Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-27
CHAPTER II
The Boyhood Of Victor Stowell


IN The Boyhood Of Victor Stoweli
.nEEMsTER STOWELL was the only
~ surviving member Of an old Manx
family. They had lived for years beyond
n.mory at Ballamoar (the Great Place)'
An estate Of nearly a thousand acres on
n. .eaward angle Of the Currnsh lands
which lie along the northwest OF the
,i,land. The fishermen say the great
Gulf Stream which sweeps across the
Atlantic strikes the Manx coast at that
,lbow. Hence the tropical plants which
,,ow in the open at Ballatnoar. and also
,h. clouds Of snow white mist which too
Sciten hang over 1t, hiding the house and
{Shs lands around, and making the tower
n a. .inrby Church on the edge of the
cli6 look like a lighthouse fnr out al
seA.
& The mansion house, in the Deemster's
dsy. was a ramshackle old place which
Sore signs Of having been altered and
added to by many generations OF his
hmlly. 1t stood back to the sea and
hcins a broad md undulating lawn.
which was bordercd by lofty elms that
were inhabited by undisturbed colonies
Of rocks. From terrace behind, open.
ing out Of the dining room. there was
q far view on clear days OF the Null OF
Galloway to the north, and OF the Mornc
Mountains to the west. People used to
THE Stowells have caught a snatch
Of the Irish and the Scotch in their
Nanx blood"
The Deemster was sixty years OF age
at that time A large, spare man with
On almost Jovian white head. clean.
shaven face. powerful yet melancholy
eyes, bold vet sensitive features and long
yet delicate hands--a strong, silent,
digni6ed. rather solemn personality.
\ He was q man of the highest integ.
rity. Occupying an office too often as
sociated, in his time. with various forms
,M corruption, the breath OF scandal
never touched him. He was q lesisia'
nember Of the little Manx Parliament,
has In his double capacity lao liable. to
u6use) nobody with doubtful scheme
would have dared to approach him.
"What does the old Deemster say?'
1.-THE answer to that question often set.
tied dispute, for nobOl " thought Of
appealing against his judgment.
'Justice is the strongest and most
mcred thing on earth''-that was his
( motto. and he lived up to it.
His private life had been saddened
by great sorrow. He married, rather
late in life, q young Englishwoman, out
Of Cumberland-a gentle creature with
3 kind of moonlight beauty. She died
four or five years afterward and the
Manx people knew little about her. To
the last they called her the stranger"
The Deemster bore his loss In charac.
tsristic silence. Nobody intruded OH his
sorrow, or even entered his house, but
on the day Of the funeral half "the
north lined the long grass grown road
irom the back gates Of Ballamoar 10 tho
littl q wind swept churchyard over
against the sea. He thanked none of
them and saluted none, but his head
was low as his coach passed through.
Next day he took his Court as usual.
and from that day onward nobody saw
any difference In him. But long after
ward, Janet Curphey, the lady house,
keeper at Ballamoar, was heard to say
70 the village postofice. which was also
the grocers shop. that every morning
alter breakfast the Deemster had put
4 vase Of fresh cut flowers on the writ.
Ing desk In his library under his young
wites portrait, until it was now
white.haired man who was making his
aaily Offering to the picture of a young
woman.
Jaw, yes. Mrs. Clucas, yes! And
vhat did 1t matter to the woman to be
4 stranger when she was loved like
4. The Stranger" had left a child, and
tals had been at once the tragedy and
me triumph Of lrer existence. Although
an ancient family of exceptional lon
sssny the stowells had carried on their
race BY very thin line. One child,
rarely two, never three, and only one
scn At any time-that had been all
mat mad stood from generation 10 gen.
Grafton between the family name and
extinction. After three years Of child
!sesness the Deemster wife had realised
tee peril, and, for her husbands saks,
Dssln to pray for a son. With all her
se9l she prayed for him. The fervor
q her prayers made her n devoutly re.
ylous woman. When her hope looked
me certainty her joy was that Of an
sngei rejoicing in the goodness and
Steatness and glory Of God. But BY
!nat time the sword had almost worn out
scabbard. She had fought a great
pInt and under the fire OF her spirit
her body had begun to fail.
,Tne Deemster had sent for famous
rnysiGlans and some of them had shaken
u. She may get through it; but VIC
.Is' take care, your Honor; we must
Beneath his calm exterior the Deem.
~ had been torn by the red strife of
nnictlng hopes, but his wife had only
20 one desire. When her dread hour
Ime she met it with a shining face.
NV son was born and he was to live,
oSt she was dying. At the last moment
Me asked for her husband, aud drew
ny head down to her.
eonquered. "' ""'
~ was then that the lady housekeepcr
Sok service at Ballamoar. Janet Chr.
Rnsy was the last relic of n Hssvcd
,;hA family that had fallen Oh evil !
tmes, and having lost all she had comv
NJ nie. She quickly developed an nj.
ost slave like devotion to the Deem.
NJ curing her first twenty years She
~ vu,n never allow anybody else to wait |
him at table, as well as a motberlv |
tSse Tor his motherless little one. T'hc |
sna called her his mother, nobody cor.
aim' and for years he knew moth. |
TO the contrary. "''"
grew to be braw and bright |
TXe man, and was idOlized by every.
cy. having no relations of his own.
ept mother" and the Deemstsr h:
sssxed everybody else's. Bobbie. the
aSs.-sen cf the BaNsmsar farmsr
oA AfRrw hstwesn the manaloa. !