The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-03-25

touched by his surroundings. He was
more tolerant of opinions other than
his own. but more unrelenting I'm his
fidelity to conscience and more impa-
tient of half heartedness and self in
diligence. He was full of reverence
for the great scholars and the great
leaders of men he had como to know.
Great, noble fellows they are and
extraordinarily modest" he said-"thac
is, the really great are modest. There
are plenty OF the other sort, neither
great nor modest. And the books to
be read! i am quite hopeless about
my reading. 1t gave me n queer seEsa
ton to shake hands with a man who
had written n great book. To hear
him make commonplace remarks, to
witness Il faltcrlng in Acknowledgements
expects these men to know everything
and to experience respectful kindness
at his hands!"
what of the younger men2" l asked.
Bright, keen, generous FELLOWSHIP
things theoretical omniscicnt, but in
things practical quite helpless. They
toss about great ideas as the miners
Jumps of coal. They can call them by
their book anne easily enough, but 1
often wonder whether they could put
them into English. Some Of them 1
coveted for the mountains, men with
clear heads and big hearts and built
after Sandy McNaughton's model. 1t
does seem n sinful waste Of Gods good
human STUFF to see these fellows potter
away their lives among theories, living
and dead, and end up by producing Il
book. They are all either making or
going TO make n book. a good thing
we haven't to read them. But here
and there among them is some quiet
chap who will make a book that men
will tumble over each other to read"
Then we paused and looked at each
other.
"Wellf" l said.
He understood me.
"Yes," he answered slowly, "doing
great work. Every n worsbips her
just as we do, and she Is making them
all do something worth while, as she
used to make u.s."
He spoke chcerfully and readily, as IL
he were repeating a lesson we'll learn
ed, but he could not humbug me. 1
felt the hcartachc in the cheerful tone.
TELL me about her," l said, for l
knew that il he would talk 1t would do
him good, and talk he did, often forget
ting me, till, as 1 listened, 1 found my
self looking again into the ~fathomless
eyes and hearing again the heart
searching voice. l saw her go in and
out Of the little red tiled cottages and
down the narrow back lanes of the vii
lage; / heard her voice In a sweet, low
song by the bed of n dying child or
pouring forth floods of music in the
great new hall of the factory town
near by, but 1 could not see, though
he tried to show me, the stately, gra-
cious lady receiving the country folk
in her home. He did not lingcr over
that scene, but went back again to the
gate cottage where she had taken him
one day to see Billy Breen's mother.
~ found the old woman knew all
about me-" he said simply enough, but
there were many things about Billy
she had never heard, and 1 was glad
to put her right on some points, though
Mrs. Mavor would not hear It,"
lie sat silent for n little, looking into
the Goals, then went on in a soft, quiet
voice:
at brought back the mountains and
the old days to hear again Billy's tones
In his mothers voice and to see her
sitting there in the very dress she wore
the night of the league, you remember
some soft stuff with black l0cc about
it-and to hear her sing as she did for
Billy. All! ALI"
His voice unexpectedly broke, but In
q moment he was master Of himself
and begged me to forgive his weak
ness. 1 am afraid I said words that
should not be said, n thing / never do
except when suddenly md utterly up
set.
81 am getting selfish and weak he
said. II must get to work. l am glad
and 1t is worth while, II only to keep
one from getting useless and lazy"
useless and lazy!" 1 said to myself,
thinking OF my life beside his and try.
ing to get command Of my voice. so as
not to make quite q fool Of myself,
and for many Il day those words goad-
ed mo to work and to the exercise Of
some mild self denial. But, more than
all else, after Craig had gone back to
the mountains Graeme's letters from
the railway construction camp stirred
one to do unpleasant duty long post
poned and rendered uncomfortable my
hours of most luxurious ease. Many
Of the old gang We're with him, both
OF lumbcrmen and miners, and Craig
was their minister, and the letters told
of how he labored by day and by night
along the line of construction, carry
Ing his tent and kit with him, preach
ing straight sermons, watching by sick
men, writing their letters and winning
their hearts, making strong their lives
and helping them to die we'll when
their hour came.
One day these letters proved too
much for me, and / packed away my
paints and brushes and made my VOW
unto the Lord that I would be useless
and lazy" no longer, but would do
something with myself. In consequence
L found myself within three weeks
walking the London hospitals, finishing
my course, that I might join that band
of men who were doing something with
life or, If throwing it away, were not
losing 1t for nothing. ] had finished
being n fool, I hoped, at least a fool of
the useless and luxurious kind. The
letter that came from Graeme In reply
to nv reouest for n Doaition IN hia ata m