The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-03-11

her own thought Thus far her vaga.
ries had never made her unjust 10 any
human creature. She was uniformly
sweet and gentle In speech and de
meanor
"why do you talk OF Rods visiting
Us when he Is one Of the famtyY'
Ivory asked quietly.
us he one OF the familyf I didn't
know IT," replied his mother absentiy.
look at me. mother. straieht In the
eye. That's right. Now listen. dear.
to what I say"
Mrs. Boyntons hair. that had been
In her youth like an aureole Of corn
silk. was now a strange yellow white,
and her blue eyes looked cut from her
pale facs with a helpless appeal
"You and ! were living alone here
after fnther went away" Ivory began
Il was a little boy. you know. You
and father had saved something. there
was the farm, you worked like a slave.
I helped. ana we lived somehow. d.
you rememberr'
Il do indeed IL was cold and the
netghbors were cruel. Jacob Cochraue
had gone away. and his disciples were
not always true to him when the
magnetism OF his presence was with.
drawn they could not follow all his
revelations. and they forgot how be
had awakened their spiritual life at
the erst Of his preaching Your facber
was always stanch believer. but
when he started on his mission and
went to ParsonsneId TO help Elder
Cochrane In his meetings the neigh
bors besan to criticise him. They
doubted him. You were too young to
realize II but did. and It almost broke
my heart
81 wus<neerfy twelve yeau old. Do
voc think l escaped all the gossip.
motberr'
"ros never spoke OF Il to me. Ivory"
NO. there n much that never spoke
a to you. mother. but some time when
you grow stronger and your memory Is
beet@ 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
masterr'
YES" she answered uncertainty.
Don't you remember ! got q free
ride downriver one Friday and came
home for Sunday. Just to surprise youi
And when I got here ! found you I'll
IN bed. with Mrs Mason and DIR.
Perry. taking care Of you. You could
uof snoak vou nara - tii h.,t the
told me you had been up In New
Hampshire to see 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. a. yoa know.
mother hes never left US since"
Il DIDN'T remember I had q sister
Is she deed IvoryT asked Mrs Boyn
ton vaguely.
IF she were not dead DO you sup |
pose you would have kept RodmnL
with Us when we hadn't bread enough |
for our own two mouths. mother
questioned Ivory patiently.
NO. OF course not l can't think
how can be so forgetful. It's worse
sometimes than Others. It's worse to
day because I knew the maynowers
were blooming. and that reminded me
IL was time for your father to com.
home. You must forgive me. dear.
and will you excuse me II sit In the
kitchen awhile? The window by the
side door looks out toward the road
and II I put a candle on the sill II
shines quite a distance The lane Is
such long one. and your father was
always a sad stumbler In the dark.
shouldn't like him to think | wasn't
looking for him when he's been gone
since January"
Ivory's pipe went out and his book
slipped from bis knee unnotlced.
His mother was more confused than
usual. but she always was when
'prng came TO remind her OF her bus.
bands promise. Somehow. well used
Is he was to her mental wandsriugs
hey made him uneasy tonight His
'ather had left home on q fancied mis-
hon. q duty he believed to be a sev-ls.
Ion given by God through Jacob Coch.
-ane The farm did not miss hin
much at hrst. Ivory reflected bitter
y. for since his fnnatical espousaI OF
cochranism his fathers interest In
Iuch mundane matters as household
expenses had diminished month by
month until they had no meaning for
lin, at all Letters 10 wife and boy
,sd come e. frst. but after six months.
Turing which he had written from
many places. continually deferring the :
late OF his return. they bad ceased al.
ogether The rest was silence Ru Q
nors Of bis presence here or there :
ame from time TO time: but. though !
larson Lane and DIR. Perry did their
nest. none Of them were ever substan 7,
lated.
Where had those years OF wandering .
'een passed. and had they all BEEN
tven even 70 an imaginary and fan B
astic service OF God? Was his father /
leadl II he were alive, what could B
leep him from vriting, Nothing but
very strong reason or q very wrong I
me- 10 his son thought at times