That boy of Newkirk's
Bates, Lizzie. [from old catalog]
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LOTHROP AND COMPANY, FRANKLIN ST., CORNER OF HAWLEY. COPYRIGHT BY D. LOTH ROP & CO. 1878. * • i CONTENTS. CHAPTER F. THE FIRST STEP CHAPTER II. CORDON’S FIRST VISIT HOME. CHAPTER III. REUNION CHAPTER IV. INASMUCH CHAPTER V. TEMPTED . . . .. CHAPTER VI. OLD FRIENDS AND NEW N 7 26 34 46 57 64 iii. IV. CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. UNVEILED PAGK . 78 CHAPTER VIII. THE QUESTION .... ... 88 CHAPTER IX. OUT OP THE HUTS. . 97 CHAPTER X. CONTENDING FORCES . 109 CHAPTER XI. AT HIS BEST .... . 118 CHAPTER XII. HELPING ALONG . 130 CHAPTER XIII. SMALL BEGINNINGS. . 138 CHAPTER XIV. ROUSING THE ENEMY . 146 CHAPTER XV. COUNTING THE COST . 152 CHAPTER XVI. COUNTER INFLUENCE .161 CONTENTS. V, CHAPTER XVII. DRIFTING 171 CHAPTER XVIII. FARTHER OUT *179 CHAPTER XIX. COMING TO HIMSELF . . . .193 CHAPTER XX. A NEW ATMOSPHERE .... 202 CHAPTER XXI. STEPPING HEAVENWARD .... 208 CHAPTER XXII. A NEW ENTERPRISE .... 220 CHAPTER XXIII. THE LAW AND THE TESTIMONY . . 22T CHAPTER XXIV. AN UNEXPECTED MEETING . . . 235 CHAPTER XXV. CONCLUSION 244 THAT BOY OF NEWKIRK’S. CHAPTER I. THE FIRST STEP. Y ALLOO, Gordon ! There’s a lot of us boys going over to the mill, trout fishing, come along ? ” The lad addressed was coming out of a smart looking grocery, with his arms filled with pack- 7 8 That Boy of Newkirk's, ages, to be stowed away in farm wagons drawn up before the door. He did not stop ; only a * swift look as lie said : “ If I had leisure, Frank, I would like to go.” “It is Saturday,” returned Frank, with a cer- tain independent air, as though the privilege might be claimed as a right. “Saturdays are our busiest days,” answered the young clerk, depositing his parcels with an eye to their reaching home in good condition. “ Just go and ask Mr. Newkirk,” plead Frank. “ Say to him you will bring home trout enough for supper, you may have all I catch.” “ Hurry up there ! Don’t be all day about it ! ” came from the shop. With alacrity the lad made his way in and out of the grocery, and soon the wagons drove off. “ Hatching up some kind of mischief I’ll be bound,” exclaimed the man inside. “ That is the worst of it with a boy, he has so many fol- lowers,” his voice falling to a minor key. The First Step. 9 Gordon brushed the dust from his coat sleeves and hastened back to the desk. “ Ready, are you ? ” was jerked out. “ Then you can take these letters to the officd, and the money to the bank. Make no mistake. Here it is,” Mr. Newkirk said as he took a roll of bills from a secret drawer. Frank Nesby was waiting on the corner. “ Cross as a she wolf. If I were in your place, Newkirk would look out for somebody else,” was said as Gordon came up. “Hush, Frank! If you were in my place, you would do just as I do.” “Not I,” with energy, “ I would run away the first thing.” “ Would that make life any easier? ” “ Maybe it would, and maybe it wouldn’t,” returned Frank in q,n easy nonchalant manner which told plainly enough that the current of his life run in a smoother channel than that of his friend. It was some time before Gordon an- swered. 10 That Boy of Newkirk's. “ It makes all the difference, Frank when you have a mother and little sisters to depend upon you.” “ That's a fact,” answered Frank with a touch of sympathy in his voice. There was little doubt but Gordon had thought the matter over, and come to a decision that kept him quiet through very helplessness. Mr. Newkirk was not a hard man. He had no idea of being severe ; the grasping, money getting habit, was a part of his very being, he could not remember the time when he did not plan for gain. The free joyous abandon of the bare-footed trout-fisher was not in his experi- ence. He cared not for the clear, rippling water, and white pebbles, with sly trout glancing in and out of mossy coverts and tangled webs ; the time stained log with its uplifted branch curved into a luxurious seat; the cool expanse of green leaves; the tender carol of birds — with the old mill and its broken wdieel : there was no money in these, consequently Theron Newkirk as a boy, The First Step. 11 and Mr. Newkirk as a man, never indulged a thought with regard to them. His feeling was. If Gordon Ferril cared for them, it was a fool- ish idea, and must be curbed, or crushed out of him. Before the boys reached the bank Caleb Benton joined them. “If this isn’t jolly! So you are going Gor- don ? ” asked Caleb, as he wound up his line and made the hook secure. “I am going no father than the bank,” was answered calmly. “Newkirk won’t let you? ” came quickly. “ I did not ask him,” returned Gordon. “ Neither did I ask, I am here though, I said to old Bluebeard, mother was sick, and I must stay at home and help her.” “ How could you, Caleb ! ” exclaimed Gor- don, “ some day your mother may be really sick, and if, Mr. Falcon knows you have once de- ceived him, he will have no confidence in you.” “The old woman is strong, she won’t come down in a hurry.” 