Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-05-18
CHAPTER vi.

CHAPTER vi.
lrAT)HEN John Douglas uncle Of
WI fered to educate his nephew
IV for the ministry the boy was
less enthusiastic than his
mother. He did not demonstrate, how.
ever, for it had been the custom of
generations for at least one son of each
Douglas family to preach the gospel
of Calvinism, and his fathers career
as an architect and landscape gardener
had not left him much capital.
Douglas senior had been recognized
as an artist by the few who under.
stood his talents. but there is small
demand for the builder Of picturesque
houses In the little business towns of
the middle west, and at last he passed
away. leaving his son only the burden
Of his financial failure and an ardent
desire to succeed Mt the profession in
which his father had Jared so badly.
The hopeless. defeated look on the de-
parted mans face had always haunted
the boy, who was artist enough to feel
his fathers genius intuitively and
human enough to resent the injustice
Of his fate.
Douglas mother had suffered so
much because Of the Impractical eff
forts Of her husband that she dlscour-
aged the early tendencies Of the son
toward drawing and mathematics and
tried to direct his thoughts toward
10, Ia n fc<N hn
went away for his collegiate course
she was less in touch with him and he
was able to steal time from his ath.
letics to devote to his art He spent
his vacations in a neighboring city be-
fore drawing board In the office of
distinguished architect. his fathers
friend.
Douglas was not brilliant divinity
student, and he was relieved ut last
when he received his degree in theol-
ogy and found himself appointed to a
small church in the middle west.
His step was very bright the morning
he first went up the path that led to
charmed by the picturesque approach
to the church and parsonage. The
view toward the tree encircled spire
was unobstructed. for the church had
been built on the outskirts of the town
| to allow for growth that had not
materialized. He threw up his head
and gazed at the blue hills. with their
background of soft. slow moving
clouds. The smell of the fresh earth,
the bursting of the buds. the forming
of new life set him thrilling with a
joy that was very near to pain.
He stopped halfway up the path
and considered the advantages of q
new front to the narrow eaved cot
| tage, and when his foot touched the
first step of the vine covered porch he
was far more concerned about a new
portico than with any thought OF his
first sermon.
His speculations were abruptly cut
short by Mandy. who hustled out OF
the door with wide smile Of welcome
ambition to take him Immediately un
der her motherly wing. She was mucf
concerned because the church people
had not met the new pastor at the sta
ton and brought him to the house
Upon learning that Douglas had pur
posely avoided their escort, preferrint
to come to his new home the first ttm'
alone, she made up her mind that sh'
was going to like him.
Mandy had long been fixture in tn,
parsonage. She and her worse half
Hasty Jones. had come to know ant
discuss the weaknesses Of the man.
cIergymen who had come and gone
the deacons and the congregation. boil
individually and collectively. She con
fided to Hasty that she didn't "blam
de new parson fer not wantin' to mi.
up wild dat ar crowd"
In the study that night. when sh
and Hasty helped Douglas to unpacl
his many boxes IF books. they were a
eager as children about the drawing
and pictures which he showed then
His mind had gone beyond the parsor
age front now, and he described t
them the advantage of 1dding an el
ira ten feet to the church spire.
Mandy felt herself almost an arts
when she and Hasty babe the paste
good night for she was still quiverin
from the contagion of Douglas enthr
siasm. Here. Mt last, was a maste
who could do something besides I'm
fault with her.
II jes' wan to be on de groun' d
frs time dat Mars Douglas and de-
| oil oh M
to Hasty as they locked the doors an
turned out the hall light. did 70
done see his jaw" she whispere,
= "He look laughin' enough now. b,
jess you wait till he done set dat Eel
, jaw O. his'n, and dar amt nobod
what's goin' ter unsot It,"
Maybe dar amt goin' ter be !
clinchin,." said Hasty. hoping for Ma
dy's assurance to the contrary.
/ "What?" shrieked Mandy. vivid d
ERE sneakin' Widow Willoughby .
ready a-tellin' de deacons how ter sta
de new parson a-goin' proper?"
/ Now. why youse always a-picki
on to dat ERE widowY asked Hasty,
ready enjoying the explosion which
knew MS QeIenSe OF tne WIDOW w
sure to excite.
81 dom like no woman what's all
: braggin' bout her clean floors," g
. swered Mandy shortly. She turn
out the last light and tiptoed upstai
= trying not to disturb the pastor.
John Douglas was busy already wi
pencil and paper. making notes Of
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