The state herald., 1915-07-09
CHAPTER TX.

CHAPTER TX.
Christmas came to Misery wrapped
In drab mantle Of desolation. At
the cabin Of the Widow Miller Sally
was sitting alone before the logs. She
laid down the slate and spelling book.
over which her forehead had been
strenuously puckered, and gazed some
what mournfully into the blaze. Sally
had secret. 1t was a secret which she
based on faint hope. II Samson
should come back to Misery he would
come back full Of new notions. No
man had ever yet returned from that
outside world unaltered No man ever
would. A terrible premonition said he
would not come at all. but. II he did
II he did-she must know how to read
and write. Maybe, wheh she had
learned Dt;ie more. she might even
go to sch,ol for term or two.
The cramped and distorted chirog-
raphy on the slate was discouraging
1t was all proving very hard work. The
girl gazed for time at something she
saw in the embers. and then faint
smile came to her lips. BY next Christ
mas she would surprise Samson with a
letter II should be well written. and
every "hain't" should be an isn't"
The normal human mind is a res
srvoir which fills at n rate OF speed
regulated by the number and caliber
OF Its feed pipes. Samson's mind had
long been almost empty. and now from
so many sources the waters of new
things were rushing in upon It that
under their pressure It must fill fast.
or give away.
He was saved from hopeless com.
plications OF thought by sanity
which was willing to assimilate with.
out too much effort TO anhlyze. The
boy from Misery was presently less
bizarre TO the eye than many OF the
unkempt bohemians he met in the life
Of the studios. men who Quarreled
garrulously over the end and aim OF
Art. which they spelled with 4 capt.
tai A-and. for the most part, knew
nothing Of He retained. except with.
in a small circle OF intimates. . silence
that passed for taciturnity. and a
solemnity OF visage that WAS often
construed into surly egotism.
He still wore his hair long. and,
though his conversation gradually
sloughed on much OF its idiom and
vulgarism. enough OF the mountaineer
stood out to lend to his personality 4
SAVIOR OF the crudely picturesque.
Meanwhile he drew and read and
studied and walked. and every days
Advancement was q forced march.
Lescott. tremendously interested In his
experiment. began to fear that the
boys too great somberness OF dispo-
sition would defeat the very earnest.
ness from which II sprans. So one
morning tho landscape-maker called
on a friend whom he rightly believed
10 be the wisest man. and the great
est humorist in New York.
II want your help" said Lescott
Il vnEt you to meet friend OF mine
and take him under your wing in =
fashion. He needs you"
The stout mans face clouded. A few
years ago he had been peddling his
manuscripts with the heart.sickDess OF
unsuccessful middle age. To-day men
coupled his name with those OF Kip
ling and De Maupassant One OF his
antIpnthies was meeting people who
songht to llonize him. Lescott read
the expression. and. before his host
hnd time to object. swept into his rc-
citai
At the end he summarized:
The artist In much like the setter
nun. II It's In him. It's as instructive
M n dogs nose But TO become ON
Glen, bo must 10 ancld with u steady
veteran OF his own breed"
81 knowi" The great man. who was
also the simple man. smiled rcminis.
Gently. They tried 10 teach me TO
herd sheep when my nose was itching
for bird country. Bring on your man;
I want TO know him"
Samson was told nothing Of tho BE-
n,yoicnt conspiracy. but one evening
shortly later he found himself sitting
Al n cafe table With his sponsor and
a stout man. almost as silent an him
.c,f Tho stout man responded with
something like churlish ,sciturniv
IN the half dozen men and women who
came over With batteries but latcf.
~hss the IN ~as left alone. bis lace