12 That Boy of Newkirk's. “Who do you mean by the old woman?” asked Gordon. “Who should I mean? we were talking of mother,” returned Caleb sharply. “ Why did you not say mother ? ” persisted Gordon. “ What’s the difference ! anybody would have known.” Other boys were joining the group. “An age, since you’ve been with us Fer- ril,” exclaimed one. “ I am glad you are to go,” echoed another. “ That’s the joke ; he’s not to go,” Caleb re- turned. “ Newkirk is a regular meat-axe, I say boys, let’s be even with him, I can fix him.” “Caleb Benton take care how you talk, or you go out of this ring,” cried Frank with a quick imperiousness, that would not brook any underhand movement. “Keep cool, Frank! Gordon never has any fun,” returned Caleb. “Not to-day boys, not to-day,” said Gordon as The First Step. 13 he ran up the steps of the bank, “some other time, perhaps.” With all his manliness, Gordon Ferril could not deny, that he would like to fling his line into the brook ; many a time he had done so and been rewarded with a basket of speckled trout for his mother’s table. Other thoughts came in quick succession, and uppermost the memory of that day when his father was brought home, a mangled, lifeless body ; the withering, deaden- ing anguish, he can feel it yet. And when it was over, when all that remained of his father was hidden away under the coffin lid, now his mother put her arms around his neck and said, despite the tears, “ You are all we have to depend upon now, my boy.” More than all the trout-fishing is the thought, that his service may bring rest to his mother’s heart. The time will come, perhaps — and brushing his brown hand across his eyes, the lad hurried down the street to the grocery. 14 That Boy of Newkirk's. Mr. Newkirk was standing in the door. “ Gone ! Have they ? ” was asked with mock gravity. “ Yes, sir.” “ Why didn’t you go ? ” while a subtle smile played about his lips. “ I did not for a moment think that I could go, Mr. Newkirk,” was said modestly. “ Frank Nesby asked you ? ” continued the shopkeeper. “ Yes, sir.” There was no reply, and Gordon added pres- ently. “ I said to Frank, that Saturday is our busiest day. Besides, I expect to go home to-night, and I have a good deal to do.” The straight forward, manly action pleased Mr. Newkirk, the peculiar expression of his face changed. 41 As to going home, Gordon, I do not see how we can spare you just now.” The First Step. 15 “ You promised, if I would remain last Satur- day, I might leave an hour earlier to-day.” “ Did I ? ” arching his eyebrows as he spoke.” A quick, upward glance was the lad’s only answer. “ Come to think of it, I reckon I did,” added Mr. Newkirk, moved by some sudden inward purpose ; “ and, if, I did promise, you must go, but it is mighty inconvenient to have a boj' run- ning home every week or two.” Whatever the reason, this man who had no memory of ever being a boy softened percepti- bly ; not once urging the lad to make haste ; and when he was ready to leave, calling out to him with evident good humor. “ I will send your mother a taste of my Hy- son, and there’s the raisin box, Susie and May will expect something.” Mrs. Ferril lived on the outskirts of a small village, five miles away from Fern-Hill. It was a long walk ; but his mother’s house stood at 16 That Boy of Newkirk's. the end of it, and possibly his sisters would come half way to meet him. The thought gave elasticity to his step, he forgot the weariness of the day, waves of golden splendor swept along the sky ; while birds in the green branches of the trees, made the air musical with their even-’ ing songs. On the right the river glittered like a silver ribbon trailing its length over the flow- ery meadows. The old mill and the wheel moss- covered and broken, reflected the dazzling bright- ness, and he seemed almost to hear the shout of the trout fishers calling to each other on their way home. With so much beauty around him, Gordon forgot the weary homesick feeling that had haunted him. His thoughts ran out on ,tlie fu- ture and what it might hold in store for him. In all his plans his mother and sisters must be consulted, and, as far as possible he must make the way smooth for them. To do this, he must not leave them to conjecture from a listless, weary air, that he is not perfectly contented at The First Step. IT Mr. Newkirk’s. The longer he dwelt upon it, the stronger grew his resolve. He knew how much they missed him at home, and he loved to be missed. It was his anchor, his stronghold. Where love abides temptation does not tarry. The quick thud of hoofs broke the thread of Gordon’s meditation, and presently an open buggy, drawn by a large bay horse, and driven by a lady came up. “You have walked very fast, Gordon; or the man at the grocery made a mistake in the time you left,” began the lady. “ I’m a rapid walker, especially when my face is turned homeward,” returned Gordon, coming to the side of the buggy. “ You will not object to drive for me ? ” smiled the lady. “No, indeed,” he replied jumping into the buggy and taking the