The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-05-12

The day was here when Little Dan
had become man, though no enc rec
ognized it except himself; and Big
Dan. the person whom ne most wished
to impress with the fact, proved obdu<
rateiy nimpressionabie-and, more
over, had just spanked him.
=. To be u years old and be spanked
had, oddly enough, never struck Lit
tie Dan as outrageous until today,
which proved to him that he was LOW
man.
Heretofore he had taken his fathers
few and well merited chastisements as
q matter Of eourse-almost an enter
tanning matter of course. He had IN
doubtedly squirmed and howled great
deal during the embarrassing processes,
but always through motives of STRAIT
egic caution, having discovered very,
very early in the game that the more
intrieately he squirmed and the louder.
he howled the less was ne scourged.
After it was over, there had generally
followed pleasantly important hour or
so of detection and humility, IN which
he watched furtively for the first sign
of truce. Seeing IL. he had rushed tu-
multuously into the big arms held open
TO him, and the whole thing was over
and done with.
But today, without premonition, ev-
IEIJJDIlk went every
that concerned Little Dan, that is, Big
Dan went about it in the same way.
{ To his own unfeigned surprise the
boy found that the first blow awakened
1nuTderous resentment in him. As for
crying out, he would have died rather
Than utter a protest. His gentle and
genuine dignity felt crushed 10 the
earth, but fierce. fighting pride rlsh.d
10 the rescue and bolSteTed 1t ND. The
worst thing about the whole perform
ance was that Little Dan felt not only
scornfully amused at its futility and
stupidity, but also felt rather ashamed
of his father.
That father was himself TOO proud
and gentle not to notice at once that
something was wrong. so he stopped
and remarked suggestively-
IT can't whack you unless you yelp,
you know, old man.
But no answering CLINT of good humCr
showed in Little Dams eyes. He was
too much hurt. He was man now, and
the dignity of man after having been
knocked about requires some time to
adjust itself. He looked steadily al his
father. not defiantly, but with a calm
end frank resentment of so temperate
and judicial a quality that Big Dams
handsome face grew red1y and quiz
zically confused.
And now" he remarked, tenptins-
~.
Have you done with me, father?"
"Quite done, think. 1t looks that
way
e,rhen I'd like to go out for walk
by myself-unless you want me to stay
in the house.
"No, I guess not. III see to it that
the house staggers along without you
for while"
"Well, then. good morning"
as it? / hadn't noticed: but if you
say so-good morning it is"
With courteous inciinations of the
head, the Dan Ransoms parted. and it
IS hard to say which of the two felt
more queeriy miserable.
OF course, Little Dan had no doubt
but that he was the one As soon as
he got out of the house and into The
sunshine, and turned his steps to the
friendly woods, the radiance of nature
contrasted so cruelty with his own
gloomy reflections that they changed
inkily TO black, and he felt that the only
Joke he could appreciate at the present
would be death.
And he remembered, too. that he was
not allowed TO keep rabbits In his sane
and happy moments he was not 20 GER
tain that he wanted to keep rabbits
they We're too nervous with their ,hins,
but when sorrow laid heavy hand upon
him, this rabbit-lack seemed more than
he could bear. And he had so much to
hear. There was that accidentally
overheard conversation of last night,
for instance. But he would put that
out of his mind for a few minutes, at
least until he had reached and strad-
died his favorite fallen beech. Tt was
mis- agony seat.
Meantime. while he walked slowly
onward, he had enough of misery in the
one reflection that he was not allowed
to keep rabbits Big Dan prohibited
them on the ground that rabbittand a
lie were alike-you could not stop al
one.
Not that the rabbit question was
really so important now. There was
something worse. He. a man, had been
spanked. What was the cure for that?
But the worst thing-oh. yes, there was
no use denying il any longer-the worst
thing was his feeling of estrangement
from his father. Little Dan knew that
while that lasted all his chance CT hap
piness was forever shattered. Little
Dams whole world was that big father
OF his. His mother was dead. He could
not even remember her. Really, he
practically never had mother
Sometimes he and Big Dan would
s walk of Sunday to the village church-
yard and there stand while before 4
grave which was sacred 20 the Mem
DRY of Theodore. aged 10. beloved wife
OF Daniel Ransom
so young, oh. so young" Dig Oar
had one time said, his hand gripping
the gravestone, his face turned TO a
brilliant spot in the sky where clouds
had parted to show radiance that was
celestial.
Always after that Little Dan conid
never see a certain vivid light cnTslf
into the sky without remembering tEa'
II must be heaven. and that bis mother
was there and was so young, oh. 81
young.