Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-06-26

WGH$l upon him. lie will not get
angry, and he looks at one with such
faraway expression in his face that In
striving to persuade him one feels
earthly and even fiendish. At least
this was my experience with Craig
He spent a week with me Just before
ha sailed for the old land for the pur.
pose, as he said, of getting some Of the
coal dust and other CRIME out Of him.
lie made me angry the last night Of
his stay and all the more that he re.
NAMED quite sweetly unmoved. II
was n strategic mistake Of mine to tell
him how Nelson came home to us and
how Graemc stood up before the var
slty chaps Mt my supper and made his
confession and confused Rattray's easy
stepping profanity and started his own
five year league, for all this stirred in
Craig the hero, and he was ready for
all sorts of heroic nonsense, as called
it, We talked of everything but the
one thing, and about that we said not
a word till, bending low to poke my
fire and to hide my face, plunged:
You will see her. of course?"
He made no pretense of not under
standing. but answered.:
"Of course"
"There's really no sense in her stay.
ing over there" / suggested.
And yet she is wise woman" he
said, as if carefully considering the
question.
Heaps Of landlords never see their
tenants, and they are none the worse"
The landlords?'
"No, the tenants"
"Probably, having such landlords"
"And, as for the old lady, there must
be some one in the connection to whom
it would be n godscnd to care for her."
"Now. Connor," he said quietly,
don't. We have gone over all there
is to he said. Nothing new has come.
Don't turn it all up again.
Then | played the heather and ragged,
as Graeme would have said, till Craig
smiled Il little YEARLY and said:
You exhaust yourself, old chap.
Have pipe-do" And after pause
he added in his own way: What
would you have? The path lies straight
from my feet. Should l quit it? I
could not so disappoint you--and all
Of them"
And | knew he was thinking OF
Graeme and the lads In the mountains
he had taught to be true men. 1t did
not help my rage, but it checked my
speech, so | smoked in silence till he
was moved to say:
And after all, You know, old chap,
there are great compensations for all
losses, but for the loss of n good con-
science toward God what can make
up?"
But, all the same, hoped for some
better result from his visit to Britain.
1t seemed to me that something must
turn up to change such an unbearable
situation.
The year passed, however, and when
I looked into Craig's face again knew
that nothing had been changed and
that he had come back to take up
hopeful than ever
But the year had left its mark upon
him too He was a broader and deep.
er man. He had been living and think
Ing with men OF larger ideas and rich
er culture, and he was far too quick
IN sympathy with life to remain un-
touched by his surroundings. He was
more tolerant of opinions other than
his own, but more unrelenting in his
fidelity to conscience and more impa.
tent OF half heartedness and self in.
diligence. He was full of reverence
for the great scholars and the great
leaders of men he had come to know.
Great noble fellows they are and
extraordinarily modest" he said-"that
is, the really great are modest. There
are plenty of the other sort, neither
great nor modest. And the books "a
be read, | am quite hopeless about
my reading. 1t gave me n queer sensa,
ton to shake hands with a man who
had written a great book. To hear
him make commonplace remarks, tc
witness n faltering in knowledge-one
expects these men to know everything
and to experience respectful kindness
at his hands,
what Of the younger menf" / asked
bright, keen, generous FELLOWSHIP
things theoretical omnlscient, but II
things practical quite helpless They
toss about great ideas as the miner!
Jumps Of coal. They can call them by
their book names easily enough, but
often wonder whether they could pu
them into English. Some of them
coveted for the mountains, men will
clear heads and big hearts and bull
after Sandy McNaughtons model. 1
does seem sinful waste Of Gods gooc
human stuff to see these fellows potter
away their lives among theories, livinl
and dead, and end up by producing ,
book. They are all either making o.
going to make a book. A good thinl
we haven't to read them. But her,
and there among them il some Quie
chap who will make book that mel
will tumble over each other to read"
Then we paused and looked at eacl
other.
"Well?" | said.
He understood me.
ayes" he answered slowly. "doin,
great work. Every one worships he
just as we do, and she is making then
all do something worth while. as sh'
Ae 81 spoke keel cns "a and readily as i
he were repeating lessoA we'll learn
| oil I.