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 1 
 
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•^ 
 
 TT 
 
 The Master of Deeplawii. 
 
 "The lad looked eagerly for the r^'ply." 
 
 Page T). 
 
THE '. -.' C 1 3l .,'' 
 
 ■^ ♦ ...-•. y 
 
 MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 BY 
 
 MRS. HATTIE E. COLTER 
 
 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 AMERICAN HAl'TIST I'UIU.ICATION SOCIKTY 
 
 1420 Chestnut Street 
 
i3o xs 
 
 Copyright 1895 by the 
 American Baptist Publication Society 
 
 "i: 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 From Prison Bars, 
 
 CHAPTER H 
 I'-NDowiNG A College Chair 
 
 ' JO 
 
 CHAPTER HI 
 Mr. Dolliver, . . 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 Adam Ross, . 
 
 32 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 Reaping the Whirlwind 
 
 ' 41 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 Nkwfoundland 
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 University Life 
 
 72 
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 At Sea, . 
 
 84 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 Anselmo 
 
 105 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 With Gun and Rod 
 
 ' 117 
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 In the R £r, . 
 
 134 
 
 CHAPTER XH 
 IN the Border Land, 
 
 • • • 148 
 
 3 
 
 I 
 
4 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 Home Again 155 
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 At Deeplawn, 170 
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 Farm Laborers, 189 
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 From the Depths, c 200 
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 Climbing, 212 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 Life at Oxford, 219 
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 Anticipations, 237 
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 Wyndhurst, 248 
 
 CHAPTER XXI 
 Whitechapel 260 
 
 CHAPTER XXII 
 In Summer Time, 278 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII 
 Peeress and Paupers 290 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 An Understanding 307 
 
 CHAPTER XXV 
 Betrothal 3H 
 
 CHAPTER XXVi 
 Mrs. Dixon's Suggestions 321 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII 
 The Great Deep 327 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII 
 The End, 345 
 
 jBii'imii- T'TiT 
 
n 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 
 FROM PRISON BARS 
 
 'T^HE nicrht was falling, and its gloomy sliad- 
 -*- ows began to fill a long and somewhat 
 sombre room. That it was a library conld be 
 seen by a glance at the hnndreds of volumes 
 lining the walls from floor to ceiling. 
 
 A lad of fourteen lay face downward on a rug 
 before the fire, his elbows resting on a huge book, 
 whose illuminated pages he had been intently 
 studying. The tome was more than a hundred 
 years old, and his attention had been directed to it 
 by his tutor because of the excellent specimens of 
 ancient wood engraving wl:ich it contained. He 
 had turned page after page with deepening inter- 
 est until he was arrested at the eleventh chapter of 
 Matthew, where from his cheerless prison John 
 sent this question to the Christ : " Art thou he 
 that Cometh, or look we for another ? " The lad 
 looked eagerly for the reply made by the Master : 
 
TIIK MASTER OK DKRPLAWN 
 
 " Behold, llicy that wear soft raiment are in kings' 
 honscs." 
 
 He pansed to think and a sndden rnsh of light, 
 in no way related to the nuirky twiliglit, filled his 
 mind. He had been a studions lad, loving books 
 and eager to explore their secrets, bnt at the same 
 time indnlging a very decided relish for the Inx- 
 nrics wliicli from his infancy he had found ready 
 provided for him. He had only one brother — a 
 man grown and out in the great world, eager to se- 
 cure his full share of the good things of life in his 
 too brief passage through it. Their parents werti 
 dead, and to each had been allotted the portion of 
 worldly goods secured for them by the thrift and 
 industry of departed ancestors ; in Alan's case 
 this could not be touched until he came of age, 
 save the necessary expenses for suitably bringing 
 him up. Reginald, the older brother, decided that 
 the safest place for the lad was at his own home, 
 under a painstaking tutor. At the schools he had 
 himself acquired tastes which, although now 
 as much a part of his being as his hands or feet 
 and as hard to sever, his inherent good sense con- 
 vinced him would better never have been learned. 
 He had considerable afTcction for this younger 
 brother, which was returned in full measure, and 
 it would have been an exceedingly bitter experi- 
 ence to him to have Alan know the life he led 
 in its minute particulars. He could remember 
 
FROM PRISON BARS 
 
 with perfect clearness the o^eiitle mother who had 
 so long ago faded ont of life, and whose words 
 still came to him, at times, with painfnl distinct- 
 ness. 
 
 The maid entered the room with lights, and 
 seeing Alan lying so quietly before the fire, fan- 
 cied he was asleep and softly withdrew. A mo- 
 ment later he lifted the Bible and carried it to the 
 table, anxious to find what more had been said by 
 this wonderful Christ. He looked again at the pic- 
 ture oi the rugged prophet gazing upward, beyond 
 the prison bars, as if he were reveling once more 
 in the freedom of those vast desert solitudes he had 
 loved so well, upward to the regions whither his 
 spirit was so soon to take its sudden and joyous 
 flight. Alan read o\'er again those words, catch- 
 ing at once their hidden meaning, and then turned 
 back to the third chapter, fascinated by this 
 ])ropliet-hero, so indiflferent to his housing and 
 fare, and who had such power with God and with 
 his fellow-men ; and whom afterward Christ pro- 
 nounced the peer of the highest. He hunted up 
 the marginal references, eager to learn everything 
 concerning him, but was disappointed that the 
 biographers of that age dealt so sparingly in per- 
 sonalities ; and the history ended at the pitiable 
 tragedy where the over-scrupulous king kept his 
 word at such heavy cost. 
 
 When the dinner bell rang he was still poring 
 
f 
 
 ^ 
 
 8 
 
 THK MASTKR OF DKKTI.AWN 
 
 over tlie Bible, and at the table he was so siknt 
 that his tutor asked if he was not well. His re- 
 ply in the affirmative was given in such an ab- 
 stracted fashion that his tutor was puzzled to 
 know what had come over the lad. It was the 
 custom for them to spend an hour together in 
 the library every evening, and another hour in the 
 gymnasium ; and then, at nine o'clock, Alan re- 
 tired. On this particular evening he went direct 
 to the table on which he had left the Bible lying 
 open, and drawing Mr. Bruce's attention to the 
 prophet, said : 
 
 " Shall we read to-night about the John whom 
 Herod beheaded in the prison?'' 
 
 "If you wish." 
 
 " I have been able to find very little about him 
 here ; perhaps you can tell me wnere to look for 
 
 more 
 
 n 
 
 There is very little to learn save that which 
 is given us in the Gospels. That is one great 
 drawback with Scripture narratives ; one must 
 allow his own imagination to do a good deal of 
 filling in. From the character of the people and 
 their modes of living one can frequently do this. 
 But one often wishes as you do for definite infor- 
 mation he cannot get." 
 
 Mr. Bruce then went to the shelves and selected 
 several books, but Alan soon found that it was as 
 his tutor had said, and there was not much infoi- 
 
 111 
 
FROM PRISON RARvS Q 
 
 Illation to be procured ; and liencc when their 
 hour's readincr ended the best satisfaction Mr. 
 Ihuce coukl give him was that he must wait for 
 etL-riiity when, with those heroic souls by his side, 
 he mi,o;ht learn from their own lips their earthly 
 histories. At Alan's age this period seemed so re- 
 mote that there was but small comfort in it. 
 
 if 
 
 i ji, ■ <■ 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 ENDOWING A COtLEGE CHAIR 
 
 ALTHOUGH he was disappointed that so 
 little could be learned about the desert 
 prophet, Alan continued the study of his illu- 
 minated Bible with unflag<^iug- interest. His 
 days were methodically arranired, and had been 
 for so long a time, that he scarcely thought of 
 questioning his tutor's right to plan his hours. 
 Reginald highly approved of Mv. Ih-uce's nit-tliods, 
 regretting that his own boyhood had not been 
 regulated on similar principles, and Alan felt al- 
 most as if he had more than he deserved of this 
 world's good tilings. They dined late, and there 
 wa': always an hour before dinner which belonged 
 entirely to him in which to amuse himself as best 
 he liked. The maid, whose dutv it was to look 
 after the fire and lights in the library, confided to 
 her fellow-servants her fear that Alan was not 
 long for this world. 
 
 " He spends every bit of his play-hour poring 
 over that old Bible," she declared. ''He has it 
 on a cushion before the fire, and he lies tlierc 
 reading it and studying the pictures just as if he 
 didn't expect to live a year ! " 
 
 lO 
 
ENDOWING A COLLEGK CHAIR 
 
 II 
 
 " I've known the like before," the housekeeper 
 responded, with an ominous shake of the liead. 
 '' Boys that's going to live don't study their Bibles 
 nnich ; it's not according to nature." 
 
 For some time Alan's health was watched with 
 grave anxiety by his household. The servants 
 had considerable interest in the matter, since it 
 was an exceptionally pleasant house, with light 
 work and no interference in their plans by exact- 
 ing employers. If he became a victim to an 
 early death, the probabilities were that they 
 might not get such another congenial situation. 
 Mrs. Dixon, the housekeeper, remonstrated with 
 him one ever.ing, taking Jane's place in the library 
 for the purpose. 
 
 '' What do ^'ou find so interesting in that old 
 Bible? Your brother, to my knowledge, never 
 read a chapter all by himself in his life, and I 
 was here vears before he went awav to school." 
 
 Alan looked up with a flush of pain, and re- 
 plied : 
 
 " I am going to speak to Rex about it ; he can't" 
 know or he would read it. It is better than all 
 the old poets and the modern ones put together ; 
 it gives me better thoughts and more of them 
 than everything else. I never knew till I was 
 reading about John the, Baptist what a wonderful 
 book it is." 
 
 He laid the Bible on the library table, and then 
 
12 
 
 TIIK MASTKR OF DKKPLAWN 
 
 continued : " Jnst come and look at him in prison, 
 and I will read what it says about him ; there is 
 very little, but I make the rest up in my own 
 mind. Here he is in the wilderness. When I 
 am a man I am going' there; I want to see the 
 desert where he lived on locusts and honey ; 
 wasn't he strong to be content with such fare — I 
 mean strong-souled ? " He stood looking down at 
 the very unsatisfactory grouping of rocks and 
 vast spaces of the desert with shining eyes, see- 
 ing them, not as the stolid woman at his side saw 
 them, but with his vivid imagination giving tone 
 and color to those peaks bathed in the warm 
 Syrian sunshine, with the arching blue of the far 
 heavens brooding tenderly above them, as when 
 John thought with God and walked with him in 
 that vanished but majestic past. Then he turned 
 the leaves to the place where, by the waterside, 
 the multitudes were assembled when the plainly 
 robed fiiiure of the Man of Sorrows came among 
 them to be baptized of the prophet. He looked 
 at it eagerly, as if his eyes had never before rested 
 on that illuminated page, and then he passed on 
 to the prison scene where John was waiting for 
 an answer to his question. It was not merely the 
 faded engraving at which Alan gazed ; he saw in 
 the eager, questioning look an expectancy for that 
 for which prophets anu kings had longed, but 
 died without seeing. The prison walls and the 
 
; V* V J,^ nu V ^PH^* 
 
 ENDOWING A COIJ.KOK CHAIR 
 
 13 
 
 world were forgotten ; the joy and wideness of his 
 desert life were with him now ; the mystery of his 
 own message to the multitndes, its majesty and 
 promise were still tlirilling his soul. 
 
 " How grand it is ! " Al n murmured, with shin- 
 ing eyes. 
 
 "Seems to me it's a terrible gloomy sort of a 
 picture. I'd a sight sooner look at a chromo," 
 was tiie response. 
 
 The lad looked disappointed, but turned to the 
 last picture in the series ; there was the same 
 calm brow and serene face, with no trace of the 
 death-agony, as the head was borne on the platter 
 by the shrinking girl to her cruel mother. 
 
 " People's hearts in them times was crueller 
 than they are now. I am sure if any one belong- 
 ing to me had the chance of asking a gift from a 
 king, I wouldn't tell them to ask for a poor 
 prisoner's heod, for 'twouldn't be any earthly use." 
 
 " It is men like that who nuikc our world great ; 
 no matter how they die, they are living some- 
 where," was Alan's softly spoken reply. 
 
 "Oh, yes, I reckon folks keep right on living 
 somewhere after they leave here, but it must be 
 dreadful uncomfortable getting on without one's 
 body." 
 
 "It seems to me that will be one of the luxu- 
 ries of dying; it will be so much easier getting 
 around among the other worlds.'' 
 
 %. 
 
14 
 
 THE MASTER OF DKEPLAWN 
 
 If 
 
 "If I was you I'd not be thinking about them 
 things so much. It ain't natural for young folks." 
 She spoke anxiously a minute later, asking : " Do 
 you ever cough any? " 
 
 " Perhaps I do sometimes, when things go down 
 the wrong way," returned Alan. 
 
 He spoke indifferently, as if the ills of his body 
 were of little account. Other duties then claimed 
 her attention, and casting an anxious look at the 
 lad who had again begun reading, Mrs. Dixon 
 left the room. 
 
 Alan was beginning to feel the solitariness of 
 his new thoughts. His tutor could converse more 
 intelligently on the Bible than Mrs. Dixon, but 
 he had no more enthusiasm on the subject. His 
 thoughts presently turned to Reginald, and he 
 resolved to write to him, asking him to take up 
 the study of these great characters depicted in the 
 Scriptures, of whom there were so many. What 
 a revelation it would be to Rex, after associating 
 with the gay folk that, by some fine instinct, Alan 
 knew surrounded him, to get acquainted with 
 the strong-souled heroes who seemed to him more 
 like gods than the quarrelsome, selfish beings 
 about whom the old Greek and Latin poets wrote. 
 One day he asked Mr. Bruce if it was very ex- 
 pensive keeping up a college. The answer -vcis in 
 the affirmative. Alan had no idea of the extent 
 of his own possessions, so a few days later, after 
 
ENDOWING A COLLEGE CHAIR 15 
 
 tliiiikin,!:^ the matter well over, he asked how 
 much he himself was worth. 
 
 "You will be a rich man when you attain your 
 majority," was tKe reply. 
 
 " Will I be able to have a college of my own?" 
 
 " I scarcely think so ; it takes a great many 
 thousands of dollars for that at the present day." 
 
 Later on, however, Alan learned that it was pos- 
 sible to establish certain chairs in the great uni- 
 versities. With his new ideas about the way 
 heroes should live he concluded to do this, and 
 meanwhile he could himself become a teacher 
 and live as cheaply as he liked. Reginald's reply 
 to his letter came duly, and with it the assurance 
 that he knew all about the gentlemen referred to, 
 and believed them to be excellent, well-meaning 
 individuals, but hoped that Alan would not take 
 them too seriously, since those who did so were 
 apt to become " cranks," and were, as a rule, un- 
 comfortable sort of people. Alan was bitterly 
 disappointed, not so much in his brother's esti- 
 mate of these majestic Hebrews, as in his brother 
 himself. There must be something organically 
 wrong in a person who was intimately acquainted 
 with their lives and words and 3'et could write 
 so indifferently concerning them. It intensified 
 his desire to have the boys of coming generations 
 better acquainted with their teachings. He was 
 sufTicientlv familiar with classic literature and the 
 
i 
 
 
 
 
 l,'"' 
 
 •i '- 
 
 1 
 
 ■1 1 
 
 
 \ 
 
 I 
 
 i6 
 
 thp: mastkr ob^ dkkplawn 
 
 ( ■ 
 
 nsai^-es of those remote times, to know that the old 
 heathen to whom was entrusted tlie training of 
 youth, were particularly painstaking; in their 
 methods of teaching them the worship and study 
 of the beings whom they called the innnortal gods. 
 He grew restless to have his brother home again ; 
 it would be so much easier to talk with him than 
 to write. He had not a facile pen, and after his 
 severest exertions in composition he still felt that 
 his best thoughts were unwritten. When his let- 
 ter was written and sent it found Reginald in the 
 midst of a very exciting love affair, which if ne- 
 glected at that critical juncture, might utterly 
 fail, so he wrote to say that he had just then a 
 matter of very grave importance on hand. Alan 
 was rejoiced to hear that he had at last begun to 
 take matters seriously. 
 
 To humor the lad's fancy, INIr. Bruce had per- 
 mitted him to take a special course of study in the 
 history and literature of the world's early ages ; 
 the Risj Veda of the Brahmins, the Kiu'^s of the 
 Confucians, the Sutras of the Sikhs, the Zend- 
 Avesta of the Parsees, the Tripitaka of the Buddh- 
 ists, and others of the most ancient religions, all 
 of which he had studied with much the same 
 eagerness that average lads absorb the lurid de- 
 scriptions of scouts, pirates, and other excrescences 
 of literature. He wis certainly getting an excel- 
 lent foundation laiil for Oriental scholarsliip. As 
 
I 
 
 KNDOWING A COLMCGK CHAIR 
 
 17 
 
 Ig of 
 tlieir 
 ;tudy 
 u-ods. 
 njain ; 
 
 than 
 -r his 
 t that 
 lis let- 
 in the 
 
 if ne- 
 Litterly 
 then a 
 \lan 
 
 cvun to 
 
 id pcr- 
 iii the 
 ages ; 
 of the 
 Zcnd- 
 [Uuldh- 
 
 lous, all 
 c same 
 rid de- 
 
 Iscences 
 li cKcel- 
 
 ■m. 
 
 ip. 
 
 As 
 
 the long snnmier days drew on he nsed to take his 
 fishing rod and a book and while waiting for tiic 
 n-ili to attend to his h lit, he would go back forty 
 or fifty centuries, and for a while forget that he 
 was living in an age of electricity and steam, daily 
 papers and politics. 
 
 Deeplawn farm was patterned after the Knglish 
 estates. There were several hundred acres of land 
 under a high state of cultivation, with laborers' 
 cottages along tlie road at intervals. There was 
 a fine growth of wood, through which a stream of 
 water flowed, well stocked with fish ; the water 
 in places was quite deep and flowed silently ; in 
 others it was shallow, and here Alan liked best to 
 do his fishing, for its murmur as it hastened to 
 greet the sea had a mUvSic of its own. He used 
 to speculate about those men of the elder world 
 who had possessed little human learning, but to 
 whom the book of nature was opened wide, re- 
 vealing her heart to them as she does to but few 
 in this feverish, discursive age. Men then had 
 time to meditate ; they were not forced to glean 
 over vast areas ; were not appalled at the threshold 
 of knowledge by the amount to be learned, and 
 the brief time in which to learn it; with them it 
 was introspection rather than absorption, followed 
 naturally by the attempt to create. To-day, with 
 our immense equipment of literary lore, no poet is 
 able to reach those upper notes touched so natu- 
 
i 
 
 X 
 
 I *' 
 
 \ 
 
 \ 
 
 N. 
 
 i8 
 
 .) 
 
 ./ 
 
 INIASTKR OF DKIU'LAWN 
 
 irally by the poet who wrote the sublime epic calltd 
 Job, and by some stray passages in the Pentateuch, 
 the Psalms, and prophecies, which only the lofty 
 musical conceptions of the great masters can ex- 
 press. It is mainly in this latter way that our 
 later generations have been able to utter their 
 highest thoughts; poetry itself fails, and only in 
 harmony can expression be found. Forty cen- 
 turies hence the wonders of our day, steam, elec- 
 tricity, and the multitudinous inventions to which 
 they have b^^Mi applied, will not influence those 
 remote peoples as we are influenced by these voices 
 from that long-vanished past. Men have gone on 
 freighting themselves so heavily with the appli- 
 ances of civilization, that thought and fancy are 
 forced to the rear, and since life is too brief to secure 
 both, most of us choose the former. There may 
 be hope that future generations will grow wiser ; 
 being surfeited with materialism, they may realize 
 that one's self, independently of his environments, 
 is to be looked after first. 
 
 In those long hours of solitude with his books 
 and the stories that came down to him from re- 
 mote centuries, Alan found a satisfaction as dis- 
 tinct from that his brother sought, as the pure air 
 of some breezy upland is different from the fever- 
 ish atmosphere of the crowded slums. With 
 quickened pulses the thought would come to him 
 that the age for grand achievements was not gone 
 
ENDOWING A COIJ.RGR CHAIR 
 
 19 
 
 such, 
 lofty 
 .11 ex- 
 
 .t our 
 tbeir 
 
 nly ill 
 ^ ceii- 
 1, elec- 
 wliich 
 
 1 tho.se 
 i voices 
 rone oil 
 
 2 appii- 
 Liicy are 
 o secure 
 
 ire may 
 wiser ; 
 realize 
 
 inments, 
 
 IS books 
 from re- 
 as dis- 
 J pure air 
 (he fever- 
 Witli 
 [e to him 
 Inot gone 
 
 forever. Not that he particularly craved to take 
 his phice in history ; he could live heroically witli- 
 out so much as a news^per notice of the fact. If 
 he were fitted for such work God would certainly 
 uot withhold it from hiui. If men are the archi- 
 tects of their own fate, it was a palace and not a 
 hovel he wauted to be building day by day. Just 
 now the work which he felt called upon to do was 
 to fit himself to fight for the Bible, to force upon 
 uien's minds their duty in reference to it, and to 
 make it as obligatory for college students to study 
 the Bible as the classics of Greece and Rome. 
 Hitherto he had taken little interest in the Deep- 
 lawn tenantry. A lad now and then had been 
 selected for playfellow in some of the games dear 
 to a boy's heart, which could not be indulged in 
 aloue. Now as he studied his Bible there came to 
 him a revelation of what life meant, its duties and 
 obligations, and he resolved to begin the work 
 that lay nearest. Like reformers generally he 
 met with difficulties and in his own household. 
 \ Mrs. Dixon asured him that their entire staff of 
 help were church-members, and in the habit of 
 . sendiug a trifle every year to convert the heathen, 
 |besi(les supporting their own churches at home. 
 ! " Surely you did not take us for a pack of 
 ^heathen ? " she remarked, with considerable 
 Iwaruith. 
 
 I am doubtful if you are all as good as some 
 
 u 
 
r 
 
 20 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEErLAWN 
 
 ' 
 
 \ 
 
 of the heathen I read about ; you never once men- 
 tioned to me that I could be a better boy if I asked 
 (jod to help me." 
 
 " That wasn't what we were hired here for." 
 
 He looked at her curiously and then said, in a re- 
 flective way, which was particularly exasperating : 
 
 "I think I would rather take their chances 
 than yours when mankind are getting judged. 
 I do not think either Buddha or Zoroaster would 
 have been so indifferent under similar circum- 
 stances." 
 
 "You compare us to them dirty heathen " 
 
 She paused. Alan, although only a lad of fifteen, 
 was more manly than many a one twice his age, 
 and it might not be safe to go too far. 
 
 " It is not too late for you to mend. If any one 
 is anxious to do his work well it is never too 
 late to begin." 
 
 "I never expected to see the day that any one 
 would throw up to me that I neglected my work." 
 
 " You did not understand my meaning. I did 
 not mean the trifles which make up your daily 
 round here. There is other work that will be going 
 on when Deeplawn and the world itself will have 
 ceased to be." 
 
 " You talk like a preacher ; 'twould be curious 
 if you'd take to the other extreme from the way 
 Mr. Reginald took. I won't say but what it would 
 be a good thing." 
 
 Ti' N 
 
KNDOWING A COLLRGK CHAIR 
 
 21 
 
 - nicn- 
 askcd 
 
 in a re- 
 rating : 
 ihances 
 jndged. 
 • would 
 circuni- 
 
 Wlien Alan spoke in a general way she rather 
 enjoyed his remarks, but ]\Irs. Dixon did not rel- 
 ish preaching of a directly personal uature when 
 slie comprised the audience. 
 
 " I am going to try to live as well as some of 
 those old heathen who had only shadows to walk 
 ill where I have clear light." 
 
 •>} 
 
 m— 
 
 ■ fifteen, 
 
 [lis age, 
 
 any one 
 iver too 
 
 any one 
 y work." 
 ;. I did 
 )ur daily 
 be going 
 ^rill have 
 
 e curious 
 
 the way 
 
 ; it would 
 
 .a* 
 
 -3 
 
.^ 
 
 \\ 
 
 1 
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 MR. DOLLIVER 
 
 THERE was a small chapel at Deeplawn, 
 where ministers of any evang^elical church 
 were welcome to preach as long as they did not 
 interfere with each other's appointments. For 
 the most part the tenants were a church-going 
 people, hence there was usually a fair congrega- 
 tion to welcome the preacher. It is tme they 
 sometimes got a mingling of doctrines, but this 
 may have been a help, since it broadened the 
 sympathies of the listeners when they found that 
 in the main the same doctrines were held by all 
 the great churches. 
 
 Alan had been in the habit of accompanying 
 his tutor into the town on the Lord's Day, join- 
 ing the worshipers in a fine building, with 
 stained-glass windows, pipe organ, and the luxu- 
 rious appointments usual in a wealthy church ; 
 but now he decided to join the humble congrega- 
 tion on his own property. It was certainly an act 
 of self-denial to forego the exhilarating canter 
 into the city on horseback, the mingling with the 
 pleasant-looking company of people and listening 
 to the eloquent sermon, the saunter in the park 
 
 22 
 
w 
 
 MR. DOLLIVKR 
 
 23 
 
 plawn, 
 :luirch 
 id not 
 . For 
 i-going 
 iigrega- 
 ie tliey 
 )Ut this 
 Lied the 
 nd that 
 1 by all 
 
 panyiiig 
 ay, join- 
 g, with 
 le luxu- 
 church ; 
 ongrega- 
 ly an act 
 g canter 
 with the 
 listening 
 the park 
 
 f 
 
 i 
 
 after dinner with his tutor, and then the ride home 
 in tlic evenin;^. Mr. Pjiucc looked surprised when, 
 one bri;^ht morning in May, Alan informed him 
 that he was going to church with his tenants. 
 
 " vSnrely not this mornini^, above all others, 
 when the roadside alon.t^^ the way is one huge 
 bouquet of apple blossoms ! It is as good as a 
 sermon to pass through them," he remonstrated. 
 
 " I am sorry to miss them, but my mind is 
 made up. You will please excuse me." 
 
 Mr. IJruce did not attempt to argue ; he was be- 
 ginning to find that what the lad thought was 
 his duty he would carry out at any cost. When 
 Alan entered the church and glanced around at 
 the bare floors and uncnshioned seats, he could 
 not help speculating what some of the old 
 heathen would say to him, if they could step across 
 from other worlds, for permitting the worship of 
 the immortal gods to be carried on in such rude 
 fashion. He fori^ot to notice the looks of curios- 
 ity that greeted him while he began planning im- 
 provements that shoiild be entered upon at once. 
 As he glanced through the widows he resolved 
 there should be no colored glass inserted to shut 
 out those delicious glimpses of sky and cloud and 
 hilltops. Before one window an adventurous 
 apple tree concealed every other view with its 
 satin petals and green leaves. Along every stage 
 of its unfolding and decay he fancied it would be 
 
:{! 
 
 t 
 
 , II 
 
 
 24 
 
 TIIIC MASTER OF DKICPLAWN 
 
 more a thiiii^- of beauty than the figures of the 
 stained glass even, with blossom and fruit and the 
 bare branches ontlined against a wintry sky. 
 While the choir sang to the wheezy accompani- 
 ment of a reed organ that had long outlived its 
 usefulness, he ceased to listen to the sounds that 
 jarred discordantly on his ear, but instead watched 
 a bird far up in the sky brought out in relief 
 against the deep blue. Years after, in the midst 
 of keen activities and the world's din, one of 
 memory's most peaceful pictures was the scene he 
 looked at that day. The preacher was an old man, 
 with silver hair and a face so serene that Alan 
 wondered if he had ever come in contact with 
 sin and sorrow. There was something in his face 
 and bearing which brought vividly to his mind 
 the desert prophet. In his prayer there were few 
 set phrases, but there was adoration as well as sup- 
 plication, and toward the close he broke into joy- 
 ous exultation as he referred to the joys awaiting 
 God's hidden ones on the other side of death. 
 Alan felt a mist gathering in his eyes as he lis- 
 tened. I^ater on he learned that the aged min- 
 ister could count his treasures in another world 
 only ; wife and children were all gathered there, 
 while old and homeless he could still go rejoicing 
 on his way. As he preached, Alan felt, as seldom 
 before, that the Bible is true, and goodness the 
 highest possible attainment for man. After the 
 
 1! I 
 
MR. DOIJJVKR 
 
 25 
 
 the 
 . the 
 sky. 
 )ani- 
 d its 
 that 
 xhed 
 reUef 
 midst 
 lie of 
 ;iie he 
 . man, 
 : Alan 
 : with 
 is face 
 mi lid 
 ire few 
 as sup- 
 to joy- 
 mi ting 
 death, 
 he lis- 
 d iiiin- 
 r world 
 there, 
 ^joiciiig 
 seldom 
 ess the 
 ter the 
 
 ■a 
 
 benediction he tarried to invite the minister to 
 dinner, thinking too, that perhaps he might stay 
 and rest at Deeplawn for a few days. Speaking 
 to him he noticed that he looked worn and his 
 oarmcnts w^ere threadbare. The invitation was 
 accepted, and as the two walked home through 
 the aisle of trees that bordered the path and in- 
 terlaced overhead, they were both silent. At 
 luncheon Alan asked the aged minister if he 
 could not remain ove" night or perhaps stay a few 
 days. The look of pleasure that passed over the 
 worn face touched the lad's heart. 
 
 "It would give me great pleasure to do so. 
 I have often looked up at this house and thought 
 I should like to be within its walls, but my way 
 has lain, for the most part, among humble folk; 
 your people too, belonged to another communion." 
 
 " That should make no difference." 
 
 " No, for we are all children of one Father ; I 
 thank him that my eyes have been opened to see 
 that the difference is very largely in name : ' other 
 sheep I have which are not of this fold : them 
 also I must bring ! ' " He quoted the words softly, 
 scarce thinking the lad would understand what 
 he meant. 
 
 "Who said that?" Alan asked, eagerly. 
 
 " The ]\Iaster himself; so it is true, it is true." 
 He repeated the words as if he found them ex- 
 ceedingly comforting. 
 
26 
 
 TIIK MASTER OF DK1CPLA.WN 
 
 I 'i;i 
 
 " It may mean all, everywhere among other 
 peoples than Christians, who long to live right," 
 Alan snggested, thonghtfuUy. 
 
 " Yes, all of them. I did not think so once, 
 but Ood has shown me better. I am learning 
 that he judges by the heart rather than by the 
 knowledge." 
 
 " I am very glad to hear you say that." 
 
 " Is it possible that you have begun to think 
 about these great problems? " 
 
 The old man bent a keen look on the hand- 
 some face opposite, which hitherto he had re- 
 garded as somewhat stern and imperious, cer- 
 tainly not a youth given to meditating on 
 the attractions of theology ; it seemed as if 
 nature had intended him for a fighter rather than 
 for a dreamer. 
 
 "Are they not the highest questions we can 
 study — the most important?" There was an 
 added flush on the ruddy cheek as Alan asked 
 the question. 
 
 " Some divines nowadays try to convince us 
 that the fall in Eden was a fall upward, but with 
 my experience with mankind, I am led to be- 
 lieve that we have received a terrible blow some- 
 where. I have the effects of it in myself. Our 
 true evolution begins when we come back to God ; 
 we are away from him — we must be born anew 
 to get back to him." 
 
 •v 
 
MR. DOLLIVER 
 
 27 
 
 the 
 
 land- 
 d re- 
 cer- 
 g on 
 as if 
 • than 
 
 
 Alan presently broke the silence by a still more 
 surprising question. "Was that what Christ 
 meant when he said to Nicodemus : ' Ye must be 
 bom again '?" 
 
 u Yes." 
 
 " I am trying to comply with the requirements 
 given by him." 
 
 ''Who has taught you?" was the astonished 
 question. 
 
 "No one; I was looking through the Bible 
 when I stuuibled on the truth." 
 
 "It is a most unusual circumstance." 
 
 "It should not be. I have been studying the 
 sacred books of other great religions, giving all a 
 fair chauce; but I find the Bible different from all 
 the others." 
 
 " It was a dangerous experiment for a lad to 
 study all those misleading lights." 
 
 " No ; tlie coutrast only drew me the closer to 
 our own religion. I have been surprised that uien 
 should begin doubting because there were mys- 
 teries. I like to know there are such. I am not 
 anxious to know all things, not even in eternity. 
 I want always to be going on in the solution of 
 these mysteries but never to overtake all knowl- 
 edge.'" 
 
 Mr. DoUiver sat watching him with a curious 
 intentness. Here surely, he thought, is one for 
 whom the Master has some especial work. It did 
 
 ^ 
 
2S 
 
 TUIC MASTKR OF DKKPLAWN 
 
 1 
 
 • 1 Bj 
 III 
 
 \ i 
 
 M 
 
 ii 
 
 not (Kciir to him that there was any career for 
 him except to become a preacher. 
 
 After hiiicheon Alan took Mr. Dolliver to the 
 library. The windows were open to the ground, 
 and there floated through them the busy twitter- 
 ing of the birds along with the exhalations of the 
 apple blossoms. Mr. Dolliver cast a hungry glance 
 around the book-lined walls and on the tables 
 that stood loaded with current magazines, reviews, 
 and newspapers, and then he sank into a leather- 
 covered chair with a sigh of deep content. 
 
 "This comes nearest to my ideal of heaven of 
 any place I get into save a revival meeting," he 
 remarked, with another leisurely survey of the 
 room. " My young brother, the Lord has been 
 very good to you." 
 
 "Do you not have all the books you want?" 
 Alan asked. . 
 
 " Oh, no." He spoke quietly as if that were 
 quite out of the question. 
 
 "I fancied whatever else might be wanting, 
 preachers would be well supplied with literature," 
 returned Alan. 
 
 " That has been one of my greatest privations. 
 Years ago I did not so much mind going poorly 
 clad and not too well fed ; it was the being starved 
 mentally, the hunger for what I knew was to be 
 had but for my poverty, that grieved me. I have 
 grown used to it now ; the end is not far off and 
 
 ^1 
 
 1 
 M 
 
 t 
 
 111 
 
MR. DOIJJVER 
 
 29 
 
 •?" 
 
 :ing, 
 
 then I shall never know hunc^er of any kind 
 ai^ciin ; besides God has provided me other fare." 
 " If you will permit me, I shall see that you 
 never want for anything again in this world." 
 Alan spoke modestly ; he seemed timid ot offering 
 charity. Ministers, of late, no matter of what 
 church or quality, had impressed him as a superior 
 type of beings. Mr. Dolliver looked at him in a 
 puzzled way as he returned, "I do not understand 
 
 your meaning, 
 
 n 
 
 He could not comprehend that Alan was offer- 
 ing him right of way for life in that magnificent 
 li])rary, with food and shelter added. 
 
 " Where do you live ? " 
 
 " I have no particular home. God has taken 
 to himself all my loved ones. I am waiting till 
 he l)i(ls me come." 
 
 " Where do you keep your books and household 
 stuff?" 
 
 "One trunk easily holds my worldly store. I 
 have not tried to lay up for myself." God knew 
 all about me, so I have given everything I could 
 si)are to make this a better world ; it may be I 
 have been unwise, some have told me so, but I 
 felt safe to trust him. If no other way is open 
 he will make room for me up there." 
 
 He was gazing calmly up along the blue high- 
 way we all instinctively feel leads heavenward. 
 
 "Won't you come and stay with me? You can 
 
1 i! 
 
 I 
 
 in t 
 
 III 
 
 ! il 
 
 k' 
 
 3^^ 
 
 THE MASTER OF DKP:pi,AVVN 
 
 preach and visit all you wish, but let this be home ; 
 we have <juest-chanibers enou<^h to entertain a 
 score of visitors." 
 
 - " Your friends — what will they say ? I am not 
 of your church and only an old man that the world 
 holds but lightly." 
 
 ''My brother is the only one to interfere; he 
 lets me do just what I like." 
 
 The tears were stealing down the furrowed 
 cheeks while, with lifted eyes, the aged pilgrim 
 murmured brokenly his thanks to God ; such a 
 lifting of care from his heart could onlv find re- 
 lief in that way. To Alan the spirit world had 
 never before seemed so real and the presence of 
 the infinite love so close and tender. Mr. Dolliver 
 went to church that eveuino through the mellow 
 glow of the sunset, feeling as if just beyond the 
 golden western bars the shining of the city's walls 
 where dwelt his loved ones, might almost be seen. 
 All the loneliness of life seemed to have fallen 
 from him, there was nothing further to dread, and 
 God had been faithful to the trust committed to 
 him. With a miser's economy, and the closing of 
 his heart against every charity, he could not have 
 secured such a home as this in which to go down 
 into the valley of old age. He had only craved 
 the simplest fare and housing, but the Heavenly 
 Father had seen fit to give him something: far 
 better. 
 
 ii 
 
 ■J 
 
MR. DOLLIVKR 
 
 31 
 
 Alan accompanied liiiii, listeiiiiig- to the sermon 
 willi something- of a feeling of proprietary riglu 
 in it, while he wonld as soon have thonght of crit- 
 icising the snnshine as the old man's preaching 
 and pra}ers. 
 
f 
 
 !il 
 
 I 
 
 if 
 
 m I 
 
 m I 
 
 I M I 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 ADAM ROSS 
 
 WHEN Mr. Bruce came down to breakfast 
 the follo\vin<^ iiioriiiiii^ he was surprised 
 to see a fine, patriarchal face opposite him. 
 Alan went through the presentation somewhat 
 diffidently, and later on, when he explained to 
 his tutor that Mr. Dolliver was not merely the 
 guest of a night, but was to remain during the 
 rest of his life, Mr. Bruce looked first amused and 
 then perplexed. 
 
 " What will your brother say to such a Quixotic 
 arrangement ? " 
 
 " It is as much my home as his ; I do not inter- 
 fere with his pleasures, and they cost much more 
 than mine." 
 
 " You will not then consult him in the matter? " 
 *' I'll mention what I have done, that is all." 
 Mr. Bruce noticed the subtle change that was 
 taking place in his pupil — the boyish outlines 
 were developing into a vigorous strength, fore- 
 shadowing a manhood with fixed purpose. 
 
 Gradually they grew into the habit of consider- 
 ing Mr. Dolliver as much a member of the fam- 
 ily as if he had always been there ; the servants 
 32 
 
 III 
 
 
ADAM ROSS 
 
 33 
 
 vfast 
 riscd 
 him. 
 ;\vliat 
 ed to 
 y the 
 g the 
 >d and 
 
 lixotic 
 
 inter- 
 \\ more 
 
 tter 
 
 7" 
 
 lall." 
 lat was 
 lutlines 
 fore- 
 
 )nslder- 
 
 ue fam- 
 lervants 
 
 all likc'd him, and were as ready to welcome him 
 ba k iVom his pil<;riina<4es as Aim himself, u,y he 
 still continue*! to go from place to place, visiting 
 tiie sick and neglected and preaching to all who 
 would come to hear liini. He was not calculated 
 to draw crowds with his preaching, and he used 
 to say that in one way the Master could not s\ni- 
 pathize with some of his messengers, for the 
 people had listened to him gladly, themselves 
 making the preaching appointments by throng- 
 ing in such crowds to his remote hiding-places 
 that he was compelled to speak to them. 
 
 Mr. Dolliver had never thought of ceasing to 
 preach because of his slender congregations, and a 
 score of listeners would make him content. He 
 was fallimr now into the crentle childhood of 
 the aged Christian, which sometimes conies when 
 the storms of life are over and God lets them 
 rest awhile before entering upon the splendid ac- 
 tivities of immortality. It was only natural that, 
 as he went his rounds in the pony carriage drawn 
 by tlie steady horse Alan had provided him, he 
 should make frequent and enthusiastic men- 
 tion of the lad who was becoming almost more 
 than a son to him. He did not spend much of 
 his time at Deeplawn. He would come driving 
 home with a beaming face from a long round of 
 preaching in neglected places, apparently very 
 glad to get back to his books and home, stay a 
 
 c 
 
[ 
 
 TIIK MASTKR OF DKiU'LAWN 
 
 
 few days, and then with the same happy look on 
 his face start out again. 
 
 Air. Bruce would unbend on these occasions 
 from his usual dij^iiified indifference to rural mat- 
 ters to listen to the old man's stories. He liad 
 few complaints to make, but seemed to have a 
 faculty for drawing out what good there was in 
 13eople, while he thought so little of liimself in 
 reference to his work that it was much the same 
 to lii4n whether he was treated with honor or the 
 reverse. Alan used to listen to him with glowing 
 eyes, while the heroes of the older world seemed 
 to look at him out of that dim face. 
 
 And so the days wore on until three years had 
 gone. During that time Reginald had made two 
 flying visits home, for the place was so dull that a 
 single night there was to him an act of penance. 
 Alan never urged him now to come, for he had 
 awakened to the reality : his brother, who used to 
 be the hero of his boyhood, now impressed him 
 as devoid of a single heroic characteristic ; this 
 discovery had been a grief more bitter than death 
 to the high-principled youth. 
 
 Reginald made his appearance again very un- 
 expectedly one bright June day. Mr. Bruce and 
 Alan had planned a pedestrian tour in the Adiron- 
 dacks, and Alan was still boy enough to be an- 
 ticipating the trip with great satisfaction. Mr. 
 Dolliver was at home for the first time when Regi- 
 
ADAM ROS5? 
 
 35 
 
 on 
 
 LOUS 
 
 uat- 
 ha.l 
 ve a 
 IS in 
 :lf in 
 same 
 )r the 
 
 seined 
 
 L-s bad 
 
 de two 
 that a 
 nance, 
 le had 
 used to 
 d Idni 
 c •, this 
 1 death 
 
 •ery un- 
 uce and 
 Adiron- 
 be an- 
 )U. Mr. 
 ien Regi- 
 
 nald was there, and he wa^ surprised not to meet 
 him at the dinner table, while he wondered that 
 a robust yount; man should be so overcome by a 
 dav's travel as to be compelled to take his bed. 
 He dressed the following- morning; with unusual 
 care, for he had a little natural anxiety about 
 nieetiu!:;' the head of the house, but to his surprise 
 when he went down to the breakfast room he 
 found as usual only Mr. Bruce and Alan. 
 
 " Is your brother sick ? " he asked. 
 
 " I do not think he is," was Alan's brief reply. 
 
 The servants came in to prayers after breakfast, 
 and then each went about the day's accustomed 
 tasks, while Mr. Dolliver betook himself to the 
 library with an anxious mind. He felt in the 
 very atmosphere that there was trouble, and that 
 too, in some way connected with Re^^inald's home- 
 coming. He had always found the best antidote 
 for trouble to be to aid some one more troubled. 
 Mrs. Dixon had mentioned to him the unhappy 
 case of an old ditcher living near, who was sick 
 and alone. He took his hat and cane and started 
 out in the bright sunshine for old Adam Ross' 
 cottage. It was doubtful if he would be admitted, 
 since he had several times attempted to get in, 
 but had been always repulsed. Adam Ross hated 
 nearly everything, and if he had any pet dislike 
 it was for ministers of the gospel. Mr. Dolliver 
 had taken some nourishing food from Mrs. Dixon 
 
fri' 
 
 36 
 
 THE MASTKR OK DEEI'LAWN 
 
 ll I 
 
 as a sort of peace olTcrinj^, He found a desperate 
 stale of affairs at the cottage when he arrived. 
 
 Adam had been alone for a d.iy or two with 
 scarcely strength to reach for a drink of water 
 from the table at his bedside. Mr. D)lliver 
 knocked, bnt did not wait for an invitation to 
 enter, and pushed boldly in. The sight that met 
 his view was a pitiful one : the haggard face on 
 the pillow, the disordered room, and swarms of 
 flies holding undisputed possession in the close 
 atmosphere. 
 
 " I thought I was going to be left to die here 
 like a rat in a hole," was the first querulous greet- 
 
 ing. 
 
 '^ The Lord was better to you than you ex- 
 pected." 
 
 " It's never much good I've got from anybody; 
 but make haste and fetch me some fresh water. 
 I've not had bite nor sup of anything but this 
 drop of stale water since day before yesterday." 
 
 Mr. DoUiver hastened to the well and brought 
 in a jug of cold water. The sick man took a 
 deep draught and then sank heavily back on his 
 pillow. " That does taste good," he murmured, 
 with something like gratitude. 
 
 " Will you have something to eat now ? " Mr. 
 Dolliver asked, after he had opened door and win- 
 dows, and with considerable exertion and the aid 
 of a newspaper lessened the number of flies. 
 
ADAM ROSS 
 
 37 
 
 n 
 
 " If I had anything fit to eat I wouklii't mind 
 trying." 
 
 The self-appointed nurse wiped a plate and 
 emptied the basket ; there were jellies, cold 
 chicken, thin slices of bread and butter, and otlici 
 delicacies. Adam's face brightened as he saw the 
 good things. 
 
 '' Now, if 1 had a cup of tea, with some of that 
 cream in it, I'd be quite set up," he remarked, 
 with unwonted amiability. Mr. Dolliver kindled 
 the fire and set the tea to steep. He was unac- 
 customed to such efforts, and burned his fingers. 
 He did not mind such trifles, however, in his 
 satisfaction at finding Adam so complacent. 
 When all was satisfactorily prepared, ^Ir. Dolliver 
 carried the food to the sick man. 
 
 " I'm not a beggar, that folks need to send 
 victuals to me. No doubt you begged them for 
 me," Adam grumbled. 
 
 ^" They will taste just as good as if your own 
 money bought them, or as if you had created them 
 yourself and not been beholden to the Lord for 
 these things and everything else you have ever 
 had." Adam winced at that, for it had ever been 
 his boast that he was never indebted to any one 
 for what he had. 
 
 When he had finished his breakfast he lay down 
 wearily and closing his eyes, said: *'Now you'll 
 be wanting to pray after all you've done for me, 
 
i-v' 
 
 38 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 Si 
 
 I 
 
 ii'.; 
 
 and I won't be so uiiiieigliborly as to shut your 
 mouth." 
 
 My. Dollivcr took no notice of the remark, but 
 be;^an to clean the untidy room, the keen eyes 
 o])jnin'^ and watchins^ him half-fiercelv from the 
 bed. W.ien the work wa-i done to his satisfaction 
 he took a cliair to rest, meanwhile lookin*;- around 
 triumplianlly at his housekeeping- exploits. 
 
 "I never kuL'W that women's work was so 
 hard," he remarked, wiping the great beads of 
 perspiration from his face. " It always looked 
 ea-;y, to watch them at it; mv dear wife would 
 have done this work In haif the time it took me, 
 and kept her flice dry into the bargain. Women 
 are a wonderful gift to men," he added, re- 
 flectively. 
 
 " I alwa}s kept clear of women folks ; it didn't 
 seem fair for me to have to support another man's 
 daughter." 
 
 " That is just where we dilTered ; it did not 
 seem honest to take a young w^oman just when 
 she was of an age to be useful to her parents and 
 have her all to yourself, not giving anything in 
 return. I used to think the savage nations had 
 truer ideas of honesty in the matter than civilized 
 people." 
 
 Adam turned uneasily in bed, and for the first 
 time it occurred to him that he might have nuide 
 some mistakes in life it was now too late to 
 
 
 I r. 
 
 I 
 
ADAM ROSS 
 
 39 
 
 not 
 ,-lien 
 and 
 tr in 
 had 
 
 fn-st 
 nade 
 e to 
 
 recti f\'. He wished the minister wonld pray, for 
 he had an idea it would lessen his oblii^-ation. 
 Ministers, he had been accustomed to think, were 
 very thankful for an opportunity to pray with 
 f(jlks ; and yet he did not like to make the request 
 auain, for it seemed too much like dvimr for him 
 to be too anxious about such matters. Mr. I)ol- 
 liver sat chattiu^:^ with him, while several times 
 Adam felt an uncomfortable moisture cominj^ into 
 his eyes, and every time his visitor arose to drive 
 out the flies he sei/eil the opportunity to make 
 use of a corner of the quilt for a pocket-handker- 
 chief. He wondered too, why the old man stayed 
 so loni; when apparently he had no idea of con- 
 verting- liini. At last Air. DolHver arose to o^o. 
 
 " It is nearly time for luncheon up at the house. 
 Youu!^- Air. Re<;inald is at home and I am anxious 
 to meet him." 
 
 ''As far as I can make out, he's a poor lot," 
 Adam declared, his face brightening;- at the ])ros- 
 pect of a bit of <;ossip. " The yourn^- chap is 
 worth past count of him." The grieved look on 
 the minister's face surprised him ; why he should 
 be so affected by the shortcoming of another was 
 quite beyond his comprehension. 
 
 ''One never can believe these flying rumors, 
 especially about the rich, lor people are apt to 
 envy them." 
 
 " You can believe what I'm telling vou. I don't 
 
l!!l 
 
 40 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 run the risk of saying wliat I don't know, for 
 truth, and getting myself fetched up for libel, 
 only when I'm certain of it," Adam said, defen- 
 sively. 
 
 Mr. Dolliver turned the conversation abruptly, 
 promising to come down again after luncheon 
 with some medicine and beef tea. 
 
 "I have done a good deal of doctoring in my 
 time," he remarked, by way of recommending 
 himself; ''I have tried to save poor people's 
 pockets as well as their lives in that way." 
 
 " I guess you are pretty good, if you are a 
 preacher," Adam acknowledged, thereby making 
 a concession which, if Mr. Dolliver had known 
 him better, would have sent him on his way re- 
 joicing. 
 
 Adam Ross did not die under IMr. Dolliver's 
 treatment and nursing. With the aid of a line con- 
 stitution, he came around as well as ever, and not 
 his bodily health alone was benefited. vSoon 
 another sitting was taken in the little church, and 
 after that Mr. Dolliver had no firmer friend at 
 Deeplawn than Adam Ross, the ditcher. 
 
 
f 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 a 
 
 REAPING THE WHIRLWIND 
 
 AT luiiclieon ■Mr. DoUiver was presented to 
 Reginald. A cold bow was _is only re- 
 sponse to his offers of friendliness, while Mr. Bruce 
 sat in dignified silence. Reginald sat creasing his 
 napkin and, with a manner that strnck the old 
 man as sullen, refused to take anything on the 
 table. Near the close of the meal he gave a low- 
 spoken order to the servant which Alan immedi- 
 ately countermanded. 
 
 " Do you think you are the only master here?" 
 Reginald asked hotly. 
 
 ''I am, in some matters." 
 
 Mr. Dolliver could scarcely believe it was Alan's 
 voice that uttered the words, for he had never 
 heard him speak with such authority to the low- 
 est servant on the place. They arose from the 
 table in silence and Reginald turned to ]\Ir. Bruce, 
 saying haughtily : 
 
 " I should like a few words with you and mv 
 brother in the library." :\Ir. Bruce bowed his as- 
 sent and the three left the room. 
 
 " Isn't it a pity, sir, to see a fine young man 
 like that going to the bad?" the maid who had 
 
 41 
 
i 
 
 II 
 
 •'J 
 
 
 
 42 THE MAvSTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 W-iited on them at table asked respectfully. "Did 
 vou see he never tasted a bite of dinner and he 
 bid nie fetch him the brandy, but Mr. Alan forbid 
 nie ; he's a wonderful youn<^ man, and Mr. Ret^i- 
 nald is afraid of him, for all he puts on such a bold 
 front." 
 
 Mr. Dolliver left the room hastily. The day 
 was proving to be one of the most trying in his 
 experience. 
 
 " It is not my world, but God's," he murmured 
 at last, after some hours of painful thinking- in his 
 own room. " He loves and pities men far more 
 than we can do, and I am sure that some day right 
 will triumph.'' 
 
 When the dinner bell rang he went down re- 
 luctantly, for he fancied his presence was distaste- 
 ful to Reginald, while there came into his heart 
 a longing for that home where his loved and lost 
 were waiting for him. But perhaps there was 
 still some work for him to do before he left the 
 world or, sadder thought, he might not himself be 
 ready to enter that sinless world. 
 
