The Springdale news., 1909-06-18

T I#4N ihhll AfRuEAAo hhAAC VI WI fered to educate his nephew IfE for the ministry the boy was s-szsss less enthusiastic than his mother He did not remonsrate, how ever for fl had been the custom of generations fuf at least one son of each Douglas family to preach the gospel ef Calvinism, and his fathers career as an architect and landscape gardener had not left him much capital
 Douglas senior had been recognized IS an artist by tbe few who under stood his talents. but there is small demand for the builder of picturesque houses II 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 10 succeed at the profession in which his father had fared 50 badly. The hopeless. defeated look on the de barfed mans face had always haunted the hoy. who was artist enough to feel hls fathers genius lntuitiEely and human enough to resent the injustice of his fate
 Douglas mother had suffered so much because of the impractical eff forts If her husband that she diseour aged tue carly tendencies of the son toward drawing and mathematics and tried ta direct his thoughts toward ereeds and Bible history. When he went away for his collegiate course she was less in touch with him and he was anle to steal time from his ath, leties fo devote to his art. He spent his vacations in | neighbofing city be fore q drawing board h the office of a distinguished architect. his fathers friend.
 Douglas WAS not brilliant divinity student. and he was relieved al last when he received his degree in theol- oey and found himself appointed to a small church ill the middle west.
 His step was very bright the morning be first went up the path that led to his new home Ills artistic sense was charmed by the picturesque approach To the church and parsonage. The view toward the tree enrireled 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 Il the blue hills. with their background of soft, slow moving clouds fhe smell of the fresh earth, the bursting of tue buds the forming Of neN life. set him thrilling with joy that was very near to pain.
 He stopped halfway up the path and censfderR the advantages of a nesr front ta4 the narrow eayed cot tage. and when his foot touched the first step Of the vine covered porch he WAS far more concerned about q new portieo than with any thought of his first sermon.
 Ills speculations were abruptly cut short by Mandy, who hustled out ot the door with a wide smile of welcome on her black face and an unmistakable ambition to take him immediately uni dfr her motherly wing She was much c4ncerned because the church peopaa hsd not met the new pastor at tue sts- ti,A and brought him to the house, Up4n learning that Douglas had pur- 2 sdssaly avoided their escort. preferring to come to his new home the first time alone. she made up ner mind that she was going to like him.
 Mandy had long been fixture in the parsonage She and her worse half. Hasty Jones' had come to know ana discuss the weaknesses of the many elergyme who had come and gone, tue deaeons and the congregation, both Individually and collectively She con. fided to Hasty that she didn't "blame de new parson fer not wanlin' to mix up wid dat ar crowd
 h the study that night. when she and Hasty helped Douglas to unpaek his maly boxes of bookA. they were as eager us children aboutsthe drawings and pictures which he shra< theln His mind had gone beyond The parson age front now, and he. described to them the advantage of adding an ex tra tell feet to the church spire. V
 Mandy felt herself almost an artist when sue and Nasty bade the pastor good night, for she was still quivering from the contagion nf Douglas enthu siasm. Here, at last was d master who could do something besides ind fault with her
 T Jes' wan 10 be on de groun de z frs, time dat Mars Douglas and dat ere Deacon Strong elinches." she said to Hasty is they locked tue doors and turned out the hall light Did you done see his jawY, she whispered He look laughin' enough now. but jes' You wait i'll he done set aet ere jaw O hls'n. and dar sain s.nobody what's goin' ter unsot fts,H
 Maybe dar aint goin' ter be no elinehin'.' said Hasty, hopingsfor Man dy's assurance fotAe contrary.
 '.Whatf, shrieked Mandy. "Nid dat ere sneakifl' Widow willoughby al ]. rea = sfsA' xl4aeons how ter start
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