The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-06-07

Z. !. !. !. 1" !" !. I. : q !. / !. !. i. . / 4
I - twenty y-hve years before when Sophie
H@&@H Bnrchell had taken the little orphan boy
Z f@@A into her home It had been her fir, ac-
/ EM 4 WI ton, they remembered, after the death
t&A&l Of her invalid father had invested her
u H#& \ sapped and sober middle age wth a
tardy, an almost unbe coming freedom.
oun90 And she had no trcmblingy
<z4ca gained her secure possession OF the lttle
CD Stephen than from every direction pati-
tudes OF approval drifted toward her.
Slaernly mothers who had ihemseNes
bred big families without development in thems elves
OF heroic yirtues loud to predict that the re-
sponsibihty a child would work miracle for the
lonely woman The kindlier of Sophies neighbors
had agreed thar it would give her something to
live for; the others. less grsciously than it would
give her Something TO do Nobody would have
gone lar 10 assert that the arrangement would
benefit the boy for like the rest Of the world Wray
ford had its sneer for "od maids children; but
Wraytord could for itself that lean, sober little
Stephen seemed, ii ever child was, adapted to his
destiny. lie had belonged to that less lovely hall
OF the adolescent race in which one misses, from
very birth, the beautiful completeness OF infancy;
children who are incomplete adults merely, whose
too sharply nodded faces wear the anxious presage
OF things t5 Come; whose little months are set and
whose eyes barren OF dreams. are impatient for
maturity Even at the age OF four, you could have
detected infant impishness in Stephens already
well controlled character
Ii had, indeed been pattern of staid companion
ship that they had presented as Stephen trudged
dociley TO church by Miss Burches side. or sat
with his book while she seWed. helped her with
tier gardening. 1t had not seriously troubled his
foster parent as had the speculative OF her
Deighbors, that the child never naughty; it
quite plain that his dignity and good sense were
sufficient to keep him from irrational msdemeanor.
moreover, She believed that Stephen would keep
good BY virtue OF the quality OF her for him
for there dwelt within her secret OF the sort that
dali neighbors penetrate Miss Sophie had
deyout faith in her osn genius for motherhood; it
Was her one arrogance
Through many patient, unbessed years Sophie
Burchel had boarded as a poet might this belief in
her own divine capacity. Neither the tyranny OF
Adam Bnrchens long illness tife pity Of her own
Loneliness had family discourage il in her
Nor was this merely vague longing TO strain
laughing babies to her breast ii was the touching
certainty that she could trelessy cherish and wisely
care for them. 1t had been her strangely besetting
fear that she might yield her liIes too constant
danger Of growing warped thorny, as hard
pressed longs women will for she felt that
she must keep herself sound and strong and sweet
for the child hat would some day need her 1t did
not profoundly matter that the child could not be
her Every child that she saw Tor that matter
every pnny baby, every scrawny urchn. called out
the unstnted flow OF Sophie's maternal tenderness
Il opulent and overbrmming motherhood to
which Stephen Orth fell heir.
Whether Stephen would repay her as people said
for what she magnihcently gave him, was calcua-
tion that Sophie would have been the hast to make
there intimatioHs. after year
50, Of what onlookers considered an almost iniracu-
lous recompense. Stephen was not only dutifu lie
ali.v ~;T. y 4, - = ..L
what other children regarded as offensive ease the
tasks that his teachers almost deferentialy assigned
him and by the time he WAS eight years old his
fame student had gained him prestige in Wray-
ford Of which he himself precocously sensible.
But Stephen was as teachable in department a. IN
etrers and, mindful always Of Mis-, sophie. tender
salortaons, he wore his juvenile honors graciously
Ind bore himself toward hi. clders with tile respect
dat their years not aways their mental caliber
icJusrded iiis seli-pos es.ion had been born With
i'm ard slightly awkward a. he always Wa IN in
ercourse with chldren he always ready 70
SNAKE hands agreeably with any number vi adul,
sitors and describe to them hi, pleasure il attend
ng school Il was only natural that the question al
he childs future career should early come TO seem
matter OF public Importance; and Mis-. Sophie
ntire acquaintance experienced relief when long
fter the boys ninth birthday she was able to ia
orna them that stephen had momentousy chosen his
rofesaion. lie vas 10 become minister
cp TO this point Mi,. Sophie had borne her
recious burden with confident courage She had
lade all Stephen. clothes aw4ys with anxious
are that they were thick and large enough she had
-sousy nourished his body sfe had tsugh, him his
rayers; and in thousand ways had spent upon him.
ifh what discretion she could the passion OF her I
other-loye. Now it suddenly seemed 10 her that
le had not done enough. She had not taken the a
iiids gifts into sufficient account; and il was al /
ost blasphemous that she had allowed him 10 call e
n mother" There seemed no adequate help that 1
ch commonplace she felt herself 10 il
could give superior in preparing for the I
inistry." But Miss Sophie girded herself afreah u
week later she had decided that ii She could not 8
se Stephen spiritual reinforcement she could at a
lst educate him. It became known in Wrayford
At Sophie Burehell wished to take in sewing" S
Once started upon the formal part Of his I,
scsfon, Stephen found himself with singular ease h
here his classmates disappointed him. there were d
fzys professors that he found congenal He was, Il
CT ALI very little inconyenienced by Miss Sophies n