 Alan's face wore a sadder expression than ]\Ir. 
 Dolliver had ever seen upon it before. Later on 
 the good man learned that there had been a stormy 
 interview that afternoon in the library. Reginald 
 had come to Deeplawn prepared to take strong 
 measures with his brother to secure his own pur- 
 poses, but he found to his chagrin that he had 
 
 Jj 
 
RKAPINCr THB: whirlwind 
 
 43 
 
 something harder than he anticipated in bending 
 the lad's will. As he looked in his brother's lace 
 oppo.^ite him at the table an expression uf bitter 
 liatred convnlsed the once handsome features. 
 He had staked his last dollar and was now p. nni- 
 les-^, save for the joint ownership of Deeplawn, 
 which he conld not touch without Alan's consent, 
 and even then the estate could not be disponed of 
 until Alan came of age; but the house could be 
 shut, all the servants and farm hands discharged, 
 and the place rented for a term of years while 
 Alan was at college. The interview ended witli- 
 ont getting the promise of a single dollar, save the 
 money to pay a comrade who had loaned Reginald 
 sufhcient to bring him to Deeplawn. j\Ir. Bruce 
 had been amazed at Alan's self-restraint under his 
 brother's cruel tannts, accusing him of seliishness 
 and lack of natural affection, and sneers at Chris- 
 tians generally and himself in particular. Alan 
 turned on him at last, his face white with the re- 
 straint of controlled passion : 
 
 " I would give every dollar I am worth, and you 
 know it. Rex, if it would make you an honest, 
 temperate man. But I shall not give a cent to 
 keep you in your present condition." 
 
 lyosing all control of himself, Reginald struck 
 ont fiercely at Alan, but i\Ir. Bruce thrust him 
 aside, somewhat breaking the force of the blow ; 
 but the lad's shonlder was lame for weeks. 
 
44 
 
 THE MAvSTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 ^ 
 
 .!' 
 
 
 *i 
 
 " Will you promise never to repeat that of- 
 Lii.se ? " 
 
 Reginald cowered at the blaze of wrath in his 
 brother's eyes, but made no repl\-. 
 
 '^ Oh, Rex, what will you become, if you go on 
 like this ! " the younger brother added. His anger 
 died out and only pity and a supreme desire to 
 save his brother at whatever cost, filled his heart. 
 As he stood looking at the marred face, a conver- 
 sation with Mrs. Dixon some moiiths before came 
 vividly to his remembrance. She laid all the 
 blame of Reginald's ruined life on the university 
 wliere he had gone at eighteen years of age. "Be- 
 fore that," she had said, " he was as good a boy as 
 one could wish to live with ; he scarcely knew the 
 taste of liquor, and as for cards, he cared nothing 
 for them, but said they were only fit to pass away 
 the time of feeble-minded men and women ; but 
 the next year when he came home I s iw a great 
 change in him, his clothes smelled scandalously 
 of tobacco, and when I unpacked his trunk I 
 found several packs of cards, some with gilt edges 
 that he had when he went to parties, and others 
 that were a sight more worn than the books that he 
 studied out of. I didn't tell your father for he was 
 very stern and Reginald begged me not to betray 
 him. Before he came back the next year your 
 father had met with the accident that so soon 
 ended his life, and after that there was nobody I 
 
 I 
 
 l!' 
 
■ 
 
 REAPING THE WHIRLWIND 
 
 45 
 
 could err, to. I've thought a hunlred times th it 
 if I was rich I'd hesitate long before I would send 
 a boy to college, but perhaps tiiey are not all 
 alike." 
 
 " Most of the young men who go to college are 
 not ruined," Alan had returned, "and those who 
 are would nios: likely fall anyway." 
 
 " I asked him once if they all did like him, and 
 he said there were some 'muffs' wiio did nothiiicr 
 
 o 
 
 but study, and they were a dry lot." 
 
 " They are the ones that take care of our 
 world." 
 
 " I expect so. I asked him if the teachers 
 didn't look after them. He said, of course they 
 did ; gave them lectures ever so many times a 
 week and examined their papers ; but I concluded 
 if they'd given them some thrashings, and exam- 
 ined their morals, 'twould have been better. Seems 
 to me if women had the care of colleges they'd 
 look after the young folks better than the perfes- 
 sors, as he calls the schoolmasters. I always had 
 a good opinion mostly of perfessors, but I've lost 
 all conceit of that kind." 
 
 *' Your loss is small compared with theirs." 
 
 "I've always advised him on no account to let 
 you go to such wicked places, but I don't think 
 they'd hurt you any now." 
 
 Alan had received Mrs. Dixon's compliment 
 with a sober face. She soon interrupted the pain- 
 
 ^ , 
 
u 
 
 
 46 
 
 thp: master of dkrplawn 
 
 I 
 
 ' it 
 
 « 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 * 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ' 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 '. V 
 
 
 ■■ 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
 fill reverie into which he had fallen by sayinj^^: 
 "It seems curious that they don't take waruing 
 from each other ; lie told me once that there were 
 those who weut to the bad every year, or if they 
 graduated, were dependent on their rich relations. 
 I know things might be regulated better. There 
 was a time when prisoners and slaves and such 
 like were looked after, but rich men's sous go to 
 the bad without anybody noticing." 
 
 Alan assured her they were not such a ne- 
 glected class as she supposed. 
 
 " Well, there's a screw loose somewhere. I'm 
 only an ignorant woman, I never parsed a sentence 
 of grammar in my life, but there's things we can 
 find out without grammar. Why, I've thought 
 as I looked over your brother's things, and made 
 out as well as I could, his bills and ' billy duxes,' 
 for I made it a p'int to read every scrap of 
 writing I could make out, though I never let on 
 to him — as I say, I've thought time and again, 
 before I'd leave a pile of money to my children, 
 I'd give it all away to some good object, the 
 heathen or something of that kind." 
 
 As this conversation came vividly to his mind 
 Alan felt a great wave of pity for the brother v.dio 
 once was so tender and true, but had been stolen 
 from him by evil associates. To Reginald's 
 consternation he went to his side, and taking the 
 hand that had struck at him a few moments 
 
A 
 
 REAPING TIIK WHIRLWIND 
 
 47 
 
 bjforc he said : " Won't you turn over a new leaf 
 even yet, Rex? God will help you." 
 
 The only answer was a muttered oath as he 
 bade him keep his cant to himself. Alan turned 
 away hopelessly, while he too muttered: "That 
 will not be all that I shall keep." 
 
 A moment after he went to the table and wrote 
 a few lines, handing the paper to Reginald ; a 
 gleam of fierce hatred shot from his eyes as he 
 scanned the paper, then he turned hastily and left 
 the room. 
 
 " I shall make my will at once, or is the will of 
 a minor legal? " 
 
 "I am afraid not," was Mr. Bruce's reply. 
 
 '' Is there no way I can dispose of my property 
 in case of death?" 
 
 " It is doubtful if there is." 
 
 "Then law sadly needs reforming. I should 
 like every contingency provided for." j\Ir. Bruce 
 understood his meaning; the same hand that had 
 dealt the blow might not fail in its next attempt. 
 
 " I am not versed in legal lore, but I think \ou 
 might do this: make a will bequeathing what 
 you possess to your brother, but appoint ad 
 ministrators, allowing him only a certain sum 
 yearly; you could stipulate any amount you 
 thought safe." 
 
 "I shall go into the city at once, to-morrow, 
 for everything shall, if possible, be settled. After 
 
 . 
 
48 
 
 THE MASTER OK DI'l'.PI.AWN 
 
 ! 
 
 :> 
 
 I 1 
 
 that I shall have one care less, but I would like 
 to live lonj^er." Pie glanced through the open 
 window to the fields and hills he had looked at 
 from childhood, never with such a heavy heart as 
 at that inonicnt. 
 
 " You might pacify your brother by giving him 
 a generous allowance. You will even then have 
 more than you are in the habit of spending from 
 your vearlv income." 
 
 " ]\Ioney is not the question. If I had an in- 
 come of millions I would not do it. What I want 
 is to save him. This man, you see, is not my 
 brother, but a ruin — alcohol and sin combined, 
 with some small shred of manhood remaining, 
 perhaps. I \v\\\ keep him here, and if possible 
 save him. You will not leave me until I have 
 learned what you can teach, if I ever can." 
 
 j\Ir. Bruce knew the sacrifice was vastly greater 
 than any pecuniary one could be that he might 
 make for his brother ; not only the pedestrian 
 excursion they were to have taken during the 
 holidays but after that the college course, a very 
 wdde one, of which he had alreadv elected the 
 studies, and which would take six or eight years 
 to complete, must be relinquished. INIany a talk 
 had they indulged in on the sul:)ject as they 
 trudged together on their long holidav excursions, 
 for Alan had been a firm believer in the wisdom 
 of the old philosophers who taught their pupils in 
 
 $ ' 
 
 Ki I 
 
REAPING TIIK WiriRUvrXD 
 
 49 
 
 
 the open air. He was dcteriiiinea to imitate 
 those heroic sagcs who despised luxurious livin- 
 but thouglit nobly. The result was that at 
 eighteen he could stand the strain of severe study 
 or pliysical exertion tliat few at twentv-five could 
 endure. In size and strenoth he was now more 
 than a match for his brother, thanks to a pure 
 mind in a \vell-trained body. 
 
 He left the house without speaking to any one, 
 for he had an instinctive feeling that what lie was 
 anxious to do must be done quicklv, if at all. 
 Mr. Dolliver went to Alan's room that afternoon,' 
 for he ielt anxious about his bov and made, as an 
 excuse for his visit, the need of having something 
 done for old Adam. The door was slightlv ajar 
 and as he glanced in, he was surprised to see Rc<.-- 
 iiiald standing by the dressing table with a small 
 vial and glass in his hand. He heard the door 
 move and glancing fiercely around ordered Ur. 
 Dolliver from the room— a command the old 
 gentleman obeyed very promptly; but he went 
 at once in search of Mr. Bruce, for something in 
 Reginald's manner made him feel aiixions^for 
 Alan's safety. When he made his communication 
 he was surprised at the very grave look in the 
 tutor's face. 
 
 "I will see what he has been about as soon ns 
 I am certain he has gone to his own room. To- 
 morrow you will probably know ever\-tliincr '> 
 

 j ■ 
 
 I 
 
 50 
 
 THE MASTlvR OK DlC KI'I.AWN 
 
 After dinner Mr. DolHver was sitting;' in his 
 own room, when a tap at the door disturbed tlie 
 reverie into which he had fallen. He thouoht at 
 once of Rej^inald, but opened the door to admit 
 whomever it mi.i^ht be. To his relief Mr. Ih'uce 
 stood before him, but with such a grave, pale face 
 that he started back in alarm. 
 
 " Is somethim>- wromi: with the lad ? " he asked. 
 
 IVIr. Bruce entered and, closing the door, re- 
 plied : ''I have found poisoned water in Alan's 
 room ; it was poured from the bottle you saw in 
 Reginald's hand." 
 
 " x\re you sure it was poison ? " 
 
 " Yes, I have submitted it to a careful analysis ; 
 it is a most powerful and deadly poison. You 
 will be willing to testify that you saw Reginald 
 by the table with a bottle and tumbler?" 
 
 " Certainly." The old man's nerves were ter- 
 ribly shaken, but he kept himself under ri,;id 
 control. 
 
 " We shall have evidence now to put him where 
 he will not attempt such a crime again." 
 
 " In prison? " 
 
 " It will be useless to mention that to Alan ; 
 but, fortunately, there are asylums where such 
 persons can be placed. A term of confinement 
 may be the best possible discipline for him." 
 
 ^' I doubt if Alan will consent even to that 
 mucn punishment for his wayward brother." 
 
 I" 
 
 
 
 isk. 
 
RKAPING TIIK WHIRUVIND 
 
 51 
 
 an ; 
 
 ucli 
 
 lieiit 
 
 :hat 
 
 ''Fortunately it will be beyond his power to 
 pievcnt it. I am i^oini;- to follow liiin at once to 
 the city. I shall get a couple of the tenants to 
 stay here for the ni<.'lit, as I feel certain Reginald 
 is insane." 
 
 Mr. Ihuce returned a little later with two stal- 
 wart farmers, but he had not been ,i;one fn)m the 
 house very long when the watchers had t nou'^h 
 to do at times to keep Reginald in his room. 
 Some one suggested that il was delirium tremens, 
 but Michael Flynn remarked that he had .seen too 
 many cases of the doldrums to be mistaken. Rt gi- 
 nald's one desire seemed to be to make away with 
 his brother and get possession of his property. 
 
 ]\Ir. Dolliver shrank back appalled at times. 
 IMichael Flynn interposed : ''You are too ould a 
 man to be losin' yerslape; besides it's no place 
 for the loiks nv yon to be listenin' to the oaths 
 and curses. Tm used to 'em meself, for I was in 
 a tavern for years afore I cum here ; it .seems like 
 ould times to be a-listenin' to the remarks av tlie 
 poor Cray then" 
 
 " You must be very thankful for the change," 
 was Mr. Dolliver's response ; and he followed it up 
 with some words that Michael never forgot. 
 
 After a while Air. Dolliver left the room, when 
 Michael became unusual Iv thomihtful. ''It was 
 no manner av use for me to be talkin' wid the 
 ould gintleman; the clargy, av course, can talk 
 

 I' 
 
 i 
 
 ; I 
 
 i 
 
 52 
 
 TIIIC MASTER OF DKEPI.AWN 
 
 better nor the loikes av us, but he do be sayin' 
 very unsettlin' things. 'Twouhl be a good thing if 
 a poor sowl was sure what was the thrue faith ; 
 heretics do seem to have more luck nor us. 
 'Twould be too bad if they made out better for 
 botli worlds." 
 
 " ]\Iaybe we'd better stick to our owni faith, we 
 can't be sure, auyway," his mate said, slowly. He 
 was an eas\-going creature not given to perplex- 
 ing speculations about anything. 
 
 Reginald was "rowing restless a-'ain, and soon 
 all theological problems were driven from their 
 thoughts by the question how they were to con- 
 trol the man whom they were set to watch. 
 
 When Alan and j\Ir. Bruce reached home the 
 next day, steps were immediately taken to place 
 Reginald under the care of medical experts. Alan 
 would feel less anxiety about his brother while 
 confined in an asylum than he had done for many a 
 month before. He cherished the hope that rea- 
 son might be restored after the system had under- 
 gone such a change that the craving for liquor 
 might possibly be removed. 
 
 
Tl 
 
 i1 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 NEWFOUNDLAND 
 
 TN planning their pedestrian tour Alan was 
 J- eager to go out of the beaten tracks and 
 to get in touch with elementary things. For 
 a while every place suggested by IMr. Bruce pre- 
 sented some drawback, the greatest in every case 
 being the probability of meeting the tourists who ' 
 were going over the same ground. 
 
 Attersome v/eeks Newfoundland was sue^ested, 
 with a possible trip to Labrador in case the for- 
 mer should not be solitary enough. Alan was 
 delighted with the proposition, stipulating for an 
 Indian who could guide them through those in- 
 land solitudes, where they could enjoy ar. abo- 
 riginal a style of living as is possible in this age 
 of steam and electricity. He was quite indiffer- 
 ent about the commissariat department, permit- 
 ting IMr. Bruce to order whatever supplies he him- 
 self desired, for he expected to furnish himself, by 
 gun and rod, with all the fish, flesh, and fowl that 
 he desired, without any dependence upon the 
 doubtful contents of the tin can<. He took very 
 lew books, for he remembered that the old Chal- 
 dean and Greek poets were not cumbered with 
 
 53 
 
I 
 
 54 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 I 
 
 
 H 
 
 \l 
 
 i 
 
 
 ' 
 
 their scrolls when they journeyed through primi- 
 tive forests with no other guide-marks than the 
 stars. 
 
 The travelers reached St. John's early in July. 
 The trip itself had been positive rapture to Alan, 
 as it was, in the first place, such a relief to get 
 away from the haunting memories of Deeplawu, 
 and too, it was his initial experience of the ocean. 
 
 In a wliile he was strongly tempted to give up 
 his college course and make his home on the sea, 
 for workers were needed there as much as in uni- 
 versitv chairs. 
 
 After making all necessary purchases at St. 
 John's andsecuring the services of a trusty guide, 
 they jubilantly started on a sailing packet for the 
 north. Alan certainly found matters primitive 
 enouirh when he swung in his hamuiock in the 
 cabin, or sat at a table innocent alike of paint or 
 linen, and ate his dinner off the cheapest earthen- 
 ware and drank a wretchedly poor qnality of tea 
 from a yellow bowl. The codfish and halibut, 
 however, were fresh, the pork scraps were sweet, 
 the potatoes that came to tne table in their jack- 
 ets were white and mealy, and the sea biscuits 
 comparatively fresh ; besides he was not tempted 
 to eat after his hiniger had been appeased, which 
 was a gain over a higher civilization. 
 
 The wind was fair and they bounded ahmg 
 cheerily. The sailors, who were also fishermen, 
 
NEWFOUNDLAND 
 
 55 
 
 were very anxious to make the voyage agreeable 
 to the travelers. The slight difference between 
 officers and men existed only in name, for no one 
 of them could either read or write. Mr. Bruce 
 frequently assured them he would be much better 
 pleased either to have them keep in sight of land, 
 or submit the navigation of the ship to him — a 
 proposition which the skipper, notwithstanding 
 his desire to please the gentlemen, received very 
 dubiously. 
 
 They reached Bonavista, however, in safety, 
 and there took leave of the crew, and the follow- 
 ing day, with Gabe, their Indian guide, started 
 inland with their canoes and stores. Gabe was 
 n')t very certain about his name. He knew that 
 it had been suggested by the priest at his christen- 
 ing, Init, unfortunately, his mother had forgotten 
 tiie rest, if there had been any more. He was, 
 however, very certain that he had been named for 
 some one in the heavenly places, and he was per- 
 fectly content with the cognomen, believing that 
 if it were good enough for use there, it must be 
 also for him. The man proved an interesting 
 problem to Alan. He was quick in motion, sharp 
 in vision and was, like his race, laconic; not be- 
 cause his vocabulary was limited, but that he dis- 
 liked to talk ; but what he may have lacked in 
 speech he more than made up in more valuable 
 qualities, closeness of observation, a capacity to 
 
 1 
 
1 
 
 '1 ■; 
 
 56 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEKPLAWN 
 
 marshal all his forces at a second's notice, nerves 
 of steel, and a courage that never wavered 
 under most exciting or dangerous circumstances. 
 Alan at once began to study this son of the forest, 
 wondering :f he did not resemble those men of 
 the older world who, like him, were untrained in 
 the schools, but whose faculties were developed in 
 other ways. Ivike them, he studied the heavens, 
 read the signs of a coming storm long before the 
 two representatives of a higher civilization could 
 see any trace of nature mustering her forces to 
 work them inconvenience, while it was impossible 
 to puzzle him as to their whereabouts, as long as 
 the sun or stars were visible. Pie appeared to be 
 well acquainted with the habits of every feathered 
 inhabitant of the forest, and his knowledge of 
 other woodland life was equally extensive. 
 
 One day, as Alan sat with Mr. I>ruce by an in- 
 land stream fighting black flies and pulling up 
 from the brown depths splendid trout, he said : 
 
 " Gabe is just as profound a student as any of 
 
 us 
 
 )) 
 
 " How do you make that out ? " 
 
 " We have studied from books and have assimi- 
 lated, for the most part, other men's thoughts, while 
 he has gone direct to nature and there studied God's 
 thoughts, which have given him a Treshness that 
 most of us lack. He is a real man ; there is the 
 stuff in him out of which a score of dudes could 
 
 '1 
 
NEWFOUNDLAND 
 
 57 
 
 i 
 
 be transformed into average men, with all the 
 m.uilincss they could stand and still r^itain their 
 ' butterfly ' proclivities." 
 
 '' You are hard on the poor fellows." 
 
 ''I have cause to be. If Rex had been with 
 G:ibe six months of the year out in these whole- 
 some solitudes, he would not be wher'^ he is now." 
 It was the first time Alan had spoken of liis 
 brother since the day they had carried him from 
 Deeplawn, and the bitterness with which he spoke 
 proved that the wound had not yet healed. 
 
 " There seems to be a law of compensation run- 
 ning- through life. Those on the lowest rounds of 
 the social ladder, like Gabe, who scarcely realize 
 that they are made out of the same material as 
 their rulers, have joys, and very keen ones too, 
 that their superiors know nothing about." 
 
 "Gabe certainly has," Alan asserted witli de- 
 cision. " I have seen his nostrils dilate and his 
 eyes flash with a very superior kind of compla- 
 cency as he steered us skillfully through the rapids, 
 or brought down a bird as it sailed heedlessly 
 through the blue — a feat of skill, by the wa\-, 
 which few of our prize marksmen could perform, 
 and showing the steady nerve and perfect vision 
 of the man." 
 
 "That is mere physical prowess," Mr. Bruce 
 remarked. 
 
 " It only goes to prove, however, that he has 
 
M 
 
 58 
 
 THE lIASTIiR OF DEEI'LAWN 
 
 I 
 
 I i ^ 
 
 u 
 
 tlic ability our university crews hold as liigli, I 
 fancy, as they do intellectual power. Besides, 
 Gabe has other skill than that of mere nerve and 
 vision." 
 
 " You do not meditate reverting to an aburigiual 
 state, I hope." 
 
 "Not quite," was the reply. " But it is suptrb, 
 this getting away from men and towns. I did 
 not think I could ever be so light-hearted again ; 
 and even now I get almost ashamed of myself 
 that I seem to forget where Rex is and what he 
 is. But the world does seem so free and i^ure out 
 here that it makes me forget the wrecks. If I 
 could only get Rex out here with Gabe. 
 
 " I have talked with him about it and he says 
 he wouhl not be afraid to spend a sunnner with 
 him in the woods. He says too, that there is 
 nothing like the smell of the earth where men's 
 feet have never trod to bring one back to health 
 of body as well as mind." 
 
 " You must remember that Gabe is still very 
 mucli of a savage, with all the fascination of un- 
 trodden places strong upon hiui. We miy 
 apostrophize this sort of life and nature's untrained 
 energy, and it is all very well to come back to 
 such primitive ways for a few weeks out ot the 
 year, but civilization is incomparably superior." 
 
 *' What has civilization done for Rex?" 
 
 " We must not judge the whole by a few 
 
NEWFOUNDLAND 
 
 59 
 
 
 extreme cases. There are (Iniiikeii Indians as 
 degraded as the worst specimens of civilization." 
 "Would there liave been had they not lirst 
 come in contact with ns? Give these primitive 
 races our reHgion and everythinc^ that elevates 
 us, keeping from them our vices — what then ? " 
 
 " Do the same for our white races and I believe 
 you would develop a finer t\pe. It is no use, 
 however, for there can in this world be only in- 
 dividual excellence ; the tares and wheat must 
 grow togetlier till the final harvest, and each is at 
 liberty to elect which he will be. I do not doubt, 
 however, that this fact will greatly increase the 
 reward of those who receive their :\Iakcr's ap- 
 proval at the final adjustment of rewards." 
 
 "The true Christian does not work for reward, 
 here or hereafter," Alan said softly. 
 
 "There are not many, I fear, of that variety; 
 but it strikes me tint you have the making of 
 such a one. Though I am your teacher, I must 
 confess to you that s'ou have caused me more con- 
 science pricks than the parsons ever did. I can 
 listen calmly to preaching — we are u-cd to that; 
 bit you have lived, and I have watched \on 
 closely. Possibly I may f)rgct all th.-.e impres- 
 sions when we arc separated, or I ma\' become 
 one of your s )rt. I am just now mucu like a 
 cuip on the tide, carried whichever way the 
 current wills." 
 
6o 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 !'! 
 
 m4 
 
 1 1 
 
 
 kl 
 11 i 
 
 " You can never be that , fate is an exploded 
 theory and we are all free agents ; but it will 
 make a great difference to you which way you 
 steer." 
 
 It was not easy for Alan to talk on such subjects 
 to his teacher, and a word dropped now and then 
 may have beeU all the more effective on that 
 account. Tliev sat on the bank silentlv drawin^r 
 in the rainbow-tinted trout, until at last Alan 
 exclaimed : 
 
 " It is positive murder for us to fish longer. We 
 have more here now than we can possibly eat, 
 unless we confine ourselves exclusively to a trout 
 diet." He reeled his line as he spoke and sat 
 watching Mr. Bruce, who was prolonging the bliss 
 of angling by playing with the trout on his hook. 
 
 "If this were not such an out-of-the-way place, 
 we could supply our friends all over the Union 
 with trout and game," Mr. Bruce muttered, as he 
 took the trout at last from the hook and followed 
 Alan's example. 
 
 " If we could bring an entire charity school here 
 from the slums of one of our great cities, we could 
 fish to our heart's content. Do vou think we 
 could manage it?" Alan asked his question 
 eagerly. 
 
 " It would involve a great deal of car^-, together 
 with considerable expense," was tlie tutor's reply. 
 
 " It would pay us though. Just fancy those 
 
 \ 
 
 a 
 
 1 
 
NEWFOUNDLAND 
 
 6i 
 
 1; 
 
 hungry little wretches let loose under these trees 
 for a couple of mouths ! The game laws, I believe, 
 do not reach inland so far as this, and they could 
 have all the fowl and fish they wanted." 
 
 " Boys would soon tire of such diet." 
 
 " Certainly ; we should have other thin,i;s of 
 course, canned food and biscuits, if nothing else. 
 But what a revelation it would be to them ! They 
 might grow to love nature so well they would 
 elect a life in the country when they became men. 
 Anything that helps coming generations to find 
 homes in the country, is money very well applied. 
 I don't care particularly how I spend my money, 
 so that I help others ; the poor need it as much 
 as the university students I planned to help when 
 I was a mere boy." 
 
 "That is not the orthodox way for reformers. 
 They must choose their work and then slick to it." 
 
 "I am not committed to anything, except that 
 I must do my own work now and Rex's as well." 
 
 ''Is that possible? I fancy we must each do 
 our own work or have it go forever undone. How 
 is it, Alan, that you give me such uncomfortable 
 views about these matters and rob me of the 
 charm of idleness that I could otherwise so fully 
 enjoy?" 
 
 "It may be sensations are infectious. I know I 
 am puzzled about these matters a good deal," 
 Alan answered, reflectively. 
 
' , ■ I 
 
 63 
 
 Tin<: MASTER Ol- DFJvPLAWN 
 
 il^ 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 Just then Oabe gave the sig-iial that siip]jer was 
 ready and the conversation was interrupted. He 
 was an expert cook and tlie outdoor life gave 
 fine appetites, so that tliey always obeyed his 
 suninions with alacrity. He had, in addition to 
 his culinary gifts, another accoinplishnient lint 
 often stood them in good stead as they sat watch- 
 in ^^ the twilight deepen among the trees — an 
 ancient pipe through whose black stem he had 
 drawn many an hour's solacement. The trouble- 
 some black insects, the chief drawback to forest 
 life, liad not yet acquired a taste for tobacco, and 
 so circled warilv on the extreme outer ed 'C of the 
 bUiL^ wrealhs. Alan, as he frequently supplemented 
 Gabe's efforts bv waving a green bough over his 
 head, used to wonder, if his perceptions were keen 
 enough, w )uld he not hear a jangled mixture of 
 coughing, spluttering, an 1 insect remon-trauces 
 from those m dtitudinous pests because of that 
 malodorous pipe. 
 
 They always retired early, after freely distribut- 
 ing a compound in their tents that O ibe nrinu- 
 factured from various ingredients, wh'.ch exorcised 
 the stinging things more effectually than the 
 tobacco. They enjoyed most perfect sleep, not 
 even disturbed by the flaring fires which Gabe 
 arose at regular intervals to tend in order to keep 
 wild animals at bay. They used to rise in the 
 early morning from their bed of boughs feeling 
 
 f^' 
 
 i 
 
NEWFOUNDLAND 63 
 
 that they had received new streiii^th from the 
 contact with mother eartli, wliile ail the forest 
 aronnd them was thrilling- with the melody poured 
 from a thonsand throats. 
 
 It is true there were stormy da\s— tlie loni;-, 
 pitiless rains of midsummer; these were an in- 
 fliction, for troutinn; in mackintoshes, or ^rnnuin^ 
 under similar difficulties, was not to be tl".)uj,dit 
 of when one must tramp under rain-soaked trc-es 
 ' or through a tangle of fern and imderbrush. Alan 
 Ifad lost much of his relish for books under these 
 primitive conditions, and so he used to drift away 
 to Gabe's tiny wigwam, and prevail upon him to 
 recount his exploits on sea and land. 
 
 Gabe was ever obliging, and since it w is stories 
 of adventure which this keen-eyed vonng fellow 
 craved, adventures he gave him of tlie most thrill- 
 ing description, for Gabe was a novelist in his 
 own way, and could paint as lurid pictures as the 
 most sensational of the craft. What lie liked best 
 was to see the dreamy look creep into those brave 
 eyes that bore the expression in their depths of 
 one who had looked on sorrow. He soon dis- 
 covered that his listener seemed most interested 
 in the traditions of older days, when the Indians 
 owned all this vast western world away to the set- 
 ting sun. Alan felt certain that Gabe drew largelv 
 on his imagination for these stories and traditions, 
 and since he was not certain where fact ended and 
 
I 
 
 « 
 
 
 6) THK MASTKR OF DI-.KPLAWN 
 
 fiction bt-'j^an, he cheated the narrator by studying 
 him and spccuhitinji^ very often diuinj^ his nio-t 
 exciting recitals what Gabe might have been had 
 his skin been white, and his early days spent 
 amid the higher civilization of the pale faces. 
 
 One evening, as they talked, Gabe sngxested a 
 trip to Labrador, asserting that there were vessels 
 frequently passing to and fro, an 1 on their return 
 to Bonavista, if nothing better presented itself, 
 they could go to St. John's and there take the mail 
 steamer for the north. He olTered his services as 
 guide at so low a rate that Alan secured him on 
 the spot, and then went immediately to Air. Bruce 
 and announced his determination to start the fol- 
 lowing day. 
 
 " We have done about all there is to do here," 
 he explained. "I really think I would like some- 
 thing more exciting. Gabe described the .scenery 
 there in such glowing colors that I want to see it 
 all for myself. According to him nature must 
 have been in a particularly merr\' mood during 
 some of her upheavals in those wild solitudes." 
 
 Mr. Bruce signified his willingness to accom- 
 pany Alan as far from civilization as lie might 
 desire, and at day-dawn their tents were struck, 
 their canoe started, and their faces turned toward 
 the sea. What a perfect day it was — floating now 
 out of some dark ravine through overhanging 
 cliffs, then out on broad lake-like stretches of 
 
NKWFOUXDI.AND 
 
 65 
 
 miri|.pk(l water, the only sound to break the lan- 
 .^uorous stilhiess being the swish of the paddles, 
 or a bird-call from the forest dcptlis. 
 
 Alan took a turn paddlin<; now and then,' and 
 again, with both hands clasped for a pillow, he 
 leaned back, looking into the depths that can only 
 be scaled by fancy's strong wing ; great suns were 
 wheeling there, no doubt as full of activities as 
 this planet ship that held him prisoner; he won- 
 dered had sin disturbed their harmonv ; were in- 
 sanity and death the lot of the beings who swung 
 aloft in those vast circles of worlds? His fancy 
 perhaps was never quite so busy as on those days 
 when he floated hour after hour through those 
 inland solitudes. 
 
 Mr. Bruce too, seemed in a contemplative mood. 
 He had a copy of " Dante," as the poet wrote it 
 out of his own heart, in the language of his sunny 
 Tuscan home ; but there were long pauses between 
 the lines as his eyes followed now a bird, wheeling 
 far above him jo>oush-, and now the sun-kissed 
 waters on the leaf\- shore. 
 
 "Just to think of the souls up there," Alan re- 
 marked at last. " What an army our world has 
 sent to join those ranks of shining ones ! It will 
 be grand to die, for Sirius, Ak'lebaran, Orion, 
 Jupiter, all may have their contingents there too.' 
 I wonder how theirs and ours will rank together, 
 and in what ways their experiences wi.l airiee?" 
 
li 
 
 r. 11 
 
 !! 4 ft! > 
 
 :) ■ > 
 
 66 
 
 THE MASTKR OF I?KKPLAWN 
 
 Mr. Bruce looked at hiiii curiously. What sort 
 of \ouili was this who lived so inteuselv iu Ix^tli 
 worlds ? Other youug fellows at his age had their 
 auibitions uiaiuly bounded by the fit of their s^ar- 
 nients, the silky down appearing on lip.i and 
 cheeks, their skill in athletic games, or the way 
 their tender overtures were received by maidens 
 as feather-headed as themselves. Alan had a 
 most provoking indifference to all these matters, 
 save the athletic sports. No captain of a univer- 
 sity eleven could be prouder of the iact that his 
 nerve was strong enough to match the muscle of 
 the champion wrestler in rustic circles at Deep- 
 lawn. 
 
 They reached Bonavista at sunset. Gabe safely 
 moored his canoe and then went around in search 
 of a vessel. In a short time he came speeding 
 back with the news that a vessel was just about 
 ready to sail for Labrador. They went on board, 
 and the anchor was lifted that evening. The 
 moon was near the full, but the air too calm to 
 suit the skipper, who was leaving behind him the 
 bride of a week. To be becalmed in those rip- 
 pling northern waters, no matter how superl) the 
 scenery might be, would not suit him so well as 
 a rattling wind. 
 
 Mr. Bruce and Alan, grown accustomed to rough- 
 ing it, lay down on some folds of sailcloth on the 
 deck, after fixing a bit of awning above their 
 
 
NEWFOrNDLAND 
 
 67 
 
 .0 
 
 '( 
 
 ir 
 
 heads to shut out the uioonbeauis. Here thc\- 
 slc[)t as ])rotoundly as ii' resting ou down and 
 curtained with satin, and they certainly awoke 
 with a much better taste in their mouths. Tiiey 
 were ready lor tlieir breakfast of fresii cod, salt 
 pork, and biscuits, which ALin ate with a relish 
 that astonished the sailors, who did not think 
 that a youth rich enoui^h to travel with his tutor 
 aad a guide, would have an appetite in common 
 witii toughened toilers of the sea. He learned 
 rapidly, and profiting by the lessons on the WMy 
 up from St. John's, he was soon able to do a sail- 
 or's work. The weather had been .so calm that 
 he had leisure to master all the intricacies of ropes 
 and sea plirases, for the sailors were glad to com- 
 municate what thev knew to the \outli who, bv his 
 kindliness, had won their hearty good-will. They 
 were becalmed at one time for several days, but 
 Alan did not find the delay long. He reckoned 
 that when the winds did waken and fill out those 
 flapping sails, he himself could manage the craft 
 safely, were but the op])ortunity given him. 
 
 At last, one night, he and Mr. Bruce were 
 awakened by a heavy rumbling, and a moment 
 later the water drenched them where they lay. 
 Springing to their feet, they found the staunch 
 little ship in the midst of a half-gale, and plow- 
 ing along finely toward the north, with every inch 
 of canvas set, and the captain whistling cheerily 
 
68 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 
 .,M 
 
 at tlie wheel. Mr. Bruce went below, wliile Alan 
 scrambled into an oiled suit, loaned liini by a 
 sailor whose watch he offered to relieve, and then 
 began, to the rhythm of rollint^ thunder and dash- 
 ing rain, to put his new acquirements in practice. 
 He found it was not so easy climbing into the rig- 
 ging and making his way along the slippery deck 
 as when the vessel was motionless, but this was 
 vastly more to his mind, for it was life, and he 
 felt his pulses tingling with the mad delight of 
 overcoming the elemental fury. In the height of 
 the storm Mr. Bruce came on deck to urge him to 
 seek the cabin's shelter, but his pleading was in 
 vain. 
 
 " I promised a sailor to keep his watch, and I 
 won't go back on my word," Alan declared, dash- 
 ing the spray from his face as he spoke. " I am 
 going to earn my breakfast and an appetite to 
 relish it." 
 
 '* You are not a sailor, and the steward assures 
 me that this is a night to try the seamanship of 
 an old tar. It will be a dear night's work for a 
 good many I fear, if you are washed overboard." 
 
 '' I will take care. It is too much to ask me to 
 be shut up in a hole on a night like this." 
 
 Mr. Bruce was not convinced, but made his way 
 carefully to the wheel and interviewed the captain. 
 
 " The young master '11 be all right ; you can let 
 him stay," was the reply, given with all conli- 
 
 
NEWFOUNDLAND 
 
 69 
 
 
 dence. Far from convinced, Mr. Brnce stood in 
 the drivin-^- storm, resolved to watch Alan's niovc- 
 nK-nts if he conld not control them. 
 
 " Pity that nn conldn't be a sailor, he do well 
 at it and wonld soon be a skipper," the captain re- 
 marked, as he tightened his jacket and followed 
 Alan's movements adniirin<^lv. " No ^irl abont 
 he, and he takes to we jnst like one of our own 
 
 n 
 
 lads. 
 
 '*I wish he was not so eai^er about sailors' 
 duties just now, for his life is most valuable, and 
 the sea would swallow him as greedily as the most 
 useless. ' ' 
 
 "Yes, I've seen he take down a whole vessel 
 load in a storm; but us don't go till our time 
 comes. Every sailor knows that, and it keeps they 
 from beiu'^ friofluened." 
 
 Alan came at last to Mr. Bruce's side. 
 
 " If you are so anxious about me, I will go be- 
 low," he said, softly. 
 
 "Of your own free will?" Mr. Bruce a.sked, 
 greatly relieved. 
 
 " You must ask no questions but take my sub- 
 mission for what it is worth," was the laughing 
 reply. " And you must come and call Solomon 
 yourself and tell him it is not my fault." 
 
 The storm followed them until they reached 
 Labrador. Alan's face had been finely bronzed 
 and his hands roughened bv the toils of the sea. 
 
^7^ 
 
 ■• 
 
 JO 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 They soon realized that Gabe had not overdrawn 
 the description of nature's ru<^ged wildness in that 
 northern land, as with the canoe they made lonj^ 
 excursions inland, returnini^- to the vessel with 
 faces covered with the bites of the myriad insects, 
 chief amon^; them mosquitoes and black flies, 
 but as delighted with what they had seen as if a 
 few fly bites more or less were matters of supreme 
 inconsequence. The bark tarried but a short time, 
 and Gabe then suggested a trip around the western 
 shore of Newfoundland in some sailing vessel, for, 
 evidently, he was unwilling to part company with 
 these new acquaintances. He assured them they 
 could easily take a schooner from the south across 
 to Cape Breton, which lay only sixty miles away, 
 and after that they would have no further diffi- 
 culty in making their way homeward. He fur- 
 thermore assured Alan that he would be able by 
 that time to take full charge of a schooner him- 
 self. 
 
 " If he had a capable crew," Mr. Bruce gently 
 insinuated. But Gabe maintained that he could 
 ,i^et on with the same crews with which average 
 skippers are provided. The suggestion suited 
 Alan's fancy, but they had already overstayed 
 their vacation period, and their presence was de- 
 manded at Deeplawn. 
 
 The remains of the commissariat department 
 ^' ere bestowed upon Gabe, in addition to a more 
 
 ' 
 
NEWFOUNDLAND 
 
 71 
 
 substantial token of their appreciation of his ser- 
 vices, and then good-b\'e was said. 
 
 The travelers, however, first promised to return 
 the following- year if all was well, and with him 
 for a guide, take the proposed trip along the west 
 coast. 
 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 UNIVERSITY LIFE 
 
 DEEPLAWN was closed for the winter, save 
 only a few rooms reserved for Mrs. Dixon, 
 Mr. Dolliver, and one of the maids. Alan went 
 to Brown ; Mr. Brnce had sccnred a professor- 
 ship in a western college; and Reginald was still 
 in the asvlnni. In some wavs he now seemed 
 rational, bnt the consuming desire to destroy 
 Alan's life had in no wise abated. Indeed, so de- 
 termined was he that he was not acquainted with 
 Alan's wliereabouts lest, escapin-^, he might put 
 in execution the plans th:it occupied most of his 
 thoughts. Not one of the experts who had treated 
 him held out any hopes of his recovery, for his 
 mind appeared to be hopelessly diseased. P'or the 
 last few years he had lived at such high pres- 
 sure, violating recklesslv every physical law, that 
 his constitution had sunk beneath the strain. 
 Alan had visited him once, but the ferocit)Us 
 gleam in the once kindlv, beaming eves, the sar- 
 donic convulsion of the features, the scarce human 
 growl of rage issuing from the frothing lips at his 
 presence, told only too plainly that the fewer inter- 
 views between them the better for both. Alan 
 72 
 
UNIVERSITY LIFE 
 
 graclually learned from others of the temptations 
 that had beset his brother, but whieli he had 
 neither tlie wisdom nor will-power to wiUistand. 
 The wine suppers and mad revelries connected 
 with them, the gambliufi^ and other nameless 
 vices, had laid a poor foundation for mature man- 
 hood when all t)Overnin<;- restraint was removed. 
 
 Alan had elected a full course of fjcueral studv ; 
 he had no si)ecial leaninj^ toward any of the pro- 
 fessions, and he was not williu':^ to join either the 
 overcrowded le^al or medical ranks, nor did he 
 fear that the country was in dan^^er of the present 
 supply provin;^- inadequate to the demand. 
 
 It was soon generally known among his ac- 
 quaintances that, if he chose, he might j >in the 
 ranks of the gilded youth, since his family was 
 sufficiently prominent for him to take this posi- 
 tion, both by birth and fortune ; hence any section 
 of club life was open to him, and he was enabled 
 to draw his companions from any set he desired. 
 It was known too, that he had control of a large 
 income already, and would therefore be a very 
 useful addition to any of their societies, for the 
 many luxuries in which they indulged were ex- 
 pensive, and additional members were warmly 
 welcomed; so a good many were bidding for his 
 friendship. 
 
 He received their overtures with his usual po- 
 liteness, and expressed his willingness to ent:-r 
 
m 
 
 74 
 
 THE MASTER OK DKKPLAWN 
 
 III 
 
 I 
 
 
 I 
 
 111- 
 
 li " 
 
 into any society that wonld tend to fnrther his 
 literary advancement. Bnt there was soniethin.;^'' 
 in his manner that marked him as superior to the 
 ordinar\ society ])roclivities, and impressed the 
 students that he, in some measure, li\ed on a 
 hiiL^her plane than they. 
 
 However, Alan was not easily persuaded to be- 
 come a meml)er of any orj^anization whose claims 
 had been presented to him, and he worked at his 
 studies detcrminedh', with the consciousness that 
 he was mentally expanding;- and his powers of ob- 
 servation oTowin<;^ stronger and more varied. 
 
 As the months wore on, h 'ever, the question 
 presented itself to his niLid wdiether a clul) 
 formed on helpful principles mi^rht not be bene- 
 ficial to students, since it seemed to be a necessity 
 with them to require something of the kind. He 
 was not constituted like the unhappy class of 
 reformers who take their work so seriously that 
 their whole life is embittered by it. The idea as- 
 sumed more definite proportions, and with his ac- 
 customed directness he invited his acquaintances 
 to join him in his projected enterprise, explaining 
 to them just what his thought was, and propos- 
 ing a few simple rules for their acceptance and 
 signature, which impressed some of them as re- 
 markably similar to the ten commandments ; the 
 ordinary vices were so definitely prohibited that 
 there was no possibility of a misunderstanding. 
 
 •I 
 
UNIVERSITY LIFE 75; 
 
 Of course, tliere was a j:;ood deal of fun mad- 
 of tlie i)r()i)oscd eliib. There were a good many 
 toasts drunk in its lionor, and some very witty 
 speeelics liad tiieir inspiration from it. IJiu tliere 
 was little to be gained in this way, for Alan, to all 
 aj^pearanccs, was equally indifferent to their eoni- 
 mcndations or contempt. Half a dozen names 
 had been subscribed the first evening-, most of 
 them beinor students in theolo.i^y, and the quiet 
 entertainment that followed hardly seemed differ- 
 ent from any ordinary gathering in a comrade's 
 room. 
 
 Before the evening was ended, however, they 
 began to fancy this new club might mean vastlv 
 more than they anticipated, for later, when Alan 
 more fully explained what the rules they had 
 signed really included, they realized their promises 
 to be deeply binding upon them. Not merely the 
 few years of student life were concerned, but they 
 were for every year until, from other worlds, j^er- 
 haps, they would look back upon this life as a task 
 finished for good or ill. 
 
 They found that their promises included the 
 diligent use of every opportunity to improve 
 themselves, and help others to do the same; to 
 overcome any constitutional weakness of pride, 
 sloth, selfishness in the abstract, or in the coarser 
 forms that develop by indulgence therein ; to de- 
 fend the helpless, whether human or dumb ; to 
 
76 
 
 THE MASTKR OF DKEPI.AWN 
 
 
 I i 
 
 S! 
 
 expend as little as possible on themselves by 
 needless self-incluliT;^eiice ; and to endeavor to brini,^ 
 to mankind the a;^e of light, dreamed of and sun^q;- 
 by philosophers and poets throngli every period. 
 Of conrse, in addition, it was in the strictest sense 
 a teniperanee society. 
 
 After the rnles had been read and explained 
 with consi(lerai)le niinnteness, all were <;iven the 
 privilcL^e, if they so desired, to have their names 
 tai-ien oil the pledge. The very coolness of the 
 leader, Alan, as he propo.-ed this, fascinated them, 
 lie a>snred them that he was not anxions to have 
 timid members withont the conrage to endure the 
 contempt of fellow-stndents, since sncli wonld, in 
 all probability, fall to their lot. "I ninst say that 
 I wonld prefer two men of real conrage, who 
 wonld be just as strong to bear contempt as praise, 
 rather than a score of weak-hearted ones. They 
 wonld be more help to any cause." He spoke in 
 a way that made every one of them present wish 
 to be one of the two possessed of genuine courage. 
 No one requested a withdrawal of his signature, 
 and the six names remained on the paper. 
 
 As they walked away when the meeting was 
 ended, each one confessed to the feeling that he 
 had come in contact with one who was differ- 
 ent from themselves, and, in fact, from any 
 they knew^ They were also not a little surprised 
 that cue younger than most of them, and with 
 
UNIVERSITY LIFE 
 
 n 
 
 less experience of school life, should have com- 
 pel led such ready subiiiissiuii to his will. 
 
 *' It is my opinion that yonn<r Rivers will make 
 his mark in the world," one of the students named 
 Stennett, remarked defensively. He was t!ie old- 
 est of the six, and felt that some excuse was 
 necessary for the easy ascendency gained over 
 each one of theui. 
 
 " I scarcely think so," another responded ; " he 
 is too religious ever to get far ahead. That always 
 bars one's progress. But I can't understand how 
 he got us all under his thumb so easily. He must 
 have a good deal of reserve power. ' However, I 
 mean to stick to the programme, if for nothing 
 else than to see what will come of it." 
 
 "He is not the one to be kept down bv relioion 
 or anything of the kind. He is a genuine woi^^ef, 
 and very bright I am told, and gets through as 
 much study as two ordinary students." 
 
 " He is a born leader, whatever else he may 
 be," Stennett declared. He was feeling more 
 serious that night than he had done for many a 
 nionth ; his father was a minister in a country 
 village, and at great self-sacrifice was puttincr his 
 son through college. He realized that he had not 
 been so industrious as he might have been, but 
 could have considerably lessened his fitter's 
 burdens if he had so willed, bv hard studN-, and 
 securing some of the generous nionev prizes pro- 
 
Ji? 
 
 78 
 
 Till' MASTKR OI< DKKPr.AWX 
 
 m 
 
 K' 
 
 |l 
 
 fi 
 
 ii. i'i 
 
 fW \i 
 
 
 vicUd in the uiiivcr.>ily by benevolently dlsp xsed 
 persons. Now as lie saw a meteor flasii iVoni the 
 upper ab\ ss, his tlKju.i^hts were suddenly arrested 
 and diverted from every-da\' channels to a time 
 farther alonj^^ the future, when not even a remi- 
 niscence of him would remain on earth. To him, 
 in that future period of his existence, it would be 
 a matter of tremendously serious importance how 
 he used his privilei^es and opportunities of this 
 present. He left his comrades and went to his 
 own room. l''ar into the ni<;^ht he lay to.ssiui; on 
 his bed because of the troubled thoui^hts be<;otten 
 of that evening's encounter. Alan was none the 
 wiser for some time of what he had been the 
 means of doinq- for his fellow-student. But weeks 
 after, as thev were strollin<r toirether in the after- 
 <2^1ow of sunset one frosty winter eveninor, Stennett 
 confessed the chani^e wrouji^ht in him, and thanked 
 the friend who had helped him in the very best 
 way one human bein(^ can benefit another. 
 
 The new club was much discussed amou^- those 
 who knew of its existence, and others applied for 
 admission, thereby repeating history and recallin^^ 
 another club that met in a university over the sea 
 .some eiji^ht score years ago, and which has very 
 considerably revolutionized the face of Chris- 
 tendom. A few cast ridicule on it to Alan's face — 
 a feat they did not care a second time to repeat. 
 With cutting sarcasm he bade them confine their 
 
 i 
 

 UNIVKRSITY I, IKK 79 
 
 ciiticisnis to their own <;-alluTin.L;s, .iiid ciuk-avor 
 to profit by their own tcacliiii!^. 
 
 (Jiie bully, who iiieasureil the yomir.s prowess 
 b\' his a.i^e and beardless face, was so worsted in 
 tile ar;4iinient that he undertook to supplement 
 hi^ attack with his fists. Tiie muscle of his op- 
 pt»uent was a matter of most ay.i;ravat:n.i; surprise 
 to him, since he found that his arj^uments by 
 slei,ii;ht of hand fully equalled those of speech. 
 Alan probably rose in the estimation of the 
 students by this sturdy defense of his rij^hts more 
 than he mij^lit have done by a lonj^ course of moral 
 suasion ; but after he had recovered from the pas- 
 sionate impulse that forced him so far to forget 
 hitnself, he resolved never to repeat the act. no 
 matter what the provocation mi!;ht be. To in- 
 sure this he wisely determined not to eni^a^^e in 
 W)rdy warfire, which is only a little more respect- 
 able than the pu;^ilistic kind. 
 
 At the next nieetin:^ the members were filled 
 with astonishment to hear him apolo.i^Ize for the 
 part he had taken. He went on to say: "I felt 
 that I had descended to a level with the vSween>s 
 and Sullivans, or lower still, with the dumb 
 brutes who adjust their difliculties with tooth and 
 claw. I promise never aj^^ain to dis<;race myself 
 or the members of our club by such brutality." 
 He resumed his seat quietly, but Ralph Stennett 
 was on his feet in an instant. 
 
 1 
 
8o 
 
 TIIK MASTHR OF DKF.PI.AWN 
 
 :|{ 
 
 " It's awfully plucky of you to uiake that cou- 
 fcssi(jn. Rivers ; \vc did not expect it. To tell the 
 truth, \vc w.re very proud of a leader wlio could 
 knock the wind so ea.silv out of Clancv ; but the 
 way you have put it shows fi.L^htin,:^ in another 
 li^dit which I, for one, never viewed it in before." 
 
 There was hearly cheering- after vSti^nnetl's 
 speech, but whether it was for him or Alan, none 
 of tluMU seeuiod ri;^htly to know. Alan did not 
 permit any further wa^tc of time, but proceeded 
 to the jjusiuess of the cveuini^. Ouestious were 
 to be discussjd thai ha I to do with other than 
 stU(U'nt life. It was n >t merely neces.sary to know 
 wiiat the ancients thou'^-lit and wrote, with the 
 great armv of book and creed-makers throu'j^li 
 the centuries of our written history, but whit 
 work they were individu illy fitted for and likely 
 to succeel in. lie stated, with transparent frank- 
 ness, his own perplexity in the matter of choos- 
 in.i^ a career, at the same time relatin;^ that bit of 
 his experience which had revolutionized his 
 thou;^ht when the desert prophet looked at him 
 from out the pa,Q^e^ of the old illuminated Bible. 
 
