The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-06-26
CHAPTER vi.

.
I'd like to hear you spiel"
=" CHAPTER vi.
RlT}HEN John Douglas uncle Of
w fered TO educate his nephew
1V 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 rs 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 at 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 lntuitively and
human enough to resent the injustice
Of his fate.
Douglas mother had suffered SO
much because Of the impractical ef-
forts Of her husband that she discour-
aged the early tendencies Of the son
toward drawing and mathematics and
tried to direct bis thoughts toward
creeds and Bis3e history. When he
went away for his collegiate course
she was less n touch with b him and he
was able to steal time" from his ath.
leties to devote to his art. He spent
his vacations tn neighboring city be-
fore drawing board in the Office of a
distinguished architect, his fathers
friend. ;.
Douglas was not a. brilliant divinity
student, and he was relieved at 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
be first went up the path that led to
his new home. His artistic sense was
charmed by the picturesque approach
to the church and parsonage. The
view toward the tree enc1rcled spire
was unobstructed, for the church had
been built on the outskirts Of the town
to allow for growth that had not
materlalized. 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-.huds, 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 a
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 q new
portico than with any thought Of his
first sermon. d.
His speculations were abruptly cut
short by Mandy, who hustled out Of
the door with wide smile Of welcome
on her black face and an unmistakable
ambition to take him Immediately un-
der her motherly wing. She was much
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, preferring
to come to his new home the first time
alone, she made up her 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 and
discuss the weaknesses of the many
clergymen who had come and gone,
the deacons and the congregation, both
individually and collectively. She con-
hded to Hasty that she didn't ''blame
de new parson fer not wantin' to mix
up wild dat ar crowd"
In the study that night, when she
and Hasty helped Douglas to ,unpack
his many boxes Of books, they were as
i eager as children about the drawings
v and pictures which he. showed them.
Il His mind had gone beyond the parson-
age front now, and, he described to
them the advantage Of adding an ex-
Il ira ten feet to the church spire. =
S Mandy felt herself almost an artist
when she and Hasty babe the pastor
s. good night, for she was still quivering
from the contagion Of Douglas enthu-
siasm. Here, at last, was a master
who could do something besides find
/ fault with her. q: n.4s:< 80
= jes' wan to be on de groun' de
frs time dat Mars Douglas and dat
ere Deacon Strong clinches," she said
Ito Hasty as they locked the doors and
4 turned y out the hall light "Did you
8aSd done see his jaw az she whispered.
III g. He look laughin, enough now. But
tea. You Eait tlll done re- dat ,sra