with a diamond breast-pin and
a very lean gentleman,-his respected
parents s,-where it glinted greasy i'm
prcssions in the summer sun. When
| grew older, | threw away my min
now hook and adopted modern device
in the art of angling,-one that would
coax the wary trout to take the hook,
and it is with these days l have to do.
l was fresh from my college course,
with the echoes of my valedictorian
Grafton still ringing in my ears, when
my uncle invited me, for the third time
that year, to spend few weeks with
him. When | arrived, found other
guests had preceded me, but this was
nothing unusual, as my uncle was very
fond of company. The next morning,
with only repetition Of names and a
formal handshake, we found ourselves
in each others society for the day.
We were in search of brook trout.
Wien we had fished halliday, we
were so scantily repaid that but half
dozen speckled beauties lay glinting in
the sun. The American, Forsyth, and
his halfbrother, Edmunds, had grown
weary of the same amusement, and had
thrown down their hooks Baldwin
and his friend, Walton, both English
men Of the London variety, We're de-
claring themselves heastIy hungry.
My uncle had gone for the lunch-basket
| lay back, my head resting against a
tree, while the breeze from the noun
tains blew, ever so gently, coaXing my
eyelids to close. The next time
opened them, my uncle was talking
earnestly.
81 am sure Of it, boys, there is only
certain number"
| Strengthened myself and looked at
the basket, mentally wondering which
of its contents was limited.
"Only certain number!' gasped the
American.
| was wondering if he was hungry,
and if the biscuits were numbered.
"Ics,' my uncle replied; ''there are
only certain number of souls. Each
soul is an atom OF the Great Soul, and
together they make God. Separated, :,
as they now are, they are human be-
ings, making a toilsome journey toward
perfection.
Baldwin threw away his cigar i'm