 A curious sensation went through the j^roup of 
 students a^ lluy listened to him tellin;^ in tliat 
 matter-of-f ict way, what each onec-f them would 
 have hesitited to acknowle li^^v-, liad it b.n t!ieir 
 own experience; while their admiration of, and 
 reverence for him, as he spoke, would have siir- 
 
 \ 
 
UNIVI'RSITV IJFK 
 
 8r 
 
 is 
 
 111 
 of 
 
 iia 
 
 e:r 
 ivl 
 Lir- 
 
 pri e 1 Irni could he luivc looked iuio their he iris. 
 He impressed them as so thoroii;^hly lioiie-.t, and 
 withal po-^sess^d of sucii rare nobility of character, 
 tlui' their natures were touched as thev could 
 have been by no other, save a comrade of tiieir 
 own a''e. 
 
 Tiiere was a qood deal of suppressed cnthnsi- 
 a-ni, manifested only in the j^listcniu':;; eyes and 
 working- of the mobile faces. Subjects were dis- 
 cussed in the .-^ame business-like manner as their 
 games or lectures, which few of them had ever 
 he ird spoken of outside the walls of a ehnrcli. 
 They soon found that Alan was fir ahead of any 
 of them in his knowledi;e of classic literature, 
 while in the spirit of its interpretation he left 
 them also far b 'hind. The IJible was referred to 
 as naturally, and also as fearlessly, as Thuc\(lides 
 or Plato, and the sjilendor of its rhetoric discussed 
 as critically, but with a reverence not shown 
 toward any other literature. To their _t;Tcat sur- 
 prise they found themselves nrrowinu^ interested as 
 the discussion proceeded, and consented to devote 
 to it the same attention bestowed on other master- 
 pieces. Alan confessed that he had i^ivcn serious 
 thought to the possil)ility of h ivinj:^ the Hible in- 
 tro'luced as a text-book in the various colleges. 
 On one occasion he said : 
 
 "We are a loni; way behind the ancients in 
 this respect, and it is beconiin;^- noticeable in 
 
 V 
 
w 
 
 ^ 
 
 82 
 
 TIIK MASTICU OK Dl'il-ri.AWN 
 
 ; I 
 
 !■ 
 m 
 
 our national character. Kvcn tlic worsliij) of 
 Jnpitcr or vSatnrn, I believe, was ])etter than llie 
 wholesale irreverence of the present day, the athe- 
 ism, for it is practically that, which controls men 
 and women who are not Christians." 
 
 This cpiestion had been freely discnssed, and 
 even the most skeptical was forced to acknowl- 
 cdj^e that there was some force in his statement. 
 Alan had some orii^inal ideas respectin;^^ the 
 lenj^4h of their .session and the honr of nieetinj^. 
 Me preferred natnral to artificial lii^dit for every- 
 thin;^^ bnt sleep, and if possible be.ii^an his (la\'s 
 work with the snn. lie declared that he did n'»t 
 find any special inspiration in j^aslii^ht, while his 
 eyes were all the better for the natnr.il lij;ht. 
 WIkh the subject was discnssed he reasoned that 
 it was only the more ferocious anim iN, as a rule, 
 that chose the nijj^lit time r)r seek in.i;- their lixe- 
 liliood, wliile all the nobler specimens of brute 
 life carry on their conscious existence durini; the 
 day. He very ardently desired to have their 
 liour for meetinj; chanj^ed to the afternoon, but as 
 this was contrary to all ])recedent, he foun<l it im- 
 possible to persuade the other memi)ers. As the 
 months wore away, new names were constantly 
 added to the list, and the interest increased, for 
 the subjects discussed were both nuuierous and 
 varied. They continued to j^dve the IJible tlie 
 first place always, for .Man insisted that men nowa- 
 
I 
 
 UNivi'Ksnv i,ifp: 
 
 83 
 
 da\s slidiild rcsptcl iiiatkrs coniicctol witli ihv 
 luLurc life as iinuli as the licathcn \vli<», as a rule, 
 regarded tlic (iiicslioii ol iiiniiorlalilN' and f.\i>t- 
 ciicc of tile iiiiniorlal j^ods as tlic \\:\- liij^lie.^t 
 witiiiii the ran^e of their intellectual faculties. 
 There was never anythiu<^ apologetic in his atti- 
 tude tuward relii^iou, as if it was at all unusual 
 i'nv ><>uii,'^'- mm to j^ive thennrlves to the dili;^ent 
 study of theology witlunit hein;^ in any ])rt>fes- 
 siou d seu^i- thcolo'^iaus. Ju tin- matter of Cliiis- 
 tiau exneiieuce he did not iusi.-^t on au\ ri,i;id lules; 
 Ir heiicved in makiui; the way(»f life sosimple that 
 the least s])iiitud could not fiil to nndeistmid it. 
 lie tried to makt" them look u\y>n conversion and 
 Christian sei\ice as the mere submitt ni; ot the 
 will to (liid, and s(|uarin_!L^ their tvcr\-da\' lif- ])y 
 the two coiuuKu.diiKut- Christ so .-trou<;l\' <.iuj)ha- 
 si/A(l towaid tlicclo-eof his ininistry. 
 
 The i^reat sc-cn t of his power o\( r lii^ comrades 
 was his perfec^t uncoiisciousuess of sell". IIc' went 
 on his way with such charmiu'L; indiircP nee to 
 everything but what he re<;^:irdrd tht- duty of the 
 present hour. If lie had indidj^fd, as mi|L;ht lia\e 
 bieii so natural undi r the circumstances, in any 
 exhibition of a sense of leadirship, no doubt sonic 
 of them would have resented it, but the most sensi- 
 tive on this point could find uothiii!.; to cin^ure. 
 They i\'j\ not know with what carnotness he tried 
 to cultivate self-eflacement. 
 
CHAPTER VIU 
 
 AT .SKA 
 
 AMONG bis other eccentricities, Alan paid 
 little attention to sociel\', in so far as it ne- 
 cessitated attendance npon dinner or tea parties, 
 or any of the i;atherin.i;s where j^entlenien ninst 
 fij^nre in ihe re,i;nlalion dress coat and expansive 
 linen. lie made a very indifferent carpet knii^ht, 
 and al\v.i\s seemed somewiiat ill at ease with 
 clej^antlv (lres>ed women, nnless they could talk 
 intelligently on topics above the ordinary society 
 nothin<;s, and did not exact from him a courtesy 
 that struck him as almost servile, b'or woman in 
 the abstract he had mnch of that lialf-for<(otten 
 chivalry which brij^ditens the otiierwise dusky 
 pa.i;es of mediieval history ; but for women in all 
 the bravery of «^owns scant at the shoulders and 
 trailing;' on the floor he still ]K)ssesscd the con- 
 teni]')t of the avera<^e schoolboy. His wealth and 
 social position secured him admittance into the 
 best society, and as time wore on his own in- 
 dividual merit as a brillant student would have 
 done so; but after a few ixj^eriences he turned 
 his face resobitely from such frivolities. 
 
 " I will never be a society man ; nature did not 
 84 
 
AT SEA 
 
 85 
 
 1 
 
 .1 
 
 i- 
 
 (l 
 
 le 
 
 n- 
 
 /(.' 
 
 id 
 
 intciHl 111c U)V it any more than she meant me for 
 a musieian or a tailor," he remarked al a elnh 
 •^allierinL!^ one ilay when that snhjeet was beini^^ 
 (lisenssed. 
 
 '^ \'ou snrely behevc in friendly interconise 
 anions human beinj^s, for man is i)re-eminentl\' a 
 soeial animal," one of the members retnrned 
 defensively. 
 
 '' Yes, certainly, I believe in friendly Imman 
 fellovv^ship as mneh as an\- of yon ; bnt too mneh of 
 a certain kind is worse for a person who valnes 
 time, than solitary confniement. I, for one, wonld 
 stipulate that onr intimate friends, to be lielpful 
 to ns, n.ii^t be of the finest (jnality, and then 
 taken only in limited (inantilies." 
 
 '^ Von are too mneh of a stoic for mc ; ])erhaps 
 yon really are one of those old vSpartans trans- 
 planted into this nineteenth century," was the 
 somewhat ])etnlant re pl\'. 
 
 "Tell me what do sou \^a\\\ for the loss of a 
 j^ood fi\e-honrs' slee]"), save a fit of indii^e.-tion 
 brouj^ht on by over-indul^tnce in those temptinj;- 
 viands of the cook's skill? I tried it two or three 
 times from a sense of duty to old family con- 
 nections; but as I came home after midnight, the 
 very stars seemed to be cpicstionini^^ why I wasted 
 my streni;th in that fashion. My head was in a 
 whirl from watchinj^ the dancers, my blood hot 
 from the heavy, perfumed air, and I hadn't a 
 
86 
 
 TIIH MASTHR OK I)Kl<:i'LAWN 
 
 siiij^lc tliin.q: to produce as a iiicincnto of what I liad 
 lost. My time is too preci(nis and the necessity 
 for a cool, rested brain too <;rcat for nie to take 
 time for such work." 
 
 " I am almost tempted to believe that there are 
 individual cases of transmigration of souls, and 
 Confucius or Socrates perchance is takin,;^^ a stroll 
 around the earth under the <'uise of vour stern, 
 handsome face." 
 
 " Hah ! " was the contemptuous reply, and they 
 forthwith be^^au to dccij)lier an ancient cuneiform 
 inscrii)tion inscribed centuries a-^o — a task which, 
 of course, baflled them completeh- ; but it i^axe 
 them soniethin<^ to think about other than the 
 convolutions of the dance, class-suppers, and the 
 transmigration of souls. 
 
 Alan's chivalry was not the kind to make him 
 particularly desired by richh' dressed damsels, 
 since he had an impression, possibly an erroneous 
 one, that they were as capable of alteudinj; to 
 their own interests as he was to his ; ])Ut a fellow- 
 student was sure of receivinj^ a scathin.i^' rebuke 
 if he saw him retain his seat in a street-car, or any 
 public j^atherinj;, when there were elderly or 
 shabbily dressed women near at hand who had 
 no seat. Alan himself .s:avc his seat to the 
 han<'htiest or huud)lest alike, but he criticised 
 the others only for not deferriu!^ to the latter. 
 His student friends used to watch, with covert 
 
AT SEA 
 
 R7 
 
 amnseiucnt, his fint^crs twitchinj^ nervously when 
 he saw a poorly dressed woman wearily lioldinj^ 
 on to the car strap, perhaps thereby reveal in.i( her 
 shabbiness of dress, while some sleek youth leaned 
 back in his seit ; they were pretty certain that 
 those same sinewy fniL^ers were achin,*^ t<j fling 
 him to one side, and place the tired worker in his 
 1)1 ace. 
 
 ''It is useless for you to fret and worry over the 
 shortcominj^s of others. Humanity is only noble 
 in small sections, and the rank and fde have so 
 man\' meannesses, both inherited and ac(iuire(l, 
 that they are cnouj^h to blii^ht a whole race if 
 evenly distributed,'' Ralph Stcnnett remarked 
 wearily one day, after Alan had been talking to 
 a few of them on the subject. Ralph was not 
 strong-soulcd enough to fight all these meannesses 
 and slill keep his own heart brave and cheery. 
 Fcw are thus able, and they are the reformers of 
 the hrst water, the kohinoors, so to speak, among 
 the i^astc. 
 
 "I do not mean to fret, but to fight," was the 
 sturdy re-ponsc. ''And those who call me friend 
 must do the same; not merely in one thing, but 
 in everything, as far as their light goes." 
 
 '' You make your terms of friendshi[) tremen- 
 dously high." 
 
 Aim glanced around keenly on the faces, more 
 or less amused. 
 
^f 
 
 ::( 
 
 88 
 
 TIIK MASTKR OF DKHIM.AWN 
 
 i 
 
 ■ri 
 
 
 " Your own true inanliood tells all of you that 
 I aiu rii^Hit ; and you all likewise know thai I do 
 not ask from you more than I try to do myself — 
 more than is due to your own natures, if you would 
 be genuine men. I do not want any one to join us 
 who is not anxious to make the very best of him- 
 self; I despise the half-and-half sort as mueli as 
 the utterly ij^noble. " 
 
 '' I am of the opinion that you will find it hard 
 to cntiec any of us to back out of this, no ni:it ter 
 what vour terms are ; von have a knack of slilf- 
 ening one's moral backbone, that is — well, to say 
 the least, uncanny,'' Will liimilton said, soberly. 
 
 '' If you get your moral stiflfenin^^ only throu.;;h 
 me, I fear that it won't amount to much." 
 
 '' You are mistaken there, I am certain. Why, 
 my own mother would not recognize me as her 
 boy if she could look me through and through to 
 the very bottom of my soul — but it may not all 
 be due to vou." 
 
 This was from one of the most silent members. 
 The look Alan bestowed upon him meant more 
 than speech just then. The eyes, perhaps, always 
 tell the truth, while the lips sometimes say more 
 and often less, since our deepest thoughts ever re- 
 main unuttered. 
 
 Before the close of the year quite a few students 
 solicited admission, although they must needs 
 s?ver their connection with another soeietv in 
 
 '4^ 
 
AT SEA 
 
 89 
 
 order to subscribe to the rules which the new 
 society so reli;^iously adhered to. 
 
 Some of the professors, when accounts of this 
 Uvw club readied them, indulL;eil in mill sar- 
 casm; others approviu'^ly admired the youth 
 wlio dared to be singular, and whose very fear- 
 lessness won for him a recotiniliou that fcvv others 
 could boa->t. The professors who had perpetrated 
 their witticisms respectini^ the club, did not re- 
 peat the offense, for with Alan his teachers as 
 well as his laundress were hum m bein;4s, and 
 it was onl\' their individual worth, and not their 
 position, which coniman led liis rcs[)ect, and by 
 degrees his professors learnv-d this fajt and when 
 dealing with him presumed little upon their po- 
 sitions. 
 
 Nature generally accommodates herself to the 
 exigencies of circumstance, and as there is no es- 
 pecial demand for heroes at the present day the 
 market is not glutted. Hence, when a moral hero, 
 conscientious and entirely fearless, does step down 
 among his fellows, they usually persecute him or 
 place him on a pedestal, be he i);er or peasant, 
 and tlie Brown stndent-i were not an exception to 
 the general rule. Alan, f )r the most part, pre- 
 ferred the former treatment since it accorded bet- 
 ter with his estimate of his own worth. 
 
 Commencement exercises ovc;, Alan went back 
 to Deeplawn. The place seemed lonely and Mr. 
 
90 tup: MAvSTKk OK DHKPUAWN 
 
 Dollivcr was evidently ncarin.i; his loii*^ lioiiic, for 
 his excursions now seldom extended raithcr than 
 old Adam's cottaj^e, while a social nieetinj^ in the 
 kitchen at Deejilawn constituted his public exer- 
 cises. Mrs. Dixon had yielded so fir to his en- 
 treaties for a place to hold the meetiui^s as to open 
 the kitchen, and Alan very speedily transferred it 
 to one of the spacious unused rooms. Here the 
 people of the nei<;hborhoo(l would assemble and 
 I heaven secmetl to lliem nearer because of the beau- 
 
 i;, tiful room in which thev met. It wa-; a iov to 
 
 ( the a.i^ed minister to recline in an invalid-chair 
 
 and j;ive the direction of the meclinj; to Alan and 
 f io he.ir that voice explain God's word to the 
 
 eai^^or listeners. 
 
 Alan was very busy the first week or two, and 
 then he went to Providence to ])nt in execution a 
 project already successfudy under way. Durinj^ 
 the year, he had spoken from time to time with so 
 much enthusiasm of his Ne\vf)undland ex[)eri- 
 cnces, that each niemb.r of the club would j^-ladly 
 
 ihave joined him in a second expedition. vSouie 
 of them, however, had their own way lo make in 
 th.' world, and the necessity to earn money duriiiL; 
 the vacation forced them in another direction, but 
 there were some of them who eu|L.^a_l;•ed to be ready 
 early in July. 
 
 Alan had persuaded th .'Ui each to h- willini^ to 
 take a proley^e, selected from the unsavory (piar- 
 
AT SKA 
 
 91 
 
 ter of Providence. He had been employed in the 
 shuns (hiring; tlie past year, and he had (U)nc 
 ninch o^ood work. Now he saw ! he way opLii to 
 set otiiers workin<r, bnt, to his regret, not very will- 
 in,i;ly on the pait of some, and he felt certain that 
 if the stndent-; tliL-mselvcs slionM fail to j^et any 
 moral benefit ont <jf the partnership, the ill-con- 
 ditioned lads wonld certainly be heljied. 
 
 He had tlionj^ht the matter ont very carefnlly^ 
 and had reached the determination that no matter 
 who joined the expedition, a certain nnniber of 
 tho-e poor boys shonld have one snmnier to look 
 back upon with satisfaction. If he conld j^et rich 
 yonni;- men to share the bnrden, so mncli tlie bet- 
 ter in every way, for he '"onld find nse for every 
 spare dollar of his income in the qnarter where he 
 worked. He did not expect the lads to be of any 
 n ^e in the capacity of servants, only so far as they 
 mi^ht furnish ol)ject lessons in broadenin*^ the 
 sympathies of their respective patrons and teach- 
 in<^ them the common brothcriiood of man, with 
 the privile.i^e all may have of servinj^ others. 
 
 Alan secured the boys and attended to their 
 outfits and other matters connected with the jonr- 
 ney. When they finally assembled on the train 
 for Boston, where some of the yonn,^' men were to 
 join them an 1 the eiilire party wonld take the 
 boat for St. John's, tiiey were pnzzicd to know 
 wliicii to admire most, themselves in lividnally, 
 
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 92 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEKPLAWN 
 
 or each other, so great had been the transformation 
 wiunirht by the barber and tailor. 
 
 Alan disliked extremely causing unnecessary 
 pain in lieai^ that had known so little of any- 
 thing else, and he fancied that if the young men 
 were permitted to choose their own body-guard 
 the last ones chosen might have their feelings 
 hurt and so he decided upon the device used by 
 the eleven disciples, and when they were well un- 
 der way and were steaming out toward the open 
 sea, he collected the entire party on deck and pro- 
 ceeded to get matters satisfactorily arranged. 
 Each boy's name was written on a slip of paper 
 and put in a hat ; then the young men each drew 
 out a slip in turn. The boys watched the pro- 
 ceedings much more anxiously than the others 
 would have guessed. From a very early period, 
 indeed as far back as their memory carried them, 
 they had been forced to look after themselves, for 
 the most part, and as they had never had the privi- 
 lege, to any great extent, of studying nature outside 
 the city parks, they had confined themselves largely 
 to what was most familiar in their lives, their fel- 
 low-creatures, and in this way were experts in 
 gauging human character by the face. Those who 
 came last were the most jubilant, since each one 
 was ambitious to become Alan's special factotum, 
 and his hand had not yet been put in the hat. A 
 freckled-faced, tawny-haired youth stood looking 
 
 'i 
 
 ^^WSlBB 
 
AT SEA 
 
 93 
 
 with orratified interest at Alan as lie drew the one 
 remaining slip from the hat. 
 
 "I guess it's not worth while looking at the slip, 
 for I belongs to you, anyway," the boy remarked, 
 showing as he smiled, a mouth full of white, even 
 teeth. " It's worth while waitin' to the last to 
 have such luck. Mayn't I shine yer boots right 
 away ? " he inquired, as he edged up affectionately 
 to his new master, quite indifferert to the glances, 
 more or less vindictive, from eleven pairs of eyes. 
 Alan glanced down at his shoes, which were cer- 
 tainly very dusty, for he had been out since early 
 morning and the streets had been only wind-swept. 
 The request was granted a little later when they 
 went to the stateroom to prepare for dinner. The 
 satisfaction of the hungry boys was really infec- 
 tious when they learned that the delicious odors 
 floating up from the kitchen came from their own 
 dinner in course of preparation. 
 
 " Can us fellers have every bit as much as we 
 can eat ? " Alan's youthful esquire asked, as he 
 drew his head in the staterooii door for the twen- 
 tieth time, after regaling his olfactories with the 
 odor. 
 
 '' Why, certainly. Is that such an unusual ex- 
 perience with you ? " 
 
 " I guess it is ; we never gets just as much first- 
 rate vittels as we can eat, only when rich f )lks 
 gives us a spread, and that's not more'n once or 
 
94 
 
 THE MASTKR OF DKEPLAWN 
 
 twice a year. It's tiresome, the gnawiii' one gets 
 in their stuniinick most of the time, but we never 
 forgets the taste of good vittels after once we've 
 et them." 
 
 Alan had been present at one of tho-^e charity 
 feasts during the winter, and was amused at the 
 way the children seemed to enjoy the repast. He 
 decided to be a witness of the feast the boys 
 were to have that day. They were to have a side 
 table all to themselves, after the others were 
 through, when the remains of the dinner were to 
 be served up to them. His friends had drawn the 
 line at regaling their retainers in first-class style. 
 The poor fellows found it very tedious as they 
 waited on deck for their siuumons to dinner. 
 Everything was in readiness at last and Alan 
 himself went to call them; his own boy, who re- 
 sponded to the name of Michael, led the way. 
 Already he was assuming patronizing airs because 
 of his good fortune in the matter of a master. 
 
 "Is it all et up?" heasked, anxiously ; "tlie>'ve 
 been that long we was afraid there'd not be a bite 
 left for us." 
 
 "There will be plenty for all of you." 
 
 " Hooray." He niunnured his satisfaction softly, 
 but it was none the less genuine. Alan was still 
 young-hearted enough to enjoy it all, and sat at a 
 table some distance away, but which commanded 
 an excellent view of the group as they were pre- 
 
AT SKA n- 
 
 sided over by a couple of waiters. The rapidity 
 with which the roast beef, ham, vegetables, entrees, 
 and dessert disappeared would have been aniazii c^r 
 to any one unacquainted with the stowinir ca])ac^- 
 ity of half-starved boys; some of tlie food was 
 already on the way into solid tissue, it seemed to 
 Alan, before the feast was ended. 
 
 "Now we can most hold out till we get to the 
 end of our voyage," Mike remarked, as he moved 
 back from the table. " Boys, that was better nor 
 an>- Christmas feast ; I never knowed thev could 
 make vittcls up so good. My, but mustn't it be 
 fine to be rich and have heaps of money ! " 
 
 " Me fayther says it's the rich find it'a sorrer to 
 be lavin' this world, and the young gintlemin van- 
 der '11 be lavin' hapes of money." Augustine 
 McGuire was the speaker, and he looked across at 
 Alan, who just then appeared absorbed in his 
 book. "It's moighty quare," Augustine contin- 
 tied, "what good hearts the heretics do be havin'; 
 wan would tliink they was as good as the praists 
 jest to see the way they do be a conductin' av 
 themselv-s by ordinary. " Augustine was unable 
 to move rapidly, so he settled into a chair and 
 looked around with an air of perfect content. But 
 Mike, who had been reared in lesG orthodox fash- 
 ion, stood up manfully for the heretics in general 
 and Alan Rivers in particular. He belonged to 
 the second generation in the line of Aniedcan- 
 
96 
 
 THE MASTER OF DKKPT.AWX 
 
 born citizens, and had lost a good deal of the 
 original faith of his forefathers. 
 
 '' Priests !" he exclaimed, contcniDtnonslv. 
 "Me fatlier said, and he knows more thin any 
 fellow among ye, that not an archbishop in the 
 lot lid do as much fur us as my young gentleman 
 yander. I'm i;oing to grow up just like him, so 
 I am," and ]\Iike straightened himself as well as 
 the circu = .ances would allow and looked defi- 
 antly at Augustine ; but the good dinner had such 
 a mellowing effect that the peace was only slightly 
 ruffled, while Mike satisfied himself with a few 
 threats if any of them dared to call his young 
 gentleman a heretic any more. As Mike was one 
 of the best pugilists of his size in their set, lii.s re- 
 marks were generally very respectfully received. 
 The boys sat for some time quietly watching the 
 passengers who, for the most part, were pushing 
 about as restlessly as if business matters still pur- 
 sued them on shipboard. An occasional remark 
 reached Alan from the group, and contrary to the 
 adage, " listeners never hear any good of them- 
 selves," whenever his character was under discus- 
 sion one of the calendar saints could not have 
 been mentioned more honorably. 
 
 They were all in that transition stage of their 
 affections when filial love ceases to absorb the 
 faculties, and the other passion which comes, soon 
 or late, to well-regulated youths of both sexes, had 
 
 *IL1 
 
AT SEA Q^ 
 
 not seized them. Just at that period thev were 
 more inciined to hero worship, their hero takiiio- 
 the shape of some stalwart specimen of their own 
 sex. Since Alan filled the reqnirements better 
 than anyone they knew, he came in for a larjre 
 share of their boyish admiration. It was no sp^'e- 
 cial gain to him, bnt of inestimable benefit to 
 them, for the very o-ood reason that imitation is 
 natural to most yonng creatures, and they one and 
 all privately adopted him for their model ; even Au- 
 gustine, whose voice had few svmpathetic, musi- 
 cal chords, tried his best to modulate its harshness 
 and speak. in the quiet way habitual to Mr. Rivers. 
 They were used to activity, and the sense of full- 
 ness soon wore off as the tiny builders engaged 
 in their internal mechanism, seizing with avidity 
 the unusual supplies, soon worked them up into 
 blood, so that long before the odor from the sup- 
 per in preparation began to mingle with the salty 
 atmosphere, they were swarming over every ac- 
 cessible part of the ship and meditating on other 
 achievements than fashioning their characters 
 after their benefactor. The sailors looked askance 
 at these boys, whose faces and speech betrayed 
 their origin, and some of them condescended to 
 inquire what might be the object of their expedi- 
 tion. 
 
 " We've come to take care of them young gents 
 you see who go together mostly— the good look- 
 
 Q 
 

 r.S 
 
 Till-: MA.STlvR OF DlCKl'I.AWN 
 
 !JJ 
 
 iiU4'cst \()n\'c f^{)t on board. They're s\v^ 11 chaps, 
 I can tell you," Alike explained, proudly ; " and 
 We're goin;^ to a fine large island off sonicwhercs, 
 and we're going to kill things and live outdoors." 
 
 " I should say you'd be a sight more care than 
 help. What do you city chaps know about rough- 
 in;,;' it in camps, and cooking your food over a fire, 
 and handling canoes?" 
 
 '' I guess we roughs it enough in the city to 
 kn )w how to do it anywheres. Why some of us 
 fellers don't have any homes at all, just sleeps by 
 the night when we've got the change, and when 
 we haven't crawls in anywheres; even steals a 
 chance in the big churches sometimes. But 
 them's the fine places to sleep in of a cold winter's 
 night, over a register, or on a cushion somewhere, 
 only it kind of spiles you for nights when you 
 ain't got such privileges." Mike had a fine ])air 
 of eyes, but just now they looked dreamy and 
 sad as he reflected on what lav behind them, and 
 anticipated also what probably awaited them 
 when another winter should have them in its 
 chilly grasp. 
 
 '• I wish we could go e sailing here for ever 
 and ever, amen," the feeblest-looking of the group 
 said, wistfully. He had a racking cough, and re- 
 sponded when addressed, which was not often, to 
 the name of Daudv Dingwell. His comrades did 
 not esteem him above his value ; he was not 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
AT SKA 
 
 99 
 
 ^ 
 
 Strong ciiouirli to liold his own in a fight or game, 
 and in addition to these physical defects he had a 
 tronblesonie thing for any slunimer, wliether man 
 or boy, a sensitive conscience. His mother was a 
 widow and a Protestant, which also told against 
 them in tlie neighborhood. He was the oldest of 
 four and had to do more than his share to keep 
 starvation from their one room. Such a day as 
 this he had not dreamed of as among the possi- 
 bilities of this problem he called life, whicli ap- 
 peared to him a constant fight to keep soul and 
 body in touch. 
 
 He followed the boys around, but always at the 
 end of the procession, sometimes considerably in 
 their rear, for his eyes seemed to look deeper inio 
 tilings and required a longer time to explore what- 
 ever strange or delightful might greet them. To- 
 day there had been so many of the latter to hold 
 him that now arid then he had to take a short cut 
 to catch up with them, but he was content, know- 
 ing there were other days for more leisurely sur- 
 vey. 
 
 There was one melancholy note in what would 
 otherwise have been perfect harmony, as he re- 
 membered his mother and little sisters in the 
 stifling room at home ; the dinner they must 
 eat; the stitch, stitch, through the long hours 
 on work overlooked by men on the pattern 
 of the old-time slave drivers— for they labored 
 
lOO 
 
 THK MASTKR OF DRKPI.AWN 
 
 iiiuler t e sweating;' system. He was only a boy, 
 however, and could not always be tliinkinj^- about 
 others, so he was, on the whole, very happy that 
 day. The ^nawing at his stomach, which made 
 that organ a troublesomely conscious part of his 
 anatomy most of the time, had bet n less pro- 
 nounced since dinner than lor some weeks past — 
 indeed, ever since his cough had been keeping 
 him awake at night and weakening him by day. 
 After a few more such dinners he felt pretty cer- 
 tain the object that was gnawing so industriously 
 would get satisfied and stop. 
 
 They had grouped themselves at last on the 
 hurricane-deck and were discussing matters in 
 general, while they watched the distant sails dip- 
 ping out of sight, or others coming up from the 
 mysterious underworld of waters. The sim was 
 sinking toward the west in a gorgeous bank of 
 opal, amethyst, and ruby-colored clouds, the ves- 
 sels near-by catching in their white sails these 
 wonderful tints and reflecting them in the water 
 below, while under all the great sea lay, like a 
 tender mother, bearing them on her bosom. 
 
 Dandy — the boys had given him this name be- 
 cause his face and hands were generally clean and 
 his hair well combed — did not listen very par- 
 ticularly to their rambling talk, but was going 
 over in his mind those last chapters in the Reve- '* 
 lation, of that city built of gold and pearl which 
 
' 
 
 AT SEA 
 
 x^as, wl,> folks were not more willing to go there 
 or to have their friends. His motherrfor fnst.ce' 
 
 seemed fiightened it any of them were siek le'st 
 ti.ey should die ; for his own part, dea h e'oU 
 never seen, other than a friend no; that he id 
 this ghmpse of God through his sky 
 
 He was bronght back fron. his reverie bv 
 sonndsofa sharp altercation between two of the 
 boys ; one of then, an Italian nan.ed Ansel o 
 
 lensk>. They too, by some means, had drifted 
 mto sp.ntnal con.numings which ended „ a 
 con,ro^.ersy, and when Dandy beean.e console of 
 what was going on they had clinched and were 
 tO".g, m the fierceness of their religions z al to 
 back one another off the deck. Tht other bovs 
 were ook.ng on with much .satisfaction Ss 
 was the one accustomed pleasure of their lives 
 
 to be a fitting close to this otherwise perfect dav 
 Dandy ,,,3 te„ifi^j . ,_^ _^^^^^ look ,1,1'; 
 
 comlort. Here there were no police to interfere 
 b ut somethmg more terrifying, 'that beauti u !„; 
 tieachoroiis ocean. 
 
 " Oh, boys, don't, don't ! " he screamed, rushing 
 
I02 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 to draw tlieiii back to the center of the deck ; l)ut 
 his strength was too pnny to match theirs. 
 
 Mike was watchinji^ critically. Ganging their 
 strength and his own he decided there wonld be 
 no difficulty at the right moment of flinging them 
 back aniids]ii[)s and so save the excitement of a 
 spla'^h overboard. Dandy, finding he conld not 
 save them, in his terror dashed down tlie steps to 
 bring some one that conld, while Mike started to 
 intercept him, leaving the combatants to their 
 fate, which seemed a dangerons one, as the\- were 
 very near the side of the steamship. Jnst then 
 Alan stepped np, and before the boys knew he 
 was in sight, he was holding them at arm's length, 
 his eyes blazing with indignation. 
 
 *' I have seen what has been going on and, with 
 the exception of Dingwell, ^hcre is nothing to 
 choose between you. I waited a few moments to 
 see if there was not a single spark of manliness in 
 any of you." 
 
 Mike was standing at the head of the stairs, 
 looking as much a culprit as any. 
 
 " For this, every one of you shall be punished ; 
 these two most severely for they shall go to bed 
 supperless ; the others, with the exception of 
 Dingwell, shall have only bread and milk. The 
 next time audi a scene occurs your punishment 
 will not be so light." 
 
 He turned and left them to meditate at their 
 
Ar SKA 103 
 
 leisure. Perhaps it was not a judicious mode of 
 treatment for halt-starved boys, but he was an<>Ty 
 and HI no mood to ar-ue with them. They tit 
 re-arding each other stupidly for a short time 
 then, as the odor of broiled chicken and beefsteak 
 came floatino: up from those lowx^r re-ions they 
 reahzed the comforts they had forfeited. 
 
 '' Say, boys, what do you s'])ose he'll do that'll 
 be worse tlian to stop our vittels ? " Anselmo asked 
 a<rliast. ' 
 
 " I don't know what /w^// do, but I can tell vou 
 what /'// do, you sneakin' furriners, if you s'ton 
 our supplies again ! " Mike declared with a vim 
 that made the weak-nerved Anselmo resolve that 
 he, for one, would not incur that double punish- 
 ment Daudy had a thrill of self-riohteous satis- 
 faction pulsate throu-h his attenuated frame • he 
 had so few thrills of any kind but cold and fear 
 tliat It was quite a new sensaticm, but it was 
 short-lived; eleven jealous pairs of eyes were 
 presently turned upon him. 
 
 "Dandy's .croiii<r to get all the good thin-s- 
 that's not fair," Anselmo whined. It was a family 
 trait to covet anything they saw going to an- 
 other unless it might be poverty or pain, and 
 Anselmo had frdlen heir to a full share of this 
 miforlunate characteristic. To go to bed supper- 
 ess would not be so bad if another of his comrades 
 had not been feasting in his place. Dandy was 
 
nm 
 
 104 
 
 THE MASTKR OK DKRPLAWN 
 
 silent; long ago he had discovered that < his was 
 tlie wisest way for him to accept reproacli, but as 
 tlie boys discussed their grievances, he regretted 
 that he too had not been inchided in tlie prohi- 
 bition, since going without his supper after that 
 superb diuner would have been a very mild 
 infliction. He walked sorrowfully away. As he 
 descended the steps he cast a lingering glance 
 over sky and sea, thinking how much better the 
 heavenly Jerusalem was after all, since within its 
 gates there is nothing but peace. 
 
 The bo}-s followed him presently, and together 
 they filed past the sr^pper tables, filled with men 
 and women busy discussing the good things 
 which they too might presently have shared but 
 for the little unpleasantness of a few minutes ago. 
 
 i 
 
] 
 I 
 
 ! 
 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 ANSELMO 
 
 A LAN certainly did not enjoy his own snp- 
 ^ ^ per, thinking of the disappointed lads 
 and wished that he had devised some other 
 mode of pnnishing tliein. He was natnrallv a 
 strict disciplinarian, and conld not easily break 
 his word either in the matter of reward or punish- 
 ment ; but as he caught a oli„,p,e now and then 
 ot a r.kulkino- fistful face peering at the well- 
 spread tables, his purpose wavered. Leavin<r his 
 own supper half eaten, he arose and beck'oned 
 them to follow him to a quiet part of the deck. 
 He then asked : 
 
 " Who of you are sorry for what you have 
 done? He looked around at the group Up 
 went Dandy Dingwell's hand, but no one else re- 
 sponded. 
 
 "Put down your hand, Dingwell, for you have 
 nothing to be sorry for." 
 
 " He's nothin' but asneakin' heretic," Anselmo 
 muttered. He was able to speak the English of 
 the streets as readily as a descendant of the Puri- 
 tans. Alan heard the remark, but held his oath- 
 ering wrath in restraint as he continued : "" 
 
 I OS 
 
;l 
 
 Io6 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 " Boys, I want you to understand tliat I aui not 
 takint; you on this holiday excursion for my own 
 pleasure, by any means, and my friends were even 
 less eaj^er to have you than I. I think it is only 
 fair that we should understand each other fully. 
 Von are, some of you, at least, old enough to have 
 .some manly principles. Now, let me tell you 
 plainly, that if I find you incorrigibly un,i^rateful 
 and wicked, or if you trespass upon my patience 
 beyond a certain limit, I will send you back by 
 this boat." 
 
 As he looked at them he saw a relaxin<T; of the 
 muscles of their f ices. That this was the «^Teater 
 punishment in store for them, of which he had 
 spoken, was the thought uppermost in each mind. 
 
 "I know you have had little opportunity to 
 learn how to be true, and vSo I feel the more sorry 
 for you. (iod has been better to me, giving me a 
 good home, and more than that the liible, which 
 has been kept from most of you. The only way 
 we can make return to God is to love him and to 
 help others. Now do you understand why it is 
 that I take so much trouble for you?" 
 
 He waited for a repl}', but they stood stolidly 
 gazing at him, with the excei)tion of Dandy Ding- 
 well. 
 
 " Please, sir, that's just the wa)- mother talks," 
 he said, his face shining with joy. " She loves 
 the Bible and prays every day right up to the 
 
ANSELMO 
 
 T07 
 
 Lord. Slie says it's only God and the livinir 
 saints tliaL's any good to help people on the 
 earth." 
 
 Alan tnrned to him with his own face snddenh 
 ilhiniincd. 
 
 " I nnderstand now why you are different from 
 these lads," he said; -it is because you have a 
 Christian mother and the Bible." 
 
 Anselmo clenched his fist; he wanted to fiojit 
 with some one, but prudence got the better of his 
 religious valor. " I could not finish mv supper 
 thinking of you," he went on. ''I want to do 
 you good, and to help >ou to soinetliiiu.- better 
 than the wretched lives before you. Woii't you 
 try with me? I would make you good myself if 
 T were able, but you alone can do tiiat, G(>d help- 
 ing yon. Now, will you all promise me to trv 
 very hard to be good bo>'s if I take xou to the 
 table, and allow the waiter to let voi/have any- 
 tbiiig you wish? If I get out of' patience with 
 you at any time I want you to foro-ive me; I am 
 only a young fellow myself and have had very 
 little experience with other boys." 
 
 Mike stepped out, and seizing Alan's hand, im- 
 pulsively exclaimed : - I'll try to be good, and I'll 
 make tlie rest of 'em toe the mark too." 
 "No you won't, neither," Anselmo snarled 
 Alan turned to him: - Won't you promise to 
 be a better boy if I forgive you now?" 
 
Io8 THE MASTER OF DEEPT.AWN 
 
 " He's not going to make me good, I can be 
 that without him." 
 
 " I shall be sorry to send you back alone in the 
 steamer, I^agoni, but rather than keep you with 
 us to disturb the other lads, I shall do it, and be- 
 caus«^ I modify my promise now, do not presume 
 that I shall do it again." 
 
 He turned to speak to Jacob Molensky, but 
 happening to glance in Anselmo's direction, inter- 
 cep!:ed a most sardonic expression ; for the boy 
 was twisting his face out of shape in order to dis- 
 play his malice. 
 
 " You have forfeited your supper, to-night, La- 
 .^oni, and in all probability you will be back in 
 your old home in a few days into the bargain." 
 Alan spoke sternly ; all pity for the vicious bit of 
 humanity, for the time being, dying out of his 
 heart. 
 
 Anselmo set up a loud howl which brought him 
 a box on the ears from a deck-hand, shortly after 
 the others had gone into the saloon. He was 
 forced to nurse his wrath and the aching ear in 
 silence after that, but he meditated some means 
 of reveno-ino: himself on some one. Dandv Dinsf- 
 well was the most promising subject because of 
 his physical weakness and his heretical faith. 
 He studied the matter chiefly in reference to him. 
 Meanwhile poor Dandy plied his kuile and fork 
 to such good purpose that for the second time that 
 
ANSRI.MO 
 
 IvOg 
 
 
 day a very comfortable fccliiifi;- came over him. 
 vSome half-hour later a party of very contented 
 lads fded out on deck and joined Ansehno, whose 
 wrath was at white heat, as he saw them leisurely 
 walkin,^; to and fro like the guests he had seen in 
 the fashionable hotels. 
 
 " Get out of this," he snarled, as they drew 
 near to him. When he found they paid no atten- 
 tion to his command he arose to leave them. 
 Just as he passed through the door he felt his coat 
 pulled, and swinging around to bestow a blow, he 
 caught sight of Dandy's outstretched hand, in 
 which lay a piece of temptingly frosted cake. 
 
 " It's my own. I didn't steal it, but kept it for 
 you," he whispered. 
 
 ''I won't have your old cake," Anselmo de- 
 clared, viciously, but nevertheless eyed the cake 
 longingly. 
 
 "They are awful good, the boys said," Dandy 
 suggested, still keeping the tempting object in 
 view. It was second nature with him to share any 
 good thing with others, and just now Anselmo aj> 
 pealed the most strongly to his sympathies. 
 
 A moment after, the cake was seized without a 
 word of thanks, and he was left standing alone by 
 the door. He did not know that his kindly act 
 had been noticed by more than one pair of eyes, 
 but he turned back with a happy heart to the 
 group of boys sitting outside on the deck enjoy- 
 
no 
 
 TIIK MAS'IMCR OF DKl'PI.AWN 
 
 iii^C, in im inexpressive sort of way, tlie far-off do- 
 hcions o-low of tlie scttin<r snn. It conld not oe 
 expected that they conld liave other tlian a dim 
 appreciation of the wonderfnl panorama spread 
 before them ; beauty of any kind liad seldom a])- 
 pealed to their stunted natures, but perhajis God 
 keeps some untainted places in youthful hearts, 
 no nuitter how polluted their environment, that 
 can respond at once to perfection in anv form. 
 
 "What did ye foller him out fer?" Jacob Mo- 
 lensky asked, suspiciously. 
 
 "Nothincr much." Dandy tried to speak in- 
 difTercntly. 
 
 "I seed yer crib the cake, and ye guv it tcr 
 him.'' 
 
 *'What if he did? 'twas more'n you'd do for a 
 feller as was as mean with ye as he was," Mike 
 said, with a decision that si-iiified the conversa- 
 tion was to terminate. 
 
 "Afore I'd crib vittals for that Eyetalian " 
 
 Jacob muttered. 
 
 " Ve'd eat it yourself. I say, we're croing to 
 pattern after Dandy, every mother's son of us,1ind 
 
 if ye don't, I'll " i\Hke stopped abruptlv', for 
 
 Alan was just then approachin,<>-. 
 
 He was beoinning to find the task of a philan- 
 thropist a particularly exasperating one. He had 
 just intercepted Anselmo at some mischief that 
 no other than a street amb of the most vicious 
 
ANSKI.MO 
 
 III 
 
 3 
 
 procHvities would have altciiipted — trviiis^ to kin- 
 dle :i fire oil the lower dock. Aleanwliile he swal- 
 lowed the cake with angry vindictiveness to think 
 it was so good, and that so small a portion had fallen 
 to him. ALin had secured all his matches and 
 set him down in the saloon with the command not 
 to move until he had permission. He was coming 
 now to get Mike to act as policeman until the cul- 
 prit could be trusted alone, a commission as satis- 
 factory to Alike as it was displeasing to Ansel mo. 
 A few vigorous strokes from Mike's sinewy fists 
 did more in the way of immediate amendment 
 than a good deal of moral suasion. There was 
 scarcely honest soil enough in the poor boy's na- 
 ture for good seed to take root in, and moral 
 suasion had hitherto been an unknown factor in 
 his experience. In the lyagoni family it was a 
 blow in any case, whether the word fitted in 
 or not. 
 
 The following morning found Anselmo with an 
 excellent appetite. He felt much better natured, 
 and wdiile waiting to be let out of his room he 
 came to the decision not to forfeit his food, no 
 matter what the provocation. At some future 
 time there would be an opportunity for him to 
 take his revenge without running the risk of such 
 punishment. He had been tucked into a single 
 stateroom by himself, his young gentleman posi- 
 tively refusing to have him. When Alan came to 
 
' 
 
 112 THK MASTICR oF DEKl'LAWN 
 
 look after him he turned liini back to attend to his 
 toilet, a <^ood deal of acquired grime from yester- 
 day's investigations adding to the duskiness of an 
 already swarthy complexion. He applied soap 
 and water vii^-orouslv and soon came out smilinsf 
 as amiably as if he had not marred the harmony 
 of the entire party the preceding day. 
 
 By the exercise of a strong will-power and sel- 
 dom-exerci ^ed self-control, he got through his 
 breakfast respectably, but to maintain this out- 
 ward calm the whole day through, and {ov many 
 succeeding days, struck him as impossible. From 
 his earliest jcollection such an experience had 
 not occurred. In the I^agoni household life was 
 made up of a series of storms merely accentuated 
 by intermittent and brief calms. 
 
 The breakfast was so perfect, and his apprecia- 
 tion of it so extreme, that he vaguely speculated, 
 as he filed out on deck with the other boys, if it 
 might not be possible to hold himself so far in 
 check as to secure his share of good things the 
 whole summer through. He found a stron^^-er 
 power than his own fierce will holding him, but 
 the grip of habit was strong, and he knew if he 
 gave way he certainly would suffer for it. 
 
 Alan too, had been thinking out the task before 
 him. Anselmo had been an experiment from the 
 first. In the Italian mission school the fierce, 
 uncurbed nature had attracted him. There were 
 
ANSKLMO 
 
 113 
 
 1 
 
 iiiitsucli possibilities for sufferincr that he had 
 felt a strong desire to be himself the destiny to 
 chancre the cnrrent from misery toward self-con- 
 trolled, hnmniized manhood. 
 
 He feared the long, idle hours on shipboard for 
 all tlie boys, but especially for him. When once 
 out m the country they would have so much to 
 niterest them that he was sure their spare ener-y 
 would not need to be exercised in quarrelino- He 
 had provided books and games to amuse them on 
 ramy days and now decided to bring some of them 
 out. Taking Anselmo with him to keep him out 
 of mischief, he went in search of the games. 
 When the trunk was found and opened Anselmo 
 stood With gleaming, covetous eyes lookin- at the 
 bright-covered books and boxes containhi- the 
 
 games 
 
 " Are tliem all for us? " he asked, greedilv 
 "Yes." ''^ ^•. 
 
 'I Won't you give me mine to keep myself > " 
 ;' They are not for any single boy, but for all to 
 enjoy together." 
 
 II I want some of them all to myself," he whined. 
 
 "Anselmo, I want you to overcome your covet- 
 ous disposition. Remember, after this the surest 
 way for you to lose anything will be your askincr 
 ^or It. I mean to help you all I can to get the 
 victory over yourself." 
 
 '^I don't care," he muttered, angrily, but still 
 
 II 
 
n 
 
 114 Tin- MASTlvR OK DKl'PLAWN 
 
 surveyed the open trunk with huno^ry eyes. Alan 
 selected a few picture books and frames and then, 
 followed by the boy, went to join the others. He 
 soon had them all gathered around the tables in 
 the saloon, taught them some games, and then 
 left them to choose between them and the books 
 for their amusement. For a while things went 
 well, but after a while dissatisfaction arose over 
 the results of the games. Each lad, of course, 
 wanted to be on the winning side and in all proba- 
 bility there would have been a repetition of the 
 disgraceful scene of the preceding day, if the din- 
 ner had not, about that time, begun to send forth 
 its fragrance. 
 
 Alan suggested to the young men at dinner that 
 each one should take his own h<yy^ and look after 
 him for the rest of the day, giving a few lessons 
 on general behavior at the same time, since they 
 were sadly needed. The suggestion did not re- 
 ceive a very cordial response, but they compro- 
 mised matters by taking them for a couple of liours. 
 
 The other passengers on the steamship looked 
 curiously at the company of young men who bore 
 unmistakably, in dress and bearing, the mark of 
 good breeding, and at the boys following them 
 who, although their garments were new, were as 
 clearly stamped as belonging to the other extreme 
 of the social scale. The captain was interviewtd 
 by a good many on the subject, to all of whom he 
 
 
1^ 
 
 ANSKI.MO 
 
 115 
 
 was forced to return the extremely iinsatisfactor>- 
 answer: 
 
 " It is that yonn.cr fellow in crray who seems to 
 have them all in charcre. I only know they are a 
 lot of Brown stndents goinjr down to Newfonnd- 
 land for the snnimer. I have an idea that he is 
 rclij^nons and is trying to reform the entire crowd, 
 sluniniers and all, bnt I can tell yon he has a 
 ton-h job on hand, for there's mischief in the 
 wliole lot. I can see that as plain as I can that 
 gnlL" 
 
 Bnt as the captain and passengers watched them 
 day after day they were forced to admit that the 
 yonng fellow in gray was eqnal to the task and had 
 an ascendency over stndents and slnnnners alike 
 that compelled them to yield to his will. 
 
 They conld not comprehend how one so yonng, 
 and evidently belonging to the favored classes' 
 conld, of his free will, assnme snch thankless ser- 
 vice. The betting class on board directed their 
 attention to him, and for some time qnite heavy 
 snms of money were pooled npon his motive in 
 the enterprise. There was some chagrin and a 
 good deal of perplexity when one, bolder than the 
 rest, approached him with the inqniry what his 
 motive for nndertaking snch a task really was, 
 and was answered as frankly as if it had been 
 abont his views on politics, or the commonplace 
 concerns of every day. 
 
TT 
 
 ii6 
 
 TIIK MASTHR OK DKKPI.AWN 
 
 After a wliile each boy hccran to follow his spe- 
 cial master, and before very loii<r tlicy developed 
 so strong a pride of ownership that they were 
 ready, at the slightest provocation, to enter the 
 lists in his favor by a trial of their own strength. 
 
 Several bloodless dncls had been fonglit in ont- 
 of-thc-way parts of the steamship, when Mike as- 
 sured them it was not worth their while to debate 
 the subject any longer, since his Mr. Rivers was 
 worth all the rest of then? put together. 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
,1 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 WITH GUN AND ROD 
 
 T^IIKY left tlie stcanisliip at St. John's, wliere 
 tliey found Gahe waiting for ^heni He 
 surveyed tlie l,u<re party douhtfullv, espeeially 
 tiic boys, and assured Alan it would'take several 
 canoe loads of food to last them two months, not 
 reckomnir the unlimited supplies of fish and oanie 
 ready to their hand. '^ 
 
 "We shall take a lar-e boat for the boys and 
 the provisions; I will not trust them to canoes." 
 It vyill cost -reat lot of money," Gabe said, 
 anxiously. ' 
 
 "There arc thirteen of us to share the expense. 
 1 tlimk you will find us equal to it." 
 Gabe shook his head doubtfully. " You only 
 
 ut;.''^^ ''./■''"• ^^^'>' "°^ ''''''^ ^^^^t you say." 
 
 We will see," was the calm reply ; and so, 
 
 ag:ainst his own judgment, Gabe undertook the 
 
 conveyance of youths and stores to the same 
 
 camping grounds used the previous summer. 
 
 The ti-ip in the schooner was a mixed experi- 
 ence. The sea was rough and some of them were 
 sick; the quarters were crowded, and Alan was 
 kept in constant anxiety lest some of his charge 
 
 117 
 
 ^^am 
 
ii8 
 
 Tin<: MASTER OF DKEPLA.WN 
 
 should fall overboard, as most of them ran the 
 risk of doin<^, being both venturesome and ignor- 
 ant of schooner life. They reached Bonavista at 
 last, and every one, down to the cook in the gal- 
 ley, breathed a sigh of relief when the vessel was 
 tied to the wharf and the last of the passengers 
 left the deck. 
 
 All this was changed when that same afternoon 
 they started inland. The boys were nearly wild 
 with delight as they rowed up the winding river. 
 The air, unstirred by other human beings, was like 
 a wonderful tonic. The green depths of the un- 
 broken forest, shutting them in like the walls of 
 some vast cathedral, roused increasing wonder at 
 the immensity of nature. They could scarcely 
 be convinced that each hour they were passing 
 through fresh aisles of the forest cathedral. 
 
 " Are you sure that we're not winding round 
 and coming over the same places? I've seen trees 
 and rocks like that a dozen times to-day," Dandy 
 said at last, bewildered utterly. 
 
