The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-01

age, when the biggest man could wear the strongest armor and the biggest hand could hold the weightiest sword. His eyes were grey-blue, his straight hair brown. The nose was fair-sized with sensitive nostrils; 1t was non- aquiline rather than straight The chin and jaws were broad and massive; the lips. thick rather than thin, were marked at the corners with an iron determination.
 The two sat quiet. listening. Through the qiuet hum of afternoon came the voices of the two children. Outside the nch-gate. under the shade of the spreading cedar, the horses stamped occasionally as the flies troubled them. The grooms were mounted one held A deiicate-limbed white Arab. the other a great black horse.
 T would rather be an angel than Godi"
 The little girl who made the remark was an Ideal specimen of the village Sunday School child. Blue-eyed. rosy checked thick-legged. with her straight brown hair tied into a hard bunch with morsel of much-creased, cherry-col- ored ribbon. Her printed cotton frock was starched out to show the needle work Of her own doing round the edge of the petticoat. The white cotton StoNAIhss were ciean, ana the spring side boots. with the inevitable tags stocking out fore and aft. were scru- pulously blackened. A glance at the girl would have satisfied the most sceptical as to her goodness. Without being in any way snug she was radf- ant with self f-sa tisfaction and well-do- Ing. A child of the people; a help to her mother good angel in the house: little mother to her brothers and sis ters. cleanly in mind and body: self reliant full of faith. cheerful. Before the truthful. patient, resolute look of those clear young eyes stretch a long vista of light passing over the winds and seas of human existence and lead- ing up to the very Gates of Life
 The other little girl was prettier but of more stubborn type; more passion- ate. less organized, and infinitely more assertive. Black haired. black eyed, swarthy, large-mouthed snub-nosed; the very type and essence of unre- strained. fmpuIsive. emotional. sensual nature. A seeing eye would have noted great and inevitable danger for the early years of her womanhood, She seemed amazed by the self-abnegation implied by her companion's statement: l after pause she replied: T wouldn't. I'd rather be up at the top of everything and give orders to
  Marjorie. why you'd rather take orders than give them"
 That's just 1t. Susan. I don't want to geve order; I'd rather obey them. 1t must be very terrible to have to | think of things so much, that you want everything done your own way. And besides, I shouldn't like to have to be just"
 "why not?" the tone of voice was truculent, though there was a wist- fulness in 1t also.
 "Oh, Susan. Just fancy having to punish; for of course justice needs punishihg as well as praising. Now an angel has such a nice time helping people and comforting them, and bring ing sunshine into dark places. Puttin9 down fresh dew every morning; mak. ing the flowers grow and bringing babies and taking care of them till their mothers find them. Of course God is very good and very sweet and very merciful. but oh, He must be very | terrible.''
 "All the same I would rather be God and be able to do things"
 Then the children moved off. out of earsho!. "'
 The two seated on the tombstone looked after them. The first to speak was the girl. who said:
 That's very sweet and good of Mar jorie: but do you know. Harold, I like Susie's idea better"
 Which idea was that, Stephen?"
 Why, didn't you notice what she said: ''rd like to be God and be able to do things?'"
 Yes" he said after a moments re- hection. That's a fine idea in the abstract: but doubt of It's happiness in the long run"
 l oP ffo what could there be better after all? Isn't 1t good enough to be God? What more do you want?"
 The girls tone was quizzical. but her | great black eyes blazed with some thought of sincerity which lay behind the fun; the sensitive nostrils of her aquiline nose expanded and became set. The young man shook his head with smile of kindly tolerance as he answered.:
 Tt isn't that--surely you must know it. I'm ambitious enough, goodness knows; but there are bounds to satisfy even me. But I'm not sure that the good little thing isn't right She seem | ed. somehow. to hit a bigger truth than she knew: fancy having to be just "
 T don't see much difficulty in that. Any one can be just"
 Pardon me-" he answered. "there is perhaps nothing so difficult in the whole range of a mans work" There was distinct defiance in the girls eyes as she asked:
 "A mans work! Why mans work Isn't 1t a woman's work slso?" She beat with a certain impatience with her riding whip on the side of her boot.
 Well. I suppose it ought to be. the- oretically; but practically 1t isn't"
 And why not, pray?" After the manner of the elders of her sex the mere mention of any disability of wo- man as such aroused immediate an- tagonism. Her companion suppressed the smile which was growing round