reins. “ I should not have had the courage to drive Chester, had it not been for the expectation of taking you up at Fern Hill. Mr. Noble was 18 That Boy of Newkirk's. writing his sermon and the business was press- ing.” Mrs. Noble was the pastor’s wife at Edgefield, and whatever she could do, was done, that her husband might devote himself exclusively to his work. “We missed you last Sabbath,” was said pleasantly. “Next to my own children come the boys in my class. Did you attend church at Fern Hill?” “ I went to church ; but .not to Sabbath- school. You say that you missed me, Mrs. No- ble, you cannot know how homesick I was.” “ I remember when I left home for the first time,” Mrs. Noble replied, glancing into the in- genuous face of the lad. “It was my first reali- zation of the happiness centered in my home; the depth of love and care that had ever been mine, I cried myself to sleep and woke with but one longing in my heart, I must go home, I must see my mother ; every cross word I had ever said came up before me. I could think of The First Step. 19 nothing on my part but ingratitude and lost op- portunities, I longed to tell those dear friends just how much I loved them. After that I was from home a good deal ; but I never felt again the intense homesickness that took possession of me then to the exclusion of everything else.” “ I believe I have thought of everything I ever did, or said,” Gordon returned after a pause, “ I must get accustomed to staying from home.” Brave as he tried to be, Mrs. Noble saw the struggle, she thought of the long, weary days, the daily routine of shop life, the longing for sympathy, above all, the effort to go on for the sake of doing right, to get accustomed to stay- ing from home. The tenderness of a mother’s heart shone in her words. “It is pleasant to think we have a Friend who will never forsake us, unless we repel him. The older I grow, the more I prize this Friend. The more I lean upon his strong arm, the dearer he is to me. Is this Friend yours Gordon ? ” 20 That Boy of Newkirk's. With a quick, upward glance the lad an- swered. “ I am afraid I do not entirely lean upon him. If I did, should I be troubled over things, as I am now? ” “How troubled?” a persuasive tenderness winning the lad’s confidence. “You know mother expects me to do well; and I often fear that I shall disappoint her,” was answered modestl}*. “Do you believe the Bible, Gordon?” “ Certainly, I believe the Bible,” a puzzled look creeping over his brown face. “ The Bible says whosoever will may come, and whatsoever he asks, God will regard. Does not this inspire confidence ? ” “Yes ma’m. But how often we make mis- takes ? ” answered Gordon seriously. “ So long as we trust him, he will not leave us adrift. Even our mistakes will be turned into stepping-stones leading us on where we can catch The First Step. 21 clearer glimpses of our Guide and the way we are to follow,” was the answer. “ I am all the dependence my mother has. It is for her comfort, that I try to do well,” was said with a rising inflexion of voice that denoted determination. The lad was thinking of his father. Mrs. No- ble saw it and added. “You have suffered a sad bereavement; but God saw it was for the best. Not a sorrow should we have to bear, if he saw how we could be made pure and good without it. The refin- ing process is to bring us to his image. The jewel that is to be set in his crown must first be cut.” “ Some have a great deal more to bear than others, do they not? ” Gordon asked. “ When you and Willie were at school your lessons were never precisely the same,” Mrs. Noble returned, with the hope of making the subject plain. “Willie was older, and in ad- 22 That Boy of Newkirk's. vance, and you still had the ground to go over. But you loved each other, and you never dreamed that his lessons were easy and yours hard to stud}'.” “ Willie’s lessons were no easier for him than mine were for me, I suppose, but he was more accustomed to study,” was Gordon's reply. “It is thus in God’s great school, Mrs. Noble continued. “ Each pupil has a lesson in keeping with the position he is to occupy in the world. Wherever it is, it will be a post of honor, and he must labor to gain it. Then it will be a re- sponsible post, and he must strive to keep it. Always the reward will be in keeping with the service. If we are good 4 weii done ’ will be sweeter than the sweetest music we have ever listened to. On the contrary, if our work is neglected, or but half accomplished, our reward will be accordingly.” “Sooner or later every one must learn,” Gor- don said, as if giving vent to some keen, inward emotion. The First Step. 28 “ There is a serving time, a complete appren- ticeship,” continued Mrs. Noble. “ Blackstone says that a barrister was considered a learner for sixteen years. In Paris in the olden time, an apprentice served five years learning his trade, and another five as a companion for his master before he was considered fit to become himself a master in his trade.” “Then each day we have one of God’s les- sons ? ” Gordon asked. “ Each day is a leaf in the life given us,” Mrs. Noble answered. “Just as the page in a new book must have careful research and concen- trated study before it yields the precious return, so we must study to win from every hour the blessing it brings.” “Apprentices receive little or nothing for what they do,” said Gordon. v “ God's apprentice receives continually and from the outset,” she replied. “ And still there is a looking forward to the prize when the work is accomplished.” 