The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-02-08
CHAPTER XIX.
A BoER WEDDING.

CHAPTER XIX.
BoER WEDDING.
81 didn't know before you were so
fond of riding hard" said Gregory to
his little betrothed. IN
They were cantering slowly on the
road to Dom Mullers on the morning
Of the wedding. H2,ss.. ..'.' .,
do you call this riding hard?' asked
EN- in some astonishment.
"Of course do. It's enough to break
the, horses necks and knock one up for
the whole day BESIDES" he added testi-
! ly, then twisted his head to look at the
buggy that came on behind. 81 thought
Waldo was such mad driver. They
are taking it easily enough today"
said Gregory. Zone would think the
black stations were lame"
81 suppose they want to keep out of
the dust" said EN-. 'See; they stand
still as soon as we do"
Perceiving this to be the case, Greg
DRY rode on. -;
ITS all that horse of yours. She
kicks up such a COMPOUNDED dust
can't stand it myself" he said.
Meanwhile the cart came on slowly
| enough.
"Take the reins." said Lyndall, land
make them walk. l want to rest and
watch their hoofs today-not to be ex.
hilarated. l am so tired"
She leaned back in her corner, and
Waldo drove on slowly in the gray
dawn light along the level road. They
passed the very milk bush behind
which so many years before the old
German had found the Kaftir woman.
But their thoughts were not with him
that morning. They were the thoughts
of the young. that run out to meet the
future and labor in the present. At
last he touched her arm.
What is it?
II feared you had gone to sleep and
might be- jolted out" he said. You
sat so quietly"
mo; do not talk to me. l am not
asleep" But after time she said sud-
denly. "It must be terrible thing to
bring human being into the world"
Waldo looked round; she sat drawn
into the corner, her blue cloud wound
! tightly about her, and she still watch
ed the horses feet. Having no COM
ment to offer on her somewhat uneX
pected remark, he merely touched up
his horses.
81 have no conscience, none," she
added. "But would not like to bring
a soul into this world. When 1t sinned
and when it suffered, something like
dead hand would fall on me: You did
it, you; for your own pleasure you Gre
ated this thing! See your work! If it
lived to be 80, 1t would always hang
like a milestone round my neck, have
the right to demand good from me and
curse me for it's sorrow. A parent is
only like to God-if his work turns out
bad, so much the worse for him; he
dare not wash his hands Of it. Time
and years can never bring the day
when you can say to your child, Soul,
what have l to do with your"
Waldo said dreamily:
ut is marvellous thing that one soul
should have power to cause another"
She heard the words as she heard the
beating of the horses hoofs; her
thoughts ran on in their own line.
They say, God sends the little ba-
bies' OF all the dastardly revolving
lies men tell to suit themselves, hate
that most. l suppose my father said
so when he knew he was dying Of con-
sumption, and my mother when she
knew she had nothing to support me
on. and they created me to feed like q
dog from stranger hands. Men do not
say God sends the books or the news
paper articles or the machines they
make. and then sigh and shrug their
shoulders and say they can't help it.
Why do they say so about other
things? Liars! God sends the little
babiesv" She struck her foot fret
fully against the splash board.
"The small children say so earnestly.
They touch the little stranger rever-
emily who has just come from Gods
far country. and they peep about the
room to see If not one white feather
has dropped from the wing Of the an
gel that brought him. On their lips
the phrase means much; on all others
it is a deliberate lie. Noticeable, too"
she said. dropping In an instant from
the passionate into a low, hooking
tone. when people are married. though
they should have 60 children, they
throw the whole onus on God. When
they are not, we hear nothing about
,, Gods having sent them. When there
has been no legal contract between the
! parents, who sends the little children
then? The devil, perhaps" She laugh
ed her little silvery, hooking laugh
"Odd that some men should come from
hell and some from heaven and yet all
look so much alike when they gel
here" ~ ......,. ....
Waldo wondered at her. He had not
the key to her thoughts and did not see
the string on which they were strung
She drew Ter cloud tighter about her.
1T must be very nice to believe In
the devil" she said. II wish did. If
it would be Of any use, would pray
three hours night and morning on my
bare knees, God. let me believe In
satan He is SO useful to those peo-
pie who do. They may BE- az selfish
and as sensual as they please and. BE-
y. a.