 " Yes, Dandy, every boat length tak?s us past 
 trees you have never seen before," Alan assured 
 him ; " besides, rivers do not have the habit of 
 winding around and doubling upon themselves." 
 
 " I wish we could come here and pick up the 
 wood," Anselmo said, covetously. Such waste of 
 firewood as he saw along the shore was enough to 
 make any boy's heart ache who was in the habit 
 
 4 
 

II 
 
 I ' 
 
 I '' 
 
 Tlie Master of Deeplawn. Page 119. 
 
 ,"Tlie rest of the party proceeded to catch fiah." 
 
WITH GUN AND ROD 
 
 119 
 
 ^^:,<;%^ 
 
 M "*.\ 
 
 
 ^ell!). 
 
 of snpplyinj^ the family kindlings from chance 
 gleanings in street and by-way. 
 
 They halted for an early snppcr, tied np their 
 boat and canoes to the trees along shore, and then, 
 near to the water's cd^^^c, Gabe and the other boat- 
 men bnilt a fire, while the rest of the party pro- 
 ceeded to catch fish. What raptnres excited the 
 boys as one after another dangled tront varying 
 in length from fonr to twelve inches. It did not 
 take tliem long to get enongh for the entire party, 
 and how they did enjoy that meal! The poor 
 lads were not perplexed with napkins and other 
 bewildering tal)le appointments that had made 
 eating on shipboard a mixed pleasnre. They car- 
 ried their plates, filled with fried tront, pork 
 scraps, and roasted potatoes, ont of sight of criti- 
 cal e\es, and ])roceeded to enjoy these delicacies 
 nnfettered ])y knife or fork. There was plenty of 
 water rushing wastefully past in which to remove 
 all traces of the use of fingers. I\Iike and Dandy 
 stayed manfully at their post ; the latter had been 
 accustomed to knives and forks always, the for- 
 mer was resolved on doing everything, as far as pos- 
 sible, exactly like his young master. 
 
 (xabe had watched the boys with curious and ab- 
 sorbed interest. He hovered near while they 
 ate, and certainly was not prc])ossessed with their 
 aboriginal deportment. At the first opportunity 
 he asked Alan if they were Christians. 
 
« 
 
 ,! 
 
 I20 TIIK MASTER OF DKKPI.AWN 
 
 "Witli tlie exception of Diiigwcll they cer- 
 tainly are not." 
 
 " Are they Protestant ? " 
 " No, tliey are all Catholics except two." 
 *' May I talk, to them abont religion ?" 
 " Certainly ; but are yon not a Catholic? " 
 "No, no," with a very emphatic shake of the 
 head; ''I Protestant." 
 
 " Why, how is that? I thoncrht all the Indians 
 here were Catholics. I never thoncrht last year 
 of asking you about it." 
 
 "I love the Bible. The minister, he tell me 
 God has my name in book. I take ministers from 
 port to port in my boat ; they tell me of the Lord 
 Jesus. I hear them preach and pray. Then I 
 take their religion ; it makes me clean and happy 
 here." He laid his hand on his heart. "Are you 
 Protestant?" 
 
 " Oh, yes, and I love the Lord Jesus too. That 
 is why I bring all these young men and boys with 
 me. You may help me a great deal with the 
 boys. Talk to them of what you once were and 
 what you are now." 
 
 "Yes, I tell them Catholic religion no good 
 for Indian, no make him clean here and happy ; 
 Protestant religion do both. Indian and white 
 man just the same inside. I show them how to 
 fish and hunt—tell them stories about Indians- 
 then I tell them about God." 
 
 
I 
 
 WITH GUN AND ROD 
 
 
 I2T 
 
 "I wonder you „.ver told ,„e al.out this last 
 
 siiiiinicr." 
 
 " You not talk to nic either." 
 Alan sniik'd ; eertaiiily it was his place as imicli 
 as the IiKhan's to speak about relioiou. 
 
 ' ' We pray for them. God heans praxers ; l)ook 
 says so." 
 
 Alan nodded his head in silence; he was crettin<v 
 a lesson Ironi this dusky abori-ine that few of the 
 learned eolleoe dons had tau^^dit him. 
 
 They embarked soon, and 'in tlie early twiliobt 
 ao-ain moored their boats and this tinie pitched 
 then- tents. When all the work was done, Gabe 
 drew Alan to one side and said : " Our niissioners 
 always pray at night, under the open skv, on the 
 snow, anywhere." 
 
 Alan's face flushed. Did Gabe mean to ask 
 hnn to do the same? He merely said "Yes," 
 with a risincr inflection of voice. 
 "You pray to him?" 
 "I am not a minister." 
 " You Christian ; you tell me so." 
 Alan turned abruptly away and plunoed into 
 the dense forest. Gabe saw the look of dismay 
 on the young man's face and followed at a 
 distance, thinkiuQ-, perhaps he niicrht fcroet him- 
 self and o-o so far that he would be i >st in the 
 woods; but he saw him instead, throw himself on 
 the pround, and knew he had come for pra\er 
 
122 THE MASTER OF DEEPT.AWN 
 
 ( Vdhe assuiiiL'd the statuesque pose natural to his 
 race, and lilted his heart in prayer that victory 
 mio;lit be orained. At last Alan rose and went 
 back to camp, Gabe silently followino-. 
 
 The boys were scattered up and down the river, 
 their shouts niin,!:^ling shrilly with the sonj;s of 
 iionie-coniiiio; birds that were pourin^^ their vesper 
 hymns throu^i^h the leafy colonnades. 
 
 To say that the boys were happy would only 
 half express the rapture that was reachino- even 
 to those dim re<2^ions of the soul that had never 
 been stirred until now, for the reason that filth, 
 and discord, and the poverty enclosed by orimy 
 brick walls, could not possibly supply any food to 
 the poetry and love of beauty that God has seen 
 fit to plant in the dreariest, as well as the richest 
 souls. Alas, in how many it is not awakened 
 until other worlds open all the possibilities for 
 bliss God has in reserve for us! 
 
 Dandy Dingwell took his joy more silently than 
 the others for, mixed with it all was the memory 
 of the pale, weary mother stitchino- in that vile 
 atmosphere, with meagre fare, no ripplin^- river 
 for a lullaby, or singing birds to waken her in the 
 early dewy morning. 
 
 Anselmo forgot for a while to fight. There was 
 such breadth and breathing room here, with such 
 lavishncss of beauty, that even his turbulent heart 
 was for the time quieted ; besides, the other boys 
 
I 
 
 WITH GUN AND ROD 
 
 123 
 
 
 bad 110 desire to quarrel, wliicli made it all the 
 easier lor liim to keep the peace. 
 
 Alan iiow-ot out his cornet from anion- quite a 
 number of musical instruments he hnd provided 
 '.Hid nave the siunal aoreed upon at supper to 
 summon all the party to camp. Soon the voun<v 
 men and lads came droppiug i„, somewhat sui" 
 prised at the unexpected call. Some of them 
 noticed that he was pale, but they were none of 
 them prepared for the announcement he made 
 when the restless boys had become quieted. He 
 spoke even sternly, because of his very nervous- 
 ness. " Boys, r have decided to read a chapter in 
 the Bible to )-ou every nio-ht, and to offer a pra}-er 
 to God. I shall expect you to be always present 
 and to listen quietly." 
 
 All the younor cramins of the company had 
 Iiaunted the various missions, more for what they 
 nii.i^dit o-et and the disturbance thev could make 
 than for any other reason. Visions of the uproar 
 they had raised in those places flitted before their 
 minds, and the prospect of such a service seemed 
 an addition to their crood time. There were 
 snndry winks and crrimaces at the becriunino- 
 watched over by Gabe ; then an occasional 
 snicker or muttered imprecation was heard ; hut 
 Alan read on, apparently pa>-incr „o attention to 
 anything- but the words he was readincr. 
 
 Anseliiio was beginning to .o-row hilarious when 
 
T 
 
 m 
 
 124 'T"^' MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 lie felt liinisclf seized, and before lie had time to 
 sereaiii he looked up into the face of younjj^ 
 Mr. Blake, to whom he was supposed to belonj;' 
 for the time beinii^. A low command to be quiet 
 was i^ivcn in such a way that Ansel mo subsided 
 directly into most decorous silence, for there was 
 a su^^gestion that he mij^ht receive such a castiga- 
 tion as he had aforetinies had from his <2^rown-up 
 brother Ani^elo. He soon wished the prayer 
 would cease, and wondered why prayinii^ had 
 never seemed like this before. He shivered, al- 
 thon!^li the air was balmy, while he wondered 
 why the holy priests never mule him feel that 
 way, and then there crossed his mind the first 
 vague doubt if the heretics after all might not be 
 right. 
 
 The prayer ended, they all rose silently, an.d 
 soon the entire group had drifted away to their 
 separate amusements. The boys by a common 
 impulse gathered around a huge, uprooted tree 
 that formed a splendid hiding place, with the 
 river rolling just at their feet. Each one was 
 anxious to compare sensations with some one else, 
 and as they one by one confessed how they had 
 felt, it was both a relief and perplexity to find 
 that most were similarly impressed. Even Jacob 
 Molensky acknowledged that he had never felt 
 quite so solemn before, and asked if the New Tes- 
 tament was all as good as what Mr. Rivers had 
 
 
WITH GUN AND ROD 
 
 125 
 
 'i 
 
 just ivad. The lads looked confused, scarcely 
 likincr to confess that the Testaments, New or Old, 
 were alike sealed books to them. 
 
 " It's every bit as good, only some few chapters 
 with names in them," Dandy ventured to replv at 
 last. He had not been appealed to, but he was 
 the only one who knew anything about it. 
 
 ''I wish I had one, Td read it while I was here 
 iii^ the bush, and nobody'd know," Jacob said 
 wishfully. ^ ' 
 
 " Blamed if I'm going to read the Bible ! I'll 
 have soaiething else to do, catching fish and kill- 
 ing things in the woods," said, contemptuously, a 
 bullet-headed boy, with a vicious type of face, 
 who responded to the name of Patrick Sweeney.' 
 His remark had a steadying effect on the boys' 
 nerves, and the impression caused by the prayer 
 very soon wore off, so that when the call was given 
 to come in for the night they had, to all appear- 
 ance, settled back into their accustomed mood, de- 
 fensive and offensive. 
 
 The next evening, later than the praver, they 
 f)iind to their dismay there was an additional 
 Scripture lesson awaiting them. They were sum- 
 moned into the main tent, and found Alan with a 
 heap of Bibles on a stand beside him, which had 
 been improvised out of boxes. A lamp was burn- 
 ing and rude seats of limbs arranged around the 
 table. 
 
126 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEI'LAWN 
 
 " How inaiiy of you boys can read ? " 
 Instantly every hand went np. 
 " Every evening just before bedtime we will 
 all assemble here and read together out of the 
 Bible." 
 
 It was indeed a wonder that they submitted at 
 all to this decree and the fact that they peaceably 
 took off their hats and sat down on the rou^*-!! 
 seats provided, deserves notice. They began to 
 read stumblinglyat the second chapter of Alatthew, 
 and the word to leave off was not spoken until 
 they had completed the chapter. 
 
 *'Tliat will do for to-night," Alan said at last, 
 to their immense relief. 
 
 " Will we have to read that much every ni^-ht ^" 
 Ansel mo asked, with a frown. 
 *' Yes." 
 
 " Me fa}-ther wouldn't want me to be a read- 
 in' of it, if he knowed," he of the red hair and 
 freckled face feebly remonstrated. 
 
 " While you are with me you will be expected 
 to do what I wish in this matter. Any boy who 
 desires may return in the morning with the boat- 
 men to Bonavista, and I will make arrangements 
 for him to be forwarded to St. John's and on to 
 Providence," Alan replied, glancing around at the 
 clouded faces. Several of them had been on the 
 point of seconding their comrade's suggestion, but 
 thought better of it, and not a word was spoken. 
 
WITH GUN AND ROD 
 
 127 
 
 The followiiio- inornino. tlicy repaired to tiicir 
 council chamber, at the root of the upturned tree 
 aiK discussed the question with great seriousness 
 each one of them thinking someone else nii<.lit 
 voice the religious scruples of the rest. The con- 
 troversy soon grew heated, and at last thev came 
 to blows and profane language. They werJ in the 
 midst of It when the Indian appeared and appealed 
 cbrectly to Dandy, who, with Jacob, had kept quiet 
 during the debate, to know the cause of the dis- 
 turbance. 
 
 "It's their religion they are fighting about." 
 Dandy spoke excitedly, for just then he spied An- 
 selino on the ground, and Mike pommellincr him 
 iiiiuiercitully. Gabe did not wait for further en- 
 lightenment, but went in among them, pushing 
 them right and left. When comparative order 
 had been restored, Mike began an explanation, 
 but Aiiselmo was on his feet in an instant; he was 
 smarting from Mike's well directed blows, exter- 
 nally, as well as from certain remarks respecting 
 his countrymen in general, and the Ugoni fam- 
 ily in particular. Gabe turned and gave him a 
 vigorous shaking. 
 
 "You be quiet," he said, sternly, still holding 
 the boy. ^ 
 
 ^ Anselmo began heaping up whispered epithets 
 in Italian, to which Gabe paid no heed, but lis- 
 tened calmly to Mike's incoherent remarks 
 
128 
 
 THli; .MASTUR OF DKKl'LAWN 
 
 [ \ 
 
 ''You got no rcHgion to figlit about. You no 
 better than heathen, may be not so orood." 
 
 "I guess we're just hkc you," Ans.lmo said, as 
 he tried to free himself from the slender, nervous 
 fingers of the Indian. 
 
 " No, not like me. I like you once ; but I know 
 better now. Good men tell me about God ; how 
 he loves Indian just same as white man." 
 
 "Were you a Catholic once, like us?" Mike 
 asked, incredulously. 
 
 " Yes ; we Indians nearly all that." 
 
 " What made you turn ? " 
 
 Gabe sat dowu beside them. " I tell you all 
 about it, maybe you turn too some day. Mr. Riv- 
 ers tell me Catholics often turn Protestants." 
 
 " It's a lie," Anselmo hissed. 
 
 " Mr. Rivers not lie," Gabe said, calmly. " He 
 know a lot better than little, dirty boy." 
 
 " You be quiet or you will catch it by-and-by," 
 Tvlike said, sternly. Anselmo was forced to sub- 
 side into sullen silence. 
 
 The rest of the boys, nothing loth to hear a 
 story, grouped themselves comfortably around 
 Gabe and waited for him to begin. He sat for a 
 moment al)Sorbed in thought, the boys curiously 
 watching the dusky face. His use of language 
 was limited, showing a sublime disregard of con- 
 junctions, prepositions, and adverbs, but this in no 
 wise lessened the effect of his sentences. The 
 
• t 
 
 WITH (iUN AND ROD^., 
 
 129 
 
 a 
 d 
 a 
 
 y 
 
 ,1- 
 10 
 tie 
 
 bi)y.s from time to time excluiii'^ed ci^iiscious 
 j^^iances. He described more minutely tliaii they 
 could the prayers, j^cnuflLCtious, confessionals, 
 and all the paraphernalia of the Momisli ritual, 
 which he had once rej^arded with a reverence 
 aniounling to adoration, and fo" which now he 
 had only words of sorrow. He told them of the 
 brave, self-denyinjT^ preachers whom he had first 
 despised and afterward learned to revere, whom 
 he was employed to .i^nide over those stormy 
 waters and throuj^h the wilderness, from hamlet 
 to hamlet along the coast. How at first he re- 
 fused to be present in camp at morning and even- 
 ing worship, but by degrees their brotherliness had 
 won his grudging aficction and he used to creep 
 in to prayers in a shamefaced way. After a while, 
 growing bolder, he used to attend the meetings held 
 in the kitchens of the hardy fishermen, where the 
 fervor of their devotions wakened in him sensa- 
 tions never experienced before. It was a long 
 story and he took his time. He liked to tell his 
 experience, and never before had he found a more 
 attentive group of listeners, or any for whom 
 he felt such sympathy. The lads received his 
 me-^sage in silence, even Jacob Molensky listened 
 respectfully while he told how much the Lord 
 Jesus had done for him. 
 
 The st(jry ended, the boys dispersed, only Dandy 
 remaining to talk a little longer. 
 
I 
 
 13 > 
 
 rin<: masticr ok dkicpi.awn 
 
 i I i 
 
 "Tlic boys arc hard to get on with." Dandy 
 spoke sadly. 
 
 " Make thcni do better/' 
 
 ''Mow can I?" 
 
 " Pray, that is best way ; then live." 
 
 " They won't know that I am prayini^^, and 
 they don't watch nic enons^h to know how I live." 
 Dandy sat thinkin<j very bnsily ; no anionnt of 
 pood livin;;- on his part wonld inflncnce Anselnio, 
 he felt certain. Moreover, he was not anxions to 
 have the fiery little Italian to dwell with him 
 eternally, even in heaven. Since there was a 
 place set apart for snch persons, it mii;ht be jnst 
 as well to let them take their conrse. 
 
 Gabe's next words made him heartily ashamed 
 of his thonjT^hts. 
 
 " I feel most pity for the dark, wicked boy. 
 Devil got strong grip on him. We try to help 
 him." ' 
 
 '' Don't yon think it wonld be better to try 
 some one. likelier to be good?" Dandy asked, 
 with some twinges of conscience. 
 
 " No, he have hardest work to get np there." 
 He pointed skyward. 
 
 " I don't think he ever can ; he is so bad every 
 
 wav. 
 
 n 
 
 "You never hear about publican? the Lord 
 able to save everybody." 
 
 "The publican prayed and wanted to be good ; 
 
 i i 
 
WITH (UJN AND KOI) 
 
 lie won't 
 
 v 
 
 , 1) 
 
 ry 
 i-d 
 
 a; 
 
 but Ausclino don't want to be better, 
 let you helj) him." 
 
 Gal)e sat lookino;- silently out across the river. 
 He had more thouj^dits than words to clothe them, 
 and he could see God's limitless love reachin.i;- far 
 beyond Anselmo's dej)ravity. Presently there 
 came an_<;ry voices from down the river, and they 
 both started to find what disturbing^ element was 
 now at work. Anselmo and Mike were fi<;htinj^ 
 a«^ain, Anselmo, as usual, gettin^^ sadly worsted 
 in the combat. His face was bleedinij^, but Mike, 
 with ani^ry distorted features, was rainin<^ the 
 blows pitilessly on the helpless boy. Cxabe seized 
 one in each hand and held them quiverinj^ and 
 squirmini»; at arm's len<^th. He paid no attention 
 to their ex[)lanations, but stood there as motion- 
 less and silent as a bronze statue, the other boys 
 also silenced by the stern face. Mike and An- 
 selmo watched their comrades as their feelin<>s 
 *;radually passed into terror. 
 
 Dandy was not fri<2;^litened, for he knew that 
 the Indian was a Christian. He was delij^^hted to 
 see a new expression creepin*^ into Anselmo's 
 Aice, thou<jh what it meant he was not able to 
 tell. Maybe this mysterious Indian mii^ht be 
 able to work a transformation in the lad's nature 
 that no one else could. Perhaps he had been 
 brought here for just that purpose. Dandy ^yqw 
 so interested over his fancies that he threw him- 
 
r ! 
 fit 
 
 HI 
 
 132 THIC MASTER OF DKEPLAWN 
 
 self on the ground, willing to wait there any 
 length of time. 
 
 When the last of the other boys had disap- 
 peared through the trees, Gabe dropped on his 
 knees, the two lads following his example. Loosen- 
 ing his hold on Mike for an instant he took off 
 his hat, lifted his face to the sky and began 
 to pray. The words were not like those that Mr. 
 Rivers had used the night before. They were 
 broken and the grammar, even to Dandy's obser- 
 vation, very defective ; but underneath the mere 
 speech was a great heart that brought its burden 
 right into the presence of the King. 
 
 Dandy was watching Gabe, for the time forget- 
 ting the limp figures on each side of him, when a 
 quick motion on Mike's part drew his attention, 
 and he was astonished to see that sturdy youth 
 melted into tears. Anselmo was looking up into 
 Gabe's face, his fierce eyes gleaming under the 
 clustering curls, his face ashen with fear or some 
 equally strong emotion. The boys were begin- 
 ning to recognize some awe-inspiring power out- 
 side of the visible world, a wonderful Being to 
 whom the Indian was speaking directly, talkino- 
 about them and entering into very distasteful par- 
 ticulars about their moral defects. It was a long 
 prayer, but at last it was ended and Gabe arose, 
 put on his hat, and walked away into the forest. 
 The three boys watched him out of sight, then 
 
', 
 
 WITH GUN AND ROD 
 
 ^33 
 
 looked furtively at each other. At last Anselnio 
 broke the silence : 
 
 "I say, it wasn't fair for him to tell all that 
 about ns, and now he's -one off to tell some more 
 likely. Vd enough sight sooner be a Catholic' 
 lor then you know when ,ou're forgiven, for the 
 priest tells you so." 
 
 '' Maybe the priest don't know any more about 
 It than we do ourselves," Mike said, indifferently. 
 He had half a mind to follow Gabe and ask him 
 to pray for hmi some more. It was so hard to do 
 right, especially when Anselmo was so a-oravat- 
 iiig, and it seemed necessary to administe"- pun- 
 ishment when it was so richly deserved, besides 
 he had other temptations for which Anselmo was 
 in no way to blame. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 IN THE RIVER 
 
 WHEN Alan and his friends set out on their 
 holiday trip they left themselves free to 
 extend their stay in those vast inland wilds 
 as long as they chose. The air was so bracing, 
 the days so full of adventure or delicious dream- 
 like repose, whichever they preferred, that they 
 scarcely desired to go back sooner than neces- 
 sary to the haunts of civilization. 
 
 They would go on long exploring expeditions 
 into the interior, Gabe invariably being the leader 
 on these excursions. All the boys were so un- 
 willing to stay in camp to take care of the stuff, 
 that after a while the rewards and punishments 
 were adjusted by going with the others, or else 
 remaining ingloriously in camp ; a young man 
 whose turn had come to be in charge remaining 
 with them. There were always enough bo}S in 
 disgrace to keep him company. 
 
 It was only by dint of wonderful self-control 
 that Anselmo was able to go at all ; but this 
 desirable end was at last achieved. When he 
 started, one glorious Augu.st morning, in the early 
 hush before the sun had risen, and while the 
 134 
 
IN the: river 
 
 135 
 
 morning star still hung dimly above the treetops 
 on the other side of the river, he received a most 
 valuable lesson. The week-long battle that had 
 been waged, his nobler self against the baser, was 
 crowned now with glad victory, but as he glided 
 up the river in the boat he had thoughts new and 
 somewhat painful, notwithstanding \lie gladness 
 he felt at being there. The world was\so still 
 about him, save tlie musical plash of the water, 
 and the notes of the awakening birds, one could 
 fancy that one might almost catch the sound 
 of the growing leaves, or the thunder of rollincr 
 suns. ^ 
 
 All the world about Anselmo, the sounding 
 water, the trees leaning loverlike toward the 
 mirror of the ri\-er at their roots, the fringes of 
 delicious bits of greenery, mossy knolls, ""ferns 
 with their long slender stems and delicate fronds 
 taking now the russet tinge of approaching 
 autumn, came to his consciousness as vividly as i} 
 their reality had never been seriously questioned 
 by philosophers. 
 
 He had his own vague thoughts on these sub- 
 jects, as tantalizing perhaps as those of the prac- 
 tised philosopher. These scenes appealed to 
 subtle faculties that the bits of sky caught throu^j 
 o])enings in brick and mortar, the crowded, dusty 
 streets and shockingly defaced tenements that he 
 had called home, had never awakened. This pure 
 
136 TitE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 air and these healthful surroundings after his life- 
 long encounter with defilement, were powerful fac- 
 tors in the awakening of his nature, which Alan's 
 teachings, together with Gabe's practical com- 
 nion-sense talks, strengthened more than any one 
 knew. 
 
 Mike and Jacob and Dandy were of the party 
 that day with nearly all the other lads. This trip 
 had been particularly coveted by every one of the 
 party. Gabe had doubted if it were safe to take 
 so many in the boat and canoes, but nearly all of 
 them could swim and the river for the most part 
 was so narrow there was little danger of squalls 
 reaching them. He had taken the precaution to 
 group his passengers, as they embarked, as safely 
 as possible. Dandy and Anselmo were put to- 
 gether, for Gabe had found there was always less 
 disturbance in Dandy's vicinity than elsewhere 
 among the boys. 
 
 There were merry shouts across the water from 
 boat to canoes ; restless hands impeded somewhat 
 the men who used the oars and paddles, for the 
 boys were full of life and anxious to be meddling. 
 It was impossible to keep them quiet. 
 
 They had nearly reached the end of their 
 journey when, towering far into the blue sky 
 before them, they saw the mountain that was the 
 objective point of that day's expedition. Gabe 
 had described the view to be obtained from its 
 
IN THE RIVER 137 
 
 siiiiiinit as so extensive that they were anxious to 
 see for themselves if his leport was not exa-. 
 .Iterated. Anotlier attraction was the fact tliat he 
 assured them only the most expert climber could 
 scale its rugged sides. The boys were to be left 
 niidway, where the ascent became most pre- 
 cipitous, in charge of one of the young men whose 
 Inngs were too weak to bear such a strain. 
 
 While every eye was fixed on the hill before 
 them there was a sudden splash, followed by a 
 shrill scream, and a shock of black hair disap- 
 pearing beneath the water was all they could see 
 when they looked in the direction of the cry. A 
 moment later there was another splash and Gabe, 
 divesting himself of shoes and coat, jumped in 
 after Anselmo. The boy in his restlessness had 
 reached too far over the side of the boat and, 
 being unable to swim, sank directly. 
 
 Every paddle was held suspended, and anxious 
 faces watched Gabe as he floated on the water, his 
 keen eyes watching for the boy. It seemed a 
 good while to the watchers, but it was in reality 
 only a few seconds until he had Anselmo in his 
 grasp and was swimming for the shore, the canoes 
 all following in his wake. The boy had lost 
 consciousness, but the time was so short between 
 the accident and rescue, it was not long until the 
 black eyes looked up, bewildered at the group of 
 anxious faces bending near. He shivered^ for the 
 
 . 
 
I 
 
 T38 THK MASTER OP DKEPLAWN 
 
 iiioniincr was a trifle chilly and lie was already 
 cold when he fell into the river and, at the best 
 of times, his vitality was low. 
 
 Alan wrapped a rng around him and lifted him 
 into the boat again, then they pushed off and 
 started on their way. A silence had fallen over 
 the merry crowd ; there were no longer gay 
 snatches of music and laughter in response to the 
 notes of the feathered songsters in the trees. 
 Amid the springing life, death had just intruded 
 its grim front and looked at them from those 
 dangerous depths whose waters murmured so 
 cheerily against their birch canoes. The lads sat 
 circumspectly on their narrow seats, and gave no 
 further trouble until they had landed at the base 
 of the mountain. 
 
 As they stepped on shore Alan looked down at 
 the limp figure in his arms, on the pale face and 
 drooping lids and drew him closer to him, for the 
 lad's]Jielplessness appealed strongly to his sym- 
 pathy. Then he looked up and said : 
 
 ''The rest of you can go on and climb the 
 mountain. I will stay and look after Anselmo." 
 
 Gabe remonstrated. "Yon wanted to see it 
 more than anybody. Let some one else stay. " 
 
 " No, I will stay," he said decisively, as he laid 
 Anselmo carefully down in the canoe on a bed 
 they had fitted for him out of overcoats and rugs. 
 
 The party was eager to begin the ascent, and 
 
 : 
 

 IN THE RIVER 
 
 139 
 
 without waiting any loiicrer they took their pro- 
 visions and started. Dandy followed a little way 
 and then halted. He looked back at Alan, left 
 lonely on the bank, and forward at the rapidly 
 disappearing jjarty. He too, was as eager as the 
 others to look down from the mountain side on 
 the scene below, but it seemed ungrateful for all 
 of them to go away thinking only of their own 
 pleasure and leave the two alone ; besides, a day 
 alone with Mr. Rivers had in it possibilities for 
 enjoyment that no mountain climbing or views 
 could possibly have. He watched them far up 
 the mountain side, their cheerfulness fully re- 
 stored. Gay laughter and shouts floated down on 
 the clear morning air. 
 
 Alan took a book from his pocket, and seating 
 himself on a mossy bed near the canoe, appeared 
 to have forgotten both Anselmo and the merry 
 ciowd of excursionists. Dandy sat for a long 
 time watching the tiny ripples breaking along the 
 shore and the shadows shortening on the hiilside 
 as the sun crept up the sky. He began to think 
 he had been foolish to miss the fun of the long 
 day's jaunt with the others, siiace it bade fair to be 
 a very dull day— Anselmo sleeping heavily in the 
 canoe, and .Air. Rivers apparently as unconscious 
 of the world about him as the sleeping boy. 
 
 P.ut in the deep hush that enfolded him,' Dandy 
 began to find that there were other pleasures in 
 
140 THE MASTER OF DKEPLAWN 
 
 f 
 
 this world besides mere noise and activity. The 
 very silence seemed to open communion with 
 nature. While listeniu^^ to the different sounds 
 of bird and insect and the sighin.q; wind among 
 the trees, he began wondering why God had filled 
 these vast solitudes so full of happy life, wonder- 
 ing too, where each twig would find a shelter 
 when the storms of winter were raging. Was it 
 possible that the)' were all frozen, so that fresh 
 creation would be iix^cessary each succeeding 
 springtime ? 
 
 He looked across at Alan at last, wishing to ask 
 him about all these new questions when, to his 
 surprise, he found the clear brown eyes regarding 
 him intently, and with such a kindly look that 
 he felt more than repaid for his sacrifice. 
 
 "I thought until just now that I was alone here 
 with Anselmo ; why didn't you go with the 
 others? " 
 
 Dandy looked down shyly, but with rosy cheeks 
 managed to answer : "I thought, sir, it would be 
 lonesome for you here all day alone." 
 
 " That was very thoughtful of you, but I am 
 afraid you will be lonely yourself; however, I ap- 
 preciate your generosity more than I can }nake 
 you understand, I fear." 
 
 Dandy's face brightened at this, and he said : 
 " I have been listening quietly here and looking 
 around me, it's so unlike when the boys are mak- 
 
IN rilK RIVKR 
 
 141 
 
 ino; a noise. It see.ns Pve never seen tliin.rs just 
 tins way before. It's a emions sort of world 
 don't yon think it is, sir?" ' 
 
 II In what way do you mean is it cnrions?" 
 "Oh, wc-Il, it seems so nincli of evervthincr 
 Roino- to waste here, wood and water and'crreen 
 thino-s, and there's somnch more air and sunshine 
 than we have at home. It'll be bad cnono-h in 
 those close rooms where mother and the ^r'nh are 
 to-day. Why, the broad avenues, where the swell 
 folk live and that us fellows thought must be near 
 as good as heaven itself— perhaps better, for all 
 we knew— aren't equal to this. They haven't 
 that beautiful river and the green places away 
 among the trees, nor the woodsy smell, nor the 
 birds, only the prisoner kind that are caged up." 
 " You are quite a poet, my bov." 
 " I don't know, sir ; but I think it's fine, just 
 you and me talking here together I " The bov's 
 face was a picture of delight. 
 
 '' Yes, we are becoming very good friends, and 
 1 hope we will have pleasure in each other's com- 
 pany a great many years, even long after our 
 bodies will have gone to dust." 
 
 " Do you mean in heaven, sir ? " Dandy asked, 
 reverently. 
 
 "Yes, in heaven. We know that death is not 
 far away, although it may seem hard to realize it 
 now when we are young and strong, but think of 
 
142 
 
 'nil-: iM.\sTi<:R oi." dkkplawn 
 
 all the generations that have lain down in the 
 lonj; sleep since Job asked : ' If a man die, shall 
 he live a<;ain?' " 
 
 " They will live a.i;ain — all who have died ? 
 Don't yon think so, sir ? " 
 
 " I do not think anNthini; abont it, I siniph- ac- 
 cei)t it, treniendonsly impossible as it may seem 
 to me, since Christ has told ns that he is the 
 resnrrection and the life." 
 
 " I like to talk to yon, sir; yon seem to make 
 God and heaven very near to me." 
 
 " Do yon think how rich God mnst be when 
 he has so mnch beanty to bestow on these ont- 
 of-the-way places?" 
 
 " I do not think I ever thonght of it, sir ; bnt 
 isn't it jnst as easy, when he was makin<^ things, 
 to make them bcantifnl?" 
 
 "We know nothing of the effort reqnired in 
 creation, bnt looking at sncli lavish expenditnre 
 of beanty sets me thinking." Alan then sank 
 into silent thonght. Dandy waited awhile for 
 him to continue and then asked, timidly : 
 
 " Wonld yon please to tell me what it makes 
 yon think of? " 
 
 "Many things: first, perhaps, how mnch God 
 mnst have in store for ns when we come to see 
 him face to face ; and then I think how rich and 
 glorious he mnst be, and how wonderfnl it is that 
 he should let me talk with him every day." 
 
 k 
 
IN Tiri<: KivKR 
 
 H3 
 
 "Docs Cod talk witli yoii?" Dandy was on 
 liis feet now close to Alan's side and lookin- down 
 at liini in deep amazement. 
 
 " Yes, every day, many times a day. It was he 
 wlio told me to biin*; you lads out here." Dandy 
 stood some moments in silence, and then he said, 
 softly : 
 
 " I think I understand. Wasn't it oood of him 
 to remember us in this way?" 
 
 "Ah, my boy, it is his goodness that makes my 
 heart so glad always— in spite of everything." 
 ^^ " You surely have nothing, sir, to make you sad. 
 The boys tell me you are very rich, and you are 
 strong and so handsome." He ended with a little 
 break in his voice. He scarcely knew if it were 
 just the thing to mention that last fact, but Mr. 
 Rivers did look such a splendid specimen of 
 young manhood that Dandy felt it was more than 
 could be expected of him to keep silent on the 
 subject. He was suddenly brought back to stern 
 realities by Mr. Rivers' next remark. 
 
 " Riches are sometimes the ruin of people— a f ir 
 worse curse than poverty— and they have been 
 ever since the days of Dives and Lazarus." Dandy 
 was surprised at the bitterness with which he 
 spoke. Neither could he understand how riches 
 and good looks, two of the coveted gifts of life in 
 which he was painfully deficient, unless a pair of 
 luminous brown eyes might be excepted, could 
 
1 
 
 
 >■ 
 
 i i 
 
 I ! 
 
 144 
 
 THE MASTER OK DEEPLAWN 
 
 fail to make their possessor other than perfectly 
 happy with his allotments. 
 
 A movement in the canoe interrnpted their con- 
 versati(ni. Anselmo had wakened, and not fmd- 
 ing himself in a comfortable frame of mind, was 
 expressim^- discontent in a way more in keepin'^ 
 with his accnstomed snrronndings. Alan went lo 
 him. followed closely by Dandy. 
 
 "What did yon let me go to sleep for? I want 
 to climb the monntain too," he said, fietfnlly. 
 
 Alan made no reply, bnt took the hot hand in 
 his, laying his finger on the pnlse. 
 
 " My head aches and I'm tired," he said, laying 
 his head down again on the pillow of coats. Alan 
 looked at him anxionsly. The pnlse was high 
 and already the face was crimson with fever. He 
 conld hardly nnderstand why a brief pinnae in 
 that wnrm river shonld affect the lad so scrionsly. 
 Prol)ably it did no harm, with the exception of the 
 shock to a system weakened by long-continned 
 privation. Whatever the canse, Anselmo had 
 every symptom of being on the brink of a se- 
 vere illness. It seemed strange how mnch per- 
 plexity the boy had been to him from the very 
 first, but as lie bent over him trying, if possible, 
 to add in some way to his comfort, a glance into 
 the sorrowfnl face made his heart as tender toward 
 him as it would have been to even Dandy under 
 similar circumstances. 
 
IN THE RIVKR 
 
 145 
 
 to 
 
 d 
 
 Tbcy had their dinner together, Alan and 
 Dandy, bn*" Ansehno refnsed to taste of food. 
 He seemed to be growini;- very ninch worse as the 
 day wore on, and Dandy fonnd there was little 
 chance for another qniet cliat with Mr. Rivers. 
 As he sat and watched Alan bathing the boy's hot 
 temples, he said : 
 
 "Yon are almost as kind as one's own mother 
 could be. Had you a very good mother, sir?" 
 
 " I was too young when I lost my mother to re- 
 member her, but I have been told she was one of 
 the loveliest women that God blesses our poor 
 world with." 
 
 " That must be the reason you are so good. You 
 are a strong man and yet yon seem like a woman 
 too ; you are so gentle and yet stem when we do 
 wrong." 
 
 " You are very frank in your criticisms." 
 
 " rd rather talk things to the people themselves, 
 especially kind things. It don't do much good to 
 talk faults over to others and then make believe 
 we don't see anything. In some ways it is not a 
 very nice world to live in, the people are so hard 
 to get on with. ' 
 
 " Yes, but all we need be anxious about is to do 
 our work for God's approval." 
 
 " It seems a long time to wait to get our pay for 
 being good when we die," Dandy said wearily. 
 
 Alan smiled, but did not reply, for he was 
 
146 
 
 THE MASTKR OF DKKPLAWN 
 
 needtd just then by Anselino, who seemed to be 
 <;rowiiig delirious. 
 
 It was a very tired company of youths who 
 came trooping down the mountain side about an 
 hour before sunset. The day had been a very 
 joyous one however, they every one agreed, and 
 each in his own way voiced his ideas of what was 
 its best feature. 
 
 They had caught trout from the mountain 
 streams. From rocky peaks far up in the moun- 
 tain, upon which the late golden glow was now 
 resting, they had caught glimpses of the distant 
 sea and vast areas of inland wildernesses. There 
 had been merry scrambles over giant trees pros- 
 trate in their path, and as they climbed higher, the 
 open spaces, where all around them nature stood 
 silent in her vastness, had brought a hush, some- 
 times, over the noisiest spirits among them. To 
 complete all, there was the merry dinner, which 
 had a flavor that only dinners eaten under such 
 fine conditions can have — appetites whetted by 
 joyous eiercise ci" every tiny muscle in the body, 
 with air as pure as that breathed by the patriarchs 
 when the world was young. 
 
 They ceased their merry shouts when they came 
 near enough to see the figure lying in the boat. 
 Ciabe was at the rear of the procession, and was 
 the last to join the circle that had formed around 
 Alan and his charge. His trained eye saw at 
 
IN THE RIVER 
 
 147 
 
 once that it was a case of very serioi.s illness. He 
 a sw,,t y and s> ently as possible, then launching 
 
 i 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 IN THK BORDER LAND 
 
 THERE were clays and nights of anxious 
 watching after that. Gabe had assured 
 them it would be dangerous to start on the home- 
 ward journey with tlie lad in such a state. He 
 had nursed many a one through long sicknesses, 
 and in this case felt confident that he could ac- 
 complish as much toward a cure as any of the 
 doctors in the little port, their nearest approach to 
 civilization. As for the chemist's drugs, he had 
 whole acres of the best medicines in their natural 
 state in the forest around them. With these ready 
 to his hand and with the knowledge of their heal- 
 ing properties, he felt confident that he could 
 fight the battle with disease successfully. Alan 
 felt a confidence in him that was purely instinct- 
 ive, since he had never seen anything of his skill 
 in this direction, none of them, thus far, having 
 had any need of a physician since they left Boston. 
 But in spite of Gabe's skill and tireless care, 
 Anselmo grew weaker. The boys were permitted 
 to steal to his bedside, one or two at a time, to 
 look at the white face with the gleaming eyes, in 
 which there was no light of recognition. A husli 
 148 
 
IN THE BORDER LAND 
 
 149 
 
 111 
 
 to 
 in 
 
 fell upon tlie camp. The merry sliout or angry 
 exclamation seldom broke the enfolding stillness. 
 
 Tliey would go off in the early morning, with 
 their lunch, on long expeditions in charge of some 
 members of the party clever enough to guide 
 their way back by the pocket compass and the 
 sun. They were all glad to escape from the camp 
 where the shadow of death might be hovering, 
 seeming so out of place here amid all the abundant 
 life — far different from the slums they called home, 
 where death was a regular and very often a wel- 
 come visitor. The boys would have long talks 
 together as they trudged along or lay resting on 
 the mossy banks watching the river flowing stead- 
 ily to the sea. They would speculate about An- 
 sel mo's chances for recovery, with perplexed ques- 
 tionings as to his destiny in case of death. They 
 wondered if the prayers that were being offered 
 for him every day were, after all, any good to him 
 when he could not understand a word of them, 
 and whether other people's prayers were much 
 help to one, anyway. 
 
 " Blest if I can see what good they can do for a 
 fellow," Bob White said. He was one of the most 
 skeptical of the crowd in matters religious and 
 social. 
 
 " The Bible says we are to pray for all men. 
 IVIr. Rivers told me that one day himself, and he 
 says it must do good or we wouldn't be told to do 
 
I50 
 
 THE MASTER OK DEEPI.AWN 
 
 it." Dandy stood up for orthodoxy on all occa- 
 sions. " Maybe it helps keep us more in God's 
 mind ; you see he has so much to look after." 
 
 " If he forgot like that I guess we'd be a sight 
 worse off 'n we are," Bob responded, gloomily. 
 
 Jacob began complaining then about Anselmo. 
 
 " He's been giving trouble from the first. Now 
 he's just spoiling everything," he spoke in an un- 
 reasoning way, as if poor Anselmo could help 
 being sick. 
 
 " What nonsense to be a talking that way," IVIike 
 said. " You hate that Eyetahan so bad you'll be 
 blaniin' him next time it rains, I expect." 
 
 " Gabe told Mr. Rivers, when I was in Ansel- 
 mo's tent this morning, that we'd know by to- 
 morrow if he'll live or die," Dandy said. 
 
 This announcement had a very subduing effect 
 on the boys. Jacob looked conscience-smitten be- 
 cause of his remarks, and the others began talk- 
 ing about what it must seem like to be starting 
 out all alone, without one's body even to keep 
 company with the spirit, on the long journey to 
 another world. 
 
 "Do you suppose he will look at us before he 
 starts ? " a superstitious little fellow asked anx- 
 iously. He was always on the lookout for ghosts 
 and disagreeable apparitions of all kinds. The 
 fact that his diligence in watching for them had 
 never been rewarded in no way discouraged him. 
 
IN TIIK IJORDER LAND 
 
 151 
 
 "I miess lieMl have other thiiii^s to look after 
 that'll be more important, but maybe he won't 
 die ; don't let us bother about it till we have to." 
 
 Bob White's way of looking at it cheered 
 them somewhat, but nevertheless, painful expect- 
 ancy was in every boy's mind, and he of the fear- 
 ful heart concluded that he would lie awake all 
 nioht and keep watch near the door of the tent. 
 Frightened though he might be, he would dearly 
 like to see how Anselmo looked when free from 
 his lx)dv ; he fancied he would have a verv cross- 
 looking soul. The boys all seemed anxious to 
 keep as close together as possible, as though they 
 were fearful if left alone they might catch a 
 glimpse of the death angel. All day long they 
 could talk of nothing save those topics perplexing- 
 alike to philosophers and the ignorant child — the 
 " afterward " of death — the loneliness of the soul 
 in the regions beyond. A few of them, like Bob 
 White, wn'e inclined to skepticism, and doubted 
 if there were other worlds or intelligent beings 
 save our earth and its tenants, while they con- 
 tended if Anselmo did cease to live that day his 
 fiery spirit should be extinguished like a lamp 
 blown out ; if not it would be a mistake, for he 
 would be a terror to any one who might be his 
 neiirhbor in other worlds some thousands of years 
 hence. 
 
 Night fell at last ; the lights were all put out 
 
152 TIIK MASTKR OF DKKPLAWN 
 
 save in the sick Ijoy's teut, and tlicn their fears 
 really grew overmastering. They were afraid to 
 open their eyes lest some vision not wholesome 
 for mortals to behold might greet them. Stories 
 of the sni^crnatural, death warnings, and appari- 
 tions, had been discnssed in broad daylight. Now 
 they came to mind with a vividness j^ainfnlly dis- 
 tinct, bnt sleep was too powerfnl for them, and one 
 by one they dropped off withont anything more 
 alarming than their own fancies to disturb them. 
 They did not waken until they heard the birds 
 in the trees overhead trilling their ecstasies and 
 on opening their eyes found that the sun was 
 throwing glints here and there amid the shadows 
 of the foliage. 
 
 The first question was for Anselmo, but they 
 were alone in the tent and were equally ig- 
 norant of his condition. Dandy was the first 
 dressed and he sped across to the tent where the 
 sick boy lay, his heart beating fast with anxiety. 
 Gabe stood at the door lookino: intentlv at the 
 river that was ri[)pling under the fresh breeze, 
 lie glanced calmly down at Dandy, who was gasp- 
 ing out his inquiries, and only said : 
 
 " He is going to live." 
 
 Dandy had grown used to the Indian's laconic 
 answers, and withont asking further particulars, 
 he hastened back with the good news. A muffled 
 sound came back from the other tent. Gabe 
 
IN THE BORDER LAND 
 
 153 
 
 smiled, for he knew it was the cheer that had 
 greeted Dandy's announcement. 
 
 It was astonishing with what zest the boys re- 
 sumed their interrupted avocations. Ivven the 
 daily lessons seemed to be enjoyed, while it mat- 
 tered little to them whether the trout responded 
 to their enticements of worm and fly, since they 
 chatted right along with each other and planned 
 how generous they were going to be with An- 
 selnio when he was with them once more. They 
 were ignorant of the ravages severe sickness 
 makes, and fancied that in a few days he would 
 be able to take his place among them. 
 
 The young men had been watching the case 
 critically, and were inclined to question the wis- 
 dom of submitting it entirely to an untutored In- 
 dian. There were in the part}' two young men, 
 medical students from Boston. Their training 
 taught them that the case from the first was very 
 serious. They watched the gathering of herbs 
 and roots and the processes through which they 
 were put, as well as the altogether original treat- 
 ment of the patient, and had a strong interest iu 
 watching the development of tlie disease. 
 
 When they saw the triumph of these simple 
 remedies over disease they were generous enough 
 to acknowledge their admiration of the Indian's 
 skill, and admitted to Alan tiie wisdom of his 
 decision, as well as their belief in other cura- 
 
I 
 
 154 
 
 TIIK MASTKR OF DKKPI.AWN 
 
 tivc measures than tliose taiiglit in the schools. 
 Toward the crisis Gabe liad scarcely left the sick 
 boy, while Alan noticed on his face the pre-occu- 
 pied, intense look that he had seen in times of 
 dancrcr, when they were shootinj,^ the rapids or 
 facing- a sudden squall on the river. 
 
 ^ 
 

 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 nOMK AGAIN 
 
 T^HE Slimmer under the trees had become a 
 memory only, the tents were folded, and the 
 canoes turned toward civilization as soon as An- 
 selmo was able to be moved. 
 
 To say that tliere was re.q-ret at leavincr the 
 green, quiet places under the trees, the shady 
 pools alonor the river banks, whicli the trout had 
 haunted undisturbed for ages, would only mildly 
 express the sentiments of each lad. There had 
 not been a single case of homesickness since the 
 steamer sailed out of Boston liarbor, until that 
 last evening under the trees, as thev sat talkino- of 
 the past and future, there were some very acute 
 cases ; but it was the home thev were leaving, and 
 not the tainted abodes whither they were goino- 
 that caused the general depression. """ 
 
 Anselmo was able now to sit up with the bo}s 
 for an hour at a time, listening to the tales of 
 their exploits while he was sick. Nearly all of 
 them had some hair-breadth escape from drownino- 
 or from beasts of prey to relate, but as much of 
 the danger existed only in their imaginations, they 
 were mutually forbearing- in their criticisms. 
 
 '55 
 
 I 
 
 1.1 
 
156 TIIK MASTER OF DHKPLAWN 
 
 Ansel 1110 surprised them by his gentleness as he 
 listened to the apocryphal experiences of his com- 
 rades. He did not once hint that they had de- 
 veloped an alarmin<^ gift for lying during his sick- 
 ness. They remarked confidentially with each 
 other on this amazing change, speculating about its 
 cause and if it did not portend some such disaster 
 as death, or another spell of sickness. 
 
 Dandy kept his own counsel ; he had been 
 taken farther into Anselmo's confidence in the 
 long hours, when he alone of all the boys had 
 been allowed to sit with the sick lad. He believed 
 that Anselmo, notwithstanding his illness, had 
 found something better than anything the others 
 had gained that summer, to take back with him 
 to the troubled life from which he had enjoyed 
 a brief respite. 
 
 The improvement in deportment was not con- 
 fined alone to Anselmo. On their homeward jour- 
 ney in the steamer, the same in which they had 
 come, the crew remembered the youthful voyagers 
 very distinctly, and were quite as much impressed 
 with the change as the lads themselves. It was 
 not in morals and deportment alone, but they had 
 developed healthfully ; the rosy, sunburned cheeks, 
 and well-rounded forms proved that there had been 
 an all-around development. While they waited 
 in St. John's for the steamer, the young men 
 had taken considerable pride to get their youthful 
 
HO:\rK AGAIN 
 
 157 
 
 squires new suits of clothes. The thirteen lads 
 walked on board the steamer, that September day, 
 with a sense of exhilaration that only youth well 
 satisfied with thin;^s in .general could feel. 
 
 As they steamed down the harbor, each individ- 
 ual amouL; them felt that his personal appearance 
 was the special object for admiration, and they 
 were so busy thinking;- a])out themselves, they 
 failed to notice particularly the splendid view of 
 clifif and harbor. ICacli young man regarded his 
 own rosy-faced boy with a i^ratified sense of own- 
 ership. Although few of them acknowledged it, 
 most of the young men knew that the summer 
 had been, on the whole, the very best in their 
 lives. Yet the expense had been a mere bagatelle 
 compared with what such summers usually cost 
 their parents or guardians. They had found that 
 helping otlurs, being taken out of self, and coming 
 in such close contact with cramped lives, to whom 
 even the simple delights of nature meant so much, 
 had done them more good than a lifetime at Long 
 Branch or Saratoga. 
 
 By the time they had touched the wharf, and 
 the city sights on Commercial Street greeted 
 them, Anselmo was nearly as strong as ever ; but 
 Frank Blake, whose special property he had been 
 during the summer, had concluded to try for a little 
 longer what pure food and air would do for his 
 charge. His father had a summer residence among 
 
^58 
 
 THE MASTHR OK DEHPLAWN 
 
 
 the bouldt'ison tlieCilouccster coast, within easy dis- 
 tance of Motlier Ann's nigged profile, and thither 
 he intended taking;- the lad for a few more weeks. 
 To the snrprise of his comrades, Ansel mo was 
 eaiL^er to visit the single room in an alley where 
 his parents bnrrowed. Mr. Hlake, to the snrprise 
 of his connades, offered to accompany him to 
 Providence, as he wished to catch a glimpse of what 
 the world provides for some of its inhabitants. 
 
 After reaching Providence, the good-byes of the 
 yonng men who remained were spoken linger- 
 ingly, Alan staying to the last. When he was 
 alone with the twelve remaininiif boys, he had a 
 proposition to make that lifted the clond that had 
 been gathering on a dozen different faces. After 
 a conple of days spent with their friends at home, 
 they were all to meet him at the railway staticm, 
 at a certain honr, to go with him to Deeplawn for 
 a week, where he promised they shonld have a 
 chance to get acquainted with the conntry, as the 
 labor of man had modified its primal conditions. 
 
 Some of the boys knew what to expect ; others 
 were as ignorant of farm life as the native Fijian. 
 They said good-bye to him, and went qnite con- 
 tentedly now on their way homeward. Those 
 among them who had been fortunate enough to 
 have been favored by the Fresh Air Fund, en- 
 deavored, to the best of their ability, to describe 
 their impressions of fLUin life, bnt their experi- 
 
 I 
 
HOMK Ac; A IN 
 
 159 
 
 enccs were so conflictlnj:;-, and at the best, so lim- 
 ited, that only a hazy idea conld be j^atheied from 
 all put together. 
 
