Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1900-1903, 1902-12-04
His Soul and
His BodySas-
BY s. RHETr ROMAN.

days watch alternating, he would
work from six p. m. to six a. m, and
Is hours out Of the "a, which was
every Two weeks.
James Kenneth boiled all the sug-
ars Of the refinery, and boiled them
well, and looked after the working
Of the house at night with consci-
entious care. when the superintend-
ent slept.
1t was slzillfu1, arduOus toll, ac-
compiished with mathematical pre-
cision, just like the throb Of the en-
CINE, the beat of the piston-rod and
the slow grind Of the mill, which
never stopped, never relaxed and
never fastened its motion.
Kenneth's body slept its scant al
lowance of hours, and watched and
labored the remainder of the time,
and went the rounds of the vast re-
fnery among tire complicated and
whirring machinery, keenly regard
full of the interests Of the owners Of
the big plant and surrounding beet
fields. He gave orders to those un-
der him. and saw that the thin sliced
beet-roots were boiled to pulp, the
juice extracted and converted into
different grades and kinds Of sugars,
never varying in the excellence OF his
work, or his vigilance, and conse-
quently holding high place in the
superintendent's esteem as being the
most valuable and valued man in the
Pacific coast refinery, which is ths
best in the state of Oregon.
But James Kenneth's labors were
all mechanical His sugarmaking,
like the rest of his life, was done by
force Of habit, and the routine of
his days followed in grooves, and on
lines, traced by long training, by ne
cessity, and the exigencies of condi-
lions accepted as inevitable.
From buoyant, light-hearted and
recl1lessly gay, in early youth, Ken
meth had grown to be grave and mel
anchoIy, in his thirtieth year, al
though no complaint crossed his lips,
nor was his silence morose, nor his
words indicative of the inward strug-
gle always going on, between a deep
rooted and profound depression and
q life habit of proper reserve, which
inculcated that our griefs and loves,
and joys, and sorrows are our own,
not to. be desecrated by display or
paraded for careless scrutiny and
comment.
Kenneth's body lived in the hnst-
ling Pacific coast town, where trade
was brisk, cowboys and stalWart min
ers were frequent visitors, and the
free, primitive life of the great vest
ern plains was being rapidly merged
into the feverish struggles of over
wrought civilization, whose ambition
is always and ever the beautiful,
shining dollar.
But Kenneth's soul and memory
dwelt persistently in city near the
sea, where the winds blow gently
from the south in summer, and keen,
cold and invigorating from the north
when winter and it's bright days
come.
They dwe1t among palms and flow
ers, surrounding an ancient brick
house, facing an avenue where ran a
long line of trees; around an old
| home in whose rooms fingered the
scent e verbena and musk roses,
and in whose halls the echo of a
careless laughter was frequent
If it was thoughtless and egotisti-
cal laughter, Kenneth was not aware
| of it, If the ease and comfort which
reigned in the shaded and finely old
| fashioned rooms, where a fretful,
handsome, eldedly woman went back
and forth and Mignon's gay voice re-
| sounded Kenneth neither realized
nor saw it, but bent to his task with
| still more assiduous ardor, for did
not MignSn's needs grow as each
year add grace to her light form
and beat a face lit with violet
blue eye a face whose red lips
could be compressed into lines Of
cruelty when the whim and desire
of the moment was not gratified.
ssKenneth? Oh, he's such a plod-
der!" Mignon complained, carelessly,
to silent listener. sHe takes no
interest in anything outside of his
work. He loves machinery, and is
never happy unless he is pottering
about in big sugar mill. Ask mann
ma He would not come home at
all last year, you remember. lie just
went from one place to the other.
Il
/ Came hack from Cuba, and went out
west, and never stopped here to see
u.s. But he sent me a lovely pin for
Christmas, and let me order furs ii
New York. Ken's dear. And | have
my French maid, too. Nobody can
be properly dressed without French
maid Felicie does hair divinely.
4 got her because she left New York
on account Of her health. Overwortx
4 she says. I wrote to Ken that ]
! positively must have her. She does
j over my ball gowns and makes them
look positively new. She made me
/ the loveliest little wrap of mechlin
and chiffon. She's a perfect treas.
ure."
A slight culver shook the sensitive
lips Of the girl Mignon was enter.
tanning with her talk Of her needs
and her brother Kenneth's ploddine
ways, as she rocked lightly in big
wicker chair on the wide front porch
where climbing Marie Henriettes
threw faint shadows and breatheo
their sigh of content that night was
falling and the late summer drawing
to close.
i Hnr roca xroS paIc and varxy Lowe