The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-14

here. too, although this hotel was not then
| IN being.
Il had obtained a position as teacher OF
! district school in the mountains for the
| winter. and / walked 10 the sceEe OF my
! !aborS. II was a long journey. but had
F., stout legs. two weeks time and no money.
| ana l rather enjoyed the prospect Of the
| tramp. / set of with my bundle on stick
| over nv shoulder: nv little trunk had gone
! on by stage | carried little food with
| me and picked up what ! needed along the
! way al small COST sometimes l stopped long
| enough To give its equivalent in labor.
| remember cleaning the parlor carpet OF one
| farmers wife in return for my dinner and
nights lodging.
| Il haG been about ten days my jour-
| ney and penetrated To the true mountainous
country. which filled me with the greatest
| interest and delight. / had been horn and
| brought up in a hily. but not a strictly
| mountainous. country. and was much i'm
| pressed. 10 the verge Of awe. by my new
| surroundings. | say awe. for my magma
| ZION was largely tnctured by my religious
| training. which Caused ME 10 benold every
| thing with a double spiritual vision when
| ccn2 onted hv this strange grandeur OF ma
ture.
| As I have said. the day was like this.
and the same CAV OF the week-Thursday. I
| was travelling along in the wane Of the aft
e-rooa. at the point when I will begin my
in the shadow OF the mountains at that time
but l happened then TO be travelling through
a wide. open space. a species of tableland.
which was hathsd' in the late sunlight and
swept with mighty wind. have had since
NV earliest recollection a habit of insensi
bly, ascribinC a moral equivalent 10 differ
ent phases Of nature. There have always
been days which 70 me seemed to partake
OF that peace or religious zeal OF sentient
being. and also those which seemed to par
take of the reverse
That particular day Of October seemed
TO me distinctly evil. as this day also has
done. Since morning / had been under
species OF horror induced hv 1t. which l had
in vain endeavored to shake Off The wind
was from the south and came in mighty
b-nadsides. after short periods OF distant
bToodings which served to intensity 1t. The
fast turning foliage was dashed by Il into
wild blurs OF gold and crimson between the
dark serrates of the changeless frs which
moved solemnly before il, swaying from
their ancient roots Now and then dry
bough from one OF the naples snapped and
ratified down. The ground became strewn
with them.
The scar grass on the barren levels crept
before the blast. The air was full OF gold
en- pillars OF dust. I could smell smoke. The
dry woods were blazing in some distant
quarter and the wind brought the smell OF
the burning. 1t was a furious day.
IT pressed on with a sort Of shrinking
doGsedness hcninc 10 reach some shelter
before nichtfau. The wind at nv back
PRESSED me onward with Q soft COM
re'lng. as Of some Intangible bulk / was
weary and d!spirited Continually. when
reached a vantage point. I searched the
handsome eagerly, for the sipht of hu-
man h7hitaticn. TIE smoke from a Chin
nev would have looked 20 me ike a sail 10
= iIo- ba s,,,
Of savage and uatrsmmeled nature op-
dressed me-. ] lorged for the sight Of A |
human face. for another fellow being. ey-
posed to the same tremendous odds with |
hC1grr which -ore at NY heart. When |
the road entered a narrow roadway be- |
tween two immense .rowning mountains |
one thickly wooded. the other a trerren-
dous wall of sheer rock. felt myself fair |
" overcome hv actual terror. Young man
as / was. and believer in the protecting
power Of God. I could not overcome It.
The wind. even IN this walled-in place. |
relaxed none of ifs fury: II seemed to pur- /
sue me-. forcfnr me- on like demon. The /
wooded mountain seemed to wave and trem-
bic before Il: the other to hang more dark |
" over the road. like that in the PILGRIMS |
Progress At last I fairly broke into l
run. The twilight was deep in this place
IT was almost night. The atmosphere was /
that Of cellar or a grave. When emerged
the sim had sunk below the mountain on |
the left. although the horizon was compare
lively clear on the right. for the rocky |
mountain had ceased with the suddenness
of promontory. The great south wind |
came with a fercer .ush than ever at my
hack
Il realized that night was upon me in
those awful solitudes. Then to my great
Joy I saw light ahead of me where the
road curved. and 1t was in a house wind
dow 1 pressed on at run. and presently
- y1n 70 %,
bare. treeless rise of land. close to the
road. under the shadow Of the last spur OF
the wooded mountain. The house even at
that early hour was blazing with light |
every window on the ground floor and the
two in the end under the roof in the second
story. Out OF one Of these second-Story win |
downs looked. as I drew near. between the
white slants of the curtain. the face OF ]
fair-haired girl.
She looked straight toward me. as II she
saw me. but that she could hardly have
done with that brilliant light at her back
and l in the shadow. She was clad in
gown of a blue vivid that the color
showed forcibly even in that light. and her
lace was as fair as a lily in her aureole |
OF hair, every strand of which seemed TO
show like flament OF gold. In my over
mood she looked like a vision and
a thrill of fear. as well delight, went |
over me.
AS kept on she vanished from the win
dow and the curtains fell. softly and white |
ly. screening the lighted interior There
was large barn attached TO the house the
heavy doors OF which were closed. as II the
days work was done and the cattle housed
for the night There were several shadows
before the house windows as If of men. and
as i came quite close / saw several il one
of the front rooms. evidently the kitchen |
and livtnS-room. l went up TO the door, but
before / could knock 1t was opened and a
young man of about my own age looked out.
and 1 have never forgotten that face
through my whole life. 1t was fair and
as fair and handsome as girls,
though with nothing feminine about it.
indeed, the face wore an expression Of
reckless and defiant daring. of which no
would have been capable Stiu.
along with the utmost bravado of courage,
was another laok. as of incipient horror
which made me stare instinctively past him ;
Into the lighted room for the cause. But he
quickly stepped out and closed the door be-
hind him. and. coming close. asked me hur-
riedly my name and business. which / told
him, and then l asked. for 1 at first sup
posed him one Of the household If 1 could ,
obtain shelter for the night. But his reply
showed me that l was mistaken He was !. |
stranger, like myself. city man travelling
for pleasure. who had been guest in the
house only an hour so. but long enough
TO learn something OF the history of his ,
Z
e The man of the house has had hard ,
luck in other winds like this he said as n ,
fiercer gust sTnote US standing there and ,
made us quail before ii, turning our backs.
Twice his barn has gone and all his cattle ,
We're killed, and once his house went. and ,
when the house went his wife persisted, and ,
now the wind drives him into fury. and ,
his Is we'll .