 '' Vou can't just know what it's like till you 
 o;et there," Bob White assured them. ''The cows 
 are drove in from the pastures at ui<;ht, and their 
 breath smells sweeter than scent. One of tliem'll 
 ,:^ive a bi;;- bucket of milk, and they take it into 
 a milk room that's built ovei a brook, and they 
 run it through a sieve, and after that it's ready for 
 you to drink all you want." 
 
 Dandy smacked his lips as he thought of those 
 possible evening draughts. 
 
 " Milking time's only one of the good things," 
 Mike said, loftily. " There's horses and colts and 
 the fowls — all sorts of gabblin' critters the\- are, 
 too. And such vittels ! Arnold's ain't a circum- 
 stance to it. The missus laughed when I asked 
 her if she put hartshorn in her cooking to make 
 it light, same as they do here." 
 
 "Does she?" one of them asked, anxiously. 
 
 " I guess not ! Country people has other things 
 besides pisen stuff to make their cakes look well, 
 real butter and eggs, and things like them." 
 
 " I wish there was more country and less city, 
 so's we could all be among the cows and green 
 things. How bad things smell here, anyway!" 
 Jacob Molensky drew his breath uncertainly. 
 There were surely very different odors in the 
 
i6o 
 
 THH MASTER OF I)!.KIM,A\VN 
 
 
 sUifTy court which they were just entering-, tlian 
 upon the ])rcczy uplands of those \ast Ncwfijuiid- 
 Uiiid solitudes. 
 
 " Injuns ain't to be as much pitied as us folks 
 what lives here. They\'e <;ot plenty of room, and 
 if their camps is small, they've all out doors to 
 walk 'round in, besides fishiu' and ,i;unniu'," Mike 
 said, as he turned up a rickety flight of stairs that 
 led to the u^arret wdiere his parents and some half- 
 dozen children made what shift they could in two 
 rooms under the eaves. The buildiu*^ was his^h, 
 the odors increasinj^ly unwholesome as they as- 
 cended. Kvery one of the boys had asked to ac- 
 company Mike as he was the first one to reach 
 home, in order to witness his welcome, or help to 
 protect him in case his parents were in liquor, 
 which was their usual condition when funds would 
 permit. 
 
 " Say, boys! let us start off souitnvheres in the 
 country, and j^et ourselves places. We can't stay 
 here after kiiowin' what o^ood things there are." 
 Mike's face looked the picture of despair as he 
 spoke. 
 
 "I'll <^o with you wherever ye likes," was the 
 wilHns^ response from several of the boys. 
 
 Alan was si)eculatinj^ that day as he glanced 
 throm^h the car windows at wholesome-lookinj^ 
 farmsteads, nestling amid meadows and quiet 
 gardens, if it were really a kindness to these poor 
 
HOME AGAIN 
 
 l6l 
 
 waifs to give them glimpses of a better life, and 
 then tnrn them adrift again. If he could have 
 followed them to Mike's abode he would have felt 
 more deeply for them than ever. 
 
 They halted at the door. Jacob glanced around 
 at the dismal scene. " I'll go with ye," he said 
 valiantly. " We'd not be tramps anyway, for 
 we'd be lookin' for work." 
 
 " I won't stay here long," Mike said, as the dis- 
 cordant cries of the children, mingled with oaths 
 uttered bv a woman's shrill voice greeted their 
 ears. " I'd sooner be a tramp or dead." This 
 was ccrtainlv a verv unnatural remark for a bov, 
 but if one could actually see the place he called 
 home, the woman he called mother, he might not 
 be surprised. 
 
 "It's no use waitin' out here. We might as 
 well go in," one of them said impatiently. 
 
 Mike pushed open the door, and such a scene of 
 desolation met their view that even these boys, 
 accustomed to such scenes, turned away in dis- 
 gust. The father lay, a drunken heap, in the 
 corner; the mother only half-satisfied with the 
 portion falling to her share, was dealing blows 
 among !v r children, to guilty and innocent alike. 
 Flies were i.i possession of the puny, starving 
 infant and the bloated man. j\Iike stood still and 
 looked around. His mother's attention was drawn 
 to the door and seeing Mike, her rage suddenly 
 
!1 
 i 
 
 ! 
 
 l^>2 TIIK MASTER OK DKKI'I.AWN 
 
 turned to maudlin affection. She att( in})tcd to 
 clasp him in her arms but he adroitly eluded her 
 embrace and left poor Dandy to take tlie violent 
 hug that made him fairly groan. 
 
 ''It's me you're kissin<», ma'am, and not your 
 own boy," he panted, trying witli all his might to 
 disentangle himself from the grimy arms. 
 
 " It's no differ, for ye're a luv ov ab'y ; and what 
 a foine, dacent crowd ye be! " She still steadied 
 herself on Dandy, looking sweetly around on the 
 twelve pairs of staring eyes. 
 
 " I'd scursely known wan av yez! sich clothes — 
 ye looks, ivery wan av ye, loik young gentlemen. 
 Now ye've surely got somethin' in yer pockets ; 
 Michael, darlint, jist run to the corner wid the 
 bottle, and get me somethin' to drink yer healths 
 in. Sorra a bite have I got in the house the dav, 
 or sup ayther, or I'd stand treat meself." 
 
 She staggered to the table and got tlie bottle. 
 
 " I have no money to buy whisky with. If I 
 had I'd get vittels for these hungry young ones," 
 he said, angrily. 
 
 " Whist now, or ye'll be wakin' him ; and me b'y 
 ye can run away and trade off them foine shoes 
 ye've got on ye. B'ys are better runnin' barefut 
 this hot weather, anyway — or the bundle in yer 
 hand, ye can take that." 
 
 She made a surge toward him to get possession 
 of the bundle but he passed it to Dandy. 
 
HOMK AGAIN 
 
 163 
 
 s 
 
 t 
 
 r 
 
 '' Take tins and go home all of you. If she is 
 (hunk she is my mother," he said, with crimson 
 face. 
 
 "Who says I'm druu.k?" she screamed, and 
 nuide a plunge at the nearest boy, but he dodged, 
 and for a few seconds there was a scramble to see 
 wlij would be first out of the door. Mike held 
 his mother. She was wild now with anger and 
 greed. That precious bundle disappearing through 
 the door might mean a good many drinks ; but 
 Mike had developed in muscle as well as flesh 
 during the last few weeks, and she felt herself 
 powerless to move, while he clutched her so 
 tightly. 
 
 ''Would ye see your own mother robbed ? " she 
 screamed. 
 
 " Fm not going to see nieself robbed any 
 longer," was the cool reply, as he loosened his 
 grasp and backed carefully out of the room. 
 
 " It's a mean home-coming sure enough," he 
 muttered as he picked his way down the creaking 
 stairs, at the same time paying scant heed to the 
 frantic remonstrances of his mother. 
 
 '' I've picked up many a supper before now, and 
 I can do the same again, but it comes harder after 
 the feastin' I've had," he soliloquized. " Market 
 waste won't taste very good after the vittels I've 
 been havin'. " He was soon standing over a barrel 
 of garbage outside one of the markets. He 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
164 THK MASTKR OV DKKPLAWN 
 
 managed to fish out some partly decayed fruit and 
 a carrot or two, and with this he had to be satisfied. 
 Tlie evening fortunately was clear, and with his 
 stout suit of clothes he could be very comfortable 
 curled under a tree in one of the squares, where 
 the grass, though it was clipped provokingly 
 short, was yet softer to lie on than the wooden 
 seats. 
 
 " Blest if I don't have something softer than 
 this for poor b'ys when Tm an alderman ! " He 
 spoke feelingly, wishing meanwhile that some of 
 those great stone buildings, for the most of the 
 time unoccupied, could have some of their empty 
 spaces fitted up with hammocks or cots for just 
 such roofless waifs as he to creep into. He slept 
 soundly, notwithstanding his hard bed and un- 
 sheltered head, waking in the morning with an 
 appetite too that some of the rich men sleeping 
 hard by would have given a good many dollars to 
 possess— so well-balanced are our human allot- 
 ments. 
 
 He arose, and washing his face at one of the 
 fountains, proceeded down town to do his share of 
 disseminating the history of the world for that day. 
 His face was familiar at the "Journal" office, for 
 he was one of their most enterprising salesmen, and 
 he felt certain his credit would be <rood enoujrh 
 to start him once more in business. He was the 
 earliest customer on the ground, and was able to 
 
 i 
 
HOME AGAIN 
 
 165 
 
 explain matters so satisfactorily that a good bundle 
 was entrusted to him, when he started out feeling 
 quite sure of a breakfast and some capital be- 
 sides for setting up in business. Before nine 
 tVclock his stock of papers was exhausted, he had 
 settled his account at the office, and was strength- 
 ened by a ))reakfast that made full amends for the 
 shortage of supplies the preceding evening. He 
 went then in search of Dandy and his bundle of 
 clothes. 
 
 He must have had a thrifty ancestor somewhere 
 in those remote Irish bogs, who had bequeatiied 
 to him the faculty of self-help and economy — not 
 a trifling capital for any boy to begin the world 
 with. Love of kindred, that mysterious instinct 
 we find in all sorts and conditions of men, and 
 which often surprises while it charms us and 
 strengthens our faith in the ultimate uplifting ot 
 human nature, was fully developed in Mike. He 
 lingered at the entrance to their court, hoping to 
 get a glimpse of some member of his fimily, but 
 in vain, so he passed on to the Dingwells'. 
 
 When he entered the tidy room he found Dandy 
 seated in a rocking-chair, looking somewhat fa- 
 tigued, for his mother and sisters had kept him 
 steadily talking, with only imperative interrup- 
 tions for food and sleep. There was a sudden 
 lifting of countenance when he saw Mike, and he 
 remarked, plaintively : 
 
l66 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 " I am so glad you have come, for my tongue 
 is just tired out. Won't you tell them about our 
 good times for a spell while I am resting?" 
 
 " I'd not mind talking if I'd had such a home- 
 coming as this," ]Mike said, lugubriously. 
 
 He looked at the gentle, pale-faced mother in 
 tidy gown, the neat little girls who were working 
 as industriously as their mother, the brightly 
 papered room with not a speck of dirt visible, 
 and the cooking-stove, whereon was simmering 
 what promised to be a most delectable dinner. 
 Surely, he though' any boy in his circumstances 
 was justified in uvying Dandy his privileges. 
 After he had made inquiries about his bundle, 
 IVIike took up the interrupted account of their 
 journeyings which in Mike's rhetorical style of 
 telling, seemed quite another story to the inter- 
 ested listeners. 
 
 The work lay idle in the little girls' fingers, 
 and, indeed, very often Mrs. Dingwell's needle was 
 held suspended, while she listened spellbound to 
 Mike's account of their marvelous escapes and 
 surprising experiences. When he came at last to 
 Anselmo's unexpected bath and subsequent ill- 
 ness, the tears flowed freely from the mother's 
 eyes, as she thought, what if it had been her own 
 boy? The morning sped so (puckly and Mike 
 found himself so satisfied with his audience, that 
 they were all surprised when they discovered it 
 
HOME AGAIN 167 
 
 was nearly dinner time. The Dini^wtlls were 
 seldom too poor to share their dinner with a 
 friend, and to-day they were in a position to feel 
 prond to extend an invitation sinee, in honor of 
 Dandy's home-comino-, a most nnnsual dinner was 
 in conrse of jn'eparation. 
 
 JMike coidd easily find space for a dinner, al- 
 tlion<;h he had planned to fast nnlil evenin*^ in 
 order to get some funds ahead. What a happy 
 feast it was ! A real home-made dinner, the 
 like of which Mike had never tasted at home. 
 They luul a bit of shank so judiciously stewtd it 
 tasted better than an ill-cooked sirloin. Added to 
 this tliey had onions and parsnips, cabba,!>;e and 
 yellow turnips — a genuine Irish stew, with, dum|)- 
 lings li;^ht as a feather. Then there was a dessert 
 of l)ananas and bread and milk — a very expen- 
 sive feast for that household, but they did not 
 have such reunions very often. 
 
 Dandy now was so plump and strong and well- 
 clad, lie could go out in all weathers to sell his 
 papers. Besides, he had grown to be quite a fa- 
 vorite with many of the newsboys, his companions 
 through tile summer, so his business relations on 
 the street would be far more satisfactory than 
 heretofore. Altogether it was a red-letter day in 
 the Diugwell family, one they would all remem- 
 ber, no matter what changes for the better might 
 take place in their circumstances. After this the 
 
^ 
 
 1 68 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 mother's heart did not grow heavy with dread 
 every time the troublesome cough compelled her 
 to lay aside her work, for if God should, before 
 very long, take her to himself, her children wuidd 
 not be utterly friendless. They would, also, suou 
 be capable of looking after themselves. 
 
 It seemed like the happy days of the past, when 
 she was a girl at home, ''away down Hast." Her 
 father was a farmer, and all these descriptions of 
 the country were as familiar to her as the faces of 
 her children. After dinner they lingered around 
 the table, and the boys talked about their future 
 quite like grown men. They had become so 
 enamored with country life that they had lost all 
 relish for the crowded thoroughfares and the daily 
 shouting the fresh editions of the world's crimes 
 and politics. 
 
 They were planning how they would look for 
 situations in the country whither, in due time, 
 they would get their respective families removed 
 from the grime and noise of the city. Mike as- 
 sured them there were plenty of })laccs strewn 
 over the Union where not a drop of liquor was 
 within walking distance. 
 
 "Wouldn't that be the place to take your 
 folks?" Dandy said, eagerly. 
 
 " Yes, and I'll get there yet," Mike said, with a 
 very determined air. " Wouldn't it be fme if we'd 
 get places near each other?" 
 
HOMR AGAIN i6q 
 
 "I dare say we iiii^lit if we tried," Dandy an- 
 swered, evasively. He could not truthfullv re- 
 spond to Mike's question in the affirmative, for 
 Mike's parents and brothers and sisters did not 
 seem to him desirable neighbors, by any means. 
 
 ill 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 AT DKEPLAWN 
 
 'T^IIK hour came at last when the boys were to 
 *- y,o to Deeplawii. They met at the station an 
 liour earlier than the time appointed, so afraid 
 were they that Alan mi!:;iit ,i,^et away without them. 
 He came some fifteen minutes before the time 
 himself, as he had the tickets to buy for the twelve 
 of them, and fruit and luncheon to secure as well, 
 for he knew some of them, if not all, would have 
 very oood appetites before their arrival. They 
 were a very britrht-faced party of boys, although 
 some of them had very irrejrnlar features, and 
 would not be considered good-looking l)y the least 
 critical observer; but joy is certainly a beautifier, 
 and they had that cosmetic in an unlimited de- 
 gree. They ate their luncheon, cracked nuts and 
 jokes together, and amused themselves so well, 
 that they scarcely knew where the time had gone 
 when they reached their station. Filing out on 
 the platform they found carriages waiting to take 
 them to Doeplawn, in as much style as if they had 
 been university students instead of bootblacks 
 and newsboys. Tliere were cottages along the . 
 
 way for a mile and more, which Alan told them 
 170 
 
AT DKEPI.AWN 
 
 I/I 
 
 belon<^e(l to his estate and were the homes of the 
 farm hands and their families. 
 
 '* My, bnt they're foine places to be a livin' in!" 
 one of the lads said, admirin;^ly ; a remark every 
 other boy acqniesced in heartily. When they en- 
 tered the avenne, bordered with oak and chestnnt 
 trees, they gazed abont in amazement. Tiie pil- 
 lared gateway, and the long vistas throngh the 
 trees, whence conld be canght glimpses of smooth 
 meadows, looked better even than the forest aisles 
 in Newfonndland. As they drove along, gay 
 flower-beds, arbors, and the ripple of water from 
 the fonntains, charmed them. 
 
 " It's cnrions, when God loves us all alike, he 
 gives so much more to some than others," Billy 
 Silencer, a native-born American, said, discon- 
 tentedly. 
 
 *' I guess there's a screw loose in our forbears. 
 The Lord can't pervide the hull of us first-class 
 parents ; there ain't enough to go round," a meek 
 lad, whose forbears had various screws loose, said, 
 while he cast an admiring glance around, and 
 then added : " We wouldn't be ourselves if some- 
 body else had been our father and mother." 
 
 '* I'd not care a cent who my fatliei was, if he'd 
 only leave me a place like this," Jacob Molensky 
 said, with charming indifTcrenee to the relation- 
 ship that had done little more for him than to pro- 
 vide a body, mostly in a craving condition. 
 
172 THE MASTKR OK DKF.PLAWN 
 
 '' I wish' t our folksVl all been llic same kind 's 
 Ml. Rivers'. Anyway I mean to j;ive my boys 
 and girls a better start nor I've had," another 
 stronji^- faced boy said, with decision. 
 
 '' It's looking; a lon<; way ahead, don't you think, 
 to make plans for your children?" Dandy timidly 
 inquired. 
 
 '' ril bej^in early so's to be ready for 'em." 
 
 When the boys reached the house and saw the 
 stately projiortions of their temporary home, they 
 were considerablv abashed. 
 
 '' Why, it'.--, handsomer than them swell houses 
 on the ICast vSide. Jest see them ^rcat })()sts with 
 ridgeson'em; what lots of kindlin's they'd make!" 
 Mike could admire and appreciate the value of the 
 fluted columns, but could not elegantly express 
 his views. 
 
 They went lingeringly up the steps, visions of 
 a cool rece])tion from the women of the house- 
 hold flitting before them. 
 
 " I wonder '11 the missus be willin' for us crowd 
 of gafTers to come among all this finery?" Mike 
 whispered, while he reflected on his own nu.i.ner's 
 jjossible wrath at such an intrusion. 
 
 " v^ ..y, Mr. Rivers, '11 your wife, or whatever 
 woman looks after things here, be willin' for us 
 fellers to come onto these good carpvts? " Hilly 
 vSpeiicer asked, anxiously. 
 
 " I have no one to fmd fault with me, except the 
 
AT DKKPLAWX 17^ 
 
 very crood woman whom I hire to superintend my 
 house ; but I sliall expect you hids to hcliave lik- 
 youn.14 «reiitlL'men. You can romp and have all 
 the lun you like out of doors, and I have had the 
 gymnasium refitted for you in ca.se of rain. Vuu 
 can read any of the hooks in the library, look at 
 the i)ictures, and have just the same privile<^^es 
 that ^rrown-up jruests would have ; but I shall ex- 
 pect you to behave with the same propriety in the 
 house as they would." 
 
 Mike now acted as spokesman. 
 
 "We'll do evcrythinjr we can to plase ye, sor ; 
 but now and then we may for<^it— our manners 
 have never been ])()lishcd— so you'll plase to re- 
 member if we mis])ehaves, it'll be for want of 
 knowin' better, won't it, b'ys?" He appealed to 
 the others, who were standintr looking already very 
 much like culprits. 
 
 '' Yes, it will," came with heartiness from them 
 all. 
 
 "Now this is satisfactorily settled, I will show 
 you where you are to sleep. It is the custom, ocu- 
 eially, after a day's travelino; to wash and brush 
 one's self a little. My housekeeper su,L,^<rcsted fiUin;^^ 
 up what used to be the schoolroom for this. Vou 
 can splash there to your heart's content." 
 
 "We'd jest as soon wash ourselves outdoors in 
 some clean puddle, if it w'd save the woman 
 trouble," Mike said, deferentially. 
 
171 THH MASTl'.K Ol' DI'KIM.AWN 
 
 Ik- iVlt a JLi^rowiii*; dcsiiv to j^ct out in the open 
 air, and thus escaj)c tlic conventionalities and in- 
 tricacies of modern civilization ; but Alan took no 
 notice of his modest ofTer as he led the way uj) a 
 broad Hij^ht of stairs, over carpets that ninfned 
 every footfall. lie halted at another staircase at 
 the l)ack of the passaj^v and poinlini; to it, said : 
 
 ''Mrs. Dixon, the housekeeper, would like you 
 to use this stairway. »She has lifted the carpet so 
 that if N'our shoes slioidd be muddy, the stains can 
 easily be washed out." 
 
 ''We'll be sure to remember," Mike promised 
 i^ain for them all. 
 
 Alan opened a door near by that led into a large 
 room, fitted up with beds and drcssin*^ tables. 
 
 " vSome of you will occupy this room," he said, 
 " and the others will take the room bevond. They 
 are fitted uj) alike and you can make your own 
 selection of beds. When you <(et older, Vm sure 
 Mrs. Dixon will have no objection to olTerini; the 
 best }i^uest chaml)ers in the hou.sc to you, l)ut just 
 now she is inexorable." 
 
 The boys stood in !.:;^rou])s, surveyin,i^ the saite 
 of rooms apj)ropriated to their use — the white beds, 
 with the strips of carpet, the pictures, and soft, 
 while draperies at the windows, looped back with 
 pink ribbons. 
 
 " Why, it's better 'n a hospital ! " was the first 
 awestruck ejaculation. 
 
AT I>i;KI'I, AWN 
 
 ^7S 
 
 Hospitals, Iiithcrto, liad hocu llicir idral of com- 
 ioiL ill llie matter of l)c(ls, hut tlic-ir admiration for 
 tlk'sc Iia<l not htvii unmixed with terror, beeausc 
 <)1 the pain tlky liad experienced in those places 
 themselves, or witnessed in their friends. 
 
 " I slumld say it was," Mike said, with a loii-- 
 (Irawii si-h „r (kli-ht. To stretch out ..ii one of 
 those luxurious beds, and tlieii to waken in the 
 inoniin- with leisure to lie, and ihrouj-h those 
 drawn curtains look over the fresh country, would 
 Ix^ a new and alto.^cther beautiful exiierience. 
 
 " I am ulad you are satisfied with your quar- 
 ters," Alan said, quite relieved, "and now I will 
 show you our jriounds where you can ^o and 
 come at pleasure." He pointed throu-h the win- 
 d)w to the kitelien-«ranlen, just now a profusion 
 of all sorts of ve.£,^etal)les, and boyond tliat to the 
 orchard, witli the meadows and uplands, where 
 lierds of cattle and horses v,-ere ,<^ra/iii<^. 
 
 ''And can we [ro just where we likes, over all 
 thost- places?" Mike asked. 
 
 ''Ves, only you must be careful not to injure 
 anythiu.ir. ()„ this side you will see the flower 
 gardens. Deeplawn has been noted for its flowers 
 for a nrood many years. The hardener will j^ive 
 you permission to jro throu^rli that at any time, I 
 
 am sure." 
 
 The boys thoucrht the fruit orchanl would be 
 the favorite pleasure .i^round. Alan left them then, 
 
 i ! 
 
176 THK MASTKK OF DKKn.AWN 
 
 after he had told them wlieii they were to come 
 down to dinner. They washed and scoured face 
 and liands with tlie small white brushes profusely 
 supplied, not knowin<,^ exactly for what purpose 
 they were provided, but anxious not only to 
 present a clean front at the dinner table, but als(3 
 to show their appreciation of the useful articles 
 furnished. 
 
 Mike was dili«i;ently scourin.iT; his neck when 
 Dandy came from the window, where he had been 
 linj^erinji^ by himself for the double purpose of 
 givinj^ the older boys the first chance at the 
 basins, and of lookinj^ at the beautiful view. 
 
 "Blest if we know what these little tliin,u;s is 
 for ; is it to clane out the wrinkles do ye think ? '' 
 Mike suspended his scrubbing; and held the brush 
 aloft for Dandy's inspection, his face and neck a 
 brilliant hue from its vij^^orous application. 
 Why, they are to clean the teelh with." 
 Oh ! " Mike's ejaculation expressed relief not 
 unmixed with contempt. 
 
 '* If they'll <^ive us plenty to ate we'll clane our 
 teeth without these bristles. What faudanj^les 
 the quality do be havin'! No wonder they mostly 
 has a tired look rememberin' av all their etcetervs," 
 but Mike proceedt.d forthwith to scour a set of 
 milk-white teeth that nature hitherto had at- 
 tended with better than a dentist's care. 
 
 '* It's a decline Til be after fallin' into if I keep 
 
 
AT DKI'.PI.AWN 17/ 
 
 on spittin blood like that," he said, laying the 
 brnsh aside. 
 
 " Yon ninst not nib so hard," Dandy sng^ested. 
 
 '' Unipli ! I gness that rnbbin' '11 do till I'm an 
 old man." 
 
 Their toilets were completed long before the 
 dinner bell rang, i)Ut the lime did not hang 
 heavily on their hands, for there were the pictnres 
 that hnng on their wall to be examined and those 
 other pictnres framed by the windows, orchards 
 laden with frnit, hnge trees with splendid oppor- 
 tnnities for climbing and with no gruil policemen 
 standing gnard. 
 
 "Boys, I wish this week 'nd last till we was 
 men ^^rowcl. Won't it be hard to go back to them 
 courts and alleys ? " Mike said, solemidy. 
 
 The bell rang and no one waited to reply. Tlicy 
 went tnooping downstairs rather uncertainly, but 
 to their relief found a maid wailing for them. 
 »She led the way into a large dining room, where 
 a table was laid with an elegance that added con- 
 siderably to their embarrassment. Alan was 
 seated at one end, an elderly lady in a black silk 
 gown and lace cap at the other. 
 
 " Mrs. Dixon, these are our young friends. You 
 will learn their names by degrees, but I will in- 
 troduce the two lads who sit nearest you," and he 
 fortliwith presented Dandy atid Jacob Molensky. 
 
 Mrs. Dixon bowed politely, but at the same 
 
 iM 
 
178 
 
 TIIH MASTHR OK DK HIT. AWN 
 
 time f^lanccd anxiously down each side of the 
 lon<^ table. 
 
 She had been mistress in that house since Alan 
 was a bal)y, and felt an owner's pride in the hand- 
 some appointments of the dinner table. These 
 boys would be sure to .spill tea and <^ravies on the 
 damask cloth, while the dainty <;lass and china 
 would not be .safe in their unaccustomed fininers ; 
 but Alan said they must come to the tabic with 
 him, and .she was too loyal to let him .sit down to 
 anythin<>^ inferior. She was not prepared for the 
 reverent attitude of each individu;d amonir them 
 while <;racc was said. Her own eyes were the 
 only pair unclosed, which was .somewhat reas- 
 suriu}^. AUhou,!:;h the dinner disappeared with 
 uncommon celerity there was no up.setlinj^ or 
 smashinji^ of dishes. If .she could have realized 
 what a revelation that dinner was to those Ix^ys, 
 what a civilizini; cflfect it had on their uncultured 
 natures, she would have examined the no lonsj^er 
 spotless table napery with more equanimity. 
 
 They restrained their feelings until they were 
 well out of si<rlit of the house ; then there was a 
 sudden efTerve.scence of spirits. Alan smiled as 
 he stood on the doorstep, while the niino;led 
 whoops and shrieks of joyous merriment came 
 floatinjr on the perfumed air. He thought how he 
 would have cnjo\ ed this merry crowd a few years 
 ago, then said to himself: 
 
 !\ 
 
AT DI'.KPLAWN 1 79 
 
 *' I enjoy it more now than I wonld have done 
 tlien. I nnderstand better what it means for 
 tliem." 
 
 The boys had been let loose in the orchard with 
 tlie sinj^le request not to break the linil)s. What 
 a <4lini])se it was of the'abnndaiicc onr world has 
 of good thini^s for man, those loaded limbs of 
 apple, peach, pear, and plum trees! They had 
 eaten all they wanted at dinner, but digestion 
 was rapid with them, and those fruit trees were 
 enough to tem])t the most delicate appetite. 
 There was probably a bushel less fruit growing 
 on the trees when the twelve boys walked leisurely 
 towanl tlie house in the late afternoon. Alan 
 dispatched them early to bed. Me wanted them 
 to have the very best of everything during that 
 brief week, and the morning hours he considered 
 the best time for them to examine into nature's 
 wonderful provisions for man's needs. 
 
 They needed no bells to waken them. The 
 more alert among their number were up and away 
 at sunrise exploring the hills and pasture lands, 
 where colts of every size were disj)orting, with 
 staid brood mares an<l higli-stej)ping horses. What 
 possible use could be made of two-score horses was 
 more than Mike could nnderstand. lie was afraid 
 there was unnecessary waste in the matter, and he 
 resolved to give some judicious advice. After 
 breakfast he introduced the subject to Alan. 
 
 v> 
 
l8o THE MASTER OK DKKPLAWN 
 
 " It seems to me, sor, ye've a lot more horses 
 than are a profit to ye." He always fell into his 
 richest brogne when excited. 
 
 " Why, Mike, our horses are the best investment 
 we have. vSonie of those colts clear nie a thou- 
 sand dollars. I hope \'ou bo\s will be careful not 
 to interfere with them, not even to lay a hand on 
 them. Tliev are easilv blemisiieil, and a blemish 
 on some of them would cost me as much as 
 my summer's trip, with your expenses into the 
 barj^ain." 
 
 *' Ye don't say so ! " Mike was amazed. 
 "Why, I was plannin' to have a ride on the back 
 av wan av them little fellers ; they looked mighty 
 enticin'." 
 
 Mrs. Dixon, who was present, could hold her 
 peace no longer : 
 
 " If you ever do such a thing, we shall send 
 you home that very day.'' 
 
 Alan smiled at her fears. 
 
 " You need not be anxious, these boys can be 
 trusted, every one of them." 
 
 She did not fail to notice the glad look that 
 came into every face, and felt assured that not a 
 boy among them would molest the poorest-look- 
 ing nag in the pasture. After breakfast Alan 
 took them to another pasture, where there were 
 several large-limbed horses quietly feeding. At 
 the sound of his voice they came crowding to the 
 
AT DKKPI.AWN l8l 
 
 ji^alc, when lie took a Iniiip of sugar from his 
 jMxket for each, then catchinj^ two of them, he 
 let Mike mount one and Dandy the other. Mike 
 i* lanced down on tlie other boys triumphantly, 
 Dandy, with a countenance that plainh- expressed 
 his wiliinj^ness to chanj^e positions with any boy 
 who wished. The horse walked so soberly down 
 the lane he [gradually lost his fears, and when he 
 came safely through the meadow gate he began 
 to feel as if he and the horse were fairly well 
 adapted to each other. 
 
 Alan showed the boys how to harness and put the 
 horses into a farm wagon. Tiien they all climbed 
 into the wagon, and he let them take turns driv- 
 ing on the way to a distant field, where the har- 
 vesters were at work gathering in sojr>e late grain 
 An exciting time they had, building the loads, 
 driving the horses to the huge stacks and unload- 
 ing. They were surprised when the dinner- 
 horns sounded from the farmhouses down in the 
 lower fields. Alan promised to let them come 
 again after dinner. He was in his shirt sleeves, 
 working as diligently as any man there. 
 
 " Do you like to work? " Dandy asked, as they 
 rode home together. 
 
 " Yes, sometimes I think it would be the liaj> 
 piest lot to work a snug little farm, and to have 
 nothing else, only a happy home where some one 
 would always be glad to see me come in." 
 
» 
 
 t 
 
 182 THK MASTHR Ol- DKKPI.AWN 
 
 " I should think you nii^ht easily have that," 
 Dandy suj^j^cstcd. 
 
 *' (lod skives other duties and a wider sphere to 
 some of us. In whatever slate we are we sliould ^^ 
 
 be content, and I try to be." i 
 
 " I don't kuDW of any one in all the world who ' 
 
 has as nnieh as you, but nia\be the Lord made ^ 
 
 us so we never eould be (juite eontented." 
 
 "Who told you that. Dandy?" 
 
 "I don't know if any one did. You see one 
 thinks thin^rs tlieniselves, sometimes." 
 
 "The subjeet of divine discontent is rather a 
 deej) one for a lad like you." { 
 
 " I never remember thinkiii<^ anythin,!:; like 
 that, .sir," Dandv said, humblv. He did not wisli 
 to get credit for brighter thoughts than he eould 
 honestly claim. i 
 
 On their way home Alan sujL^u^ested to the boys 
 that there miglit be other amusements they would 
 enjoy more than working in the harvest field, l)ut 
 they assured him nothing could be better. The 
 harvesters enjoyed the fun, and also enjoyed hav- 
 ing the young master working like one of them- I 
 selves. The moon was climbing above the hori- 
 zon when they left the harvest field. As they 
 curled up, tired but very happy, on a bundle of 
 straw in the creaking wain, they fell to planning t 
 how they would become farmers at once. lM»r a 
 few months they would hire out until they could 
 
 i 
 

 AT DFJ^PLAWN 183 
 
 get a bit of land upon which to build some sort of 
 habitation, where they would settle their parents. 
 As Alan listened to their low-spoken confidences 
 on that evening; ride, with the moon castin*^ lonj^- 
 shadows across their patli, he be.i;an to make plans 
 in their behalf of which they were little con- 
 scions. He determined that what had been one 
 summer's pastime should continue throu*;h future 
 years as a serious, earnest efibrt. He would still 
 continue the course of study mapped out and then 
 enter .some i)ursnit to which he mi,i;ht be called, 
 but this work should always have a share in his 
 
 f time. He had penetrated (piite far into his future 
 
 by the time the boys clambered down at the barn- 
 yard |L;ate an 1 watched the unliarnessin<j of the 
 horses. 
 
 i The next day Mr. Dollivcr arrived. At dinner 
 
 he beamed benevolently on the double row of 
 youthful fices. Mike was particularl\- ])leased 
 with the old man, while the natural reverence he 
 felt for the clerj^y, with the cavalier manner in 
 which his friendly overtures had been received 
 
 I hitherto, made him all the more open to the 
 
 kindly ways of the venerable minister. Mike 
 had, in a day or two, become such an expert 
 driver that Alan let him take the minister for his 
 
 ( drives, and these Mike found ver\- inlerestin<;. 
 
 He was surprised at the extent of Mr. DoUiver's 
 knowledi»e of the people for miles around, and 
 
 A 
 
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 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
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 y 
 
 /A 
 
 
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 I.I 
 
 1.25 
 
 1^ 
 
 1^ 
 
 IIM 
 
 IIM 
 
 
 
 1^ 
 
 ^iL 
 
 Jl 
 
 
 m 
 
 III ■;& 
 
 2.0 
 
 1.8 
 
 1.4 II 1.6 
 
 
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 vV 
 
184 THE MASTER OE DEEPLAWN 
 
 such interesting stories as he could tell about what 
 had happened there during the last forty years — 
 the joys and the tragedies ; for there were the lat- 
 ter, as must always be the case wlierever there are 
 human beings. Mike was particularly impressed 
 with Mr. DoUiver's prayers He used to pray so 
 earnestly that they might grow up to be good 
 men and be kept from the evil influences that sur- 
 rounded them, that at many a prayer time IMikc's 
 eyes would fill with tears and he would have hard 
 work to conceal them. 
 
 Mrs. Dixon encouraged them to go picnick- 
 ing nearly every day, and she and the maids com- 
 pounded good things for the occasion with great 
 cheerfulness. It was a relief to get the boys as 
 far away as possible. After the long stillness to 
 which she had grown accustomed, the sudden in- 
 vasion of a dozen boys was very trying to her 
 nerves. Mike proving the best driver, he was al- 
 ways entrusted with one of the wagon loads of 
 boys, v/hile Alan led the way with the rest. 
 
 One day their drive was to be extended beyond 
 the usual length, and both dinner and supper had 
 to be provided, since they would reach home only 
 at bedtime. They started in the early morning. 
 The objective point of the expedition was a lake 
 in the woods where there were some fine trout. 
 The fishing privilege belonged to Alan, but the 
 land adjacent was owned by others. 
 
 1 
 
 \ 
 
AT DEEPLAWN 185 
 
 :\Irs. Dixon and the maids had packed the ham- 
 per of provisions the preceding evening. When 
 it was being placed in the wagons the boys con- 
 chuled there wonld be enongh to last several days, 
 forgetting what appetites they always had in the 
 woods. 
 
 The snn was beginning to grow hot when tney 
 turned off into the welcome shade of the forest 
 track, where the limbs sometimes brushed their 
 faces, while far overhead stray bits of sunshine 
 could be caught through the leafy spaces. They 
 found the lake hidden in a perfect bower of green. 
 Great hard-wood trees guarded its shores and hung 
 reflected in its bosom. Everything was so quiet 
 the boys for a while hushed their laughter and 
 shouts, and stood with the sober propriety of gen- 
 uine anglers, rod in hand, waiting for the fish to 
 bite. 
 
 The fishing, however, was not like that in New- 
 foundland. The trout were wary and only at long 
 intervals did one take the hook, but this was 
 enough to keep the lads interested, and there was 
 also a witchery in the surrounding scenery, which 
 had been fashioned by nature in one of her gen- 
 tlest moods. The catch for that day, though, con- 
 sisted principally of the more youthful members 
 of the trout family. 
 
 For any who should come to make a prolom^ed 
 stay at the lake, there was a log cabin and fire- 
 
l86 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 place. The boys examined the furnishings of the 
 primitive abode, which went by the name of Camp 
 Content, with an eagerness that made Alan think 
 they were truly in earnest about migrating to the 
 country. 
 
 "Isn't it jolly here?" Mike said, as he finished 
 his survey and came to the fireplace where Alan 
 was superintending the preparation for dinner. 
 " Could a body come here and settle on the land 
 without paying for it?" he asked, anxiously. 
 " They might be turned off" by the owners." 
 Alan's reply was absently given ; the trout were 
 simmering in the pan, and he was not an expert 
 cook. Indeed, it required his undivided attention 
 to look after the frying-pan alone. He had many 
 a time visited his laborers' cottages, and knew 
 much more than average young men of his class 
 respecting the manner of living among working 
 people ; and to-day as he was wrestling with the 
 problem of trout cooking, he was reflecting with 
 considerable admiration on the deft way house- 
 wives can superintend the preparation of half a 
 dozen, different dishes, and perhaps at the same 
 time hush a crying baby. Mike waited until the 
 trout were turned and then renewed the conver- 
 sation. 
 
 " Would the owners mind if a body settled down 
 here and built a house like this ? Sure the place 
 be's jest runnin' to waste." 
 
AT DHEPLAWN 187 
 
 " Land owners, as a rule, are not in favor of 
 having p-ople settle on their land ; it is often diffi- 
 cnlt to dislodge them." 
 
 " If I'd pay rent they'd not want to get me off?" 
 
 " How could you earn money for that, and to 
 feed and clothe yourself besides?" 
 
 ''Wouldn't the farmers hire me? Wouldn't 
 they be willin' to help a feller get away from our 
 court to where he'd be able to live clane and 
 dacent?" 
 
 " I think you will find, somewhere, a green 
 spot in which you may grow up to honest man- 
 hood. Maybe that is part of my calling, to help 
 such as you to be tillers of the soil." 
 
 Mike's face flushed. 
 
 " I'm not manin', sor, for you to do it for me. If 
 you'd hire me to work for you like them other 
 b'ys and men you have, I'd be obliged to ye. 
 Maybe ye'd speak to some other farmer for me." 
 
 '' The trout are done now, and we will have our 
 dinner before we settle so important a matter as 
 your future." 
 
 Mike was very well content with his partial 
 answer. He was a good judge of character and 
 quite observing, and in his past iniercourse with 
 Alan he had found fulfillment always far exceeded 
 his promises. W'hen they rose from dinner he 
 lured the boys to the other side of the lake, where 
 they indulged in a luxurious bath, and then began 
 
1 88 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 speculating on lionse building. Even Jacob Mo- 
 lensky reckoned it would be more like living to be 
 on a bit of land in the country with cows and hens 
 to work for him, than to be selling newspapers and 
 starving part of the time in the city. 
 
 L 
 
i 
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 FARM LABORERS 
 
 MIKE'vS question led Alan to think very se- 
 riously if it might not be possible to get 
 work for the boys who preferred country life, and 
 for their parents as well. He was not, as yet, a 
 political economist, but the overcrowded state of 
 cities generally and the consequent degradation of 
 the poorer classes had caused him a good many 
 perplexed thoughts. But there the matter might 
 have rested with only a few summer holidays for 
 some of the lads, as results. 
 
 If he could convey a dozen or so families from 
 those congested districts to the country and get 
 them interested in farm life, it would be some- 
 thing accomplished in the great work of restoring 
 the equilibrium between rural and town life ; but 
 more than that, it would revolutionize the lives of 
 those concerned more beneficially than acts of 
 State or entire lecture courses on the subject. 
 Every summer it was necessary to import farm 
 laborers from a distance. In some cases these men 
 were both vicious and incompetent, and wrought 
 more evil among their work-fellows than Mr. 
 Dolliver could overcome in a year. If they could 
 
 189 
 
190 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 get periiiaiient settlers, with a bit of land of their 
 own to till, to help at such busy seasons, it would 
 be a mutual gain. 
 
 He conferred with neighboring landowners on 
 the subject, but, as a rule, they did not encourage 
 such immigration from the cities. They assured 
 him the risk was heavy. They might fall sick 
 on their hands, or turn out idle and vicious, per- 
 haps rob gardens and hen-roosts and commit 
 other depredations that would ultimately lessen 
 the value of land in their vicinity. A few, how- 
 ever, gave a hesitating consent to employ these 
 new importations if Alan chose to incur the ex- 
 pense of set.iing them near by on his own property. 
 
 The season then was far advanced, but there 
 were always jobs to be done, and as the farmers in 
 the valley were a thrifty class of men, there was 
 little idle time with them the year round. Alan re- 
 solved to settle his immigrants as far apart as pos- 
 sible, thinking it would be a mutual benefit to 
 them to see as little of each other as might be, 
 while their chances for work would be all the 
 better. He decided to secure ^ .t the names ot 
 tliose willing to come to the country, and after- 
 ward to see about getting them settled — a very 
 wise plan, as he later on discovered. 
 
 The last day of their visit at Deeplawn had 
 come, and a very blue day it was to every one of 
 the boys. Jacob Molensky was a worse socialist 
 
 

 FARM LABORERS H)l 
 
 than ever, and could hardly forgive Akin for 
 having so much more than his share of worldly 
 goods. 
 
 Mike remembered with painful distinctness his 
 home-coming of a fortnight ago, but he was a 
 strong-fibered lad and kept up a cheerful counte- 
 nance till the last. Mrs. Dixon and the maids, 
 however, watched the procession departing with 
 great satisfaction, having first ascertained that the 
 boys had not abstracted spoons or other valuables, 
 as might reasonably have been expected. 
 
 Alan went with them. In order to get the 
 families settled in the country, it would be neces- 
 sary for him to lose a week or two at the begin- 
 ning of the term, but a little extra study would 
 soon bring him up with the rest. 
 
 On the way he explained his intentions fully to 
 the boys and what would be expected from them 
 in return. Their parents and brothers and sisters, 
 old enough to work, could all get employment of 
 some kind, and if the pay was not very high, 
 neither would their expenses be heavy. Each 
 family would have a separate cottage with a gar- 
 den, where they might raise all the vegetables for 
 their own use another year. The boys were jubi- 
 lant, and already held themselves with all the dig- 
 nity of prospective landowners. 
 
 Mike, on the whole, was gifted with the best 
 business ability, so he was deputed to canvass 
 
192 THE MASTER OF DERPLAWN 
 
 among the families and see how many would be 
 willing to emigrate at once. He had a very busy 
 day, beginning at his own household, and a very 
 discouraging one, for not a single family would 
 listen to his proposals but the widow Dingwell. 
 He presented himself before Alan the following 
 evening looking the picture of despair, for he had 
 the mercurial temperament of the genuine Celt. 
 
 " Not a mother's son av 'em '11 come but that 
 poor widdy Dingwell. She's fair foolish at get- 
 ting out there, she's that glad." 
 
 " Your parents, then, won't come ? " 
 " They say not a fut av them '11 go out among 
 the stumps," and Mike became deeply absorbed 
 in the view from the window. 
 
 "You can come without them. Some dav, 
 after you have earned a good home, you may be 
 able to entice them to come also." 
 
 " I mean to go, if you'll have me ; but it's the 
 little chaps I'm worritin' about. They'll grow 
 up afore I get a house aimed, and be spilt intirely 
 by that time." Mike cleared his throat, but it 
 sounded more like a sob. " It's no use, I can't 
 be stayin' here after the sup I've had av clane air 
 and vittels, and I tould me father so." 
 " What did your father say ? " 
 "He just swore, that was all; but I'm goin' all 
 the same." Mike spoke with quiet determination, 
 but Alan looked perplexed. 
 
 , 
 
FARM LABORERS ic;^ 
 
 " I cannot take you without your father's con- 
 sent. ' ' 
 
 " Every boy av the crowd is goin', and you'd 
 surely not make me stay behind?" The tears 
 stood now unconcealed in IMike's eyes. 
 
 " I will have a talk with your father myself." 
 
 '^ Will you please, sor, to come airly, afore he 
 goes to the saloon ? You have no idee what sort 
 of folks the Lord's pervidcd me with. I'll jnst 
 tell them the night you're comin', and maybe 
 they'll keep straight." Mike's cheeks shone like 
 peonies when he spoke of the parents whom Alan 
 assured him it was lis duty to obey. 
 
 The following morning the visit was made. 
 As Alan walked along looking for the court where 
 Mike lived, he saw the lad waiting for him. 
 
 " They're both sober the morn', and me mother's 
 fixed up considerable for you," he ..aid, with 
 much satisfaction. " It's jest in this way and up 
 that flight of stairs ; they look weak like, but 
 tliey're stronger nor ye'd think." Mike went 
 nimbly up, followed more circumsiDectly by his 
 friend, for the prospect was not reassuring. 
 
 " Ye might jjst tuck your watch and diain in 
 your trouser pocket. Sometimes folks gets robbed 
 round here." Mike spoke in a whisper as he 
 paused at the door. 
 
 Alan did as he was advised and then pushed 
 boldly in after his guide. Such squalor, such 
 
 . 
 
19 ^ 'i'"J"' MASTKR OF DKKPLAWN 
 
 horrible slights and odors as greeted him, he could 
 never for«;et. Mike's parents were evidently wait- 
 in o- for their visitor, while Alan was equally anx- 
 ious to proceed to business. Pie plunged at once 
 into the subject without any circumlocution. 
 
 "Will you let Mike come to the country to 
 work with the farmers?" 
 
 "Oi jist wull, if yez'll pay for his worruk ; 
 but no b'y ov nioine 'ill slave for rich folks for 
 nuthin'," said the father. 
 
 " His wages for some time will amount to very 
 little, but he will have good food and abundance 
 of it, with warm clothing." 
 
 " Do ye mane to say a great b'y like him '11 only 
 get vittels and clothes ? " he asked, fiercely. 
 
 "He must make the best bargain he can with 
 the farmers, but can't expect to earn much above 
 his own needs at first." Alan spoke firmly, looking 
 the man sternly in the face. Mike interposed : 
 
 " Ye'd better let me go with the gentleman, for 
 if ye don't, ye'U be sorry, that's all I've got to 
 say." 
 
 " Oi'll tache ye to talk perliter nor that to yer 
 father," he cried, aiming a blow at his first-born, 
 but striking the door instead, which enraged him 
 more than ever. 
 
 "I'll fetch the perlice," Mike whispered. "I 
 think ye'd better run, though ; they're wickeder 
 than ye'd think." 
 
FARM LABORERS igc 
 
 Alan had no thonglit of runnin'^r fimt blear- 
 eyed pair, with unsteady nerves, wonld be no match 
 for him; so he held his gronnd, resolved in any 
 case to o-et Mike out of such a den. 
 
 McOuinn turned fiercely to Alan and hissed : 
 " Git out of this, ye tliafe, comin' betwixt a 
 parent and his child. Oi'll be the death of ye, if 
 ye don't." 
 
 " You won't hurt me," Alan said, calmly. "I 
 came here to help your son, not to quarrel with 
 you. Sit down and talk reasonably about the 
 terms you demand." 
 
 McOuinn responded with an attempt to strike 
 the alert young fellow, who was watching him 
 keenly, his back set against the door, but the 
 hand was seized, and he was held at arm's length, 
 apparently with the same ease a mother would 
 exercise with a refractory child. 
 
 " By the powers, but ye've a foine grip av the 
 fist, so ye have," McQuinn said, admiringly, while 
 he vainly endeavored to extricate himself from 
 Alan's grasp. He found a trial of strength was 
 going to fail him and he was going to change his 
 tactics. If Mike would only keep out of the way 
 there was no knowing what good luck might be- 
 fall him if this rich young fellow was provided 
 with a watch and pocket-book. 
 
 " If ye' 11 plase to let go me hand, and set down 
 here with me, friendly-like, we'll talk it over pace- 
 
 -L 
 
196 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 able." He spoke in a wheedling tone, but Alan 
 liked his manner less than when he was in a rage. 
 
 Mrs. McQuinn was edging up with the intention 
 of releasing her spouse. Alan kept his eye stead- 
 ily on her, but still held her struggling husband. 
 
 " Ye'd not be after striking a woman, would ye?" 
 McQuinn asked, uneasily. 
 
 '' Certainly not ; but I may find it necessary to 
 hold her hands to prevent her striking me," was 
 the quiet reply. 
 
 Mrs. McQuinn changed her mind, and settled 
 back into a corner ; but Alan saw her reaching slyly 
 for a poker near by as he renewed the argument 
 with McQuinn. 
 
 "Will you consent now for Mike to come 
 with me?" 
 
 " Would ye be expectin' a fayther to part with 
 his b'y jist when he was a help, lettin' a stranger 
 have all the profit of his upraisin' ?" 
 
 "Mike's upraising has not cost you much, but 
 still he is your son " 
 
 Mrs. McQuinn had again assumed a warlike at- 
 titude and was already coming toward him. He 
 saw the poker hid in the fold of her dress, and was 
 beginning to wonder what he was to do with her — 
 if it would be safe to strike McQuinn hard enough 
 to disable him, and yet not seriously injure him, 
 while he dealt with her. Nothing short of force, 
 he now saw, would extricate him from the difii- 
 
FARM I^ABORERS 
 
 197 
 
 culty, and in case otlicrs in the house should hear 
 what was goin- on and come to share in the melee, 
 it might end more seriously than he cared to 
 think. 
 
 " Mrs. McQuinn, if you come one step nearer I 
 shall be obliged to disable your husband while I 
 deal with you." 
 
 She paused, looking uncertainly at the man who 
 was holding her husband with such apparent ease, 
 but it was only for an instant and with poker up^ 
 lifted she was almost ready to strike, when Alan, 
 giving McOuinn a push, seized the poker and 
 threatening them with it, held both at bay. They 
 began to scream. Then there was a scufflino- of 
 feet outside, and Alan felt the door behind him 
 violently puslied. He stepped aside, scared v know- 
 ing which was the better pan of valor, to stand 
 his ground or beat a hasty retreat poker in hand. 
 Several unkempt creatures came rushing in, ready 
 to join with the McQuinns and share in the plun- 
 der, but a sudden hush fell upon them, for other 
 steps were heard, and the blue coats and brass 
 buttons of two stalwart policemen stood in the 
 door, with .Vake, Jacob Alolensky, and Billy Spen- 
 cer in the rear. 
 
 ''What's the rumpus here?" one of the police- 
 men asked. 
 
 " There ain't no rumpus. Only this man wants 
 to rob us av our darlin' child." 
 
198 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 " I believe it was * your darlin' child' that sent 
 lis here in hot haste to take care of him." 
 
 '^The young rascal," McQuinn muttered, end- 
 ing with a dreadful imprecation. 
 
 " I advise you to come away with us, they are a 
 hard crowd here," the policeman said, turning to 
 Alan. 
 
 '^ I am anxious first to make some arrauirement 
 with them about their son ; he is worth savin"-." 
 
 ''It's not after his parents he takes then," the 
 policeman said, with a glance of contempt at the 
 miserable pair, who stood regarding them wratli- 
 fully. 
 
 ]\Iike suddenly came forward. 
 
 " You may as well make as good a bargain as you 
 can with Mr. Rivers, daddy, for I'm bound to leave 
 here." 
 
 " Ye ungrateful villain! " The father's expres- 
 sion was something fearful as he glared at his off- 
 spring. 
 
