The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-12-04

revelations. and they forgot how he
had awakened their spiritual life at
the first Of his preaching. Your father
was always n stanch believer. but
when be started on bis mission and
went to Parsons3eld to help Elder
Cochrane in his meetings the neigh
bors began to criticise him. They
doubted him. You were too young to
realize 1t. but l did. and It almost broke
my heart"
II was nearly twelve years old. Do
you think l escaped all the gossip.
mother?"
you never spoke Of it to me. Ivory"
mo. there Is much that l never spoke
Of to you. mother. but some time when
you grow stronger and your memory IL
better we will talk together. Do you re-
member the winter. long after father
went away. that Parson Lane sent me
to Fairfield academy to get enough
Greek and Latin to make me a school,
mastery"
EYES," she answered uncertainty.
"Don't you remember ] got a free
ride downriver one Friday and came
home for Sunday. just to surprise you?
And when l got here l found you III
in bed. with Mrs. Mason and DR..
Perry taking care Of you. You could
not speak. you were so III. but they
told me you had been up in New
Hampshire to nee your sister. that she
had died. and that you had brought
back her boy. who was only four years
old. That was Rod. took him into
bed with me that night. poor. home
sick little fellow. and. as you know.
mother he's never left us since"
II didn't remember l had a sister.
Is she dead. lvory?" asked Mrs. Boyn-
ton vaguely.
III she were not dead do you sup
pose you would have kept Rodman
with us when We hadn't bread enough
for our " two mouths. motherY
questioned Ivory patiently.
mo. Of purse not. l can't think
how l can be so forgetful. It's worse
sometimes than others. It's worse to-
day because ! knew the mayhowers
were blooming. and that reminded me
it was time for your father to come
home. You must forgive me. dear.
and will you excuse me II l sit in the
kitchen awhile? The window by the
side door looks out toward the road.
and If l put a candle on the sill it
shines quite a distance. The lane is
such a long one. and your father was
| always q sad stumbler in the dark! l
shouldn't like him to think l wasn't
looking for him when he's been gone
since January"
Ivory's pipe went out. and his book
| slipped from his knee unnOticed.
His mother was more confused than
usual. but she always was when
spring came to remind her of her hus
bands promise. Somehow. well used
as he was to her mental wanderings,
they made him uneasy tonight. His
father had left home on q fancied mis-
sion. a duty he believed to be a revela-
ton given by God through Jacob Coch-
rane. The farm did not miss him
much at first. Ivory reflected bitter
~, for since his fanatical espousal Of
Cochranism his fathers interest in
such mundane matters as household
expenses had diminished month by
month until they had no meaning for
him at all. Letters to wife and boy
had come at first, but after six months.
during which he had written from
many places. continually deferring the
date Of his return, they had ceased al
together. The rest was silence. Ru.
mors of his presence here or there
came from time to time; but, though
Parson Lane and DR.. Perry did their
best. none of them were ever substan-
tiated.
Where had those years Of wandering
been passed. and had they all been
given even to an imaginary and fan
tastic service of God? Was his father
dead? If be were alive. what could
keep him from writing? Nothing but
a very strong reason or a very wrong
one, so his son thought at times.
Since Ivory had grown to mans e.
tate he understood that in the later
days Of Cochrane's preaching his wi.
sions." inspirations" and "revela-
tons" concerning the marriage bond
were a trife startling from the old
fashioned, orthodox point Of view. His
most advanced disciples were to hold
themselves In readiness to renounce
their former VOWS and seek spiritual
c~onsorts," sometimes according to his
advice, sometimes as their inclinadons
prompted.
Had Aaron Boynton forsaken will
ingly the wife Of his youth, the moth
er Of his boy? Il 20 he must have re-
allied to what straits he was subject.
ing them. Ivory had not forgotten
those first few years Of grinding pow
erty. anxiety and suspense. His moth
er's mind had stood the strain bravely,
but 1t gave way at last; not, however.
until that fatal winter journey to New
Hampshire, when cold, exposure and
fatigue did their worst for her weak
body. Religious enthusiast. exalted and
impressionable, a natural mystic. she
had probably always been. far more so