24 That Boy of Newkirk's. Chester's step quickened. He was nearing the stable. Gordon’s heart beat faster ; lie was almost home. Through vine-shaded windows he caught the soft radiance of a' lamp, and saw two eager little faces looking out into the night. “ Chester knows where we are to leave you,” Mrs. Noble said. At the same time she made a movement to take the reins. “ Will you not let me drive you home ? ” ven- tured Gordon. “ No, Chester knows the way.” “Susie and May were at the gate. “We have waited and waited, you cannot tell how glad we are, Gordon,” exclaimed Susie pressing forward and seizing her brother by the hand. “ Mother was afraid you wouldn’t come ; but you are come. And, Gordon I’ve studied ever so much since you went away, and I’ve got a white kitten, every bit, only her toes, and Susie gave her a blue neck ribbon to fasten ’round her neck, and she’s just the prettiest and nicest kit- The First Step. 25 ten,” exclaimed May in the joyousness of her heart. It makes me think of Willie,” was Mrs. No- ble’s mental conclusion, as she reined Chester in at her own door. “Just as glad should I be to see my boy, as Mrs. Ferril is to see hers.” CHAPTER II. Gordon’s first visit home. HERE are turning points in each human life ; times when revelations are made, and glimpses of truth and duty rise up before the soul, stirring thought, and exciting action. Something akin to this was going on in Gordon Ferril’s mind, as Mrs. Noble set him down at his mother’s door. The sudden shock of loss and bereavement had sent him into the world de- pendent upon his own resources, sorety tempted he had been, and now he seemed faintly to real- ize that life was a school. God’s school with 26 Gordon s First Visit Home. 27 the clays for leaves, and the hours for lines to be studied, recited and acted upon. He caught a new meaning from lessons already learned. He felt a new spirit to do and to bear. The girls were jubilant. “ Look ! ’v cried May running about the room with the white kitten in her arms, “ I am almost as tall as Susie, and I can wear her dresses.” The bright face lighting up with merriment at the thought of slipping into Susie’s old dress. “ We have got a bird,” began Susie, “and we are taking lessons, and when we are older, per- haps we shall give lessons, or concerts, I am not quite sure which, and get money.” Gordon smiled in spite of himself. The. bird and the lessons and the concerts, in any event it was all associated in Susie’s mind with getting money. Looking up archly he said : “ If this is the case you will want your big brother for basso.” “Of course we shall, mother will. never be 28 That Boy of Newkirk's. willing for us to undertake anything of this kind without you,” laughing merrily as she spoke. May put down the white kitten and took her seat by the side of Gordon on the chintz-cov- ered lounge. 44 O, dear ! I am so glad 3^ou are come. You can’t ever know how sorry we get and we cry sometimes,” looking into her brother’s face. Gordon put his arm around her and drew her still closer. 44 Do you cry because your lessons are so very hard?” 44 Not that ; but we cry, I guess it’s because we are lonesome.” 44 May, you must not say such things. It sounds babyish,” interrupted Susie. 44If we are lonesome and cry sometimes it isn’t to be told of.” “I just told Gordon. I think he should know,” persisted May. Gordon’s First Visit Home. 29 44 1 think so too,” replied Gordon smiling down into the pretty pink face. “ That’s just what I came home for, to see how you get along.” Yes, but it’s not right to cry,” spoke up Su- sie 44 mother says when yoii’r poor and have got no father, God expects you to be cheerful. And I mean to do so.” Even the supper table, laid with more than usual neatness failed to stay their busy tongues. Gordon must not know how sparing they were of dainties during the week. Mrs; Ferril, with that womanly repose that made her in her son’s eyes superior to every other woman, spoke but seldom. Only when Susie and May were asleep did he learn, how much he was missed at home, and how glad his mother was that he had staid and tried to be faithful to his employer. It was an hour of sweet communion, the boy telling of his resolves to do well ; not omitting his tempta- tions and struggles. 