 "Ye'd better not be after making any rash 
 promises, Mr. Rivers. I'll slip away quiet like, 
 and be turnin' up at the farm some foine mornin', 
 when we can plan things by ourselves," whis- 
 pered Mike into Alan's ear. 
 
 " He is your father, Mike. If we could get his 
 consent for you to go, we might, in time, res- 
 cue him too." 
 
 "It's a gone case, sor," Mike said, hopelessly. 
 
FARM LABORERS 
 
 199 
 
 Alan went a few steps nearer to McQuinn and 
 said : 
 
 "Yonr son is determined to leave. V/onld it 
 not be better for you to still keep a hold on him 
 by giving your consent ? I am sure he will share 
 whatever wages he may earn with you, if you part 
 with him kindly." 
 
 '' What'll ye give me for him?" McOuinn again 
 demanded, seeking something more definite than 
 mere promises. 
 
 " I have told you what we will do. Mike him- 
 * self will repeat the promise." 
 
 " Yes, I'll give ye everything I can," Mike said, 
 eagerly. 
 
 " If we get you a cottage with a bit of garden 
 and the promise of plenty of work, won't you 
 come with the rest of your family next summer?" 
 
 "Oi'll see about it. Get off with ye now," he said, 
 sullenly, bestowing such a look of concentrated 
 rage on his son that the latter quickly went from 
 the room, without receiving any response to his 
 hastily spoken farewell. 
 
'/' 
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 FROM the; de^pths 
 
 l\/riKE, with a very exultant expression of 
 
 ^^J- countenance, accompanied the rather large t 
 
 party ot civilians and police down the creakino- 
 
 stairs. The policemen walked in the rear of the 
 
 procession with an occasional backward glance to 
 
 see that no missile was likely to be launched after 
 
 them. 
 
 Mike's exuberance of spirits was really in- 
 fectious. The other boys who had joined them 
 shared in his pleasure ; for were they not also to 
 emigrate, soon or late, to the land of plenty? 
 When they had emerged on the street, the rest 
 scattering and Mike and Alan found themselves 
 alone in the anxious-faced throng that ceaselessly 
 passes to and fro in that quarter, he said, gleefully: 
 
 "Isn't it jist foine I've got clear with whole 
 bones ! I know them perlicemen, and if me fay- 
 ther makes trouble bime-by, why we've only got 
 to summons them as witnesses." 
 
 Alan thought there was small prospect of their 
 help being required. Persons who have fallen as 
 low as the McQuinns, are as a rule ver}- content to 
 leave the law alone if it does not interfere with 
 
 200 
 
FROM THK DEPTHS 201 
 
 them. I\Iike began to walk less briskly, and at 
 last, he asktd rather plaintively : 
 ^ " Will I 0-0 right to Deeplawn, or can I have a 
 
 bite to eat first? I've seen very litile vittels, only 
 what I fished out of the market barrels, since I've 
 come to town." 
 
 I "You shall have your dinner at once," and 
 
 Alan led the way into a dining room they were 
 neari ng. Mike opened wide his eyes with amaze- 
 ment. He certainly did not expect anything so 
 good as this, to be sitting at one of those tables 
 toward which he had scores of times cast longing 
 eyes while selling papers; and to be waited on by 
 those gentlemen with white aprons, who had 
 occasionally put into the hands of hungry news- 
 boys the contents of discarded dinner plates, this 
 was more than he expected for some years to 
 come. The very strangeness and surprising honor 
 of the occasion threatened to duL his appetite, but 
 when he tasted the excellent chicken soup he 
 realized how terribly keen his hunger was, and 
 felt a great wave of sympathy for a fellow-news- 
 boy with whom he was on friendly terms, who 
 was watching him from outside. 
 
 " Does a dinner like this cost much ? " he asked 
 in a whisper, of Alan, who was busy over his own 
 soup. 
 
 "Not very much," was the amused answer. 
 " When I get rich I'm comin' here every day, 
 
202 THE MASTER OE DEEPLAWN 
 
 and ril g-ive poor fellers like liim over there, all 
 tlie soup they can swaller. I ^uess Blinders could 
 ' eat half a gallon ; he looks awful holler." 
 
 Alan looked at the individual indicated by 
 IVIike's fin<i^er. 
 
 "Why is he called Blinders?" 
 
 " Don't you see how his ears sets out from his 
 head like the blinders av a horse? I guv hiui that 
 name my own self, so I did." Mike spoke 
 proudly, as if it were something very clever. 
 
 " You would like him to have some dinner to- 
 day, I presume." 
 
 "Av course; he'd like it hisself, but he'd not 
 ask to be sot down like this, and mayl)e in tlieui 
 clothes the waiters would object too; but he 
 could have a sup of soup out beyant there where 
 you hear them dishes a rattlin'." 
 
 " How much money do you want? " Alan asked, 
 looking down kindly into the eager, upturned 
 face. 
 
 " A quarter '11 buy all the bread and soup he 
 can cat. I know a waiter who has a ter'ble soft 
 heart — us fellers all knows him. I guess he's goiu' 
 ^o be a preacher some day ; Dandy said so, and he 
 knows lots about that sort of folks." 
 
 Alan laid down the quarter and Mike, by some 
 mysterious gesture, acquainted Blinders with the 
 fact that he too was to be treated, for he immedi- 
 ately stood at the door looking in with eager face. 
 
FROM THE DEPTHvS 
 
 203 
 
 Mike went at once to interview his favorite 
 waiter, and a moment later, Blinders disappeared 
 behind a screen, and Mike retnrned to his inter- 
 1 npted dinner with evident self-approA^al. 
 
 " He says he'll pay yer the first thing when he 
 <>;its on his feet." 
 
 Alan did not interrnpt Mike to inquire what 
 that obscure phrase meant. The dinner ended, 
 Mike was entrusted with the money to buy his 
 ticket, and Alan proceeded on his way alone. He 
 was passing through one of those mental crises 
 every worker among the lapsed classes is sadly 
 familiar with. Try as he might, what could he 
 accomplish by way of reducing this gigantic mass 
 of human misery ? The broad avenues and stately 
 buildings near could give no solution to the 
 question. 
 
 He sank into a seat in one of the squares, and 
 surrounded by its beauty there came before him 
 a vision of the thousands of human blossoms in the 
 courts and alleys of the city. Unwashed, hungry 
 babies for whom no one careil, boys and girls 
 f icing toward ruin and for the most part only a 
 few weak women's hands stretched out to stay 
 their progress thither— women who forsook their 
 pleasant homes and congenial pursuits and for 
 Christ's sake went down to heal these festering 
 wounds, as far as their feeble hands could do it. 
 Was it true that corporations have souls only for 
 
u 
 
 ■ viq-R-r") «i»u ■ '■ Bi^fi"*" ■« I ' i"i . '"ii' » "jr w'^*^' 
 
 204 THE MASTKR OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 inanimate things, caring notliing for linmanity? 
 These flowers about him were certainly very beau- 
 tiful, and rested tired eyes no doubt; but an 
 untimely frost would soon reduce them to un- 
 sightly stalks, and their beauty would then be 
 only a fading memory. 
 
 He got up, walked to the street, and hailed a 
 car. One tliii g at a time must be done. The 
 thing awaitin;; liim just then was the honorable 
 completion ol his college course. Some day he 
 might be able to infuse a more brotherly spirit 
 into municipal -n-ganizations, which now did not 
 seem to reckon the future men and women of the 
 commonwealth at as high a value as tulip or 
 hyacinth bulbs. 
 
 A few weeks later there came an enthusiastic 
 letter from Mike, one of the most gratifying mes- 
 sages the daily mail brought to Alan for many a 
 day. Mike had reconnoitered among the farmers 
 himself, the business capacity developed in the 
 streets standing him in good stead in his ne- 
 gotiations. He had no idea of being a mere 
 hanger-on upon Alan's bounty. To be trans- 
 ported to Deeplawn and lodged and fed so royally 
 while he was settling himself was all he asked, 
 and for this he expressed a boundless gratitude in 
 the blotted, misspelled epistle he sent to his bene- 
 factor. 
 
 He described his home with great minuteness. 
 
FROM THE DEPTHS 
 
 205 
 
 It was a large, old-fasliioiied farmhouse wliose 
 furnishings were little altered from the iashions of 
 half a century before, some of the articles still iu 
 use dating back to old colonial times. 
 
 The brass andirons in the prim parlor, with the 
 stiff chairs and spindle-legged tables that had 
 been mute witnesses of tlie triumphs of the Rev- 
 olution, awakened in Mike an amazed admiration. 
 Iu his paternal home the few household articles 
 that served their daily needs had been changed 
 since his recollection more times than he could 
 count. How often had he watched their last stick 
 of furniture on its way to the pawnshop, with 
 nothing left behind but four mildewed walls and 
 the children ! He used to think it a pity that 
 children were of so little value that thirsty parents 
 •could not exchange them for a glass of whisky. 
 
 Alan smiled as he read Mike's incoherent de- 
 scription of the farmhouse and its inmates. The 
 family were all grown and most of them settled 
 in homes of their own, but for those still re- 
 maining the lad had formed a very high regard. 
 They always had such abundance of good Vood, 
 and were on such friendly terms with each other 
 and all the world, he was kept in a state of per- 
 petual wonderment. 
 
 "I'd never thought folks could get on so quiet 
 like," he wrote, ecstatically. "I've never heard 
 an oath or ugly word from one of 'em; most 
 
I 
 
 206 THK MASTKR OF D?:EPLAWN 
 
 like it\s the prayers, for they do be havin' them 
 twice a day 011 tlieir knees, and every time they 
 sets down to eat, and they makes fresh pray- 
 ers every niornin' and night. They've tuck me 
 to church, too, and it was as aisy as anythin' to 
 do like them. The preacher one Sunday made 
 some av 'em cry. It was a revival they wor 
 havin', and he told them a lot about their sins 
 and how good the Lord were to 'em. Blest if I 
 didn't cry meself, for I never heard tell about it 
 rightly afore, and when the preacher asked any- 
 body who wanted to forsake the devil and take 
 the Ivord for their Master to stand up, why I jist 
 jumped right up, of course, and said, 'Please, sir, 
 it's him I'm wantin' to belong to.' If my folks 
 warn't proud then youniver did see, and I declare 
 if they don't be callin' of me brother Michael in 
 the meetin's now. They do be powerful glad 
 here to get hold of the likes of me, and they've 
 got me fast enough, I tell you." 
 
 When the letter was finished Alan folded it 
 away with a feeling that the time of reaping had 
 begun. It was the first real encouragement he 
 had met in his rescue attempts, and although 
 feeling that his life-work had not really begun, 
 he was eager to be doing what he could each re- 
 turning day. A little later he received a letter 
 from the Dingwells. They were now settled in 
 one of the small cottages at Deeplawn. Mrs. 
 
, 
 
 FROM tup: DKPTIIS 
 
 207 
 
 Dixon had taken them under her care, and the 
 consequence was that nuUters for them were pro- 
 o-ressino- most satisfactorily. The chiklren were 
 workincr when occasion ofTered,an(l for the rest of 
 the time were at school. Dandy was able to do 
 li<,dit work for the farmers, while J\Irs. Din^well 
 and the little girls were very useful with the 
 needle amon^^ the overworked farmers' wives. 
 The other lads had gravitated to the city again, 
 but were all promising to become farmers later on. 
 
 Alan had not yet discovered what his own 
 work in life was to be ; in fact, it was becoming 
 an increasing perplexity. To overlook the work- 
 men at Deeplawn scarcely seemed a sufficient 
 career. He could not be blind to the fact that his 
 endowments of intellect were more than the aver- 
 age. With an ease that was admired by fellow- 
 students and professors alike, he took some of the 
 first honors of his class. It appeared to him some- 
 thing of a waste to take the intellectual equip- 
 ment gained by the labor of a dozen years and 
 more to superintend the cultivation of grain and 
 vegetables ; but what was he to do ? 
 
 Already the towns and cities were overflowing 
 with professional men struggling for a bare exist- 
 ence. If he joined their ranks he would only 
 be snatching from some one more needy either 
 the brief or the patient that otherwise would fall 
 to his share. He had no drawing to the mechani- 
 
2o8 TIIK MASTER OK DEEPLAWN 
 
 cal sciences ; for book-inakiiinr he feared lie had 
 even less aptitnde, and of ])ooks there certainly 
 did not seem to be a dearth ; neither did his 
 eonntry seem to be snfferino- from a lack of poli- 
 ticians ; while the dream of his boyhood that 
 one day it niiirht be his work to fonnd and oc- 
 cnpy a chair in biblical literatnre in the arts 
 conrse of a nniversity had grown dim amid the 
 activities of a very bnsy Hfe. No wonder then 
 that he felt keenly the perplexity that confronts 
 so many honest and ambitions yonn.q; men. 
 While he coveted the .splendid opportnnities of 
 the eloqnent preacher to help hnmanity in the 
 multitndinons ways open to those who arj? thor- 
 oughly consecrated and fearless, he had' ne^-er per- 
 mitted himself to dream of such possibili'ties for 
 service coming to him. 
 
 Just before commencement a letter came from 
 Mr. Dolliver. He had come home to die, so he 
 seemed to believe. All the lonely journey ings up 
 and down the land were ended. There remained 
 now only the quiet passage between the two 
 worlds — whether long or short, he little cared, 
 since the King of the country whither he was 
 going had promised to make the journey with 
 him, and it must therefore be both glad and 
 honorable. What most interested the aged pil- 
 grim now, was the work that he longed to see his 
 young friend undertake. 
 

 FROM TIIK DICrTlIS 
 
 209 
 
 "I was not eloquent or IcaniLcl," the letter 
 said, 'Mjut with (kxr.s help I have tried to make 
 his world better. Yon havC the <;ifts and the 
 traininjr wliieh (iod did not see fit to oive to nie ; 
 and I am prayin- now, every da\-, nearly all the' 
 day,— for the nearer I ^et to seein^.^ my I^ord the 
 more natnral is the act of prayer,— I am pra}in.L,r 
 that yon may be anointed for his work, the work 
 of the Christian ministry. The good Lord knows 
 I wanted to work faithfnlly for him. I did not 
 give np work nntil my strength was so far spent 
 1 conld only get here by being bronght npon a 
 bed ; bnt what I have done was so little, i donbt 
 if I get ninch reward, only the smile of recogn'- 
 tion my I.ord will give to every homc-comhig 
 child. Yon can do a far different work. Yon 
 have gifts of speech, winning words, and a fas- 
 cination that is the gift of very few, and added to 
 all these natnral gifts, yon have the learning that 
 so well sharpens the tools God has given, f have 
 received the assnrance that yon are going to be 
 called to this work. I know this becansc my 
 Lord sometimes trnsts me with his secrets, and so 
 every honr, as it passes, bears some prayer for )-ou 
 in yonr fntnre work. I am glad to linger here 
 away from any company, that I may pray for yon 
 —prayers that yon mnst work throngh many 
 years to see answ^cred. I have thonght that yon 
 may not have many wdio wonld talk over yonr 
 
 o 
 
2IO THK .MAvSTKR OK DEKPI^AWN 
 
 case with God, and that makes me the more 
 busy." 
 
 Alan dropped the letter unfinished, for through 
 it there had already come the divine call. IVIr. 
 DoUiver had written in the spirit of prophecy, or 
 so it seemed to Alan, and through him had come 
 the message direct from on high. He felt none of 
 the unwillingness to respond that many r^peak of 
 when called to the work of the ministry, rather a 
 sense that the honor was more than he could 
 bear, a feeling also of exceeding gladness that to 
 him had been given the mission that came to 
 prophet and apostle. 
 
 Then also came the thought how wide might 
 be the range of his usefulness. If, as his student 
 friends asserted, he really had special gifts of ora- 
 tory, how much he might help others in that way ; 
 reaching wide masses of men who otherwise would 
 not heed his words. After this he studied with 
 new zeal, believing that no equipment of culture 
 could be vast enough to do this work at IlS best. 
 
 After a summer devoted to Mr. DoUivcr, busi- 
 ness affairs, and study, and another college year, 
 he completed his course, a much wider one than 
 was usually taken at Brown, and then, seek- 
 ing for the most varied opportunities for extend- 
 ing his mental horizon, he resolved to take two 
 years at Oxford and finivSh at one of the great 
 German universities. As far as he could master 
 
FROM THE DEPTHS 
 
 211 
 
 those vexed problems that lead immature minds 
 into unbelief, he resolved to do so, firmly believ- 
 ing that no workman requires such preparation as 
 the one who deals with questions pertaining to the 
 soul of man and eternity. 
 
9. MPI I I [J. PJI 
 
 I 
 
 t 
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 CUMBING 
 
 ALAN did not neglect the lads in whose behalf 
 he had already taken such deep interest. 
 The summer he graduated, he took them with him 
 to the farm again, with the exception of Mike, 
 who was getting along finely with his new friends, 
 working through the day at the healthful tasks of 
 the farm laborer, and busy with his books during 
 the evening. Mike had his ambitions. 
 
 " rd like to be doing some other work than will 
 end with the day," he said to Alan, when he came 
 to make a short visit at Deeplawn. 
 
 ' ' No work that you do on tlie farm can well 
 end with the day," Alan said. " If you are sow- 
 ing seed, that certainly does not end with the day, 
 and just so through the long round of a farmer's 
 duties." 
 
 " I know that, but my share of it ends there, 
 and I want to learn all I can about the world I 
 live in. I want to be something better than a 
 farm servant. Our family has been at the foot of 
 the ladder and now I want to begin climbing, and 
 help them up too, if I can." 
 
 "There must be farm servants," Alan sue- 
 
 212 
 
i 
 
 I 
 
 CUMBING 
 
 213 
 
 gested, more to draw Mike out than for any 
 other reason. 
 
 " Of course there must, but that is no reason 
 why I should be. They are generally contented 
 to be that, and I am not." 
 
 "Ah, I like that. Discontent is one of the 
 great factors in our world's progress. There is a 
 kind of discontent that has something of the di- 
 vine in it. What I object to is the disappoint- 
 ment that conies through ignoble ambitions." 
 
 " I mean to get fitter, as far as I am able, for 
 some good place in the world, and I mean to look 
 for it too." 
 
 Alan was surprised at the improvement in speech 
 that the two >-ears had brought to ]\Iike. He had 
 improved in other ways as well, and there were 
 few traces of the slum life from which he had 
 been rescued now clinging to him. 
 
 Anselmo was growing now into quite a healthy 
 tough-fibered young fellow. His patron, voung 
 Blake, had never quite lost his interest in the fiery 
 little Italian. The weeks they had spent together 
 m Newfoundland, followed by a further term on 
 the Gloucester coast, had revealed to each that 
 considerable imperfection was a characteristic they 
 shared in common, but this knowledge unfor- 
 tunately had failed to make them overlook the 
 other's shortcomings. Alan's example had held 
 Blake, to some degree, faithful to his charge, while 
 
214 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 the brightening face and well-rounded contours of 
 the once angular boy, were fair recompense for 
 the trouble incurred. 
 
 Anselnio, however, held him in very humble 
 estimation compared with Alan, and when the 
 chance was now given to choose between Deep- 
 lawn and Cape Ann's rugged profile, the eagerness 
 with which he decided for the former place left 
 his patron both mystified and chagrined. He had 
 patronized him now for two years, giving him cloth- 
 ing and many a stray quarter, and now he was dis- 
 appointed to find how little hold he had on the 
 boy's heart. 
 
 " He is an ungrateful little monkey. I have a 
 mind to wash my hands of him entirely," he said, 
 as he looked at the unconcerned youth. 
 
 " You must try love on him as well as pennies. 
 It goes deeper into the heart of the raggedest 
 iirchin you will find," Alan said, as he bestowed a 
 smile on the swarthy Italian, who loved him bet- 
 ter than any one in the world, and whose dearest 
 ambition was gratified by the prospect of a month 
 at Deeplawn. 
 
 What a summer those boys had together ! The | 
 
 month origiually promised them was lengthened 
 by weeks, and for a few days all the young men 
 of the Newfoundland excursion who were near 
 enough to come, joined them by special invitation. 
 Alan was anxious that the interest between the 
 

 CLIMBING 
 
 215 
 
 lads and their former patrons should be maintained, 
 and it amused as well as pleased him to see how 
 the old feeling of ownership revived. If these 
 young men could be influenced to take a lasting 
 interest in their respective boys, see that a useful 
 trade was given them, as they could all easily af- 
 ford, and help them to get a start in life, what a 
 nnitual blessing it might be. 
 
 Anselmo's father found his way to Deeplawn 
 with a hand-organ and monkey. To appease his 
 housekeeper, Alan had taken for the boys' quarters 
 a huge granary that stood empty all summer until 
 the fall threshings, fitting it up with hammocks 
 ard cots, and here the boys spent some of their 
 gayest hours. There was always a spare cot for a 
 friend, and no visitor was more welcome than 
 Ivagoni with his monkey and organ. He stayed a 
 few days and then penetrated farther into the 
 country in search of pennies, but soon returned 
 resolved to make a lengthened sojourn. The hos- 
 pitality was so bountiful he felt safe to venture 
 upon it for a week. So many full meals in suc- 
 cession would be a rich experience for himself and 
 monkey. Anselmo catered for liini in the kitchen, 
 and brought the food to the granary, watching the 
 supplies disappear with great ojmplacei cy. His 
 one regret was that the entire I^agoni connection 
 was not there to share the abundance. 
 
 Alan took little notice of the self-invited guests. 
 
2l6 TIIK MASTKR OF DEKPI.AWN 
 
 If too many friends from the city slums came, he 
 might be compelled to interfere, but a solitary 
 Italian with a hungry-faced monkey, scarcely set a 
 precedent for many to follow. Other visitors, as 
 a rule, limited their stay to a day or two. Alan 
 sometimes caught a glimpse of the burning eyes 
 in the pinched face following him with a dumb 
 wistfulness, and was glad to make the poor crea- 
 ture's hfe happier for a few days. 
 
 One day he produced a complete outfit to re- 
 place the picturesque tatters. The garments were 
 second-hand, but so skillfully remodeled by Mrs. 
 Dingwell, they looked like new. When I^agoni 
 was given to understand that they were for him, 
 his eyes grew luminous with emotion and as iVlan 
 walked away, the hand-organ fairly gasped as the 
 excited musician ground out opera airs and love 
 songs one after another. Anselmo, although ready 
 to quarrel with his father on the slightest provo- 
 cation, loved him after a fashion, and his gratitude 
 when he saw his parent proudly walking up and 
 down the granary in his new clothes, was only 
 second to that of the happy wearer himself. 
 
 The other boys shared the satisfaction of the 
 Italians. The hand-organ and monkey had made 
 them a very united family, so much so, in fact, 
 that tliey forgot to be jealous of the lion's share 
 of good things falling to their Lagoni acquaint- 
 ances. 
 
 * 
 
CLIMBING 
 
 217 
 
 i 
 
 It was quite a o^looiny day when the haiid-ori;aii 
 and monkey departed. Lagoni was anxious to 
 appear among his friends while still his gannents 
 were fresh. He could well anticipate the admira- 
 tion of acquaintances for his good clothes, when 
 they were all assembled at the Italian chapel on 
 Sunday morning. Anselnio accompanied him some 
 miles on the journey and so successful were they 
 in drawing the pennies, that I^agoni felt rich 
 enough to take the train for Proxidence, while 
 Anselnio make the journey back on foot feeling 
 quite light-hearted, for his father had given a halt- 
 ing promise to come out with the family and take 
 up life as a farm servant. 
 
 Anselnio had taken him to visit the Dingwells, 
 and the very homelike and thrifty aj^pearance 
 they presented was more eloquent than any words 
 that Alan could use in bringing him to this de- 
 cision. jMike's appearance too, was helping to 
 strengthen the boys' discontent geiieially at their 
 own rate of progress in the city. He had more 
 money in the bank than they owned altogether, 
 while his scholarship was far in advance of the 
 best of them. 
 
 " We were fools and nothing else that we didn't 
 all come when he did." Billy Spencer voiced the 
 sentiments of the whole crowd as he said this, one 
 rainy day, when they were sitting in their airy 
 bedroom discussing matters in general. 
 
2l8 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 " It' a great pity we can't go back a spell in our 
 lives and do better than we've done," Jacob ]\Io- 
 lensky said, with considerable regret at the great 
 mistake he, for one, had made two years before. 
 
 " We're only young fellers yet, and it's not too 
 late to begin now," Anselmo said, hopefully. " See 
 what old folks come to this country to begin their 
 lives new." 
 
 " Yes, and what a mess a good many make of 
 it. They think they must live in the cities, and 
 they just burrow and starve. I'd sooner starve in 
 a warm country than a cold one like this," a 
 pinched-faced boy, called William Mooney, said. 
 He had a consumptive look, and appeared as 
 though he was not likely to need a home anywhere 
 in this world much longer. 
 
 The result of that day's conference was that 
 they one and all decided to come to the country 
 with or without their friends. 
 
f 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 life: at oxford 
 
 AIvAN'S course at Brown completed, he went 
 that autumn to Oxford. The boys were 
 sent to their appointed places, and early in Sep- 
 tember he sailed for England. jVIr. Dolliver was 
 still linoeiing on the shores of time, but neither 
 he nor Alan expected to ever again see each other 
 in this world. Their parting, however, was not 
 sad. To each of them had come the consciousness 
 that the two worlds, the natural and the spiritual, 
 are not so far apart ; perhaps defective vision is the 
 only separation. 
 
 Alan took with him letters of recommendation 
 from professors and friends in America to several 
 of the Oxford dons, and these he presented on his 
 arrival. He was not acquainted with their con- 
 tents ; if he had been, in some cases his natural 
 modesty might have prevented his delivering 
 them. He gravitated at once to the company of 
 evangelical students who lived, in one sense, as 
 distinct from the great mass of young men as did 
 the " holy club " in the days of Whitfield and the 
 Wesleys. Yet they were not separatists in any 
 derogatory sense. Representatives from them 
 
 219 
 
 - 
 
I 
 
 220 TIIR MASTKR OK DEKPI.AWN 
 
 were the foremost athletes; others held their own 
 aiiioii!^ the list of distini^uished scholars ; but still 
 they were as unlike the gay, worldly students as 
 if they were of another order of creation. 
 
 vSonie of these young men by right of birth 
 would be expected one day to do their share in 
 directing their country's destiny ; rulers by inher- 
 itance they were first mastering the more difficult 
 task of self-government. There were others 
 
 » 
 
 whose rent-rolls annually counted far up into the 
 thousands, who had already laid all upon Crod's 
 altar and were now taking special training for 
 missionary work in heathen lands. As he mingled 
 with these young men, Alan realized anew the 
 honor God had conferred on him by choosing him 
 as fellow-workman with them, in the harvest field 
 of the world. 
 
 IMelancholy reflections often came, as he com- 
 pared them with that brother over the seas. Rex, 
 who might have been occupying an honorable 
 place in the world. The thought of this haunted 
 him constantly, making him exceedingly reticent 
 with fellow-students. He never spoke of home 
 I or kindred, and studiously avoided close intimacy 
 
 with any of them, always refusing invitations to 
 visit at their homes. He was dubbed Melchizedek 
 by some of the wags, since he seemed to be one 
 alone in the world. 
 
 They very well knew that lie did not come from 
 
[ 
 
 LIFR AT OXFORD 221 
 
 the newly rich. Trained from babyhood them- 
 selves, they recocrnized in him those subtle tokens 
 of the gentle-born that money can never buy any 
 more than it can brains, or the genius that pro- 
 duces a Hamlet or an Angelus. But, notwith- 
 standing his reticence on the matter of family 
 history and connections, he was admitted by 
 de-rees into the charmed circles open only to 
 those of no])le heritage of birth or brains. 
 
 Alan was deeply interested in these new ex- 
 periences in the highly cultured society to which 
 he was admitted. He clearly saw its defects, for 
 the pride of birth and position as well as of 
 intellect was very strong. There was also too 
 much of the dilettante about the religious life. 
 
 Among the renowned college dons there was 
 little that savored of the cloister, or of self-denial 
 for conscience' sake, but they had their moral ex- 
 cellencies, and for the youth who was closely 
 studying them, they served as a contrast, sharp 
 and clearly cut, for the other extremes of humanity 
 among whom he went when leisure and opportu- 
 nity offered. After a week of hard work, broken 
 by an occasional refection in fashionable drawing 
 rooms, he would slip into London on the Friday"^ 
 and, taking lodgings in some malodorous East 
 End quarter, would go down to the depths of 
 human degradation. It was his way of keeping 
 his heart healthy and crowding out the world"- 
 
T>; 
 
 222 TIIK MASTI'R OK DKHPLAWN 
 
 liiiess and pride of life for which he had a horror, 
 born of stroni^ temptation thereto. 
 
 None of his stndent friends knew how he spent 
 those holidays, or what fascination drew him from 
 them so mysterionsly, and forbade him all enjoy- 
 ment of the home life of tlie higher ranks to 
 which classmates had often invited him. Bnt 
 one day one of his student friends, a prospective 
 baronet, came across him in those dreary moral 
 and social wastes. By chance, or it may have 
 been by divine prevision their paths intersected 
 there, for each was working out his own ideals of 
 duty according to his light. 
 
 Alan flushed uneasily when his friend came 
 into the mission hall, for they had been for some 
 time friends, approaching intimacy. He had been 
 talking to a niotly crowd, who hung on his words 
 with an eagerness that would have been flattering 
 to a more self-conscious speaker, but he went 
 bravely on with his addrc s, while he felt the thrill 
 of inspiration that comes from a listener mentally 
 a peer. At the close, Seymour waited for him. 
 
 "Is this what you are about?" he asked, with 
 a grip of his muscular hand that told Alan at 
 once he was in hearty sympathy with his work. 
 
 " It would seem that we are in the same boat," 
 Alan said, drily. 
 
 " Well, yes, I am trying to do a little, but I did 
 not know you went so far afield." 
 
IJKI-: AT OXFORD 
 
 223 
 
 ''Is it hopeless work, do you think?" Alan 
 asked, somewhat wearily. He had been goin-r 
 abont all day between garrets and mission halls', 
 visitino; the sick and dyin.ir, and speaking to men 
 and women in even worse condition clian some of 
 the sick he had visited, and the misery he had 
 met was pressing heavily on his heart. 
 
 " We have our marchino- orders to go out and 
 work, our Captain will care for results. I do not 
 let myself worry over the great uiass of sin. What 
 is the use? But I try to do something by way 
 of lessening it, and there my responsibility 
 ends." 
 
 Alau looked at the high-bred, handsouic youth 
 and felt a strong admiration mixed with a warmer 
 sentiment, for this uoble young fellow who could 
 so far forget himself as to leave au elegant home 
 lu IVIayfair, aud congenial sociel\, for work like 
 this. The world would surely be restored some 
 day to something approaching its original purity, 
 since there were so many giving themselves to the 
 work of accomplishing it. Alan's face grew more 
 cheerful as he said : 
 
 " It does uie good to meet you here. I have 
 been feeling particularly discouraged for I have 
 seen so much misery to-day. It has seeuied to me 
 that the I^ord Jesus could never come into his 
 own rights in the world he created and has died 
 to redeem. What glimpses one gets here of the 
 

 Till-: .a[astp:r of dkkplawn 
 
 .,ul 
 
 divine patience and lonf^sufTcrino; ! I have never 
 fonnd sncli elswhere. " 
 
 "I kui^/vv it is horrible, the misery we see, but 
 wliat if we were born in it, had it for onr only in- 
 heritance, as these poor wretches have?" He 
 swept a <>lance around the crowded hall, for a fresh 
 c()n<:^regation had been gathering, and a new meet- 
 ing was just about to begin. 
 
 " When I think of that it seems as if I could 
 not do enough to prove my gratitude for what has 
 been given to me ; but why do you come down 
 among our festering masses? We are not your 
 countrymen?" 
 
 " Partly because every man is the same to me, 
 no matter what his country ; and besides, we are 
 apt to grow selfish, our every-day life crowds out 
 the thouglit of what men and women areenduriu": 
 w^ho have not had our chances, wdio have had no 
 chance to grow up anything but depraved, who 
 have had everything against them. I find coming 
 here is an excellent tonic for keeping my inner 
 man healthy." 
 
 "Ah, yes, I see you disclaim being purely a 
 philanthropist, You study your individual needs 
 as well. I fear only a few go so far into the 
 analysis of their motives." 
 
 " I find my most healthful way to work is to 
 forget inyself as far as ]^ossible, certainly not to 
 undertake too much analysis of my motives. If 
 
IJKK AT OXFORD 
 
 225 
 
 ; to 
 
 : to 
 
 If 
 
 I 
 
 I did I sliould give myself upas a worthless speci- 
 men. I think these poor creatures will find the 
 help I give them much the same no matter what 
 motive impels me to the task." 
 
 " I take exception to that statement," Seymour 
 said. "The gifts we receive from another are 
 affected by the spirit through which they conic." 
 
 " That may be true philosophy, but I am glad 
 to believe that religion has no cast-iron rules in 
 the matter. I have known the veriest scamp get 
 np in this hall, move his hearers deeply by his 
 appeals to them to live better, and bring them 
 out to the penitents' seats, as few consistent work- 
 ers can do. These are mysteries which sometimes 
 perplex me." 
 
 "That is true, but what I want now is to take 
 you home with me to dinner. These problems 
 will await adjustment later on." 
 
 "Do you mean to your own home?" Alan 
 asked, with evident anxiety. 
 
 " Yes, my mother will be very glad to meet 
 you. They all fancy they know you very well 
 through my descriptions." 
 
 "I have no other suit with me — I could not 
 think of presenting myself before your family 
 in such costume." 
 
 "My dear fellow, that need not give you a mo- 
 ment's uneasiness. My mother, and all the rest of 
 them, welcome my friends in whatever garments 
 
f 1 1 If-'V 
 
 'i 
 
 226 TIIK MASTER OK DP^KPI.AVVN 
 
 suit their convenience. You have no idea what 
 a sensible woman my mother is about these triflinji^ 
 conventionalities. Yet Lady Seymour is a superl) 
 woman, — pardon my egotism for saying so, — and I 
 think you will love her when you know her. 
 There are few like her in this part of the world. 
 I believe you are very opulent in noble women in 
 America. Some day you will let me visit you, I 
 hope." 
 
 Alan turned a very glad face to his friend. 
 
 "Won't you come home with me for the sum- 
 mer? I think you will like the quiet of Deep- 
 lawn for a while, and then we can go on long 
 tramps in the mountains or along shore, wherever 
 you like." Alan spoke with boyish enthusiasm. 
 
 " It is just what I have been longing for, but 
 I hesitated to beg the invitation, especially as you 
 are so reticent about home and kindred." 
 
 " I have no kindred nearer than cousins and 
 uncles, except a brother ; but he is a wreck through 
 dissipation. That is the cause of my reticence." 
 
 "We take this tram-car." Seymour signaled 
 the driver, and together they entered the car. 
 
 " I may as well go with you as far as you go. 
 I am tired and shall make no more visits to-day," 
 Alan said, as he dropped into a vacant seat beside 
 his friend. 
 
 " Of course you will go as far as I go, and no 
 farther for some hours to come. To keep you in 
 
LIFE AT OXFORD 
 
 227 
 
 'R 
 
 M 
 
 )) 
 
 countenance, I will wear what I have on/' He 
 crave Alan a critical glance. "It will make little 
 difference what any of us wear where you are, 
 since, by all odds, you will be the handsomest 
 man in almost any gathering without much help 
 from vour tailor." 
 
 '' I am out of sorts to-night, and would rather 
 present myself before your mother some other 
 time and under more favorable circumstances ; I 
 shall no doubt fall in love with her and want to 
 visit her again," Alan rejoined, ignoring the com- 
 pliment. 
 
 *' Is it only the older women you are given to 
 falling in love with ? " Seymour said, with a smile ; 
 " or have you some sweetheart among those beau- 
 tiful country-women of yours with the mammoth 
 fortunes ? " 
 
 " I never had a sweetheart in my life," Alan 
 said, frankly. " My brother had so much of that 
 sort of thing, that I made up my mind it was not 
 going to be the main pursuit of my life, as it seems 
 to be for some. If I ever fall in love I shall do 
 my best to win the damsel, but I won't let it de- 
 stroy my happiness if I fail. That is only one 
 experience out of a thousand that go to make up 
 the sum total of our existence." 
 
 " Hear him ! " Seymour said, with a smile. 
 ** My dear boy, if you ever should be caught you 
 won't philosophize in that calm way. When you 
 
22S THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 are ' in for it ' you will think it is a life or death 
 matter ; at least that is the experience of some 
 poor wretches." 
 
 "Then I most devoutly hope I may never be 
 ' in for it,' and I scarcely think I shall." 
 
 " Don't be too lofty. I hope I may be your 
 confidant when the time does come." 
 
 " I promise to make you acquainted, if I do be- 
 come a victim, with all my symptoms and suffer- 
 ings." 
 
 In due time they reached the street that led to 
 Seymour's residence, and the subject of sweet- 
 hearts was changed to topics more suited to the 
 day. Alan made no further resistance to his 
 friend's entreaties. To tell the truth, he had a 
 strong curiosity to see what this young man's 
 mother was like. He had an impression that 
 boys, as a rule, were mostly what their mothers 
 made them by heredity and training. He fancied 
 the lady mother of this young man must be of 
 the finest quality of motherhood to produce such 
 a son. 
 
 The house was a grand abode, but it was not 
 the house so much as the occupants that Alan 
 was interested to see. Seymour took him directly 
 to his own room, where he was able to make a few 
 needed additions to his toilet, and then he was 
 assured that he would pass muster with the best. 
 A servant was summoned and the command given 
 
1 
 
 UFE AT OXFORD 
 
 229 
 
 be 
 
 a 
 
 for an extra plate to be laid, and then they pro- 
 ceeded to the drawing room for an informal pre- 
 sentation before dinner should be announced. 
 Alan found a small circle gathered around a 
 bright wood fire, some half-dozen or more ladies 
 
 and gentlemen. He was able at the first crlance 
 
 1 • • • 
 to distinguish I^ady Seymour, who at once rose 
 
 and came graciously to meet her son and welcome 
 
 the friend he had brouo-ht. 
 
 "This is Mr. Rivers, my American friend, 
 whom you have heard me frequently mention." 
 
 The presentation was made so informally Alan 
 was at once put at ease. Sir Thomas had the 
 same cordial hand-clasp as his son. One of the 
 other gentlemen proved to be one of London's 
 most famous divines, whom Alan had heard from 
 afar and admired, not only for his eloquence and 
 strong intellectual grasp, but for his fearlessness 
 in the performance of whatever he felt to be duty. 
 Two of the ladies, he discovered, were daughters 
 of his host. They struck him as pretty, lady- 
 like girls, but not nearly so beautiful and fas- 
 cinating as Lady Seymour and she seemed to be 
 drawn at once to him. There was a rare lighting 
 up of countenance as her son Lionel described 
 the mission hall, the speaker, and the motley 
 crowd listening with such rapt attention to his 
 words. 
 
 "I wish you could have been there, mother. 
 
■ 
 
 230 the; master of deeplawn 
 
 Some day when he talks to them we must go to- 
 gether. ' ' 
 
 "I shall be most glad to go," she said, heartily. 
 
 Alan looked his surprise. 
 
 "To such a place!" he exclaimed. "Surely 
 you would not think of it?" 
 
 " My mother is not afraid of anything. She is 
 as well known in Whitechapel as in Mayfair, I -. , 
 
 believe ; indeed, her heart is more interested in 
 the former place, I am sure." 
 
 There was reverence as well as admiration in 
 the look Alan bent upon her, but he was silent. 
 She met his glance and iustiuctively felt that just 
 then silence was the highest compliment that he 
 could pay her. 
 
 " I am very glad you and my son are friends," 
 she said, earnestly. 
 
 A warm flush crept into his face as he bowed 
 his thanks, but was again silent. The conversa- 
 tion then became general, but i\lan still remained 
 near her ladyship aud she seemed pleased with his 
 mute admiration. When dinner was announced 
 he took the eldest daughter and sat beside her, 
 but still his attention was divided with the 
 mother. 
 
 When they returned to the drawing room, lyionel 
 said to him, jokingly : " Have you fallen in love 
 with my mother? I never saw you so devoted 
 to a lady before." 
 
 ■ 
 
LIFE AT OXFORD 
 
 231 
 
 " I certainly have fallen in love, bnt it is the 
 love I would have given my own mother if I had 
 known her ; I never realized so keenly my loss as 
 I do to-day." 
 
 " I shall tell my mother some time, what you 
 say. I believe too, she has taken you into her 
 heart. She does not often treat strangers as she 
 has you to-night." 
 
 " There is no need for explanation or protesta- 
 tion when there is genuine friendship." 
 
 "What a philosopher! When I like anyone 
 particularly I want to tell them so, and have a 
 compact of mutual friendship." 
 
 " You never made any such arrangement with 
 
 me 
 
 )} 
 
 " Well, no, there did not seem any necessity. 
 I felt I could trust you without a formal under- 
 standing on the subject." 
 
 " I can do the same with her ladyship, your 
 mother. ' ' 
 
 " Women are different from us in that respect. 
 You have no idea how inquisitive they are about 
 the way their friends regard them. I fancy you 
 have not had much experience with womankind, 
 their ways and peculiarities." 
 
 " I have not, neither have I felt my loss very 
 keenly until to-day ; but if I had a friend among 
 women, I would want her to understand that I 
 cared for her always, no matter if I never told her 
 

 232 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 SO. Indeed, it seems to me it would only weaken 
 the bond connecting us if it were necessary for 
 me to repeat the assurances of my regard." 
 
 " I most devoutly hope some good woman will 
 snare you before long ; you will find yourself in a 
 new world, where all your preconceived philoso- 
 phies and axioms will avail you nothing. lUit we 
 seem determined to fall into argument on this 
 topic to-day. You must hear my sister Lucia play. 
 I noticed you did not seem to get on ver}' inti- 
 mate terms duriny: dinner. She is next best to mv 
 mother, only it takes a long time to find her out. 
 She is as much like a sphinx as yourself, I be- 
 lieve." 
 
 Lionel went to his sister, and a moment after 
 she followed him to the piano. Alan drew near. 
 He liked nmsic, but he was fastidious about that, 
 as well as many other things. 
 
 " It seems to me I can tell what suits you in the 
 way of music," Lionel said, as he turned over a 
 pile. At last he lifted a folio and placing it ])e- 
 fore his sister, said : " This will suit the day, and 
 I think the audience as well." 
 
 It was selections from the oratorios of several of 
 the great masters. Lucia struck the opening bars. 
 Alan failed to recognize the composition, as he 
 was not deeply versed in musical lore, but he had 
 a large capacity for the enjoyment of superior 
 music. 
 
 J. 
 
UFE AT OXFORD 
 
 ^33 
 
 He glanced at the player, the first time he had 
 looked at her closely. Her face was in profile, fine 
 and clearly cnt as a cameo, with exqnisite coloriiicr. 
 While she played it brightened, and a look of con- 
 scions power took the place of the girlish timidity 
 that had at first strnck him as her characteristic 
 expression. She now looked more like her 
 mother, or as her mother might have looked 
 five and twenty years before. 
 
 Alan found himself more interested in the mu- 
 sician than the music, and was slightlv confused 
 when at the end of the selection Lionel turned to 
 him and said : 
 
 " Don't you think Lucia interprets the thought 
 of the master very well for a girl ?''' 
 
 " That is not fair ; as if girls could not compre- 
 hend the best things," Lucia said, playfully. 
 
 "It is your age, dear, and not your sex, that I 
 refer to. Remember, youth is something you will 
 very quickly get over." 
 
 ^" May we have some more music? " Alan pleaded. 
 There was a novel fascination for him in watch- 
 ing the girlish face lighting up and the eyes dilat- 
 ing. It was tliis more than the music 'itself in 
 which he was interested. 
 
 It seemed they were lovers of music, for Lionel 
 kept turning the leaves to new music while she 
 obediently translated the score into fine harmony. 
 Alan had never before realized what home life 
 
:/ 
 
 234 "THK MASTER OF DEKPI.AWN 
 
 meant. He felt his respect for Ivionel Seymour 
 growing- stronger as he thought : Surely it must 
 be a sacrifice to leave this charming circle, and go 
 clown among the degraded and unhappy; to climb 
 dismal attic stairs and kneel beside some trem- 
 bling, dying creature, dreading the final plunge 
 into awful futurity, and yet sick unto death of the 
 world he is leaving. 
 
 The music ceased, when he turned impetuously 
 to Lionel and said : 
 
 " You make me ashamed of myself. I never 
 could tear myself away from a fireside like this, 
 and go where we have been to-day." 
 
 " Yes, you would. Do you know it was some 
 words of yours that first made me think about my 
 life, what it was, and what it might be ? That is 
 why you are more to me in some ways than any 
 other man in the world." 
 
 Lucia was standing near, her face still lighted, 
 her eyes shining through a suspicion of tears. 
 Alan turned slightly awa}'. What had been said, 
 following close upon the thoughts that had been 
 smoulderincr in his heart, had sent the ho', blood 
 mounting to his temples. Lionel went on, after 
 a rather constrained silence, to say : 
 
 " It never occurred to me to make this confes- 
 sion to you before. It did not seem necessary ; for 
 you always impress me as so complete in yourself, 
 words of praise or blame are alike to you." 
 
' 
 
 I.IFK AT OXFORD 
 
 235 
 
 Alan turned to Lucia and said : 
 " Your brother scarcely gives me my due. I do 
 not think any one could enjoy praise from friendly 
 lips more than I ; my life has been a singularly 
 lonely one, especially in regard to kindred." 
 
 "That is the reason some of our wags have 
 dubbed you Melchizedek ; we never heard >-ou 
 mention the existence of a single human being 
 connected with you by the tie of blood." 
 
 " As I told you before, to-day, I have no near 
 relatives save a brother, and he is hopelessly in- 
 sane." 
 
 ^ Lucia looked excedingly shocked, which Alan 
 did not fail to observe, but if she could have 
 known what an effort it was on the part of their 
 guest to make the confession, that was to him so 
 dreadful and yet seemed so imperative, she would 
 have been still more so. 
 
 " My dear fellow, don't mention it." 
 " Well, I told you the very worst ; it only seemed 
 honorable that I should do so." 
 
 The brother and sister exchanged expressive 
 glances, but they were lost upon Alan, for just 
 then he was busy studying the pattern of the rug 
 at his feet. 
 
 The hour was getting late and it was time for 
 him to leave. He was wishing most devoutly 
 that this was a middle-class family where etiquette 
 was not so rigid. He longed to come here for a 
 
II 
 
 ! t 
 i I 
 
 236 THE MASTER OF DEEPI.AWN 
 
 few hours every time he came up to Loudou; 
 pnjbably that would then be oftener than ever. 
 
 To his deep satisfaction, when he was taking 
 his leave, an invitation to repeat his visit was as 
 cordially extended as if he had been going from a 
 peasant's cottage. 
 
I 
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 ANTICIPATIONS 
 
 A LAN returned to Oxford the followin<r nioni- 
 -^^ ing^ with his mental horizon considerably 
 widened. 
 
 He had never reahzed before how rich life niioht 
 be ; what varied sources of happiness God in his 
 love had provided for man. He talked with Sey- 
 mour about it, for they occupied the same com- 
 partment, when at last the latter burst out : 
 
 " Why, Rivers, I should say you had fallen in 
 love with Lucia, only that I know it is impos- 
 sible." 
 
 Alan orave him a keen, surprised look, and then 
 said, dryly : 
 
 " Yes, I know such a thing should be impos- 
 sible, but we are not always able to control our 
 wishes." 
 
 "But — " Lionel hesitated, and then pushing 
 boldly on said, "you misunderstand me. I mean 
 that you are not one to fall in love so suddenly ; 
 you are too much of a philosopher for such weak- 
 ness ; and then Lucia seems only a child." 
 
 Alan was silent ; forgetting his promise of the 
 previous day, he would not talk over this perplex- 
 
 237 
 
238 THE MASTKR OF DRKPLAWN 
 
 r HI 
 
 iii<^, torturiiig phantasy that had seized liiiii, so 
 ||||! stranj^'e and different from any experience h.e had 
 
 ever known, bnt holding possibilities of happiness 
 or bitterness that were bewildering-. 
 
 I^ionel waited for him to say something fnrther, 
 but Alan turned his face to the window, and was 
 apparently absorbed in the landscape. At last 
 Ivionel broke the silence by asking : 
 
 " When shall we see you again in London?" 
 
 " I cannot say." 
 
 " My mother bade me ask you to stay with us 
 the next time you came." 
 
 " Your mother is very kind, but " he hesi- 
 tated. 
 
 " There can be no buts. My mother has 
 taken a strong liking for you. However, she 
 did not bid me convey that piece of information 
 to you." 
 
 " I may not go to London again until we sail 
 for America. You will not fail me in that?" 
 There was a boyish eagerness in face and voice ..3 
 he made the request. 
 
 " I shall certainly not fail you, life and health 
 permitting. My mother is charmed with the idea, 
 and has half promised to come over in the fall to 
 return with us." 
 
 "And your sister, will she come too? I think 
 she would like Deeplawn and our boys." 
 
 Lionel shot a keen glance into the eager face, 
 
ANTICIPATIONS 
 
 239 
 
 and read tlierc what the otiier scarcely understood 
 as yet. 
 
 "Very probably niy sisters will both 00. I 
 know they will be wild to do so, when I convey 
 to them your very kind invitation. My mother 
 always takes them with her when she is travelini,^ 
 vShe is their head teacher, althou-h tliey have 
 tutors besides. My mother is very strong on edu- 
 cation." 
 
 Lionel noticed that the depression, which had 
 at first puzzled him, now quite gave way to un- 
 usual exuberance of spirits, but he also found it 
 useless to press any further the question of anotlier 
 visit to his home. He asked at last : 
 
 "Wliat did you mean when von spoke about 
 your boys at Deeplawn ? They cannot be brothers 
 or nephews?" 
 
 " No, they are of different nationalities, and no 
 relation to me except through our common 
 brotherhood. I have Irish, German, Italian, and 
 our native-born American, represented there." 
 
 "Where did you get them, and what are vou 
 doing with them ? " 
 
 "I picked them up while I was at Brown. 
 They are genuine 'shimmers ' from the most de- 
 graded parts of Providence. I began with thirteen, 
 but some have gotten into other homes, and some' 
 have gone back to the depths from which I tried 
 to draw them. The others I have scattered ainoncr 
 
I 
 
 i! 
 
 240 THE MASTKR OF DEKPLAWN 
 
 the work-people on iny property. I am wanting 
 to make farmers of them all. Indeed, if I can 
 accomplish it, I want some day to take a whole 
 colony ont into the far West. I am negotiatin<^ 
 now for a large tract of government land for the 
 purpose." 
 
 "Why do you want to make them all farmers?'' 
 
 " A good many have wild blood in their veins, 
 and a strong temptation to evil through heredity. 
 I believe there is no calling so safe for such as the 
 agricultural. I am trying to work on scientific 
 principles, and not to blunder any more than is 
 necessary in the dark, but to make every penny 
 expended bring its equivalent in helpfulness to 
 somebody." 
 
 " Upon my word, you are experimenting in 
 philanthropy on a rather large scale. Why have 
 you never told any of us what you are doiug?" 
 
 " I did not think any of you were especially in- 
 formed on such work. Perhaps I have made a 
 mistake, however; in the multitude of counsellors 
 there may be larger wisdom gained." 
 
 " I did not mean that we could advise with you 
 in your midertaking, but we could admire aud 
 appreciate your generous endeavors." 
 
 Alan smiled as he said, playfully : 
 
 " That would not help me any. I make myself 
 content to work without other commendation than 
 that which comes from the conscience." 
 
