The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-06-17

Of July. Would Mrs Martha take pity
on a motherless lad, whose health was
none OF the best and open her home to
Vineent2
Mrs, Martha would and did; not un-
grudgingly on the vice presidents ac-
count but with many mlsgivlngs on
! Thomas Jetferson's. She was finding
the surcharged Industrial atmosphere
Of the new era inimlcal at every point
to the development of the spiritual pas
sion she had striven to arouse in her
son; to paving the way for the reali2-
ing Of that ideal which had first taken
form when she had written Reverend
Thomas jefferson Gordon" on the mar
| gin OF the letter to her brother Silas.
AS IL fell out, the worst happened
| That could happen, considering the APP
! parent harmlessness Of the exciting
cause. Vincent Farley proved to be an
anemic STRIPPING, cold, reserved, with
no surface indications Of moral deprav-
! 10 and with at least a veneer of good
! breeding. But in Thomas Jefferson's
heart he planted the seed Of discomfort
! with his surroundings, with the home
/ ~ old house on the pike, unchanged as
/ yet by the rising tide of prosperity, and
more than all, with the prospect of be-
! coming chosen vessel.
| 1t was of no use to bark back to the
| revival and the heart-quaking expert
ences of year agone. Thomas Jeffcr-
| son tried, but all that seemed to belons
| TO another world and another life
! What he craved now was to be like this
envied and enviable son of good for
| tune, who wore his Sunday suit every
| day, carried a beautiful gold watch, and
| was coolly and complacently at ease,
even with Major Dabney and a foreign
| born and Travelled Ardea.
Later in the summer the envy died
! down and Thomas jefferson developed
a pronounced case of hero worship,
something to the disgust of the colder
hearted older boy. It did not last very
long, not did it leave any permanent
scars; but before Thomas jefferson
was fully convalescent the subtle dat-
terry Of his adulation warmed the sub
ject of it into something like compan-
iOnship, and there were Dragging
stories of boarding-school life and Of
the world at large to add fresh fuel TO
the fire of discomfort
Though Thomas Jefferson did not
know it, his deliverance on that side
was nigh. It had been decided thlt
he was to be sent away to school. CHA
wassee Coal and Iron promising hand
somely to warrant the expense; ana
the decision hung only on the choice
of courses to be pursued.
Caleb had marked the growing hun
ger for technical knowledge in the boy.
and had secretly gloried in it. Herr,
at least, was a strong stream Of his
own craftsmans blood flowing in the
veins of his son.
1T d be a thousand pities to spoil a
good iron man and engineer to make a
poor preacher, Martha" he objected:
this for the twentieth time, and when
the approach of autumn was forcing
the conclusion.
II know Caleb; bou you don't under
stand" was the invariable rejoinder
You know that side of him, because
it's your side. But he is my son, too.
and-and, Caleb, the Lord has called
himl"
He's only a little shaver yet Let
him try the school in the city for
year r So goin and comm on the rail-
roads, nights and mornin's, like the
Majors granddaughter After that, we
might see.'
Thomas jefferson took his last after
noon for a ramble in the fields and
woods beyond the manor-house in that
part Of the valley as yet unfurrownH
10y the industrial plow. 1t was not O..
old love Of the solitudes that called
him; it was rather a sore-hearted de-
sire to go apart and give place to all
the hard thoughts that were bubbling
and boiling within.
A long circuit over the boundary hills
brought him at length to the little glade
with the pool in its center where he
had been fishing for perch on that day
when Ardea and the great dog had
come to make him backslide. He Won
dered if she had ever forgiven him.
Most likely she had not She never
seemed to think him greatly worth
while when they happened to meet.
He was sitting on the overhanging
bank, just where he had sat that other
day, when suddenly history repeated
itself. There was a rustling in the
bushes; the Great Dane bounded out,
thought not as before to stand men
acing; and when he turned his head
she was there near him.
"Oh, it's you, is it?" she said, coolly;
and then she called to the dog and dmade
as if she would go away. But Thomas
Jefrerson's heart was full, and full
hearts are soft.
you needn't rum" he hazarded. Il
reckon l amt going to bite you l
don't feel much like biting anybody To-
day. I'm going to be preacher"
"You?" she said with the frank and
unsympathetic surprise Of childhood
Then politeness came to the rescue and
she added I'm sorry for that, too, il
you are wanting me to be. Only /
should think it would be fine to wear
long black robe and pretty white sur
plice, and TO learn to sing the prayers
beautifully, and all that"
Thomas Jefferson was honestly hor-
riGed, and he looked it.
"Pd like to know what in the world
you're talking about" he said
About your being a minister, Of
course. Only in France they call them
priests Of the church"
The boys lips went together in q
fine straight line Not for nothing did
the blood of many generations Of Prot
estants flow in his veins. Priest" was
a Popish word.
"The Pope Of Rome is antichristl" h0
declared, authoritatively.
She seemed only politely interested.
rs he? ] didn't know" Then, with
a tactfulness worthy Of graver years,
she drew away from the dangerous
topic. when are you going?"
ITO morrow"
rs it far?"
Yes; it's an awful long ways"
Never mind; you'll be coming back
after a. while and then we'll he friends