80 That Boy of Neivkirlcs. “ Do you tliink I can do it, mother ? ” said he hiding his face on her shoulder very much as he used to do in his babyhood. “If you do right, my son, for the sake of right, I see no reason why you should fail.” “ Right for the sake of right, mother ? ” “ God looks at the motive, at the heart, my boy. There is an underlying principle behind every act. If for His sake the good is accom- plished, the reward is sure to follow, although the act may prove a failure to the view of some men.” “Are not all failures alike?” asked he, lift- ing his eyes to his mother’s face, “ we try to do, and we do our best, and fail and lose courage. If one can but be sure he is on the right track.” “ If we ask aright for guidance, we may go on confidently, we do not make the path, we simply walk in it,” smiled Mrs. Ferril. “But sometimes in the morning I have asked and at night I have been conscious that failure was set down over my work,” returned Gordon. Gordon's First Visit Home. 81 “Failure when we do our best, is a discipline. In this way it is in reality a stepping-stone to something still more desirable,” was the answer. “ Do you believe, mother that work and wages go together ? ” “ The currency thsit we expect, we may not receive ; but the lessons of wisdom by which our purposes are purified, and our lives made better, are of far more worth to us than coffers filled with gold. Patience is born of discipline. We have learned to labor; the great lesson is to wait.” A restful feeling crept into Gordon’s heart and shone on his upturned face. Henceforth he would not so much mind if Mr. Newkirk was hasty. He could come home occasional^, and by and by his hope would be realized in a house of his own with his mother to preside over it. “ Life has more in it than we readily discern,” Mrs. Ferril added after a pause, “doing one’s duty well compensates more quickly and more freely than we acknowledge ; just as seed scat- 82 That Boy of Newkirk's. tered in spring time is seemingly lost; but in autumn we see that the black mould hid, but did not destroy the golden grain.” “Encouragement for us to go forward,” smiled Gordon. “Every day sowing seed sure to spring up into a harvest but all uncertain who will gather in the harvest,” was the answer. Gordon rose to his feet to say “ good night.” “ It is not every boy who has a mother like mine. If, I succeed it will be all your work, mother.” “ Mine to help you, Gordon. Give God the praise,” she answered lovingly. Long after Gordon was asleep, Mrs. Ferril sat at the casement. Stars were twinkling in the sky, and the moon threw her radiance over the outer wall. It was a comfort to have her chil- dren again under her roof. Every da}', Gor- don was absent, she had followed him with her prayers. Now he had come back to her stronger Gordon's First Visit Home. 38 and with a more intelligent idea of what the world offers. “ O, God,” she cried “ keep his heart pure and his hands clean. Uphold him with the right hand of thy righteousness, and lead him in a plain path, for thy names sake.” The flickering light of a lamp fell over the narrow stair, Gordon’s door was ajar. A mo- ment the mother lingered, she could not close her eyes without another look, “So like his father,” she whispered, with trembling fingers she pushed back the tangled curls, and touched her lips to liis. forehead with yearning prayer for her boy, a frail barque on the ocean of life, “ God shield him.” CHAPTER III. REUNION. tORDON opens his eyes with a delicious sensation of being at home. A new ap- preciation of his bed leads him to nestle down in the white pillows ; -so cool and nice, he wonders why other beds are not made up just as his mother makes hers. The pretty pink and white counterpane is drawn smoothly over it ; the cur- tains are spotless, and the walls are hung with pictures, making the room fit for a king to sleep in. No wonder he has slept soundly. A sense of rest takes possession of him. lie is at home and it is the Sabbath. Through the half open shutters he catches a glimpse of the church and 34 Reunion. 35 the church steeple. Once he considered it a a marvel of architecture. It does not seem as wonderful now, his eyes are more accustomed to forms of beauty. He has a new standard by which to measure the beautiful. Mrs. Noble’s house stands just below the church; the creamy blossoms of the woodbine fall over Willie’s win- dow, and there’s the willow tree with the seat in the branches where they used to study their lessons. Pigeons are flying over the roof. Now they sweep down to the curbstone catching the sunshine on their wings ; then darting away in arrowy flight; resting on the tower and the steeple, and looking with calm indifference on the world below. Willie Noble is in college. For a moment the old charm comes back, a questioning spirit creeps into Gordon’s heart. He does not mean to give way to it : but it is there to dim the brightness. Possibly it was not right to yield up his cherished plans, some way would doubt- less have opened for his mother and sisters. 