ANTICIPATIONS 
 
 241 
 
 " Yon are an entire commonwealth in yonrself, 
 I see. You must come with me to London during 
 the Easter holidays at the farthest, for I want 
 my mother to hear all about those boys of yours, 
 and your Western colony that is to be. You may 
 be sure that now she will accept your invitation 
 to visit you in America. Those boys will take 
 her, if nothing else would. How she will mother 
 the poor fellows! You have no idea what a wide, 
 motherly heart she has for such waifs and strays. 
 I often have glimpses of the great love of God 
 through that of my mother." 
 
 There were tears in the young man's eyes as he 
 spoke, making Alan realize afresh how much he 
 had missed through the loss of his mother, and, 
 indeed, all the tender, gracious ministries of cul- 
 tivated Christian womanhood. Mrs. Dixon and 
 her staff of housemaids, for anything save attend- 
 ance on his material comforts, were no better than 
 so many lay figures, while occasional gatherings 
 in fashionable drawing rooms gave him little 
 chance to study the higher types of wonu nhood. 
 
 He plunged more eagerly than ever into study 
 now. There was so much to win, as well as to 
 accomplish for others. To make himself, by 
 supremest efforts of intellect and will, as complete 
 in character and mental development as he was 
 capable of becoming, was his aim. The world 
 seemed so full of possibilities, not merely for per- 
 
 Q 
 
] 
 
 243 THK MASTKR OF DKKPLAWN 
 
 sonal development, but for service, he felt every 
 hour as it came was freighted with promise. Life 
 appeared to him so superbly rich in its manifold 
 gifts, if he were only brave and true enough to 
 grasp it in all its completeness. While he recog- 
 nized all its uncertainties and possibilities of 
 anguish, he also realized that out of them might 
 come development that no success or enjoyment 
 could ever bring. So he was able calmly to front 
 whatever the future might hold, strengthened by 
 his confidence in the infinite wisdom to which he 
 had entrusted everything. 
 
 Easter came and went, but he did not go up to 
 lyondon; he was perfectly conscious of a very 
 strong drawing in that direction, but there were 
 difficulties in the way of a further acquaintance 
 that time and circumstance might or miofht not 
 remove. In case it should be the latter, the better 
 it would be for his peace of mind to see as little 
 as possible of one who might have it in her power 
 to test his philosophy very fully. 
 
 The time came, however, when he must make 
 the visit or else appear ungrateful. Another 
 college year had closed. The splendid ceremo- 
 nies, when the hundreds of students year after 
 year complete their courses, had passed b\-. 
 Lionel Seymour was among these, and, with no 
 particular work awaiting him he, with the others, 
 was glad this portion of his life was closed. lie 
 
ANTICIPATIONS 
 
 243 
 
 was just now full of enthusiasm over the journey 
 to America with Alan, which they were to begin 
 in a few days. 
 
 xAlan had consented to accompany him as far 
 as London in order that he might, in person, in- 
 vite Lady Seymour and her daughters to Deei> 
 lawn. He had been so reticent about his other 
 visit that Lionel had well-nigh forgotten his sus- 
 picions, or concluded that he had mistaken ad- 
 miration for a deeper sentiment. 
 
 They reached home in the late twilight. Lionel 
 had fully expected his mother and sister to be 
 present with his father to witness his graduating 
 honors, but a slight illness had prevented his 
 mother from coming. They found her able to 
 receive them, although looking somewhat frail. 
 Alan could not help coveting the welcome that 
 awaited his friend, his mother and sisters seemed 
 so proud of the limited honors he had been able 
 to win. 
 
 " I do not know what you would have done if I 
 had got on as well as my friend Rivers," Lionel 
 said, modestly disclaiming their lavish praises. 
 
 " If I had any one to be so proud of any success 
 I might win, that alone would be better than the 
 honors," Alan said, feeling there was no one in the 
 wide world who would be particularly gladdened 
 or grieved over what he might accomplish or leave 
 undone. 
 
li.V '! 
 
 I 
 
 244 the: master of deeplawn 
 
 " You would have much more than your share 
 if, with all your honors and successes, you had an 
 admiring family circle to welcome their conquer- 
 .,_ , ing hero," was the laughing rejoinder. 
 
 " And without that admiring circle to remind 
 you of what you have been able to accomplish, 
 you will soon forget your honors, and go on to 
 fresh achievements. Is not thaf so?" I^ady Sey- 
 mour asked, kindly. 
 
 "It maybe. One must fi^.l one's heart with 
 something." 
 
 " Your heart, I should say, was overflowing 
 already," Lionel said. "Do you know, mother, 
 he has a whole colony of boys under his wing? I 
 tell him they alone will be sufficient attraction to 
 draw you to America." 
 
 "I do not think I shall need even as much as 
 that. I\Iy physicians order a sea voyage as soon 
 as I am able to travel. They spoke very favorably 
 of a trip to America. If you and Mr. Rivers will 
 undertake to look after us while we are there, we 
 shall feel perfectly safe to start out alone. Sir 
 Thomas has a great dislike to a long sea voyage ; 
 even the trip from Dover to Calais tries his nerves 
 severely." She seemed anxious to explain to 
 Alan why they undertook so long a journey un- 
 attended. 
 
 "Shall we not wait for you?" Alan asked, 
 eagerly. 
 
ANTICIPATIONS 
 
 245 
 
 "It is not necessary. I^ionel could not content 
 himself, I fear. " 
 
 "If you desire it, mother, I will certainly wait 
 for you." His face expressed his real sentiments 
 more truthfully than his words. 
 
 "No, Ivionel, I will not accept that sacrifice. I 
 shall not be well enough to leave for some time, 
 and then we shall have the joy of looking for 
 your faces among the crowd when we reach the 
 land. It will be something to anticipate." 
 
 She did not know the pleasure it gave her guest 
 to hear her use the plural, neither had she any 
 idea with what eagerness he too would be antici- 
 pating that meeting amid the crowd on the Cunard 
 wharf at East Boston. He was naturally shy with 
 ladies. To-night he was more so than usual. 
 Lucia and Maude wondered that Lionel should 
 see so much to admire in one so quiet, and yet 
 they too recognized some rare charm about him, 
 more easily experienced than described. 
 
 Sir Thomas joined them later, and then the 
 experiences of the last few days were recounted. 
 Alan noticed that Lady Seymour and her daugh- 
 ters were as much inclined as any one to make 
 heroes of the men who had taken double first 
 honors in their respective colleges; while she and 
 Sir Thomas went over the family histories of 
 those whom they knew, speculating how this or 
 that one had suddenly developed intellectual 
 
246 
 
 THE MASTER OF D?:KPLAWN 
 
 powers not usual in his family. He was amused 
 at the persistence with which Lady Seymour en- 
 deavored to trace tiieir pedigree back to some re- 
 mote maternal ancestress who had a turn for 
 literary pursuits, generally with some success. 
 
 "One needs to have brains on his mother's 
 side, near or remote, if he would amount to 
 much intellectually, in my wife's estimation," 
 Sir Thomas said, laughingly. " Slie holds us 
 fathers very lightly indeed in those matters." 
 
 " No one has ever heard me express such a 
 mutinous thought," she said, brightly. 
 
 " My dear, the dullest of mortals could read it 
 between the lines ; but, remember, I do not wish 
 to deny your theory. My own children will be 
 more clever if they take after their mother." 
 
 "That is a very gracious concession, Lady Sey- 
 mour," Alan said. 
 
 " My mother is well used to those concessions," 
 Ivucia remarked, quietly. 
 
 " But they do not spoil her. We can never 
 make her understand her actual worth, no matter 
 how profuse we may be with our compliments," 
 Lionel said, with a fond look into the lovely face 
 smiling so tenderly upon him. 
 
 " Shall we turn the conversation ? Mr. Rivers 
 will be surfeited with the enumeration of my ex- 
 cellencies. W^ seem to reckon him as one of 
 ourselves, it seems to me." 
 
 I 
 
ANTICIPATIONS 
 
 247 
 
 a 
 
 A quick look of pleasure flashed from his face, 
 and she remembered that he had no near kindred, 
 and to be treated in that way by Lionel's family 
 would probabl}- please rather than annoy him. - 
 
 Alan was amazed when Ivionel pointed to his 
 watch. 
 
 " Do you know that a to-morrow is just upon 
 us ? Only three or four minutes of this notable day 
 remain." 
 
 Alan took out his own watch to convince 
 Lionel that he was wrong, but that too, proved 
 that the evening must soon be a memory. Lucia 
 then went to the piano, the evening hymn was 
 sung, Lionel led in prayer, and the good-nights 
 were spoken, thus ending one of the happiest 
 evenings of Alan's life. 
 
 >) 
 
CHAPTER XX 
 
 WYNDHURST 
 
 LIONEL begged for a week before leaving for 
 America. He was anxious to go down to 
 Hampshire for a few days, to their conntry seat, 
 and show Alan the honse that had sheltered the 
 Seymours for six hundred years; where the barons 
 of the olden time had held high festival with the 
 neighboring gentry and their own retainers. Here 
 brides had come in their dewy youth, spent their 
 brief term and then, aged and wrinkled dames, 
 had passed to the other world, leaving behind 
 them as tokens of their individual selves only a 
 faded portrait in the gallery and nothing more. 
 
 Here boys and girls for twenty generations had 
 indulged their dreams of valor and of happiness, 
 and now were themselves scarcelv memories, so 
 poor a record does this world keep of the most of 
 its sons and daughters. 
 
 Alan was charmed with the prospect of visiting 
 this old baronial hall and willingly postponed his 
 journey for the purpose. 
 
 Lionel was anxious to have his sisters accom- 
 pany them. 
 
 *' It will be gloomy in the old house without 
 248 
 
WYNDHURST 
 
 249 
 
 some nrirlisli faces to brigliteii it," he pleaded. 
 But his mother, with her keen sense of the fitness 
 of thiiicrs, was not willing to let them, unless she 
 herself acconipanfed them, and this, in her present 
 health, was impossible. 
 
 " Madame .Malet will come then," he suggested. 
 She was the French governess and a stickler for 
 the proprieties ; but Madame did not approve any 
 more than her ladyshij), so the young men went 
 off alone. 
 
 Alan was sensitive enough to wonder, if he had 
 been to the manner born, would my lady have 
 been so strict ; but he did not let the troublesome 
 fancy long affect his spirits. Lionel telegraphed 
 for a team to meet them some twenty miles from 
 Wyndhurst, so that they might enjoy the drive 
 tlirough country lanes and among the hills. They 
 reached the Hall in the late afternoon. The 
 approach to it was through a mile-long avenue of 
 elms and oaks, with glimpses tlirough the trees of 
 park and meadow fair enough, almost, for a world 
 where sin had never entered. As they drove 
 slowly along lyionel said : 
 
 "Do you blame me that I have no higher 
 ambition than to live here by-and-by with my 
 boys and girls, making my tenantry as happy as 
 I can, fulfilling both in letter and spirit the duty 
 of the country squire? I will not, of course, con- 
 fine myself to this, but do also what lies in my 
 
250 
 
 TIIK MASTKR OK DEEPLAWN 
 
 ^i^ 
 
 power to help the erring and wretched to a better 
 lite." 
 
 '' It is, no doubt, a cheerful outlook into the 
 future ; but you must first make sure it is your 
 only callini^," Alan said, gravely. 
 
 "There must be the rich and poor, the high and 
 the lowly. Is not that a necessity in the polity of 
 this planet?" Lionel asked, a trifle anxiously. 
 " You know Christ said, ' Render unto Ca.\sar the 
 things that are Ctesar's.' " 
 
 "He also commanded the rich young ruler to 
 leave all and follow him." 
 
 "You are yourself very rich?" Lionel ques- 
 tioned. 
 
 "My income is large, but I am forced to stint 
 myself to make my yearly income and outlay 
 
 balance." 
 
 "May I ask whence the necessity for such 
 economy on your part ? " 
 
 " Conscience commands it." 
 
 " You do not sell all, as the young ruler was 
 commanded to do." 
 
 " For the excellent reason that my property 
 yields a larger income than funds otherwise in- 
 vested might do, and besides, it is safer." 
 
 " The command was given to sell and give it 
 up, if you remember," Lionel persisted, with a 
 
 smile. 
 
 " I have thought seriously about that too, but it 
 
WVNDHURST 
 
 251 
 
 seems to nie that I can be as safe an almoner of 
 my own means as any of the great relij^ious cor- 
 porations to wliicli I nn'o;ht entrnst it. My will is 
 made in case of death." 
 
 " Yon think of every tliin.!^s it seems to me. In 
 this case can I not do the same? Keep my 
 property, and nse my own discretion in the way 
 my o;ifts are bestowed ? Or rather, do that wlic-n I 
 come into fnll possession at my father's death." 
 
 " Von may have a o-otjd many years to live 
 before that takes place and yon will have oifts 
 nnoccnpied in the meantime. Conld yon not go 
 to India, or Africa, any place that men are sorely 
 needed, and accomplish before that time a splendid 
 work, revolntionize in some way a thonsand lives 
 which in God's sio^ht are as precions as onrs? 
 After that, there might be years of rest and enjoy- 
 ment for yon." 
 
 "Yes, and I might die in those poisonons 
 climates, and what then? This property wonld 
 pass into a distant branch of the family ; I am the 
 only hope of onr line of the Seymonrs." 
 
 " Take yonr wife with yon and send yonr boys 
 and girls home to yonr mother. She wonld train 
 them as well as yon conld." 
 
 " My promised wife wonld not consent to snch 
 a conrse." 
 
 "Have yon asked her?" 
 
 " Certainly not, it would be useless. She is the 
 
252 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 ill 
 
 dau<;liter of an earl, a brave, true girl, but not 
 willing to be a martyr by any means." 
 
 " If you ask her consent your duty will be done, 
 and .tlie responsibility will be with her. Pardon 
 me for being so insistent, but the conversation 
 was suggested by you. I am merely telling you 
 what I think." 
 
 '^ Would you be willing to go out and bury 
 yourself like that ? " Lionel asked. 
 
 " I have envied the men who had the call. God 
 knows there is, nothing I would like better, but 
 duty, and circumstances I cannot control, point in 
 another direction. I have given myself to God's 
 service, heart and soul, wherever he appoints." 
 
 Lionel was silent for some time, at last he said : 
 
 " I wish you could see Helen. If you could 
 be with her for a few days you might inspire her. 
 May I write her to come with my mother and 
 sisters to visit you in America?" 
 
 " With all my heart I extend the invitation, but 
 not with the expectation of influencing her, for 
 any call that I might give to such work would 
 not sustain her long amid the difficulties and lone- 
 liness of a foreign land." 
 
 " You might waken her interest; nine-tenths of 
 the Christian world, it seems to me, are asleep. 
 Sometimes when I am talking with you, the old 
 question asked of the Master by his disciples 
 comes to me powerfully, * Who then can be 
 
WYNDHURST 
 
 253 
 
 of 
 
 >lcs 
 
 1)6 
 
 saved ? ' The answer given by him does not 
 quiet my conscience." 
 
 The carria*;e had readied tlie main entrance, 
 where a woman in bhick silk, with a couple wf 
 maids, were waitin,i>^ to welcome the younj^ master. 
 Alan ji^lanctd ea<^erly at the huj^e pile of stone. 
 Gloomy enough it seemed as it towered above 
 them, covered with ivy. The cenln^l part was 
 very ancient, he could see at once. Loophole 
 windows and frowning turrets confionted them 
 with no cheerful air of welcome, but there were 
 additions of a later date that had a mo z houRlike 
 appearance. 
 
 Ivionel spoke graciously to the women, and 
 introduced Alan to Mrs. Deems, the Lousekecper. 
 vShe was a heavy, stately sort of body, much more 
 impressed with the dignities of the house than by 
 the actual owners. She led tue way thrt)ugli a 
 long hall that ran all the way to the rear of the 
 building, some seventy feet or more. A veritable 
 museum it seemed to Alan as, in a swift glance, he 
 took in its stately proportions and vast collection 
 of interesting objects, ancient and modern. 
 
 ''This part of the house is my mother's favorite," 
 Lionel said, as he paused with Alan beside an 
 ancient coat of mail, its empty casque presenting 
 a more forbidding aspect than the most warlike 
 countenance. " I mean, this whole room," he 
 added, seeing Alan's look of surprise thut this 
 
Wi wvm Mom^^ 
 
 254 
 
 THK MASTER OF DP:EPLAWN 
 
 relic of five hundred years ago should have a 
 special charin for one so gentle. 
 
 "I believe this place is full of people for her. 
 When she came here a bride, she had at first a 
 horror of it, and not until I was a little toddler at 
 her side, making bold with the armor my an- 
 cestors used to wear, and with their swords and 
 battle-axes, did she grow interested in them. She 
 has a vivid imagination, and has read and dreamed 
 so much about these old Seymours who have gone 
 to dust that they have become nearly like real 
 flesh and blood creatures to her. Lucia is much 
 the same. vShe is never so happy as at Wynd- 
 hurst. ]\Iy father tells her she must never marry 
 unless her husband can take her to some such 
 home. I tell her nothing short of ducal halls, 
 with histories ranging back a thousand years or 
 more, will satisfy her. She has such an alert 
 mind, our few hundreds of years of antiquity are 
 scarcely enough for her." 
 
 Alan turned abruptly away and began studying 
 a jeweled sword that once was borne by Warwick, 
 the king-maker. lyionel soon interrupted him. 
 
 "We must get ready for dinner. Mrs. Deems 
 says everything is done to a turn. I have ordered 
 our rooms adjoining in the older part of the house. 
 We have a traditionary ghost or two there, and I 
 thought you might like to form their acquaint- 
 ance, if their ghostships are so disposed." 
 
WYNDIIURST 
 
 255 
 
 M 
 
 " It will be deli<^htfiil, but I am afraid — 
 
 Lionel interrupted him. 
 
 " How can it be delightful, if you are afraid ?" 
 he said, laughing. 
 
 "I was going to add, lam afraid they won't 
 favor me with an interview." 
 
 '• I am very sorry we have no way of stirring 
 them up, and I am of the opinion they have left us 
 altogether. There has been no complaint laid 
 against them since my mother came. Fresh ser- 
 vants may have had something to do with it. 
 She did not care for the service when she came, 
 and pensioned all of them, bringing in a new sup- 
 ply. It was no doubt more modern and comfort- 
 able ; but, as a boy, there was nothing I enjoyed 
 better than a visit to the garrulous old creatures 
 to get them talking of the traditions and ghosts 
 of Wyndhurst." 
 
 They had now reached the rooms appropriated 
 to them on the second floor. There was a bright 
 fire burning in each, which was a necessity be- 
 cause of the dampness. The tiny windows let in 
 such broken rays of light, that the fires, shedding 
 a cheery glow, quite eclipsed the sunshine. There 
 was only a dressing room dividing their rooms, 
 which Lionel planned they were to share in 
 common. 
 
 "This is splendid," Alan said, heartily, as he 
 stood surveying the quaint, antique appointments 
 
1,1 
 
 256 
 
 THK MASTER OF DKKl'UAWN 
 
 of his room. "How can I entertain you at Dce|)« 
 lawn after tliis? But renicni])er, we Americans 
 are only boys yet ; five hundred years hence we 
 may have old houses, ghosts, traditions, and all." 
 
 "You have sonietliin<i; vastly better than the-e 
 now, «^rand-souled men and women, who come 
 over here and stir us up as with a trumpet-call. 
 We will gladly lend you our old houses and tradi- 
 tions if you will help us with your noble work- 
 ers." 
 
 "But none of you would care to go over there 
 for life and leave behind you these treasures of b)- 
 gone days," Alan said, a little sadly. "I mean 
 those who own such things inherit them from 
 long lines of vanished ancestors." 
 
 ''One does get attached to such things; they 
 pass down from father to son as much as the in- 
 herited physical or moral traits ; but some do not 
 seem to hold them very dear. Now and then a 
 scion of our old no])ility tries to escape from it 
 all and plunges into frontier life in Australia, 
 seeking to hide even his identity as he herds his 
 sheep and cattle and looks in the rosy faces of his 
 peasant boys and girls." 
 
 " It is only our own sex that does that," Alan 
 said, taking up an ancient vase and examining it 
 critically. 
 
 The dinner bell rang, and they were forced to 
 hurry with their limited toilets, else Mrs. Deems' 
 
WYNDIIURST 
 
 257 
 
 Ian 
 it 
 
 to 
 
 lUS 
 
 careful! y prepared dinner mij^ht be spoiled. They 
 retired early, after a brief hour or two spent in the 
 library and a short stroll ; but when the niornin,!^ 
 broke Alan was astir. The views from those win- 
 dows were so tantalizing that, leaving Lionel still 
 sl^ eping, he had an hour's walk in the park before 
 breakfast, besides a glance at the "Times" and 
 his own mail, which had been forwarded. 
 
 They had a busy and, to Alan, most enjoyable 
 day. There was so much to see, the gathered 
 treasures of so many years, the labor of so many 
 busy and artistic hands. 
 
 "What industrious creatures they were, and 
 how painstaking ! " Alan could not help exclaim- 
 ing over and over again. "They shame us of the 
 present da\'. We do our work by machinery. 
 Only inventors and the artisans who put their 
 inventions to practical use, do much real work." 
 
 " They had so much more leisure time than we. 
 Life was longer because there was not so much 
 ground to be covered. It makes me feel like a 
 pauper when I think what there is to be done 
 now, and how little time we have to accomplish 
 it," Lionel said, with great regret to think that, 
 with all his wealth, he was no richer in time than 
 the humblest stable boy at Wyndhurst. In the 
 portrait gallery Alan lingered a good while, and 
 several times returned to study these faces, some 
 of them with such marked characteristics. 
 
 u 
 
'I 
 
 25*^ 
 
 THrC MASTKK OI< UKKl'LAWN 
 
 " I can see your face here, or rather, I j^et 
 glimpses of it now and again. Sometimes it looks 
 out from a canvas centuries old. There is a 
 strong individuality through all your family like- 
 nesses." 
 
 Alan was standing before a full-length portrait 
 of a Sir Charles Seymour, who had walked the 
 stage of life some two hundred years before. 
 Lionel, as he looked at his ancestor some five re- 
 moves away, was also struck by a likeness to his 
 own father. 
 
 "I never noticed it before," he said, with evi- 
 dent pleasure. " Our family history tells us he 
 was one of the noblest in all our line." 
 
 Alan looked at it thoughtfully for a while, then 
 turning to Lionel, he said : 
 
 "It is enough to sober one when we think that 
 our characters may affect those who come after us 
 centuries hence. I have had the curtain of futur- 
 ity drawn back farther to-day than ever before, 
 through these pictured faces looking at us out of 
 the past. I do not wonder that you Englishmen 
 rise to such levels when you have so much to up- 
 lift you." 
 
 " We have some terribly poor specimens among 
 our ancient families, I assure you." 
 
 " Dame Nature takes a breathing spell once in a 
 while; she does not seem capable of heroic work 
 for very long periods. I cannot help thinking so 
 
WYNDHURST 
 
 259 
 
 now and then, when I see the bim-Hng work she 
 makes of some men and women." 
 
 '' That is shifting the responsibility from human 
 shoulders, is it not ? " Lionel asked. " Sometimes 
 I am afraid it is man alone who does the bun- 
 ghn or. We are all to blame. " 
 
 " I try not to think that always. I see so many 
 marred specimens, I try to believe that in some 
 way out of seeming ill, there will come ultimate 
 good." 
 
 '' I see you are a student of Tennyson." 
 " I am inclined to believe that our truest phi- 
 losophy is taught by the poets ; theirs is nearest 
 the prophetic office of any of our latter-dax- writ- 
 ers. But let us come back to practical affairs. I 
 want to look over your estate ; I mav learn some- 
 thing that will help me when I plant my Western 
 colony." 
 
 They went out together, and for the rest of that 
 day Alan was busy among ditches and plowmen 
 examining the appointments of the laborers' cot- 
 tages, and trying to learn everything that could 
 possibly help him in the judicious planning of 
 that promised experiment for the betterment of 
 boys and girls of whose existence he was still 
 ignorant. 
 
il 
 
 CHAPTER XXI 
 
 WHITKCIIAPKL 
 
 THEY returned to London on Saturday. They 
 were anxious to be together on the Sabbath 
 at Westminster Abbey and in Whitechapel, for 
 they had decided to take the two extremes ,of re- 
 ligious service. 
 
 A very eloquent divine was expected to preach 
 in the morning in Westminster Abbey. Tlie 
 afternoon was to be devoted entirely to slum 
 work. Alan was better pleased to have the entire 
 day occupied. He was strong-fibered enough to 
 do his work without asking impatiently for the 
 crowning blessing of every true man's life, the 
 love of the woman he fain would win. The visit 
 to Wyndhurst had accentuated the differences 
 between his life and Lucia's. He was glad she 
 was coming to America, but no stress of passionate 
 affection would tempt him to tell her what she 
 had unconsciously won. Perhaps it was better 
 there should be obstacles in the way that could not 
 be overcome, for his was but one life, his joy of 
 heart a unit only among a hundred other hearts 
 that he might make glad if he himself and his 
 means were devoted solely to that work. 
 260 
 
 
~r^ 
 
 WHITECHAPEU 261 
 
 As they rode along, for they took the twentN- 
 n .le. back ni the carriase, Lionel noticed Alan's 
 
 W> ndhnrst with so much re^^ret 
 " We sliall all be down hert- in the antnmn, and 
 
 )on can stay a eonple of weeks with ns on yonr 
 
 way to Oxford. We will start fron, An.eriea 
 
 earlier in order, to give von time " 
 
 "Yom visit tliere will be altogether too short 
 
 to see all that is worth seeing. We n.nst not on 
 
 any account curtail that." 
 
 " I want yon to see W>ndhurst at its best. You 
 
 have no idea what it is like when we are all there, 
 with a house full of visitors. We hax-e tennis and 
 all sorts of games, driving, boating, and sh„otiu... 
 i tell yon Rivers, yon have set me a hard task to 
 leave It all for years, and perhaps for life, to burv 
 "lyself ,„ the heart of Africa or In<lia " 
 , " I have not set you the task. Uv suggestion 
 KS worth nothing, unless another voice witTin yon 
 responds." ^ 
 
 Avi' \r' f""'^ ^^''^ '^ ^^^^'-^ ^»>' trouble lies. 
 Whe her the voiee is right or not, I cannot say ; 
 bnt Its call is the same as yonrs." 
 
 ''Yon must consnlt with yonr mother; I think 
 her spiritual intuitions are finer than ours " 
 
 " That will be putting her to a sore strait. Our 
 B^nghsh mothers have a very strong affection for 
 their sons, especially only sons." 
 
(•I I 
 
 262 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 Wlicn Lionel met his mother she chided him 
 for loiteriiig^ so long at Wyndhurst. 
 
 " You must blame my friend Rivers, I believe 
 he would exchange all the splendid future that 
 his great western land offers him and become an 
 English country gentleman. He is charmed with 
 Wyndhurst. Every moss-grown stone from lintel 
 to tower seemed precious to him." 
 
 Lady Seymour looked pleased. 
 
 "You must see it under more favorable cir- 
 cumstances. I was afraid you would find it very 
 lonely." 
 
 " I would rather not learn to like the place any 
 better. It will be safer for me to avoid it in 
 future." 
 
 " We cannot permit that. I hope to see ytii 
 very frequently, both there and here in our town 
 residence. Wyndhurst is home ; here we are onh* 
 in residence. I have a fancy I should like to 
 have a pleasant family group there, with Mr. ^ 
 
 Rivers to read to us as we sit at work. My 
 daughters and I are doing some tapestries that 
 our friends are kind enough to admire, and I 
 should like to work in some figures to your read- 
 ing from some favorite author. Very likely we | 
 should find a similarity of tastes also." 
 
 " The picture you draw is very attractive. It 
 will be a happy fancy with me to believe it may 
 one day become a reality," Alan said, with a 
 
 i 
 
WHITKCHAPKU 
 
 263 
 
 It 
 
 sudden lightincT of countenance. Why nii.oht he 
 not sun himself in tliis woman's rare kindHness? 
 Surely he could remember at all times what was 
 due hiuiself and another. 
 
 The reuiainder of the day passed only too 
 swiftly. There was music, and a hh of choice 
 readin.ir too, for Lady Se>inour diviiierl tliat Alan 
 had exceptional elocutionary powers, and soon they 
 .vere by turns lau«,diiucr and cryin.i,r as he made 
 selections from the various authors with whom he 
 was intimately acquainted, and whose writin<^^s he 
 found on the bookshelves around them. 
 
 The next day they went in a body to West- 
 niinster Abbey. The preacher, who was a hi-h 
 dic^niitary in the church, was equal to their expcc- 
 tation. Alan wondered at his own exceeding 
 content as he sat by Lucia durincr the service^ 
 accepting her help sometimes in following its 
 intricacies. 
 
 At luncheon Lionel expressed his regret that 
 his mother was not well enough to accompany 
 them on their rounds to mission halls and sick- 
 beds. Lucia looked up eao-erlv : 
 
 .Alay I not go in your stead, mamma ? Air. 
 Rivers and Lionel will take good care of me." 
 
 ^ Lionel joined his entreaties, but Alan was silent, 
 his eyes bent steadily on his plate; he was afraid 
 to glance in her direction, lest she nn'ght too 
 plainly read his wish. He did not know her lady- 
 
264 
 
 THK MASTER OF DHKl'LAWN 
 
 -:| 
 
 ill 
 
 ship was waitiii^;^ for him to speak. At last she 
 said : 
 
 " If Mr. Rivers does not think it a trouble to 
 have you. Remember, a young girl cannot make 
 her way so easily as the gentlemen." 
 
 " We will promise to take the very best possible 
 care of her if you will only trust her with us." 
 Alan tried to speak lightly, but his voice trembled 
 with suppressed eagerness in spite of himself. 
 
 " Then it is settled, little sister. Remember 
 you nmst wear the very plainest hat and frock in 
 your possession. If you can make that sacrifice 
 we shall be delighted to have you." 
 
 " I promise. You will scarcely know me when 
 I appear dressed for the occasion. Mamma some- 
 times lets me accompany her, and I know just 
 what to wear," she said to Alan, half fearing that 
 he was still only partially willing to have her go. 
 
 " lyUcia has lu)lf a mind to join the Salvation 
 Army sometimes. Indeed she puzzles me with 
 her changing fancies. One day she is a pro- 
 nounced aristocrat, deeply in love with everything 
 pertaining to the peerage and the old nobility ; 
 the next thing I know she is ready to go out as a 
 missionary, or to join the amiy workers in White- 
 chapel. She really keeps us in a ferment with 
 her varying moods," Lady Seymour said, play- 
 fully. 
 
 Lucia lifted her eves in times to catch a lumi- 
 
WinTl'CIIAl'KL 
 
 265 
 
 nous olancc fioiii Alan. Was it because she was 
 somctinics \villiii<r to give herself to serve others 
 that he looked at her in that way, she won- 
 dered? 
 
 Without trying to defend herself, or in any way 
 disclaim these varying moods, she presently ex- 
 cused herself, and went to prepare for their round 
 of mission halls and tenement visitations. 
 
 When she returned in a serge suit that fitted 
 like a glove, but was still a marvel of plainness, 
 Alan wondered why womankind did not always 
 dress in that way. lyionel saw his intent look, 
 and asked : 
 
 "What do you think of our little missionary 
 now? When she gets into that costume I am 
 afraid her next step will be to take the veil, or 
 enter one of our Church of England sisterhoods. 
 She is just the one to go any length if she fancied 
 duty called that way." 
 
 "If my memory serves me it was only a few 
 days ago you told me that nothing short of a 
 dukedom would satisfy your sister's antiquarian 
 tastes," Alan remarked, dryly. He was not look- 
 ing at lyucia now, but was very intently study ing 
 a famous engraving that stood framed on an easel 
 at his side, 
 
 " That fancy passes away whenever she comes 
 up to London, for it is the traditions and relics of 
 Wyndhurst that stir it." 
 
2^.6 
 
 TIIK MASTER OF DKKPLAWN 
 
 it MM 
 
 I 
 
 Then I li()])c she will reiuaiu in London," 
 Alan said, inipnlsivcly. 
 
 "Is it not time we were startino^?" Lncia 
 asked witli heii^htened color. Soniethinj^ in 
 Alan's manner had qniekened her ])nlsc, and she 
 did not in any case enjoy being the topic of re- 
 mark. 
 
 " We will order the cariia,L;e. Yon can ride 
 most of the way," Lady Seymonr said. 
 
 ''Please, mannna, let ns take a tram and <^o 
 like every day workers. It seems like playing at 
 mission work to <;o in that style," Lncia pleaded, 
 for the time for^eltin.L'^ her recent shyness. 
 
 "Let me add m\ entreaties also," Alan nr^cd. 
 There was somethini^- very deli^htfnl in the pros- 
 pect of starting ont like common folk, hailing a 
 street car, and keeping Lncia nnder his care all 
 the rest of the day. 
 
 "Jnst as yon please," her huhship said, gra- 
 cionsly ; "hnt I am snre yon wonld be more com- 
 fortable in onr own carriage." 
 
 " I do not feel one bit like a self-denv. mission 
 worker this afternoon," Alan said, as they walked 
 I i>kly along the aristocratic street a few moments 
 later. 
 
 " lUii we shall do jnst as mnch good to those we 
 go among as if we felt it a very heavy cross. I am 
 snre if I lived in an attic, and was sick and alone, 
 1 shonld so mnch prefer bright, jo)ons faces to 
 
 i 
 
M 
 
 WHITKCIIAPKL 2^)7 
 
 look ill at inc occasionally, than people who catuc 
 just because their conscience drove theiu there." 
 Lucia seemed to have cau«;ht the infrction of 
 Alan's fine spirits. 
 
 "It does seem a ])ity for such a liapi)y creature 
 to be wasted on a duke, and spend her leisure 
 time studyiujL^ up his ancestors," Lionel said, mis- 
 chievously, as he looked down into the smiling, 
 happy face of his sister. 
 
 "What do you mean, Lionel? I am not goincr 
 to marry aii>l)ody. Please do not be<;iii to tease, 
 this perfect day," she pleaded, <;eritly. 
 
 Alan forgave Lionel on the spot, for having 
 drawn that assurance from his si>ter. 
 
 They soon entered a car, which chanced to be 
 a crowded one. Someone moved and gave Lucia 
 a seat, while Alan stood guard over her, (piite for- 
 getting Lionel, who was standing b\- rather for- 
 lornly. 
 
 y\rrived at the end of their jouriie\- 1)\ the car, 
 they i)lunged at once into the (kplhs, climbing 
 rotten staircases, going down into gloonn- cellars, 
 and now and again finding a nio'.nent's relief in 
 some more liumani/ed abode, where respectable 
 l)overty found shelter; but every place they en- 
 tered Lucia had visited before, and was welcomed 
 by the poor creatures in a way that cpiite amazed 
 Alan, who was unused to such demonstrations 
 from the people in the districts he had visited. 
 
^^51: 
 
 i 
 
 i^ 
 
 268 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 "Why do they all seem so glad to see you?" 
 he asked. 
 
 Lionel answered for her. 
 
 *'They have keen instincts, if nothino; else, and 
 they know she loves them and pities them; be- 
 sides, she has been coming here since she was a 
 child. Our mother had very peculiar ideas about 
 II j' the training of her children." 
 
 "Has your coming done them much good? I 
 noticed the whisky bottle in a good man\- places." 
 He spoke bluntly, but he too was in earnest about 
 helping them, and had his peculiar ideas. 
 
 "I sometimes tell mamma that it is little use 
 I helping them, for the money we give very often 
 
 goes for gin ; but what can we do?" IvUcia asked, 
 helplessly. 
 
 " Perhaps you will try my plan. I never give 
 such people a cent of nicv-y, except in the shape 
 of food or clothing, but I try other methods." 
 
 " What are they ? Pray advise us to some better 
 plans than we have yet tried. I get sadly low- 
 sj^irited after two or three hours spent here," Lucia 
 said, wearily. 
 
 ''We will drop into the next mission chapel 
 and rest. I promised your mother to take care of 
 you, and I fear I am not keeping my promise," 
 Alan said, a little ruefully. 
 
 They soon found seats in a quiet corner of a 
 great, gloomy church that had stood facing the 
 
WHITI'XHAPKI. 269 
 
 sill and misery of this hui^e city for at least two 
 centuries, and then Lucia repeated her request. 
 
 AUiu explained his methods fully. 
 
 " Let us coax maninia to try the same plan at 
 Wyndhurst," she exclaimed, eao^erly. 
 
 Lionel smiled. "What will our neighbors 
 say?" he asked. 
 
 ''They can only say it is a new fad of L:idy 
 Seymour. You know people are continually say- 
 ing that, and yet everybody admires and loves 
 her." 
 
 "And if she did something that her conscience 
 commanded, which they did not admire, what 
 then?" Alan asked, soberly. 
 
 " I think mamma is brave enough to dare public 
 opinion in order to be true to principle." 
 
 They sat in silence for some time. Then a 
 verger came to prepare the church for even-song, 
 and the young people withdrew. 
 
 '' Wliat shall we do next?" Lionel asked. 
 
 "Shall we not go to a mission service some- 
 wliere? We need not make any more visits to- 
 day. I have a fancy for sitting quietly and listen- 
 ing to you talking to our people," Lucia said, with 
 a glance specially directed to Alan. LioncPs de- 
 scription of that service weeks ago, when Alan 
 was talking to the crowd in one of the mission 
 halls, was still fresh in her memory. 
 
 "Ladies are permitted the same privileges there 
 
 . 
 
270 
 
 THK MASTER OK DKHI'LAWN 
 
 witli ourselves. In that respect mission work is 
 a lonj;- way nearer a perfected and jnst civilization 
 than the must decorons services. I too have a 
 stron.i; desire to hear a certain lady worker in these 
 parts talk to the people." Alan looked down at 
 her for an instant. With a qnick blnsh and 
 nervons lan<':li she said : 
 
 " I am not clever like yonr brilliant American 
 women. They set ns a very beantifnl example, 
 bnt the most of ns are either too slow or too dnll 
 to imitate them." 
 
 " If yon do not make the attempt yon will 
 never know what brilliant possibilities of speech 
 may be slumbering within yon." 
 
 They reached a mission hall where an nnkcmpt 
 crowd was p;-atliering. Alan had often been tliere 
 before, and some of the poor crentnres were quick 
 to recoijnize him, since several full and most en- 
 joyable dinners had fallen to them throuj^h his 
 generosity. The handshakings were hearty — per- 
 haps a dinner might be provided that very night. 
 Some of them were in sore need of it. The 
 leader at once recognized the disUngnished visit- 
 ors and pressed anxiously forward. The speakers 
 were few that day and of inferior quality ; if these 
 young men could be pressed into the service, wdiat 
 had promised to be a very indilTerent meeting 
 might prove an unusual snccess. 
 
 lyucia gratefully accepted the invitation to pre- 
 
wnrnxHAPHK 
 
 271 
 
 side at the organ. Her nerves had been in a 
 tremor ever sinee Alan suggested that she shonld 
 give an address. She had Ibnnd that he possessed 
 a remarkable facnlty for enforeing obedience to 
 his behests — there was no knowing what she 
 might be compelled to do if he said she had to 
 address that blear-eyed, sodden crowd of nun and 
 W(jnien, but she could not well be musician and 
 preacher too. He was standing near her keenly 
 noting the fitful paling and flushing of the deli- 
 cate face, afraid that they were overtaxing her 
 strength, and yet dreading to break the spell of 
 this dear companionship by returning to her 
 lionie. 
 
 " Are you very tired ? " he asked. 
 
 She looked up for an instant, but her eves sud- 
 denly dropped beneath the expression in his which 
 .she scarcely interpreted. 
 
 " I am not tired, onl}- afraid }ou will make me 
 speak to them." 
 
 " I cannot make you unless you yourself are 
 first willing." 
 
 " If you told me to do so, I think I .should have 
 to obey. That is one of your characteristics, to 
 enforce obedience." 
 
 "If so, I never knew it; but I should like to 
 
 experiment " He paused and did not finish 
 
 what he was saying. 
 
 The meeting began. A hymn was given out, 
 
 t' 
 
272 
 
 TIIK MASTER OI< DI.KPI.AWX 
 
 ! 1' 
 
 m\ 
 
 'i't 
 
 ■\ ' 
 
 ■■ 1 
 ill' 
 
 iii! 
 
 and as T^ncia sanc^ to her own acconip:uiinient, it 
 seemed as if the very bieathinj; was Inishcd tliat 
 not a note nii<;lit be lost. Her excitement lent a 
 pathos and j^ower to her sino;inor that snrprised 
 even Lionel, who had never heard her sing so ex- 
 qnisitely to the most critical and ciiltnred andi- 
 enccs in the drawing-rooms in Mayfair, and the 
 keynote was strnck for the meeting that made it 
 one of the hest they had c\er attended. 
 
 Alan spoke after the leader had nttered a .short 
 prayer and Lncia had again ponred forth her son! 
 in glorions soni,^ He too, had been lifted by it 
 to a higher level than he had ever reached before 
 when addressing any company, cnltnred or tlie 
 reverse. Me .saw in the bowed heads before him 
 and in the weeping faces of those nnnsed to tears, 
 that he was taking strong hold on his liearers. 
 Indeed, for the time he forgot all save those whom 
 he was .seeking to help. When he had cea.sed 
 speaking, he was amazed to find that others be- 
 sides the crowd before him had been moved to 
 tears. He looked at Lncia. vShe was finding it 
 difTicnlt to snbdne her emotion snOiciently to be 
 able to lead the singing. 
 
 The leader hesitated. Perhaps now wonkl be 
 the time to test the depth of the impression. 
 Stepping to the front of the platform he nrged all 
 who were willing to begin then and there to 
 live a different life, a more rational and pnrer, to 
 
 I 
 
'1'Ik' Mh.^Ihi- III' It.fplawn. 
 
 " r.iiiia aniiiri |i<iiireil fm th hor soul iti gldrioiis -mng. 
 
 Page 2Ti. 
 
1i' 
 
 11 
 
 
 i 
 
 
 HI I I 
 
WIIITKCIIAPEL 2-^ 
 
 come forward and kneel down in tlic front scats. 
 (3ne after another rose and stumbled forward. 
 Lncia turned to the organ, and strikin- a few 
 opening bars, bco;an to sing with sweet patlios : 
 
 " There were ninety an'l nine that safely lay, 
 In the shelter of the fold." 
 
 When she ceased singing nearly half the con- 
 gregation were on their knees, Lionel and the 
 others from the platform busy beside them talk- 
 ing and praying, while sobs and groans attested 
 to the depth of conviction that had settled on 
 hitherto stony hearts. When the meeting was 
 over and they were walking down the narrow, 
 filthy street, Lionel said, enthusiastically : 
 
 " I believe that Lncia and you could do more to 
 revolutionize this place, if you came here and 
 worked together, than any score of workers com- 
 bined, that are now on the ground. I tell you 
 splendid gifts will tell among all sorts and condi- 
 tions of men." 
 
 " I think I should like it better than marrying 
 your duke," Lucia said, mischievously, trying to 
 make light of Lionel's new enthusiasm, aUhJli-h 
 her voice was still tremulous with strong emotion. 
 
 ''Oh, it will never do to let you marry any one 
 after this. You have a vocation altogether difTer- 
 ent from wifehood. That would be a sad waste 
 of useful gifts." 
 
 s 
 
 i 
 

 27\ 
 
 TIIK MASTlvR OK DKI'l'I.AWN 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 I >i 
 
 u 'r 
 
 Then )oti have decided I am to become a 
 Salvationist?" 
 
 "I have not decided anything;, bnt that the 
 Lord will one day call yon to acconnt if yon don't 
 throw yonrself heart and sonl into this work. 
 Why, those few words yon said near the close sent 
 a thrill thron«;h the dnllest heart there; I had no 
 idea my little sister had snch possibilities hidden 
 nnder this shy exterior." 
 
 For Lncia had spoken. Men and women in the 
 andience, in broken sentences, had been tellin^j 
 what they were and what, God helpintr them, they 
 wanted to be, when Alan, leaninj^ toward her, 
 had said: ''Won't you say a few words to these 
 women ? Most of them know who yon are, and 
 what you say will have more effect than all onr 
 preachini^." 
 
 She rose at once, and it was what she said that 
 so wakened her brother's enthusiasm. 
 
 Alan was silent most of the way home. This 
 afternoon's service had suddenly opened new paths 
 into the distance, endin<^- only with life. Mi^ht 
 this not be the kind of work God asked of him, 
 to go down into the lowest depths seekinj^ for 
 gems for the Redeemer's crown? He was so far 
 indifTcrent to the ambitions of life now, that if the 
 choice were left to him to work among the aristo- 
 crats of the West Knd of London, in those superb 
 churclRS where the beauty and wisdom of Kng- 
 
 I 
 
wniTi<:cnAPKL 
 
 -'75 
 
 land con^^rcjT^ate, or in the malodorous precincts 
 of Wliitechapel, lie would not choose, Icavinj^ 
 tliat decision, as every other that had to do with 
 other lives than his own, in the hands of tlie One 
 whose wisdom is nnerrinj;. 
 
 " I wish you could transfer yourself from 
 America to London," Lionel said. 
 
 "My dear boy, we have just as much need of 
 workers in our great cities in America as you 
 have here. What we all need is a fuller consecra- 
 tion." 
 
 Wiien they met Lady Seymour at dinner that 
 eveninj^, Lionel gave a grai)hic description of 
 their afternoon's work, ending witli the crowning 
 success in the mission hall. 
 
 " My dear child," Lady Seymour said, her eyes 
 bright with tears, ''that charms nic more than 
 the highest social triinnphs that you could win." 
 
 '' IJut, mamma, Lionel greatly ex;iggerates. It 
 was only a few very simple words that I spoke. 
 No one could help saying something after Mr. 
 Rivers' wonderful address. I wish so much that 
 you could have heard it." 
 
 "Perhaps we had better postpone the discus- 
 sion of our oratorical efforts to some future time." 
 Alan spoke impulsively, and later, as he was 
 standing near Lucia, somewhat apart from the 
 rest, he asked her forgiveness for any apparent 
 discourtesy in his remarks. '' I have such a hor- 
 
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276 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 ror of taking credit for any of these efforts to 
 myself. I want to forget my own individuality 
 in any work I may do." 
 
 Lucia looked up sympathetically. 
 
 " I think you need never ask my forgiveness 
 for anything you may say. I shall always know 
 you are right even if I do not quite comprehend 
 your meaning. But this evening I quite sympa- 
 thized with )ou after the very exaggerated way 
 Lionel spoke about myself." 
 
 '' I am afraid if we discuss that subject again I 
 may offend as much as your brother. I felt the 
 charm of your address more than any one there, 
 I am certain." 
 
 She looked somewhat surprised. 
 
 " I do not understand why anything I said 
 should touch you. It was only the poor, sinful 
 creatures that I thought to help." 
 
 He looked at her a moment very intently, then 
 glancing at Lady Seymour, who was coming 
 toward them, he said, quietly : 
 
 " I shall hope to hear you talk to my boys this 
 summer. I am expecting great things from that 
 promised visit." 
 
 " We are also looking forward with great pleas- 
 ure to our American trip. It seems hard that 
 some of us should have so many delightful expe- 
 riences in this world, and others none at all. 1 
 try to believe that there is a law of compensation 
 
 I 
 

 WHITECHAPEI. 
 
 2/7 
 
 ninning tlirongli all human experience, and that, 
 underlying all apparent joy or misery, there are 
 peaceful spots in every heart. ' Not one quite 
 hapi^y, no, not one,' your Ivongfellow says. But 
 I say to myself, not one quite wretched, no, not 
 one, save the utterly depraved— they must, of ne- 
 cessity, be unhappy, whether in a palace or the 
 worst cellar in Wliitechapel." 
 
 " Your daughter takes the griefs of her fellow- 
 creatures very seriously," Alan said, turning to 
 Lady Seymour, who had joined them. 
 
 "Yes, but she takes their pleasures so joyously 
 1 think she gets more good than ill from making 
 her heart a thoroughfare for the friendless, and 
 indeed, all who come within her horizons. I 
 assure you, they are very wide." 
 
 ''How could I help it, mamma, being your 
 daughter ? " 
 
 " My children are perpetually turuino the tables 
 upon me whenever I nienti .n their good qualities ; 
 but a truce to that now. Sir Thomas has bidden 
 me ask Mr. Rivers to give us a reading. He 
 wishes to hear you read from some of your own 
 American poets. I believe he has Tlianatopsis 
 turned down for you to begin with." 
 
 Alan complied at once, and the remainder of 
 the evening was spent in reading selections from 
 the poets of the nineteenth century, with discus- 
 sion, of their comparative merits. 
 
 / 
 
I 
 
 1 1 
 
 ii: : ii 
 
 CHAPTER XXII 
 
 IN SUMMER TIME 
 
 EARLY in the week Alan and Lionel left 
 for Qneenstown to take the steamer for 
 America. 
 
 The season being- favorable, they had a fine trip 
 across the ocean. The tide of travel among 
 saloon passengers being mainly eastward at that 
 season, they were not inconvenienced by the 
 throngs that, later on, make sailing to the west 
 anything but a pleasure to those who do not enjoy 
 being closely herded with a crowd of indifferent 
 strangers. 
 
 On their arrival they proceeded at once to 
 Deeplawn. Mrs. Dixon had been apprised of the 
 coming of a distinguished visitor, and great prep- 
 arations had been made, while all the boys were 
 pressed into the service to put the entire premises 
 in most perfect order. Among the score of youths 
 now under Alan's care, there were only some half- 
 dozen of the original thirteen. Several of the 
 boys were studying for a higher kind of work 
 than that of farm laborers, while others stoutly 
 preferred tli'. abundant elbow-room of farm work 
 to the crowded foothold brain-workers of average 
 278 
 

 "f. T ' 
 
 IN SUMMER TIME 
 
 2/9 
 
 left 
 r for 
 
 e trip 
 mong 
 ,t that 
 y the 
 ^ west 
 ; enjoy 
 fferent 
 
 nee to 
 i of the 
 it prep- 
 ys were 
 remises 
 ■ yonths 
 ne half- 
 
 of the 
 )f work 
 
 stoutly 
 rni work 
 
 average 
 
 ability find anywhere at the present da}'. The 
 youths who preferred farm work were, without 
 exception, of Irish extraction, and it devolved on 
 them to contribute largely to the support of the 
 entire company. 
 
 Alan, as far as was possible, wished to make this 
 experiment self-supporting, and to this end he had 
 large tracts of waste land reclaimed and brought 
 into profitable cultivation. During the vacations 
 the entire force of boys were expected to assist. 
 An experienced man took charge and mapped out 
 the work. The boys entered into it, for the most 
 part, with great heartiness, and those summer ex- 
 peditions into the woods, felling trees and piling 
 the great logs in heaps for the autunrn burning, 
 were seasons of genuine merriment and healthful 
 enjoyment. 
 
 The man who had them in charge had himself 
 been on the Deeplawn estate from childhood, and 
 took quite as much interest in all that pertained 
 to it as did the rightful owner. James Longman, 
 for that was his name, was quite an unconscious 
 hero. He was so thoroughly honest, his name 
 was already, at middle age, becoming a synonym 
 for honesty. He really did not seem to study his 
 own dignity any more than the huge Clydesdales, 
 that found in him a perfect master. For every one, 
 man, woman, or child, of whatever degree socially, 
 he had the same reverential bearing, as if human- 
 
m 
 
 ^80 
 
 THE MASTER OF DKEPLAWN 
 
 I i 
 
 I 
 
 1 i 
 
 ity under every circumstance was sometliing to 
 honor. 
 
 He was not a stickler for obedience, yet the 
 boys who worked under him never seemed to 
 think of disobeying-. Alan regarded him ahnost 
 as a ^ tlier, and Deeplawn, and all that pertained 
 to it, was gradually coming under his sole charge. 
 A loud or angry word never fell from his lips, 
 but when his slow tempei was aroused by some 
 exceeding offense, the lad wl'.o had incurred his 
 displeasure was sure to remember the occasion. 
 
