The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1922-12-22

ne talked OF Emerson, with whom he
Lad spoken face to face in Concord
in that whitest of houses. When
Ware had described his interview
with the poet he was silent for a
moment. then he refilled his pipe.
TITS odd,' he continued, "but I've
picked up copies of Emerson's books
in queer places. Not so strange either;
it seems the natural thing to find
loose pages on his essays around in
old logging-camps. did Just that
once, when I was following Thoreau's
trail through the Maine woods. Some
fellow had pinned a page of Com
pensation' on the door of a cabin I
struck one night when 1t was mighty
good to find shelteri-the pines sing
ing, snowstorm coming on. That leaf
was pretty well weather-stained;
| carried it off with me and had It
framed-hangs in my house now.
Another time I was doing California
| on horseback, and in an abandoned
shack in the Sierras I found Emer-
sons Poems'-and old COPY that
somebody had thumbed a good deal.
1 polIed it out of some rubbish and
came near making a fire of it. Left
it, though, for the next fellow. I've
noticed that IL one thing Ike that
happens to you there's bound to be
another. Is that superstition, Thatch-
er? I'm net superstitious,-not
particularly,-but we've all got some
Of it in our hides. After that second
t1rne-1t was away back in the
seventies. when I was preaching for
spell in 'F'risco-I kept looking for
the third experience that felt would
come"
"Oh. Of course it did conner cried
Allen eagerly.
Well, that third time Il wasn't a
loose leaf torn out and stuck on a
plank, or just an old weather-stained
book; It was a copy that had been
specially bound-a rare piece of
work. I don't care particularly for
fine bindings. but that had been done
with taste,-a dark green,-the color
you get looking across the top OF a
pine wood and it seemed appropriate.
Emerson would have liked It him
self"
The shestiron stove had grown red
hot and HARDWOOD flung upon the door,
The glow from the fire fell full upon
the dark, rugged face and the white
mar OF tbs minister, who was sitting
on & soap box with his elbows on
his knees. In g gray flannel shirt he
looked Hike a lumber1nan of the
North An unusual tenderness had
stolen into his lean. Indian-lke face.
That was long while after that
rfde in the sierr9s. Let me see, #
was mora than twenty years ago-I
can't Just place the year; no dit
ference. Ia gone up into the Adiron.
| dacks to see my folks. I told Won
/ about our farm once, Allen.-not far
from John Browns old place. NV
folks were all gone even then, and
strangers lived IN my fathers house
From the old place I move along.
walking and canoeing It. Stopped on
Saturday in settlement where there
was a church that hadn't been
preached in since anybody could re
member. Preached for EN- on Sun.
day. An old Indian died. while
was there, and I baptized and buried
him. But that wasn't what kept me.
There was a young woman staying
at the small clearinghouse where /
stoppad-place run by a man and his
wife. Stranger had brought her there
early IN the summer. City people-
they told the folks they came from
New York They were young. we'll
appearing folks-at least the girl was.
! The man had gone off and leit her
there, and she was going to have q
child soon and was terribly III. They
called me in one day when they
/ thought the woman was dying. The
country doctor wasn't much good-an
old fellow who didn't know that any
thing particular had happened in his
profession since Harvey discovered
the circulation Of the blood. 1 struck
on TO Saranac and got city doctor to
go and look at the woman. Nice chan
he WAS, too. He stayed there till the
woman's- troubles were over. Daugh.
ter born and everything ali right. She
| never mentioned the man who had
left her there. Wouldn't answer the
| doctors questions and didn't tell me
anything. either. Strange business.
/ just to drop IN on a thing like that"
It occurred to HARDWOOD that this
| big, gray, kindly man had probably
| looked upon many dark pictures In
his life. The minister appeared to be
| talking half to himself, and there had
been abrupt pauses in his character.
istically jerky recital. There was a
| long silence which he broke by strik-
ing his hands together abruptly. and
shaking his head.
"The man that kept the boarding
house was scared for fear the woman
wasn't straight; didn't like the idea
Of having strange girl with a baby
| left on his hands. I had to reason
some with that fellow; but his wife
was all right, and did her full duty
| by the girl. She was mighty pretty
young girl, and she took her troubles,
whatever they were, like what you'd
call a true sport, Ed"
| Thatcher, stretched out on a camp
bed at the side Of the room, chewing
a cigar, grunted.
Well" the minister continued, ct
was around there about three weeks:
put in all my vacation there. Fact
| is I hated to go off and leave that
| girl until I was sure couldn't do any.
| thing for her. But she was getting
out Of the woods before I left, and l
offered to help her any way I could.
! She didn't seem to lack for money; 4
couple Of letters with money came for
| her, but didn't seem to cheer her much.
There was a beast in the jungIe-no
doubt Of that-but she was taking
good care to hide him. Didn't seem TO
care much about taking care OF her