The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1900-08-16

F3k. ton. He was of a
VhI fat habit, even from
WI y boyhood, and in
clined to cheerful and cursory read
ing of the face of life, and possible
this attitude of mind was the original
cause of his misfortunes. Beyond
this hint philosophy is silent on his
career, and superstition steps in with
the more ready explanation that he
was detested of the gods.
His father-that iron gentleman
had long ago enthroned himself on the
heights of the Disruption Principles.
What these are land in spite Of their
grim name they are quite innocenO
no array of terms would render think
able to the merely English intelligence,
but to the Scot they often prove unctu-
ously nourishing, and Mr.. Nicholson
found in them the milk of lions. About
the period when the churches convene
at Edinburgh In their annual assem-
blies he was to- be seen descending the
mound in the company Of divers red
headed clergymen I; these voluble, he
only contributed oracular mods, brief
negatives, and the austere spectacle of
his stretched upper lip. The names
of Candlish and Begg were frequent
in these interviews, and occasionally the
talk ran on the Residuary Establish
ment and the doings of one Lee. A
stranger to the tight little theological
kingdom of Scotland might have lis
tened and gathered literally nothing
And Mr.. Nicholson (who was not a
dull MANI knew this, and ragged at it.
He knew there was vast world out
side, to whom Disruption Principles
were as the clatter Of tree-top apes;
the paper brought him chill whiffs from
it; he had met Englishmen who had
asked lightly If he did not belong to
the Church of Scotland, and then had
failed to be much interested by his
elucidation Of that nice point; it was
an evil, wild, rebellious world, lying
sunk in dozenedness, for nothing short
OF Scots word will point this Scots
mans feelings. And when he entred
into his own house in Randolph Cres-
cent (south side, and shut the door be-
hind him, his heart swelled with Sc
curity. Here. at least, was a citadel
tmpregnable by right-hand defections
or left-hand extremes. Here was a
family where prayers carae at the same
hour, where the Sabbath literature was
unimpeachably selected, where the
guest who should have leaned to any
false opinion was instantly set down,
and over which there reigned all the
week, and grew denser on Sundays,
silence that was agreeable to his ear,
and gloom that he found comfort
able.
Mrs. Nicholson had died about thirty,
and left him with three children,
daughter two years, and a son about
eight years younger than John; and
John himself, the unlucky bearer of a
name Infamous in English history. The
daughter. Maria, was good girl-du-
tiful, pious, dull, but so easily startled
that to speak to her was quite peril
GUS enterprise. II don't think I care
to talk about that, If you please" she
would say, and strike the boldest
speechless by her unmstakable pain !;
this upon all topics dress, pleasure,
morality, politics, in which the formula
was changed to my papa thinks other
wise," and even religion, unless it was
approached with particular whining
tone of voice. Alexander, the young
er brother, was sickly, clever, fond Of
books and drawing, and full of satiri-
cal remarks. In the midst of these
Imagine that natural, clumsy, unintel-
ligent and mirihful animal, John;
mighty well-behaved in comparison
with other lads, although not up to the
mark of the house in Randolph Cres-
cent; full of sort of laundering af-
lection, full of caresses which were
never very warmly received; full Of
sudden and loud laughter which rang
out in that still house like curses. Mr..
Nicholson himself had great fund
Of humor, of the Scots order-intel-
lectual. turning on the observation of
men; his own character for instance
IF he could have seen 1t in another
would have been rare feast to him.
but his sons empty outlaws over a
broken plate, empty, almost light
hearted remarks, struck him with pain
as the indices of weak mind.
Outside the family John had early
attached himself much as dog may
follow a marquis) to the steps of Alan
Houston, lad about year older than
himself, idle, trifle wild, the heir to a
good estate which was still in the
hands of rigorous trustee, and sc
royalty content with himself that hs
took Johns devotion as thing Of
course. The intimacy was gall to Mr.
Nicholson: 1t took his SON from tn,