Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-03-02


: x. A oUARTER OF A CENTURY
E It Is a quarter Of 3 century since
stopped writing this Diary and put th
D thing out Of my sight. Circumstance
mace me want 20 look through it again
and there Il WAS IA the gaFret, between
the same two boards Of waxcloth wher.
had kept It hidden from ChrisslIly Il
the days Of my windy youth. I hac
forgotten that Il was written on sermor
paper, and such dereliction from pro-
priety disturbs my conscience nov
even more than the vapours set down II
1t about the Roman woman.
i OF course. I am aware now that she
never existed. have been aware all
these twenty-five years that was the
one who went queer and not the self
sacrificing Christilly. and It wns 10
watch me that the man Laurie was
brought TO the manse, and that the
story the Old Lady told me was in
vented for her by Dr. John. Ny two
good friends had to work their way
through thorns TO clear my disordered
mind, but they managed it by the time
the glen road had come up again like a
spring flower.
I was long bedded with colds and
Threats. for which the doctor blamed
the burn and In that quiet time gct
rid Of all my decisions except once in
the middle Of my convalescence, when
I escaped everybody and made for the
sheep bield TO decide for certain that
the basket was not still there. I dug
for 1t with my hands as II there had
once been 8 basket, and the only re-
suit Of my senseless escapade was that
1t retarded my recovery for another
month.
left the glen for good early in Aug
ust just before the return Of the En-
glish, with whom. though I liked them
well, had no desire to have further
discourse about Diaries or what may
seem to happen when the glen is lock- /
ed. have had two charges since /
gave up my first, and for eighteen
years have been minister IN the
flourishing place IN a mining district.
Two years after my call married
a lady Of this neighborhood, and It has
been a blessed union, for my Nina Is
one In thousand and the children
grow In grace. / ten Nina everything
except about the Roman, that being
passage in my life that never took
place, nor have I sufficient intellect
10 be able to speak about It without
doing so as II it we're real.
I am thankful to say that the Ro-
nan Is to me as If she never had been,
md Of course she never was, that Just
being slip Of the pen. A Scottish
minister has few topcoats in his life,
md when any old clothes win do
sometimes still wear the one that is
n the Diary.
Many a time have been out In the
I'd topeGat without remembering how J
Iretty she looked IN It; and this Is ma
ural for she never was In it.
have only once revisited my first I
barge, and 1t was a month ago. 9
tayed night at Branders with Or. {
ohm, who has got q partner. My old 9
riends hold on life Is now little more {
han bats TO a shutter; but he win o
all be at it, and some day suppose
e will be found sitting twisted IN a I
rift, which Is how he would like his y
nd TO be. q
I walked down the glen through the b
Gather. solitary, unless It may be y
I'D that In q sense the young Adam z
had been walked with me. The En- II
ish were on the hills, though they o.
ere not my English. lay for two n
ghts In the old manse, and preached %
Vice. They were not great sermons, "
1t are held by some TO be my two
st. The lad that once was thought
mself gifted preacher. but the man
} became knows better; which Is
,thing TO boast Of, for there is naught
at houks the spirit from you so much
knowing better.
Mr.. GALLAGHER, who Is the new min
ier, the second IN succession to me-
rs preaching at Branders, and his
fe, a genteel thick lady. sat in my old
", nearest the door. GALLAGHER was
~ civil, but he is not the kind of
IA, think, that the Old Lady would
We waved goodnight TO with her
ndow-b blind. She, Of course, has been
ay with It this many year. There
q new postman, who. It's said, has
ldged distance equal 10 round the
't&u hlACG tue uhJo VI NY rusty
ristilly is married on a provision
reliant In Ireland, and once a year
IDS me a present OF eggs with
.er enqulring very guardedly about
health. Joanna Minch and the lass
re gone to some other glen.
he only faces could give a name
n the Five Houses are the smith and
Of his sons. That once lusty man
low an old carl sitting on his dyke,
ing reached that terrible time for
scotsman Of knowing that he wiz
er be allowed by his offspring to do
Their days work for ever and ever.
TO give him an hours pride,
2 let him wheel barrow Of man
here have been great changes at
manse inside and out One hard
nowns the study now, for there Is
II torment the fireplace. They burn
There is an erection containing
'reign plant on the identical spot
re the Roman sat when she drew