Evening journal., 1905-04-11

~ M an people i ever knew hll1a-
IO beth Brewer had the surest
ITF eve for looking into ones
N y soul. and I myself have some
gift Of penetration. ] knew shortly
that Mrs. Brewer. wise and prudent
woman that she was. had suspected
my love for Hope and her love for me
and had told her what she ought to say
If spoke Of d.
The maturity Of judgment in Hopes
answer must have been the result Of
much thought and counsel, ii seemed
TO me.
''lr you do not speak again I shall
know you do not love me any longer"
she had said They were brave words
that stool for something very deep in
the character of those people--a self
repression that was sublime, often in
their women. AS / said them 60 my
self those lonely summer days in Fara
way / saw ln their sweet significance
no hint of the bitterness they were to
bring But God knows I have had my
share of pleasure ana no more bitter
ness than I deserved
1t was lonely summer for me. /
had letters from Hope ten Of them
which sul keep ana read, often with
something Of the old pleasure girlish
letters that told OF her work and
friends and gave me some sweet eoun-
! sci and much assurance between the
( lines
4 / Travelled 10 new roads that vacation
time. Politics and religion as well as
love began To- interest me Slavery
was looming into the proportion Of a
great issue. and the stories of cruelty
and outrage on the plantations of the
south stirred ms young blood and
made 1t ready for the letting Of bat
Tie IN Coils time. The speeches In the
ienate were read aloud IN our sitting
room after supper the day the Tribune
came, ANA am lent a tongue to their
discussion
Jed Feary was with us one evening,
! remember when our talk turned into
long ways, the end Of which I have
never found 10 this day. EllzaBelh had
been reading of slave who according
to the paper had been whipped to
death
III God tnows at such things are
beini done WHY don't he stop sem7'
David asked
7Cau't very WELL" said Jed Teary
"Can IL he's omnipotent" said David.
THAT'S a bad word a dangerous
one" said the old poet dropping his
dialect as he spoke 1T makes God re-
sponsible FOR evil as well as good The
word carries us beyond our depth. It's
too big for our boots ia ruther think
he can do what's do-able an know
what's movable. I'm the beginning he
gave laws TO the world. am these laws
are interchangeable. or they are not wise
and perfect II God were TO change
them he wOnld thereby acknowledge
their imperfection. by this law mer
and races suffer as they struggle up
. ward. But &c the law is Interchangeable
can it be changed for better cause
even than the relief OF a whipped
, slave? In good time the law shall pun
I ish and relieve. The groans of then
that suffer shall hasten it, but ther,
shall be no change in the law. Ther'
can be no change in the law"
"Leetle hard 4 tell jest how powerful
, God is" said Uncle Eb. "GoOd dea
, like tryin' & weigh Lake Champlail
, with a quart pail an pair o steel
, yards"
! IF Gods laws are unchangeable wha
is the use Of prayingy asked
"He can give us the strength TO bear
the win to obey him an light to guild,
US" said the poet
Hope returned for few days late Il
! August. Invitations were just issue,
for the harvest dance at Richards.
! ''YOu mus take 'er," said Uncle nj
the day she came. "She's a purt
dancer as a man ever see. Pranc
right up an tell 'er she mus go. Don
/, want to let any one git ahead o. ye"
"Of course / will 60" she said in an
swer to my invitation Il shouldn'
think you were a beau worth having
you did not ask me-"
The yellow moOa was peerlng owe
Woody ledge when we went away tina
evening. / knew il was our last pleas
ure seeking in PARKWAY. and the cricl
cts In the stubble filed the silence wit
a kind Of mourning
She looked so fine in her big hat an
new gown with its many dainty acce.
sories OF lace and ribbon adjuste
with so much patting and pulling, tina
as she sat beside me I hardly dare
1 touch her for FEAR Of spelling soml
4 thing. When she shivered a little an
! said It was growing cool put my arr
4 about her and as I drew her closer
my side she turned her hat obligingl
and said Il was a great nuisance.
II / tried to kiss her then. but she pI
I her hand over my mouth and sal
q sweetly that would spoil everythir
j If / did that
I II must not let you kiss me, WI
| liam," she said. "Not-not for all !
the world. I'm sure you wouldn't hay
me do wbst thszk a zgsans,-ye,sl