86 That Boy of Newkirk's. “But your father made you his representative,” pleaded an unmistakable voice from within, it is your duty, you dare not throw it aside.” Through the hall comes the faint patter of feet and presently Susie’s voice calls out: “ Are you awake, Gordon ? ” The door opens. “I thought it was early,” Gordon answered, “ and here you are ready for church.” “ Mother says it is a waste of time to dress twice, Sabbath hours are precious you know.” “ Yes, I know it, and I am afraid I have not begun the day very profitably,” returned Gor- don. “ Mother said we must not disturb you. It must be a rest-day to you.” “ It is ! You cannot know how glad I am to be at home once more.” At the foot of the narrow stairs in the open door-way the two girls met him an hour later. May held a small willow basket in her hand Reunion. 37 and in it a robin’s nest with, four young ones nearly ready to fly. 44 Some cruel boy must have killed the old bird for we found the nest on the ground, and the little ones spilled out,” she said. 44And you intend to bring them up ? Quite an undertaking,” laughed Gordon. 44 We hang the basket up out doors during the day,” May returned, 44 and I believe some of the old birds know what we are doing and they pay us in music.” Susie went into the garden to gather a few late pinks, adding geranium leaves and blossoms to brighten up the breakfast table. Gordon hung the basket on a limb so high the white kit- ten could not reach it, while May tied back the cover. Then scattered crumbs of bread. 44 You spread their table for them,” smiled Gordon. 44 Mother says it is not enough for us to desire the birds to come, we must throw out induce- ments for them to come.” 38 That Boy of Newkirk's. The words touched a chord in Gordon’s heart. “ It is not enough to desire the birds to come, we must throw out inducements — ’’ just in this way he thought, when we desire to do good, we must not sit still and hope for the best, we must act. The birds might, perhaps come of themselves. But shy and not knowing the treat- ment they will receive, the bread wins them. Going back in thought to Fern-Hill he remem- bered many times when he had wanted Caleb Benton and Frank Nesby to take a different course. But he did not offer an inducement. May’s desire was followed by an invitation ; an invitation so appetizing that the birds were sure to come. Was there not in this a lesson for him? As they made ready for church May said in a low voice to Gordon : “Last Sunday Mr. Dyer followed us down the street to ask after you. I told him ’twas awful lonesome for us without you.” “ Thank you, May. But you must not say Reunion. 39 awful. Don’t you remember Mrs. Noble said 4 awful is not a good word for little girls.’ ” ^ The fresh brightness of the morning was around them. Gordon felt thankful for the privilege of again walking to church with his mother. Lifted out of his boyhood through cir- cumstances, a weight of responsibility rested upon him that he dared not throw aside. Meet- ing old friends, he questioned if, they knew how much older he felt. He had no words to de- fine it ; but he realized the necessity of labor on his part, labor that rose, as a barrier between him and his old associates. More vrould be ex- pected of him, no longer to be cared for ; it was for him to care for others. Crowned by sorrow with the prerogative of manhood, he was to reach forward. Not as a man ; but as a boy who had the hope of one day doing more than he was now doing. When they reached the church, Mrs. Noble was standing in the vestibule. She turned and reached out her hand, saying : 40 That Boy of Newkirk's. “ I was sure you would be here,” with a smile that went to Gordon’s heart. Everywhere people were coming. It had never seemed to Gordon such a privilege to wor- ship God. The beauty of Holiness was written upon the walls. Every seat was occupied. Mr. Noble spoke with the unction of one conscious that he was the bearer of a message from the Highest, to some poor, faiting soul in that as- sembly. At the last he held up the picture of a finite being questioning the Infinite and closed by saying : “ The beauty of an Eclipse is not seen while it is in the process of construction, only when the scaffolding is removed, and that which is of- fensive to the eye is taken away does the beauty dawn upon us ; the perfection of work ; the ele- gance of cornice and architrave ; the fitness and harmony of the parts. Our unconscious cry then is ‘ Beautiful ! ’ The perfection of united skill and labor ! “Thus in God’s great plan, we see but in Reunion. 