Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-03-18

close corporation, the PreSbreyS and
God.
Just outside the little private fold
were the Blagdens. After them, the
congregation of the First Congregation
al church of Corinth.
1t already has been said that MIR.
Presbrey employed himself in the pleas
ant occupation of developing other peo-
pies children. His wife, it may be
added, also took a hand in such affairs.
She had never cared to have children
OF her own. This, perhaps, was a for
tunate thing for Mr.. Presbrey's peace
or mind. 1t would have beer most dis
tressing, even dismaying, IL she had
wanted them.
Again, ] repeat, Mr.. Presbrey was a
very good man. He will bear watch
Ing.
lie was tall. spare, so and ascetic.
You could not have mistaken his long,
thin. aquiline nose for the property OF
any but a sanity man, nor could his
closely cropped side whiskers, extend
ing below h lobes of the ears, have
belonged to a less exalted personality.
Somtimes we confuse our own less care
ful ministers with overly importunate
iightning-rod agents or insurance So
ilc1tors-once in a while, to our sor-
row, with book ~agents-but we would
not have taken Mr.. Presbrey, by any
conceivable chance, for anything but
~ AN "oo AiA yet, uGSDlIe ILL QUIZ
ward appearance of rigid self govern-
ment and exactitude, he possessed a
certain form of weakness that is ap-
parent IN most of us, no matter how
strong minded We pretend to be. He
was not above listening to the advice
and counsel of his wife. 1 betray a Sc
cret, OF course. when 1 say that Mr..
Presbrey first too his burdens to MS
wife, and then to God. l will not go
so far as to say that IL she had pooh
poohed them as ~trlfles, he would not
nave them in his prayers, but
1T Is quite certain thai he would have
gone about 1t p~erfunctorily.
If Mrs. Presbrey had searched the
world over for a mate, she could not
have succeeded In finding one more
compatible than he. L do not pretend
to know how far afield she searched,
nor how long 1t was before she came
to him, but 1t is reasonable to suspect
that she had made some endeavor. She
was 40 when he married her and she
had led the bible class In his Sunday
school for at least 10 years before the
miracle came to pass. Corinth was her
birthplace. so, 1 fancy. she did not find
1t necessary to venture far from home.
She believed in the efficacy Of prayer.
That Is why she received the belated
blessing In the shape Of MIR. Presbrey.
For 15 long years she had prayed with
sAA ~AAo ~ III Iou = OlGSSIIlS. ILL.,
well as His wrath, is often delayed be-
yond all understanding. but it we &C
cept Mrs. Presbrey's spiritual persist
ency as an example, our minds may be
at rest as to the virtue of the admonl-
ton: Ask n ye shall receive"
1t Is only natural to suppose that the
excellent Presbreys a gone into the
problem OF the Midthorne children quite
thoroughly before presenting them
selves on the hill, some 10 minutes prior
to the Blagden's dinner hour. Mrs
Presbrey made 1t a point never to be
late for anything. She avoided all pos
sibility Of such an o%ccurance by being
punctually ahead Of time. So. When
they sat down to table at z o'clock,
they were prepared to give all the
Christian advice that the occasion and
Its exigencies demanded.
Mr.. Presbrey looked askance at Chef
wynd while the dessert was being
v 1t was what is commonly called
float" Mrs. Blagden. intercepting the
look, directed a questioning glance at
her husband. Horace looked at the
crystal chandelier for a moment, and
Their said:
Run along now, Chetwynd."
I want some more float" said Chef
wynd.. who knew they were holding
something back.
Mrs. Presbrey sighed. Then she asked
casually enough:
Have your sisters children gone to
bed?'
Horace cringed. He always cringed
when they were spoken OF as his sis
ter's children. 1t never occurred to him
that it would have sounded awkward
IL one asked: How are Mr.. Midthorne's
children?" or Are the late Mr.. Mid
thorne's children coming to Sunday
school?" The worst of It was he could
not deny that they were, his sisters
children.
mo. Mrs. Presbrey. they have not"
he replied. He pondered for q moment.
Then he passed his smooth, white hand
across his chin. ''That reminds me. I
want to speak to you about them, Pres
brey. The time has come-er-ahem!
when 1t seems advisable for us to ac-
quaint then with h unhappy condi-
lions surrounding their pabyhood. They
should not be allowed to grow up in
hereditary influences. They must be
prepared. II it is In power to pre-
pare them. for the perils Of that mis-
cradle heritage. We do not want them
to go on unconsciously developing the
I-the-er,-what shall I say?-the faults
of their parents"
MI. Presbrey's blue eyes lighted up.
MY prayers are never complete
without an earnest plea in behalf of
those dear Children he said. II he
had taken the trouble to look, he might
have seen a certain Tightening Of the
lines about Mrs. Blagden's lips. Mrs,
Presbrey,i more observing, saw the
change in her hostess expression. She
fastened to apologize for the careless
use of the adjective.
"All children are dears." she ex-
planned.
/" Suffer little children to come unto
Me, '"-began Mr.. Presbrey absently.
Chetwynd snickered. A warm red
surged to the speakers cheeks and
brow, causing his wife to start with
amazement. She had not known there
was 30 much blood in him.
What we should do" remarked Hor-
ace blandly, lis this: we should put
the situation clearly to Eric. He is
IL years old and bright as a dollar. No
one can gainsay that. T daresay nary
would not be sufficiently impressed at
her present age. Perhaps we'd better
walt in her case
II thought you wanted to save both
OF 'em." put In Chetwynd rashly.
"Chetwyn!" exclaimed his father
and mother In unison.
There - q saying" added MI. Pres.
|brey, In whom resentment still rankled
that children should be seen, or some
thing to. that effect" It was a very
dQr4nr rona RI f0p him ~ v,okn dt E1'