River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-10-07
CHAPTER xI-contlnued.

CHAPTER XI-Contlnued
FOR just one second the rector's
nother felt an impulse 70 shake Tod
Boyd. Gail Sargent was a young lady
If whom any young man might APP
proye-and what was the matter with
Tod1 She was beginning to be humili-
ated by the fact that, at thirty-two, he
had not lost his head and made fool
of himself. to the point Of tight shoes
and poetry, over girl.
'Why?" and the voice of Mrs. Boyd
was not cold as she had meant 1t to
be- She had suddenly felt some tug of
sympathy for Tod.
We'll, for one thing, she has most
disagreeable lack OF reverence" he
stated.
Reverence" and Mrs. Boyd knitted
her brows. Il don't believe you quite
understand her She has the most
beautifully simple religious faith that
have ever seen, Tod"
The Rev. Smith Boyd watched his
soup disappearing, as If it were some
tention had just been called.
Miss Sargent claims to have a new
religion, he observed. "She has said
most unkind things about Market
Square church She says that it is 4
strictly commercial institution, and
that its motive in desiring to build the
new cathedral is vanity"
He omitted to mention Calls further
charge that his own motive in desiring
the new cathedral was personal ambi-
ton. Candor did not compel that ad-
mission. It did not become him to act
from piqued personal pride.
Mrs Boyd studied him as he gazed
somberly at his fish, and the twinkIes
once more returned to her eyes, as
she made up her mind to cure Tod's
rritability.
Il am ashamed Of YOU" she told her
son. This girl is scarcely twenty If
l remember rightly, and I'm sure that
I do, you came to me, at about twenty,
and confessed to a logical disbelief in
the theory Of creation, which included,
of course, a disbelief in the Creator
You were an infidel, an atheist You
were going to relinquish your studies
and give up all thought of the church"
The deep red Of the Rev. Smith
Boyd's face testified to the truth of
this cruel charge, and he pushed back
his fish permanently.
Il most humbly confess" he stated,
4
many times over that remembrance
However, mother, / have since dis
covered that to be a transitional stage
through which every theological stu.
dent passes"
Yet you won't allow it to a girl"
charged Mrs. Boyd. with the severity
which she could much better have ex-
pressed with a laugh when you dis
cover that this young lady. who seems
to be in every way delightful, is so
misled as to criticize the motives Of
Market Square church, you withdraw
into your dignity. with the privilege of
a layman, and announce that you do
not approve of her. What she needs,
Tod. is religious instruction"
She had carefully ironed out the
tiny little wrinkles around her blue
eyes by the time her son looked up
from the profound cogitaSion into
which this reproof had thrown him.
Mother. | have been wrong" he
admitted, and he seemed ever so
much brighter for the confession. He
drew his fish toward him and ate it.
Later the Rev. Smith Boyd present
ed himself at James Sargent's house,
with new light shining in his heart;
and he had blue eyes. He had come
to show Gail the way and the light.
If she had doubts. and lack of faith,
and fippant irreverence, it was his
dltv to be patient with her, for this
was the fault of youth. He had been
youthful himself.
Calls eyelids dropped and the cor
ners of her lips twitched when Rev
Smith Boyd's name was brought up
to her. but she did her hair in another
way. high on. her head instead OF low
on her neck, and then she went down
bewildering in her simple little dark
blue velvet cut round at the neck.
al was afraid that your voice wa:
ont. !" remarked Gail, in a tone sug
eestive ot the fact that that would be
tragedy indeed, and she began haul