The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-30

ana tnen the travellers were carried out
into the level open again. and the intense
ly blue September skies ran down to the
low horizon, meeting the tossing plumes
of corn.
It takes long time for the full beauty
Of the fiat lands to reach q mans soul;
once there, nor hills, nor sea, nor growing
fan leaves Of palm shall suffice him. 1t
is like the beauty In the word Indiana"
1t may be that there are people who do
not consider Indiana" a beautiful word;
but once it rings true in your ears 1t
has richer sound than "Vallombrosa."
There was a newness in the atmosphere
that day. a bright invigoration. that set
the blood tingling. The hot months
were done with, languor was routed.
Autumn spoke to industry. told of the
sowing of another harvest, of the tawny
shock. of the purple grape. of the red ap-
ple' ana called upon muscle and laughter:
breathed gaiety into mems hearts. The
little stations hummed with hustle and
noise; big farm wagons ratified away and
raced with cut-under or omnibus: people
walked with quick steps; the baggage
masters called cheerily to the trainmen,
and the brakeman laughed good-bys to
rollicking girls.
AS they left Gainesville three children,
clad In calico. barefooted and bareheaded,
came romping out Of a log cabin on the
outskirts Of the town, and waved their
hands to the passengers. They climbed
on the sagging gate In front of their
to see the monstrous caravan
come clattering out Of the unknown, bear
ing the faces by. The smallest child, a
little cherubtc towhead, whose cheeks
We're smeared with clean earth and the
tracks OF forgotten tears, stood upright
on fence post, and blew the most impu-
dent of kisses to the strangers on a
| Journey
Beyond this they came into q great
plain, acres and acres of green rag-weed
where the wheat had grown, all so fiat
one thought Of an enormous billiard table,
| and now, where the railroad crossed the
country roads. they saw the stanch brown
thistle. sometimes the sumach. and al
ways the graceful lron-weed, slender tail,
proud. bowling purple-turbaned head, or
shaking in an agony Of fright when 1t
stood too close to the train. The fields,
| like great, fiat emeralds set in new metal
were bordered with golden-rod, and at
sight of this the heart leaped: for the
! golden-rod Is a symbol Of stored granar-
les, Of ripe sheaves. Of the kindness Of the
season generously given and abundantly
| received; more, 1t is the token Of a. land
| of promise and bounteous fulfilment; and
the plant stains its blossom with yellow
so that when 1t falls it pays tribute to the
ground which has nourished it.
| 1AoAAA IIle pldAl I11ey pdSSoQ again INTO
a thick wood. where ruddy arrows Of the
sun gl1nted among the boughs; and,
here and there one saw courtly maple
! or royal oak wearing a gala mantle Of
crimson and pale brown. gallants of the
| forest preparing early for the October
masquerade, when they should hold wan
ton carnival, before they stripped them Of
their finery for pious gray.
| And when the coughing engine drew
them to the borders Of this wood. they
| rolled out into another rich plain of green
and rust-colored corn; and far to the
south John Harkless marked winding
procession Of sycanores. which, he knew,
donoWed a we, tn the course Of a slender stream;
| ana the waters Of the stream flowed by a
bank where wild thyme might have grown
and where. beyond an orchard and a rose
! garden. a rustic bench was placed in the
shade of the trees; and the name Of the
| stream was Hfbbard's Creek. Here the
land lay hatter than elsewhere; the sky
| came closer, with gentle benedictlon:
the breeze blew in, laden with keener
spices; there was the flavor Of apples and
| the smell Of the walnut and a hint Of
coming frost; the immeasurable earth lay
more patiently to await the husbandman;
and the whole world seemed to extend fiat
In line with the eye-for this was Carlow
county.
| All at once the anger ran out of John
| hiSSS, AS was d lldIu Illdu dNSGI 10
| tarry with. And In place of it strong
! sense Of homecoming began to take pos
! session of him. He was going home.
Back to Plattville, where belong" he
had said; and he said it again without
bitterness, for it was the truth. Every
man cometh to his own place in the end"
Yes, as one leaves a gay acquaintance
Of the play house lobby for some hard
handed, tried old friend, SO he would wave
the outer world God-speed and come back
to the old ways Of Carlow. What
| though the years were dusty. he had his
friends and his memories and his old
black brier pipe. He had girls picture
that he should carry in his heart till his
| last day: and If his life was sadded, it was
Infinitely richer for it. His winter hreside
should be not so lonely for her sake: and
losing her. he lost not everything, for he
had the rare blessing Of having known
her. And what man could wish to be
healed Of such hurt? Far better to have
mad 1T than to trot SNUG pace unscathed.
He had been a dullard: he had lain pros
trate In the wretchedness Of his loss. "A
girl you could put In your hat-and there
there you have a strong man prone" He
had been sluggard. weary OF himself
! unit to fight, failure in life and fall
ure in love. That was ended; he was tired
Of failing. and it was time to succeed fol
a while. To accept the worst that Fate
can deal, and to wiring courage from II
instead Of despair, that is success; and II
was the success that he would have. He
would take fate by the neck. But had II
done him unkindness? He looked Out
over the beautiful, "monotonous" land.
scape, and he answered heartily, "rJo!'
There was ignorance in man, but no un.
kindness; were man utterly wise he were
utterly kind. The Cross Readers had MOI
known better; that was all.
The unfolding aisles of corn SWAN pleas.
antly before Johns eyes. The earth hearl<.
ened to mans wants and answered; tho
clement sun and summer rains hastenet
the fruition. Yonder stood the brown hay
stack, garnered to feed the industriou,
horse who had earned his need; there wa.
the straw -thatched shelter for the cattle
How the orchard boug1as bent with thel]
burdens! The big red barns stood stored
with the harvested wheat; and, beyont
the pasture lands, tall trees rose agains
the benign sky to feed the glance OF {
dreamer; the fertile soil lay lavender ant
glossy in the furrow. The farmhouse.
were warmly built and hale and strong
no winter blast should rage so bitterly al
to shake them, or scatter the hospitablt
embers on the hearth. For this was Car
low county, and he was coming home.
They crossed a by-road. An old maj
with a streaky gray chin beard was sit
ting on a sack of oats in seatless wagon
waiting for the train to pass. Harklesi
| seized his companion excitedly by the el
bow.