41 part, we comprehend but in part. But when the scaffolding is removed, when these fleshy bands are laid aside ; then shall we be able to comprehend the grandeur and perfection of what now appears a confused mingling of odds and ends without plan and without purpose.” As the people left the church many were the greetings. Not a soul there but had known sor- row, and each had questioned why it must fall to his or her lot ? Mr. Dyer was there and as usual eager to learn how it was with Mrs. Ferril and her chil- dren. “ Whenever I feel shaky, Mr. Noble sets me right up. Things don’t seem so strange when we know everything comes by God’s orders,” he said. “ Do you ever doubt this, Mr. Dyer ? ” Mrs. Ferril asks with a smile. “ Not exactly doubt, perhaps. But you know,” turning a sharp look on Mrs. Ferril, “ there’s a sight of folks think we are too little for God to 42 That Boy of Newkirk's. take any particular notice of. I can’t argue much, and sometimes when I listen, things get mixed up, and I don’t feel as sure about it.” “In that case you have only to turn to your Bible,” Mrs. Ferril said. “ I know, and I do read it every day. But it don’t do me the good it does to hear Mr. Noble explain everything.” “ Is not this because you so readily believe what the pastor says ? you never stop to ques- tion when Mr. Noble is in the pulpit,” she asked. “ Of course, that’s what he’s there for to make clear the meaning of every verse,” returned Mr. Dyer. “ God speaks to us in plain language. All we have to do is to receive it without questioning,” was the reply. Mrs. Ferril was not sorry to see the young people walk forward. Mr. Dyer was a goo*d man ; but he had his cloudy days. She came up in time to hear a gray haired woman say : Reunion. 43 “ I used to consider it hard, and sometimes I thought God had forgotten me. But it won’t be long now, the scaffolding is worn in many places. It will soon come down. The speaker was Gordon’s old nurse. He was walking with her. Susie and May came to Mrs. Ferril’s side. They walked slowly. It was one of those occasions when the channels of joy were full, the blessed- ness of being together making them glad. As they reached the gate, Mrs. Ferril stopped for Gordon and Mrs. Kennett to come up. “ I pity the people who have no Sabbath,” Susie said with a sweet seriousness in her eyes that gave an expression of beauty to the entire face. “How no Sabbath?” questioned Mrs. Ferril. “People who never go to church,” was the reply. “It’s not altogether going to church,” Mrs. Kennett answered, coming up in time to hear the last remark. “ To dress and go to church 44 That Boy of Newkirk's. is no more having a Sabbath than it would to be to say you have had dinner, because yesterday you went out and purchased food. Before you have dinner the food must be prepared and you must partake of it.” Gordon was thinking of his life at Fern-Hill ; how greatly he missed the Sabbath service and it’s effect upon the days that followed. 44 It is like having something to stay one up,” Mrs. Kennett continued, 44 1 should go to church, if for no other reason ; because it makes Mon- day run smoother than it possibly could do with- out it.” 44 A strong reason in favor of keeping the Sab- bath,” observed Mrs. Ferril. 44 God never re- quires any service of us, without granting us some corresponding benefit.” 44 After all there’s a good deal in the influ- ence,” spoke up the old nurse, laying her hand on Gordon’s arm. 44 It is easier to keep right than it is to get right after being wrong. Everybody is a magnet to draw others to him, or to repel Reunion. 45 them. How is it with you at Fern-Hill. Are you trying to carry out Mr. Noble’s teaching ? ” “ I am trying,” was all the lad could utter. “I’ve heard say it was a hard place, and you’d have all you could do to stand up, and I think of it every day, who knows but your go- ing there may be the means of a good work, Gordon ? ” Tears were on the old nurse’s cheeks, she wiped them away with her withered hand and took her leave. Gordon followed her with his eyes, then turned to his mother. “ You are not the only one to be troubled if I fail, mother.” * CHAPTER IV. Inasmuch. HE sun was rounding into a fiery ball as the young clerk entered the village of Fern-Hill. Mr. Newkirk was already at work. “ So you kept your promise to be here at sun- rise !” was the greeting. “ I tried to keep it,” said Gordon throwing his cap aside and sweeping the curls from his heated forehead. “ I didn’t expect you to walk your legs off lad. All well at home ? ” “ Quite well, sir. My mother sent her re 46 Inasmuch. 47 gards, and my sisters were pleased to know that you remembered them/’ “ All right ! now go for your breakfast.” “ I have been to breakfast.” “ Been to breakfast at this hour ! Your mother is a smarter woman than I gave her credit for being.” “ Possibly you do not know my mother,” was said a little proudly. “ There ! there, lad I did not intend anything against your mother.” There was a ring of kindness in the voice. Gordon looked up bewildered. “ My mother expects me to be faithful to my duties. To know that I failed in anything would trouble her.” The new lesson was beginning to work in an effectual manner. The young clerk felt that the best way to influence Mr. Newkirk was to prove faithful to duty. The germ of good, if there were really a germ of good within him, must work outward in corresponding acts. The 48 That Boy of Newkirk's, pattern he had before him seemed not merely faultless, but altogether lovely. Mr. Newkirk turned away; whatever was passing in his mind he was not inclined to let his clerk see it. To tell the truth the walk thus early in the morning to keep his promise and prove faithful to duty, broke him down more than a volume of words would have done. It was the act speaking louder than any form of words, showing a determination to do right at the expense of physical comfort. Perhaps the time will come when he will see with a clearer vision, that principle is always principle,' and when the springs of the heart are pure the daily outward life will be in keeping : just as the tiny rills and sparkling meadow brooks are clear and pure, when the sources from which they spring are clear and pure. At night Caleb Benton came in. “How are you, old fellow? ” said he to Gor- don. “ Haven’t seen you for an age.” Inasmuch. 49 “ I spent the Sabbath at home,” was the an- swer. “ I didn’t, I never do.” “ I think you would be happier through the week if you did ; ” Gordon replied. “ I came pretty near having a square fight to- day,” said Caleb. 44 Who with ? ” Gordon asked, with ready kindness. *4 Bluebeard himself? ” laughed Caleb. 44 Mr. Falcon ? Is it possible ! ” was the ex- clamation. 44 Possible ! of course it is ; neither is it the first time. We are always at it.” The tone was flippant ; but Gordon saw there was deep feeling behind it. 44 What was the trouble ? ” was asked without the air of curiosity that awakens distrust, rather than confidence. 44 He found me out, as you said he would. You see I got oft Saturday by telling him the 50 That Boy of Newkirk's. old woman was sick. It was not so far out of the way either ; for she’s been complaining a sight. Sick or well, she’s never easy. Before night he saw her out, and what does he do, but walk straight up to her and ask her what was the matter.” “ Nothing,” she answered. “ Caleb told me you were sick and needed him this afternoon.” The old woman looked blank, and so the whole thing came out. Such a flare-up ! I don’t mean to have another.” UI am glad to hear that,” returned Gordon. “But, Caleb, I shall not be sorry for you as long as you call your mother old woman.” “ She isn’t my mother. I never had a mother ; never had anybody to care for me.” His look was so expressive : and his words so sad. Gordon was moved with pity. “ No mother!*” And the question came up, what would have become of him had his mother died in his early boyhood ? Inasmuch. 51 “I care for you, Caleb,” lie was led to ex- claim, “as long as you care for yourself. But who is she, if she is not your mother? ” “ She is Mrs. Benton, my father’s wife.” “ Mrs. Benton ! That sounds better,” Gordon answered while a smile played around his lips. “Does it?” gasped Caleb. “Then I’ll say it, as frequently as I can think of it.” “ You did not finish what you were saying of Mr. Falcon,” said Gordon, his thought leading backward. “ The long and short of the business is, that he as good as discharged me. Then he thought the matter over and took me on probation. 'I’m pretty sure to fall from grace ; it’s just my luck.” The light, flippant tone pained Gordon. Once he wTould have turned from him. But Caleb was so free to confess his short comings, so frank in his avowal of wrong doing, he could not bub hope for something better in the end. “I know you consider me awful wicked, 52 That Boy of Newkirk's. Gordon ; but I can’t help it. It’s in me and must come out.” “ I wish j^ou would not talk in this way, Ca- leb, when you do, I feel as though I would never have anything more to do with you. Then again. I know how really kind you are, and how capable you are of doing anything you undertake to do, and I feel like holding on to you.” “ Nobody cares for me ; not even father.” “ You have sisters, Caleb ? ” “ I have a sister. But she is married. Mrs. Benton has a lot of little folks though.” Gordon thought of his mother and the course she would like him to pursue. He was not sure that he could influence Caleb for good. At that moment he longed to take him home with him. If anybody could help him it would be his mother, and next to his mother, Mrs. Noble. The moonbeams slanting through the dusty panes, touched Caleb’s hair, and fell across his flushed cheeks. With boyish brusqueness that Inasmuch. 53 was intended for a cloak to Lis feelings he jumped up. “ Come ! come ! I can’t stand this. Let’s go for a sherry cobbler. I feel like a blue jay with my mouth done up.” “Do you expect me to go? Do you really mean to go yourself? ” Gordon asked. “ Why not ? ” “ We have just been talking of reform. Does this look’like it, Caleb?” “ As well expect a leopard to change his spots. It is in me ; it’s my nature.” “No more than it is mine,” replied Gordon. “Don’t talk to me! I know better. Are there not good and bad people in the world? Some have to be good, and some have to be bad. You can’t change them, I am one of the bad I ones. Salt won’t save me.” “ Caleb Benton, there is more real good ma- terial in you than in any other boy I know. Try as you will to hide it, it will crop out.” Caleb’s face fairly shone. Gordon’s honest 54 That Boy of Newkirk's. warmth touched the possibilities of his nature. Wicked as he felt himself to be. Gordon had hopes of him. Somebody recognized a capabil- ity for something better than he had yet shown. 