 He helped the lads to select their own holdings, 
 for to each who chose to stay at Deeplawn until 
 his majority, a portion of land was given suffi- 
 cient to make him a home. Longman was au- 
 thorized to purchase all available lands that were 
 in the market, and so judiciously were the invest- 
 ments made and the land cultivated, that already 
 the experiment had ceased to be a risk. 
 
 If Alan had been charmed with the treasures 
 and memories connected with Wyndhurst, I^ionel 
 was no less so with deeplawn. The boys had 
 come ^i masse to the station to meet Alan, headed 
 by Mike, who had come to Deeplawn for the oc- 
 casion. Anselmo was also there, and Jacob ]\Io- 
 lensky and Billy Spenser and Blinders, for he had 
 found his way to the country with all the others ; 
 but they did not present the same appearance as 
 when first we were introduced to them. 
 
IN SUMMER TIME 
 
 281 
 
 to 
 
 Those who were with Alan at the first were 
 now grown men, or nearly snch. ]\Iike was a 
 fine-looking young fellow, with an impulsive, 
 open-hearted expression on his mobile fiice. He 
 was quite elaborately dressed, even to brown kids 
 and white cravat, and seemed perfectly conscious 
 of the fact. Indeed, each one had strained every 
 nerve to present a good appearance for Mr. Rivers' 
 home-coming, since they felt perfectly certain 
 that it rested mainly with them to reflect credit 
 on him before his foreion visitor. 
 
 Alan and lyionel were confronted with quite a 
 formidable array when they stepped off the car. 
 Nearly every tenant at Deeplawn was there to 
 welcome the young master. The score and more 
 of representatives from the city, headed b\^ Long- 
 man, beaming approval from his superior height, 
 were all elbowing their way to the front. A goodly 
 number of women and children formed the rear 
 of the company. 
 
 I^ionel stood in considerable mystification watch- 
 ing the eager company thronging around his 
 friend, and wondered if this were a usual custom 
 among Americans. He had supposed it was 
 mainly an English usage, the welcoming home 
 of the heir on his majority, but that period in his 
 friend's life was some time past. It ceitainlv 
 could only be an expression of strong affection 
 between employer and employed. 
 

 282 
 
 THE MASTKR OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 > i 
 
 I 
 
 The handshakings ended, Alan summoned his 
 friend and together they entered the carriage 
 awaiting tliem. At the Deeplawn gates they 
 found a triumphal arch erected, the work of the 
 boys who had known of similar ornamentation for 
 grand processions or in honor of distinguished 
 guests, usually foreign royalties. 
 
 " Upon my word, I was not expecting such an 
 ovation. It certainly seems as though I had found 
 the key to my boys' hearts, or they would not go 
 to such trouble in my honor," Alan said, with 
 considerable feeling. 
 
 " Is it the work of your boys from the slums?" 
 Lionel asked, with some surprise. 
 
 "Certainly. Did you not see them, those 
 young fellows gotten up with such care ? — a tall, 
 broad-shouldered fellow heading the ranks?" 
 
 "Yes, I saw them, but it did not occur to me 
 those were your waifs and strays." 
 
 " I shall make a formal presentation when we 
 reach home. You will be surprised to see what 
 well-spoken youth they are. My friends tell me 
 they all try to imitate my way of speaking — pray 
 do not think that is why they speak well ; but if 
 you had heard them five or six years ago, their 
 slang and broken English, you would understand 
 better what imitative creatures they are when 
 their minds are set on improving themselves." 
 
 A little later the boys came filing into the 
 
 I 
 

 IN SUMMER TIME 
 
 283 
 
 ,?" 
 
 the 
 
 library, as respectable looking youths as one might 
 expect to see in a boys' academy, and as well con- 
 ducted. IVIike was their principal speaker, and very 
 well he filled the office, in an easy but respectful 
 way telling all the news that Alan would be likely 
 to want, and arranging excursions to the different 
 points on the estate where extensive alterations 
 had of late been made. He had obtained a few 
 holidays on purpose to be with Alan and, like the 
 others, was prepared to enjoy them to the utmost. 
 
 Ivionel was a most interested spectator. Cer- 
 tainly here was something quite beyond Alan's 
 modest representations of his work for boy:. He 
 resolved to introduce something of the kind at 
 Wynd hurst that very autumn. Perhaps God 
 might intend that work for him rather than ban- 
 ishment from the home and friends he loved so 
 well. Others too, among the great landed gentry 
 and aristocracy might be induced to work in the 
 same way. 
 
 How soon England might be revolutionized if 
 men of weaLh would turn their attention thereto ! 
 In a little while they might become just as much 
 interested as in their present pursuits, experi- 
 encing noble rivalries in rescuing the largest num- 
 ber of waifs and strays, and building them into 
 noble men and women. Alan certainly found 
 more solid pleasure in these boys, their ambitions, 
 successes, and general growth, than any landed 
 
 
'W 
 
 I 
 
 
 1 
 
 t 
 
 284 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 owner of the fine preserves li^ knew. When the 
 boys decorously withdrew, L^ionel plunged at 
 once into his plans. 
 
 " My mother, I am sure, will go into it heart 
 and soul, and whatever she suggests my fatlier 
 hastens to put in practice, no matter how Quixotic 
 her scheme may appear to the rest of us. I want 
 you to invite every one of your boys and young 
 men here when she comes, and make the best 
 possible showing. If we get her enthusiastic, 
 there is no knowing where it may end. Why, 
 my dear fellow, you may accomplish more for the 
 submerged of London, through your example, 
 than almost any man in England, perhaps except- 
 ing three or four, Miiller, Bernardo, Stephenson, 
 and a few like-minded." 
 
 " I am not so enthusiastic as you are ; indeed, 
 I try not to think about possibilities, but practi- 
 calities. You will find very few of the country 
 squires, or landed gentry, ready to try the experi- 
 ment with even half a dozen pauper boys." 
 
 " You do not know what persuasive powers my 
 mother possesses. We will get our establishment 
 well started at Wyndhurst, Lucia will design 
 some picturesque costume for them, and then my 
 mother will invite some of her dear friends, be- 
 ginning probably with some wealt!iy nobodies 
 who will be thankful to do anything Lady Sey- 
 mour suggests, and then on among her dear five 
 
IN SUMMER TIME 285 
 
 hundred friends, for I think she must have that 
 many ready to do her bidding to any reasonable 
 extent, and so the work will grow." 
 
 " I will be glad if your prophecies have even a 
 partial fulfillment." 
 
 "And now you will no doubt admit that I may 
 have a very useful career before me, without beine 
 obliged to leave my native land," Lionel said, 
 lightly. 
 
 "I most assuredly will. We need home mis- 
 sionaries quite as much as foreign, and I cannot 
 conceive any work with grander possibilities than 
 that you have just been mapping out." 
 
 " That is a relief, I can assure you. I doubt if 
 the Lord ever calls any one to some special mis- 
 sion without giving him special delight in his 
 appointed work, and I certainly did not have that 
 in the mission you proposed." 
 
 " I only want that you should engage heartily 
 in some work. It was dilettanteism in reliirion 
 that I was trying to get you to avoid ; we have 
 too much of that in the churches for their own 
 prosperity or the world's good." 
 
 After dinner the young men went to see the 
 boys in their quarters. Several cottages had been 
 appropriated to their use, and the boys did all their 
 own work, taking week about in the kitchen. A 
 generous rivalry was fostered among them, encour- 
 aged by James Longman, as to who should prove 
 
, 
 
 illll I 
 
 IJl 
 
 286 run MASTER OF DKKPLAWN 
 
 the best housekeeper. Small prizes were awankd 
 the happ)' )oiitlis who developed a latent talent 
 for tidiness and thrift. The eottaj^es now were 
 scoured to an exquisite degree of eleanliness. 
 
 The efforts at ornamentation were oceasionally 
 ludicrous and even grotesque. The artistic Italian 
 and the heavy German tastes at war with Irish 
 and American, sometimes produced strange com- 
 binations, but Alan was pleased with it all and 
 was ready to reward every one alike. He went 
 deeper than the mere disposal of chromos, vases, 
 home-made brackets, and the like. Underneath 
 all this he saw the love of beauty and of home 
 budding in the youtli^ul hearts, some day to blos- 
 som ont in brown-stone fronts, possibly, velvet 
 carpets and co.stly pictures, for no one could tell 
 what sncce.sses might be waiting in the future for 
 some of the lads preparing for lives of usefulness 
 in these cottages. 
 
 It was quite dark before they had completed the 
 survey of the nearest cottages, Lionel went 
 home to dream all night of just such homes 
 springing like magic all over England, for boys 
 and for girls too, for he, with his mother's love for 
 girls as well as boys fresh upon him, wanted to 
 see them, equally with their brothers, provided 
 with these opportunities to rise. 
 
 The follov/ing day he wrote many pages to his 
 mother filled with this new project, and urging 
 
 
IN SU.M.MICR TIMI'; 
 
 287 
 
 her to come over at once if the doetors would 
 permit. 
 
 " You can rest and build up here better tliau at 
 houie, for the air is fairly intoxieatiug. I do uot 
 wonder the Americans are so clever, having such 
 an atmosphere and such a wonderful country. I 
 am curious to know what this country will be five 
 hundred or a thousand years hence, if it .goes on 
 developing at the present rate. I only know the 
 lost Eden might be pretty well restored, save for 
 the item death, if all mankind w^ere like Alan 
 
 Rivers. I tell you, mother, he is a hero " 
 
 and then followed a glowing rhapsody that would 
 have disconcerted Alan had he seen it. But Alan 
 did not know what his friend was putting on 
 paper, as he went about with Longman, examin- 
 ing things with the keen, observing eye of the 
 master who wanted every bit of property to yield 
 its full value. 
 
 They rested a few days at Deeplawn, and then 
 started on their pedestrian tour. Lionel had told 
 Alan that he had been uroing his mother to come 
 at once, and Alan was anxious that his friend 
 should first see more of the country he was dis- 
 posed to admire so much. They took short rail- 
 way journeys from one point to another over the 
 parts that had seemingly been slighted in the 
 work of creation, and in this way condensed the 
 beauties of the scenery. They had soon taken 
 

 !i I'l I 
 
 In 
 
 • i\ 
 
 ' Am 
 
 m 
 
 I - 
 
 28S THE MASTER OF DEEPI.AWN 
 
 quite an extensive view of the New England 
 States, and then Alan felt it necessar\- to return to 
 Deeplawn. Leaving Lionel to continue his wan- 
 derings alone, chiefly now among the cities of the 
 Southern and Middle States, he returned home. 
 
 He was anxious to be with the bo\s, to arrange 
 for their education or the putting to trades of those 
 who elected to do work of that kind. He trusted 
 much to Longman's judgment in deciding each 
 boy's special aptitude for brain or manual labor, 
 and the trade in which each would be most likely 
 to excel. 
 
 The few following weeks were very busy ones 
 indeed. Several of his boys were now old enough 
 to be apprenticed, others were prepared to take 
 positions as bookkeepers or salesmen, while two 
 or three were eager for professional careers. For 
 these he wished to obtain situations as teachers, 
 for it was not Alan's idea to help any of them 
 further than was really necessary. It might take 
 a few more years for them to fit themselves for 
 their life-work ; but that counted for little in his 
 estimation, compared with what the means saved 
 to him might do for others. 
 
 Their numbers he found would be reduced by 
 these changes one half. This permitted him to 
 take into the cottages, and under Longman's care, 
 as many more boys from the congested streets of 
 the city. In deference to Lionel's request, he de- 
 
 
 I 
 
IN SUMMER TIME 
 
 289 
 
 cided to let the departing boys remain until Lady 
 Seymour's arrival. New importations would not 
 give her an idea of the work accomplished, but 
 the improvement in those who had spent some 
 time at Deeplawn might better be perceived if a 
 few raw recruits were also imported just before 
 she was expected. 
 
 With this end in view he went to Providence 
 and made his selection, a few days before the 
 steamship on which Lady Seymour was expected 
 was due. Lionel met him in the city, and together 
 they visited those dolorous tenements for the 
 youths whose futures were to be revolutionized. 
 A hard task it was to make the selection. Alan 
 wanted the very friendless, but there was so large 
 a supply of these, the trouble was to decide whose 
 need was the greatest. 
 
 . 
 
CHAPTER XXIII 
 
 PEERESS AND PAUPERS 
 
 II 
 
 THEY all, peeress and paupers, went to Deep- 
 lawn by the same train. Alan had a large- 
 minded way of combining things, and it seemed 
 to him perfectly proper that they should arrive 
 together, although he did so far preserve the pro- 
 prieties as not to take his waifs into the Pullman 
 car with Lady Seymour and her daughters. She 
 had a glimpse, however, of her host piloting his 
 six shabby followers into another car. A very 
 sorry-looking half-dozen youths they were, some 
 of them coatless and all barefoot, with grimy 
 faces and mikempt hair. But there was a look of 
 great satisfaction, on each pinched face, for Deep- 
 lawn, the land of plenty, and Alan Rivers, were 
 subjects frequently discussed in that section of 
 the city where they had been wont to burrow. 
 
 Her journey ended. Lady Seymour found her- 
 self too much fatigued for any farther sight-seeing 
 that day, but Lucia was eager to begin the inspec- 
 tion of cottages and bo>s at once. She and Alan 
 started out together, her dainty gown and sweet 
 face making a very pretty picture, so thought the 
 lads who were watching for her. 
 290 
 
 
 
PEERESS AND PAUPERS 
 
 291 
 
 They were quite as eager for the interview as 
 the young lady, and had donned their Sunda\- 
 best for the occasion, while those fresh from the 
 city slur ,s looked on brothers and acquaintances 
 with a mixture of envy and expectation. Before 
 long, they too would be relieved of their rags and 
 provided with good clothes. Mike was again on 
 hand, and Anselmo had come on purpose to meet 
 Lady Seymour. Both were old enough to wonder 
 if this pure-faced girl might not some day become 
 mistress of Deeplawn. 
 
 Lucia entered heartily into all the details as 
 Alan explained them, examining the boys' con- 
 trivances for comfort and ornamentation in the 
 different cottages and making suggestions that 
 filled Alan and his boys with wonder at their own 
 stupidity in not thinking before of such simple 
 additions to their household arrangements. 
 
 " Indeed, ma'am, Mr. Rivers is needing a bet- 
 ter woman to look after them here than Mrs. 
 Dixon. She's all very well for the butter and 
 preserves, but 3'ou have helped the boys more with 
 advice in two hours than she has in all the years 
 since we came here," Mike said admiringly 
 when, the survey ended, they sat chatting in the 
 cottage where Mike was staying. His own brother 
 was one of the housekeepers, a promising boy, 
 who one day might be an alderman, so bent was 
 he on becoming a lawyer. 
 
flfl! 
 
 ill' 
 
 -I' 
 
 i 
 
 i^llllp 
 
 292 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 Alan cast a quick look into LuciaV face and 
 saw the deepening color in the dimpled cheek, for 
 she was smiling in response to IMike's suggestion. 
 
 " Mamma will be able to help you much more 
 than I. She will be charmed too, I know. ]\Iy 
 brotlier's descrip-tion, which we thought exagger- 
 ated, did not half convey how delightful it all 
 seems. We were inclined to be amused at the 
 boys' housekeeping, and fancied it was masculine 
 ignorance of domestic details, rather than the 
 boys' skill that made Lionel so easily satisfied." 
 
 " The boys do w'onders, considering they never 
 had any experience of what homes should look 
 J; like until they came here. Dingwell's mother and 
 
 sisters have helped a good deal, but their taste is 
 none of the best in hanging pictures and fixing 
 up a room according as I see houses fixed," IVIike 
 said, while he critically examined the ornamenta- 
 tion of the little parlor. 
 
 " Shall we hang these pictures over again, and 
 may I arrange the ornaments?" Lucia asked, 
 timidly. 
 
 "We'll be delighted, ma'am, if you will," a 
 freckle-faced boy responded, who was housekeeper 
 that week, and could therefore speak with author- 
 
 ity. 
 
 *' Permit me to be your assistant," Alan said, 
 as he rose ready to obey her commands. 
 
 She gave the word for all of the pictures to 
 
 
 ^"'■■iii 
 
PEERESS AND PAUPERS 
 
 293 
 
 and 
 
 come down, and then with a pretty air of anxiety 
 she beyan studying effects, in which she appealed 
 to Alan for advice. They became so absorbed in 
 the work that I. ionel came to see what had be- 
 come of Llieni while yet the task was unfinished. 
 He failed to discover which seemed to be enjoving- 
 the work most, the boys or the picture hangers. 
 Gradually the lads from the nearer cottages heard 
 what was going on, and through doorways and 
 windows were watching every graceful movement 
 of the young lady from over the sea, while they 
 exchanged whispered confidences, comparing her 
 beauty with the " swell " young ladies they had 
 sometimes brushed against on the crowded city 
 thorough tares. It is needless to say Lucia tri- 
 umphed in the decisions. 
 
 The following day Lady Seymour announced 
 herself able to make the round of cottages. The 
 carriage was brought and the party proceeded first 
 to the' farthest cottage, some three miles away. 
 Alan, after mature deliberation, had, in the be- 
 ginning of his experiment, decided it the safer 
 plan to have the boys as widely separated as pos- 
 sible. There were three cottages near to Deep- 
 lawn and two at the opposite extremes of his prop- 
 erty, lie preferred to have the larger number 
 under Longman's inunediate care, and these were 
 a judicious mixture of good and bad. 
 
 At the first cottage they visited, Jacob Molensky 
 
i' 
 
 'I 
 
 mw 
 
 294 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 was housekeeper for that week. His gifts in that 
 direction were not well developed, if indeed he 
 had any, but the other boys had come to the res- 
 cue, so that the lioube presented a fairly neat ap- 
 pearance. The outside of the cottage, however, 
 was a perfect bower of beauty. Creeping vines 
 had already climbed well up toward the eaves, 
 while flowers brightened every available spot. 
 
 The vegetable garden was a marvel of neatness, 
 for this had been undertaken by one lad, an 
 American of Scotch extraction, whose ancestors 
 had been under-gardeners on a great Scottish es- 
 tate for generations. But "unmerciful disaster" 
 had reduced Donald's family to a filthy tenement. 
 From that unsavory quarter he had been trans- 
 planted two summers before to this happy home, 
 and here he had determined to live and die, the 
 instinct of localizing his habitation being strong 
 within him. 
 
 The boys had felt they should extend some hos- 
 pitality to their visitors more than seating them 
 in the little parlor, so each one of the fi'^^e had en- 
 deavored to do something to show his apprecia- 
 tion of the honor conferred. Huge bouquets of 
 flowers had been gathered and tied up ready to 
 present at departure. Fine blackberries and 
 cream were standing ready in the milk room 
 down cellar, and the seldom-used teapot had been 
 washed and scalded ready to brew a cup of tea for 
 
 Ll 
 
PEERKSS AND PAUPERS 
 
 295 
 
 an 
 
 her ladyship. This was Jacob's special work, and 
 he was speculating anxiously how he was to con- 
 vey his cups and saucers in correct form to the 
 waiting hand.^. On the whole the boys conducted 
 themselves with very good taste, and were proud 
 of the favor sliown their refreshments. 
 
 lyady Seymour's eyes bore suspicious signs of 
 tears as she sat talking with the boys, drawing 
 from them the story of their former lives and the 
 satisfaction with which they looked upon their 
 present surroundings. They were all surprised 
 afterward as they carefully recalled the different 
 incidents of the interview, at the ease with which 
 they had conversed with her ladyship. Jacob felt 
 considerable chagrin when he was told that he 
 always addressed her as " Your honor " ; but this, 
 they assured him, was a trifling mistake, and she 
 would be sure to know he meant no offense. 
 When she was leaving she asked Alan's permis- 
 sion to invite them all to Dccplawn to a reception 
 the following week, a request readily granted, of 
 course. What speculating there was about that 
 reception, how they were to conduct themselves, 
 and what they would have to eat, while the dic- 
 tionary was consulted to find out what it meant ! 
 
 The party missed luncheon that day, but they 
 had such abundant supplies of fruit and cream 
 and very strong tea, that they forgot all about it 
 until they came home late in the afternoon and 
 
296 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 met Mrs. Dixon anxiously waiting for tlieni and 
 inwardly frettiny;- over her spoiled fowls and ices. 
 At every cottage the desire to be hospitable was 
 manifest. As each one had its own berry patch, and 
 as the boys were not fertile in culinary expedients 
 the menu was somewhat monotonous. However, 
 at the cottage where Mike was stopping, were 
 some fine pear-trees, and their fruit was served 
 with very thin slices of buttered bread. 
 
 The invitation to the reception was extended 
 to all the boys, including the six who had just 
 "onie. Ivady Seymour's eyes filled with tears 
 v/hen the little fellows came filing in with clean, 
 smiling faces, and flapping rags. 
 
 " Yer needn't feel sorry for us, ma'am; we're 
 jest as happy as us can be out here," one of them 
 said. It seemed to his happy heart such an utter 
 waste of pity for any one to be shedding tears 
 over him. " If yer could see where we hcv been 
 and what we had to eat, yer might cry," he added 
 presently, when he saw the tears still flowing. 
 
 " Mont yer please to tell her we don't want fer 
 nothin' now," he appealed to Alan. 
 
 " She knows that, Sammy, but she thinks of the 
 thousands of other little lads who are not so, well 
 off as you." 
 
 " Is that all the boy she's got? " Sammy looked 
 up inquiringly at the stalwart young man whom 
 he had heard address the lady as " mother." 
 
 _ 
 
PEFRESS AND PAUPERS 
 
 297 
 
 *'Yes." 
 
 "Maybe then, if she's rich, she'd take some 
 boys herself." 
 
 " That i:i a splendid suggestion, my brave young 
 man," Lionel said, approvingly. 
 
 Sammy looked very self-conscious and proud at 
 this, but retired into the background, taking his 
 picturesque tatters quite out of Lad) Seymour's 
 range of vision. 
 
 The other boys were rather inclined to chide 
 Sammy, but as the young gentleman evidently 
 approved of his suggestion, they concluded it was 
 not necessary. Besides, they were so interested in 
 Lady Seymour, feeling even in their skeptical 
 young hearts the touch of a sympathy having 
 something of the Divine, that when she left them 
 they were in the mood for only the most benevo- 
 lent reflections. 
 
 What a happy day it was to them all, as well as 
 proud ! To think they had been privileged to 
 entertain a real noble lady, to have her eat and 
 drink out of their own dishes, and talk to them 
 more tenderly than had any other woman ! Her 
 graciousness had given them a glimpse of the per- 
 fection possible in women. From their experi- 
 ences of the sex in general in their homes, and 
 with Mrs. Dixon in particular, they had not 
 formed a very exalted estimate of womanly char- 
 acter. Mr. Rivers, in their estimation, possessed 
 
 __ 
 
HI i 
 
 2q8 the master of deeplawn 
 
 greater excellence than all the women in the 
 world conil)ine(l. Mike, and Anselnio, and a few 
 others who had fonnd good homes where pure, 
 liigh-miiuled women presided, of course, had quite 
 different views, but it had never occurred to them 
 to express them in any of their conferences. 
 
 The two \ oung ladies also received a good share 
 of friendly criticism. The boys shrewdly divined 
 that it was altogether probable, if Mr. Rivers 
 could accomplish it, that the elder daughter, who 
 had such sweet, homelike ways, would one day 
 preside as mistress at Deeplawn. 
 
 The Dingwells were as interested in the visitors 
 as any of the boys, and Dandy carried home lo 
 them minute particulars of all that was occurring. 
 He had grown to be a fine, healthy young fellow, 
 with a set purpose to be a farmer aud nothing 
 but a farmer ; a decision that exactlv suited his 
 mother. Mike made frequent visits to their cot- 
 tage ; indeed, no place in the world seemed quite 
 such a happy spot as the small parlor where he and 
 Allie Dingwell, the eldest of the widow's daughters, 
 made plans for a life-long journey together. 
 
 The day of the reception had come at last, and 
 at one o'clock the boys began to arrive with faces 
 shining from a generous polishing, but expressive 
 of some anxiety, for with all their acquirements 
 they felt very ignorant of the etiquette proper for 
 receptions and the society of ladies. 
 
to 
 
 I' 
 
 I 
 

 
 ■ " //// / /, 
 
 The Master of Deeplawn. 
 
 "The day of the reception had come at last " 
 
 Page ■l\)Si. 
 
PKRRKSS AND I'AUPKRS 
 
 200 
 
 & 
 
 if 
 
 i 
 
 *!i 
 
 When they reached the lawn they fonnd that 
 iniposin.i;' ])repaiations had been made there. A 
 pretty booth had l)cen erected just in front of the 
 largest fountain. At one end a table was laid for 
 their refection, with such a repast as they had not 
 seen before : frosted cakes, cold fowl, jellies, 
 salads, fruits, and ices. 
 
 "My sakes, but isn't tlu.t grand!'' Sammy 
 t^'aculated. He was the self-appointed spokesman 
 of the last arrivals, and as each one was rejoicing 
 in a new suit of clothes, he felt more eloquent 
 than ever. But the work .of demolishing those 
 delicacies was not to begin for some time; other 
 and more surprising duties were on the pro- 
 
 gramme. 
 
 I^ady Seymour was dressed with great taste 
 and care in a rich velvet gown with exquisite lace, 
 and diamonds that gleamed like stars. The lads 
 wondered if the angels could look much more 
 beautiful than this lovely woman with the tender 
 face and gentle voice that seemed really to caress 
 them with its lingering accents. Her daughters 
 were gay in simple but silken gowns with falls of 
 lace, and brightened with natural flowers. 
 
 Mrs. Dixon walked grimly about, thinking what 
 a melancholv waste it was to bestow all that elabo- 
 rate cooking on a parcel of boys no better, for the 
 most part, than so many beggars. The new-fan- 
 gled cook and his assistant, imported by Alan 
 
l!;i 
 
 I 
 
 300 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 from Boston before his visitors caine, kept her 
 feelings in constant commotion. She had never 
 seen or heard of such messes as they concocted 
 day after day, and held herself aloof from so much 
 as tasting his compounds ; but Akin was provok- 
 ingly indifferent to her sentiments, so she had to 
 nurse her wrath in silence. 
 
 The piano had been wiieeled out on one of the 
 piazzas, and the lads had been invited to bring all 
 their instruments of music, and as an audience 
 generally takes more interest in a programme when 
 they are expecting to .take some part, so the boys 
 eagerly looked forward to this as a means of dis- 
 tinguishing themselves. Ivike amateurs in gen- 
 eral, they regarded their performance as the spe- 
 cial feature of the occasion. 
 
 There was no public speech-making. lyady 
 Seymour secured little bits of conversation, as 
 opportunity offered, with one and another, apart 
 from the rest. Afterward, some of the lads were 
 considerably exercised over the fact that they had 
 confessed as fully their niosi secret and cherished 
 plans to her ladyship, as they did long ago to the 
 priests in the narrow confessionals, whither they 
 tremblingly went for that special purpose. 
 
 Mike drew Alan to one side at last and asked : 
 
 " Are there any more women in the world like 
 that lady and her daughters? " 
 
 "' Probably there are," was the smiling answer. 
 
PEERKvSS AND PAUPKRS 
 
 301 
 
 (( 
 
 Well, for my part, I didn't think they cotild 
 ever be made so good. Why one wouldn't think 
 tliey were made out of the same kind of stuff as 
 our folks ; now do you really think they are?" 
 
 " Yes, I really think they are, strange as it 
 seems." 
 
 " Do you think we can be as good when we die ? 
 Not but you may be now — only women have a 
 charm about their goodness that the best of men 
 uon't have. It's wonderful what they are like. " 
 
 Alan glanced at Lucia standing by the youth- 
 ful Sammy, listening with happy, smiling face to 
 his remarks. 
 
 " Yes, Mike, it is wonderful, as we sometimes find 
 to our cost." 
 
 " I'd rather like one of that kind, if I never did 
 have the chance to marry her, than an\' other 
 kind." Alike had for some days had his suspi- 
 cions, and tried to give his word of consolation. 
 
 "And I would rather not." Alan turned away 
 abruptly. He did not care to discuss tliis subject 
 with any one, but he would as soon speak of it to 
 Mike as any one in the world. He had no truer 
 friend, he well knew, since Mr. Dolliver was 
 peacefully sleeping in the churchyard, than this 
 Irish lad. He inwardly resented being so taken 
 possession of by another — his self-poise and calm- 
 ness of spirit utterly broken ; but he found himself 
 powerless to shake off the glamour that was upon 
 
302 
 
 TII^ MASTER OF DKKPLAWN 
 
 him. Would it always be so? Was it necessary? 
 These were the questions constantly repeated, yet 
 unanswered. 
 
 Lucia had promised him to play and sing for 
 the boys. They were perspiring now from their 
 own vigorous efforts in making melody. Some 
 of them were very fair musicians, but it was very 
 crude at the best, and somehow Alan felt that he 
 deserved some solace. He interrupted the inter- 
 view between her and Sammy, the latter stepping 
 proudly away, for had the young lady not com- 
 plimented him on his fine appearance? 
 
 " I think my turn has come now," he said, look- 
 ing at the lovely face turned toward him. 
 
 " In what way?" 
 
 " Ah ! that is the question I would like to have 
 you answer." 
 
 " I will answer it if you will explain more fully 
 what you want." 
 
 Then she might have read a diflferent answer in 
 his eyes, but he said only, " You promised me 
 some music." 
 
 "Is that all?" There was a touch of disap- 
 pointment in her voice. 
 
 " Would you have me ask for anything greater?" 
 There was a quiver of excitement in his voice 
 which he foiled to steady. 
 
 "I will give you the music." She spoke 
 timidly, with a heightened color, and went 
 
PEERESS AND PAUPERS 
 
 303 
 
 quickly to the piano. The boys came trooping- 
 around while Alan stood apart, listening to every 
 note, }et scarcely enjoyin^? the music that was 
 sendino- thrills of rapture through Anselmo's heart 
 and softening his face until he looked as gentle 
 as the musician herself 
 
 "Isn't it heavenly!" The young fellow ad- 
 dressed no one in particular, but the youthful 
 Sammy was on hand and responded unctuousl\- : 
 " The angels couldn't better it, I guess." 
 Mrs, Dixon came to Alan presently. She 
 looked worried. 
 
 '' That man-cook of yours says the ices ought 
 to be eat at once or they'll all be melted." 
 "Very well, you can give the signal." 
 Mrs. Dixon had very little ear for music, but 
 great care for the practical side of life, hence she 
 had no scruples about giving the signal that drew 
 most of the bo}s from the piano. 
 
 ^ " It seems a pity, miss, to interrupt you, but the 
 victuals must be eat or some of them will spoil." 
 lyucia smiled graciously into the perturbed 
 countenance of the housekeeper. 
 
 "I am sure the boys will enjoy keeping the 
 food from spoiling much more than listening to 
 music." 
 
 *' Yes, indeed, they are terrible hungry fellows. 
 Mr. Rivers needs a deep pocket to bear such heavy 
 expense." 
 
304 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 ! I 
 
 " And a large heart also." 
 
 *' Oh, yes ; but he's got that anyway more than 
 most people. We've never seen his like in these 
 parts; but Tni told tliat over the sea you have 
 some very benevolent people." 
 
 " Not many like him, I fear." 
 
 "Well, I'd sooner he'd be a little more like 
 other folks in some tliim^s; though I'd not like to 
 see him change, for, with the exception of giving 
 so much away to poor creatures, I guess he's 
 about as perfect as any one I ever saw. You can't 
 tell anything about him, seeing him just when 
 it's all plain sailing, but there's been times in his 
 life when he's minded me more of the Lord Jesus 
 than any one I've ever heard about. It's just 
 wonderful that a boy with no more clianccs than 
 he's had to be one of the high kind of Christians 
 should be so good. I spoke to him about it the 
 last time he was home." 
 
 " What did he say ? " Lncia asked, with kind- 
 ling eyes. 
 
 "Well, he wouldn't allow, in the first place, 
 that he was any better than ordinary folks, but he 
 did say that any good there might be in him was 
 due to the change he m.et with when he was a 
 boy. He got kind of set on St. John the Baptist, 
 and the way he held the world so light, and he 
 has tried ever since, I believe, to live like him." 
 
 "And he has succeeded wonderfully." lyucia 
 
 

 PEERESS AND PAUPERS 
 
 305 
 
 spoke softly as she watched the boys being seated 
 around the tables. 
 
 " For all he's so much in earnest about these 
 things, he's not like the people that tire you with 
 tlieir religion. I never saw a boy so full of fun 
 and energy. He's always been the smartest young 
 fellow in these parts, and there's few that can 
 match him in anything he tries to do." 
 
 Alan saw Mrs. Dixon talking more than her 
 wont, and guessed that he was probably the sub- 
 ject of her discourse, so he hastened to interrupt. 
 
 "Are you not going to join us at lunch?" he 
 asked, addressing Ivucia. 
 
 " I think I would enjoy listening to Mrs. Dixon, 
 if you will excuse me," she said, with a dimpling 
 face. 
 
 *| May T ask what she is sajing that is so inter- 
 esting? " 
 
 "You should listen, and you will disprove a 
 cynical old proverb." 
 
 " You tnust not pay any attention to what Mrs. 
 Dixon may say of me. I am all the boy she has, 
 and she has been spoiling m.e ever since I can 
 remember." 
 
 " I do not think she has succeeded very well. 
 It must be hard, Urs. Dixon, to see your life's 
 work spoiled." 
 
 The worthy housekeeper looked mystified at 
 I^ucia's remark. 
 
 u 
 
3o6 
 
 THH MASTER OF DEKPJ.AVVN 
 
 " You young folks are so quick I can't keep the 
 run of your talk very well, but this I can say, 
 if I've spoilt him, it's a pity I hadn't a good many 
 more to spoil." 
 
 " Hear, hear ! " I^ucia said, clapping her hands. 
 "That is really a very brilliant speech." 
 
 After that they submitted to Alan's guidance, 
 and were soon engaged in demolishing the " man- 
 cook's " ices and other compositions. 
 
 •iHlaMiiriM 
 
 ..^■.iJCiM.,.. 
 

 CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 AN UNDERSTANDING 
 
 T ADY SEYMOUR was so well content at 
 -L^ Deeplawn that she was not anxions to be- 
 o^in the westward tour just at once. They had 
 planned to visit the wonderland of the Rockies, 
 the dreamland of Southern California, the mag- 
 nolia groves of the Carolinas, the marvels of 
 Niagara, and the granite ribs of New England. 
 Her ladyship cared little for the cities ; she had 
 seen enough of their sin and poverty in her own 
 land. It was nature, fresh and comjiaratively un- 
 trodden, as it came from the hand of its Creator, 
 that she was curious to look upon. To see this 
 best Alan assured her it would be necessarv to 
 go across the border into the wildernesses of 
 Canada. 
 
 Every day she had all the lads come to Deep- 
 lawn. Usually at evening, when their day's work 
 was done and the toil-stained garments exchanged 
 for the Sunday best, they would come trooping 
 through the lawns and gardens, looking as happy 
 as if there did not lie behind them a cliildhood of 
 want, or before them an uncertain future depend- 
 ing on a young man's will. They had all the 
 
 307 
 
3o8 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 happy unconsciousness of care natural to the 
 young-. 
 
 I^ady Seymour would talk with them, some- 
 times for an hour or more, suggesting plans for 
 their future and often praying with them. She 
 would earnestly warn tlieni against the horrible 
 vices and iniquities of many men, and urge them 
 to avoid them as thev would the most dcadlv 
 poisons, when they should leave the shelter of 
 Deeplawn. She had some peculiar ideas, the re- 
 sults of much earnest thought and study, on sub- 
 jects generally ignored, and was so pure and brave 
 that she could speak to these youths frankly of the 
 great perils and snares awaiting young manhood. 
 She did not believe in leaving them to gain their 
 knowledge first under all the glamour cast about 
 gilded vice. Afterward, when too late, the glitter 
 vanishes, but the death's head remains. 
 
 They started on their journeyings westwarc^^ 
 the first of September. The weather was very 
 hot, the air close and dusty, but her ladyship was 
 resolute. She had come to see this great country 
 so rapidly overtaking, after two and a half cen- 
 turies of existence, the older countries on the 
 other side of the sea. She did not intend that a 
 little heat should frighten her from her tour. 
 
 They took frequent rests, always stopping in 
 some quiet place where they could have plenty of 
 breathing space. Alan had never traveled with 
 
AN UNDKRSTANDING 
 
 309 
 
 the 
 
 ladies before, but he was as patient with their 
 miiUitiKliiioiis wants as if he had been 2, pater- 
 Jamilias of a score of years' standin<r. 
 
 I^ioncl assured him he was enough to spoil 
 womankind in general, his own mother and sisters 
 in particular, but Alan only smiled. All the time 
 he most devoutly wished it might be his lot to 
 humor the fancies of one special bit of woman- 
 kind as long as life lasted. 
 
 He was by no means so hopeless a lover as he 
 thought. The mother's keen eyes had long ago 
 discovered his secret and did not view it with dis- 
 pleasure. She felt sure she could safelv entrust 
 her child's future happiness to his hands, and 
 was waiting with some impatience for an avowal" 
 of the love she well knew existed. At last Lionel 
 was consulted, but he could say little, save to re- 
 peat the conversation between himself and Alan 
 immediately after that first visit to their London 
 home, when Alan for the first time saw Lucia. 
 
 " You must have given him to understand, by 
 that ambiguous expression, that it was useless for 
 him to think of your sister 'other than as a 
 friend,' " her ladyship said, anxiously. 
 
 "He need not ask my permission. I should 
 think if he loved a girl it would be herself he 
 would woo, not her brothers or uncles." 
 
 " You would view it just as he does if you were 
 in his place. The ridiculous fellow no doubt 
 
3IO 
 
 THK MASTKR OF DERPLAWN 
 
 thinks we would consider him not good enough 
 for her because of liis lack of rank." 
 
 " Mother ! " Lionel could voice his feelings of 
 dismay in that one word alone. Was it possible 
 he had given his friend to understand this? 
 
 '* What shall I do?" 
 
 " Ah, that is the question. One does not like 
 to seem to force a confession. If Lucia could only 
 understand — but there is not enough of the co- 
 quette in her nature to help in the slightest, in a 
 matter of this kind. We will wait awhile, and if 
 it is for the best everything will come out right," 
 
 "Things do not always come out right in cases 
 of that kind, and Alan is so stout-hearted he will 
 never give way. Really these heroic people are a 
 trifle tiresome to get on with in evcry-day life." 
 Lionel spoke somewhat impatiently. 
 
 " We have not found him wanting in any other 
 matter," his mother said gently. "We should 
 not have found him so in this if he had rightly 
 understood our friendship. What prigs he must 
 take us to be, posing as philanthropists, and yet 
 withholding from such a man as he must know 
 himself to be, a chit of a girl like Lucia." 
 
 " You are a democrat, mother mine," Lionel 
 said, with a laugh that still did not conceal his 
 discomfiture. 
 
 After three weeks' journeyings they had begun 
 to weary of the magnificent distances of this new 
 
AN UNDERSTANDING 
 
 311 
 
 world, and even Lady Seymonr\s courage grew 
 faint when Alan assured her that they were as yet 
 only beginning the tour she had mapped out. 
 
 " Some other time then, we will take the rest. 
 We shall want to visit you again, and then per- 
 haps you will take us under your care to complete 
 the round." 
 
 " I shall never be too busy to gladly drop every- 
 thing and accompany you," was the hearty reply. 
 
 '' You may be married before that time, and 
 your wife might object." Her ladyship seemed a 
 little nervous as she spoke. 
 
 " I do not expect to ever have a wife." 
 
 "But why do you talk so rashly, may I ask? 
 Are you proof against such things, or are you too 
 much of a philosopher to stoop to ask for a 
 woman's heart? " 
 
 " I might find that I must deny myself what I 
 crave, because too high above my reach." 
 
 "Why use the word must? You have surely 
 not fallen in love with a royal princess?" 
 
 Her own heart was in a tremor as she spoke, 
 almost as much so as if this were a love episode 
 of her own ; but she was determined to set matters 
 right though she might risk being called a match- 
 maker. 
 
 "It is not necessary to go so far as that, your 
 ladyship, to dare too much." 
 
 " You should not miss your life happiness for 
 
313 
 
 thp: master of dickplawn 
 
 13 ■ ' 
 
 want of a little coiira.q^c, surely iK^t in any case 
 sliort of royal rank and oblij^ations. Promise me 
 you will at least make some effort to gain what 
 you want." Ivadv Sevmour trembled at her own 
 boldness as she spoke, but she nevertheless looked 
 up unflinchingly at his bewildered face. 
 
 "Would you be willing for me to ask your 
 daughter's hand in marriage?" he questioned, 
 almost sternly. 
 
 " I should be quite satisfied to entrust my child 
 to you — but I do not beg you for a son-in-law 
 contrary to your own desires." She blushed like 
 a girl as she spoke. 
 
 " Dear Lady Seymour, there is no need to apolo- 
 gize for what you have said. I knew long ago 
 that you read my heart, — I believe mothers do 
 that by instinct, — and I also knew that you ft)r- 
 gave me, since how could I help loving her ? But 
 I did not dare believe that you would willingly 
 consient to let her step down from her own rank 
 to marry ri.c, and I would have gone through life 
 unblessed rather than ask for what you did not 
 wish to give." 
 
 There were tears in Lady Seymour's eyes, but 
 she brushed them hastily aside. Alan did not 
 know they were tears of thankfulness. 
 
 "God bless vou, mv son." She held out her 
 hand, which he clasped for an instant and then 
 raised reverently to his lips. " I knew you were 
 
 III: I t 
 
AN UNDERSTANDING 
 
 313 
 
 SO scnipnloiisly honorable you woiikl never speak 
 unless I <»;ave some sij^n that you were weleonie 
 to do so, but I felt almost as if I were ofler- 
 ing myself in marriage. I hope my next son- 
 in-law won't give me such a troublesome task to 
 perform." She was ^looking at him with such a 
 proud mother-love in her face he did not think 
 the task was causing her much trouble now. 
 
 " I trust it may be the last unpleasant task I 
 shall require at your hands," he said, soberly. 
 How seriously he seemed to take the great joy 
 that had come to him ; for a great joy she knew 
 it was by the face she had studied and learned to 
 understand so well, ''Shall we soon return to 
 Deeplawn? I think you told me just now that 
 vou were getting tired of sight-seeing. " 
 
 " We will turn homeward at once. You will 
 let me call Deeplawn home?" 
 
 " If it could onlv be vour home in realitv ! But 
 we must not ask for everything in this world." 
 
 "I think if she consents to accept you she will 
 be content with you alone, much as she loves us 
 all ; for she has a true woman's heart." 
 
 Alan looked as if this could not be possible, 
 that he could fill the place of all the loved ones 
 she had been with from childhood ; but if she 
 would come to him, he knew, as far as his love 
 could do it, he would make her content. 
 
:-< I' 
 
 J; 
 
 CHAPTER XXV 
 
 1 1 
 
 BETROTHAL 
 
 'T^HEY turned their faces homeward, leaving 
 J- their direct route only for Niagara Falls. 
 
 "I may not live to come back to America," 
 Lady Seymour said, playfully, "and I want, 
 before I pass on to other worlds, to see as much of 
 the magnificence of my native planet as possible." 
 
 " I hope you may live long enough to go with 
 us to Labrador on some of our hard-earned holi- 
 days and see the mammoth waterfall hidden away 
 there," Alan said. 
 
 *' We never could take ladies over such a route ! " 
 Lionel expostulated. 
 
 ''Certainly not until there is a railway to the 
 spot, but if the accounts of those who have seen 
 it are not exaggerated, some enterprising Yankee 
 will undertake a railway there, probably in our 
 lifetime. Summer excursionists are tiring of the 
 beaten tracks. A trip like that would suit their 
 jaded fancy admirably." 
 
 " Y^ou seem fond of suggesting, as well as at- 
 tempting, the impracticable," Lionel retorted. 
 
 At Niagara a new experience was added to the 
 already wide repertoire with which Lady Sey- 
 314 
 
 ill 
 
BETROTHAL 
 
 315 
 
 >> 
 
 mour was provided for lier journeyings to other 
 worlds. She had, in her )ouiiger days, made an 
 excnrsion to Iceland in her father's yacht, to wit- 
 ness the madcap pranks of natnre there ; on the 
 same trip had penetrated far inland on those Nor- 
 wegian fiords ; later on had climl^cd the Alpine 
 peaks and stood within the shadows of the Hima- 
 layas and of the Apennines ; but never had she so 
 vividly realized our human powerlessness before 
 nature's uncurl^ed forces as when, in oiled suit, 
 she followed her guide beneath the thunder of 
 waters at Niagara. When they reached the hotel 
 she lay down on the sofa exhausted. After a few 
 moments' silence, she said, reflectively : 
 
 " If our planet is ridiculously insignificant in 
 size compared with some of the worlds hanging 
 aloft, it is at least a wonderful piece of mechan- 
 ism. We need not to be ashamed of our birth- 
 place, do you think, if we compare notes with 
 representatives from the stars when we reach the 
 garden of God? One is not certain how they 
 might regard such things there. I am apt to have 
 all sorts of odd fancies when I lie awake at night," 
 she concluded, with a smile at her own foolish- 
 ness. 
 
 " I seldom lie awake, but when I do it is not 
 any such perplexities about the size of worlds that 
 keeps me from sleeping." 
 
 "Ah, Lucia, my child, the other world I know 
 
3l6 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 seems so far away from you now, you scarce give 
 a thouglit how you shall appear there." 
 
 " That has giveu me very many troubled 
 thoughts, mamma ; but it is my own individual 
 merits I am anxious about, not my position in 
 that wonderful dwelling-place as a representative 
 from our planet." 
 
 " I believe you have distanced me in the argu- 
 ment. Nevertheless, I am glad that I can indulge 
 in justifiable pride of the world I was planted in. 
 It is beautiful, beautiful ! " she murmured, softly. 
 
 IvUcia looked anxiously at the thin, tired face, 
 very glad that the restless, eager spirit was con- 
 tent to turn homeward. She well knew her 
 mother's delicacy of health, and on her account 
 had looked forward to this western journey with 
 more of fear than pleasure. As she saw the 
 white lids presently begin to droop, she beckoned 
 to the others silently, when all save Maude with- 
 drew, leaving her to keep guard while her mother 
 slept. Ivionel had letters to write and went to his 
 room. For the first time since his conversation 
 with Lady Seymour, Alan was left alone with 
 Lucia. As they stood on the piazza looking out 
 toward the waterfall, x\lan said : 
 
 " The first time I was here I found an excellent 
 view of the rapids where one is not so deafened 
 by the roar of the cataract. Will you come with 
 me and see it ? " 
 
 ^af 
 
BETROTHAI^ 
 
 i-^l 
 
 ace, 
 
 " With pleasure. It seems a pity to lose a single 
 glimpse of the wonderful scene. I feel like study- 
 ing its changini;- moods all the time; it grows 
 upon mc, I find, overwhelms me." She shuddered 
 slightly as she spoke. 
 
 " I like to come here occasionally. It affects 
 me differently tv-ery time. Some day I may find 
 the impression it gives will be the same. We 
 cannot always continue to outgrow our emotions, 
 I presume." 
 
 " I have been wondering to-day how the un- 
 clothed spirit would regard it — if, indeed, it would 
 have any tangible existence for pure spirit. If so, 
 and I were free, I should like to be in the midst 
 of it, tossing and dashing in its mad play ; there 
 could be no fear, only wild enjoyment, under such 
 conditions." 
 
 " I am very glad you are not pure spirit, but a 
 real flesh and blood maiden, walking beside me 
 here." 
 
 " Do you think that is a generous satisfaction ? 
 One might be so much happier in the spiritual 
 state." 
 
 "A whole eternity lemains for that. There 
 are experiences to be had here that I crave before 
 death passes me on to the next world." 
 
 She did not reply, and for some time they 
 walked on in silence. The point to which Alan 
 was turning his steps lay some half-mile or more 
 
3i8 
 
 THK MASTER OF DEp:PLAWN 
 
 from the hotel, in the quieter part of Goat Island. 
 He was content to be walking in silence, since he 
 knew, for an hour or two at least, they two would 
 be alone together. When they had reached the 
 vSpot Lucia found a rustic seat, Alan threw him- 
 self on the grass at her feet, and together they 
 silently watched the foaming rapids sweeping by. 
 
 " When Lionel and I came here last month, for 
 the first time in my life I gave a serious thought 
 to the thousands of newly married people who 
 have come here. Do you know, Lucia, I hoped 
 the day might come when I too, should take my 
 bride to some rare spot of earth, though it would 
 be matter of supreme indifference to me whether 
 it was one of the fairest or not, so long as the 
 woman I loved was by my side — my wife." Alan 
 was somewhat direct in anything his heart was 
 set upon, and Lucia was not to be wooed by de- 
 grees. " Won't it be better still to plight our 
 troth here to-dav ? You must know niv love for 
 you. Do you not love me in return, and will you 
 not take me for better or worse ? " 
 
 She looked down into the eager, imperious face 
 of the man who was not even suing for her love 
 in orthodox fashion, but seemed to claim it as his 
 right. No other form of wooing would so well 
 have suited her fancy, but she held her peace. 
 
 "Lucia, why don't you speak?" 
 
 Her eyes fell before the look in his ; she was 
 
BETROTHAL 
 
 319 
 
 afraid they might tell him too soon what he 
 wanted to know, what she had been afraid he 
 might never know, and yet, with the perversity of 
 her sex, was so slow to confess. " Am I a' co- 
 quette?" flashed into her mind, as if spoken 
 bodily. She turned her eyes once more to meet 
 the eyes intently watching lier, and was startled 
 at the intense pain in their depths. She reached 
 her hand to him. 
 
 " What do you want me to do ?" 
 
 " To be my wife, I^ucia, my other better self." 
 
 "I can never be your better self, but " 
 
 she hesitated a moment and then added, archly, 
 " I shall never be any other man's wife." 
 
 He was holding her hand tightly as he stood 
 now beside her. 
 
 " You will be content, Lucia, to be the mate of 
 a common man, who can olTer you nothing but a 
 humble name and the truest love ? I do not for- 
 get that Lionel told me you might one day be a 
 duchess bearing a splendid, historic name— with a 
 history reaching back a thousand years." 
 
 " I am going to marry a very uncommon man, 
 better than any duke I ever knew. I shall not 
 need to consider his ancestors, for he will be great 
 enough for me without any help from tliem."^ 
 
 "We will not talk of greatness. I nsed to 
 have my dreams, but none of them included such 
 joy as this." He was now standing quietly at her 
 
320 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 side. He smiled at her as he spoke, and then 
 gazed reflectively across the boiling, turbulent 
 river that rolled near by. 
 
 "He is not like other men," Lucia thought, 
 proudly. "He is self-contained, noble, always." 
 She was perfectly content to be standing there at 
 his side in silence. She knew that he loved her 
 as truly as one human being can love another, 
 had loved her from the first, as she had loved him. 
 What a grand life was open for them if God 
 spared them to each other through the coming 
 years ; not living selfishly, but continuing the 
 work he had begmi ; waiting for any task Gcd 
 might appoint ; finding the crown of living in 
 serving, not enjoying. 
 
n 
 
 God 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI 
 
 MRS. DIXON'S SUGGESTIONS 
 
 A LAN found Lady Seymour awake when they 
 -^"^ returned, and considerably rested. He 
 asked to see her alone, and Maude withdrew, look- 
 ing somewhat mystified. 
 
 " Can anything be wrong?" she asked her sis- 
 ter. " Mr. Rivers came in with a very bright face 
 and requested a private interview with mamma. 
 Does he want to marry one of us? " 
 
 " Mamma, I am sure, will tell you later on." 
 " I do not think she will need to. Your face 
 seems to have the same kind of expression that 
 his had. He is no doubt a very fine man, person- 
 ally, but for one who has had the refusal of a duke 
 it does not strike me as a particularly brilliant 
 offer." 
 
 " He is worth a thousand of that little lisping 
 creature." Lucia's cheeks were now very red. 
 
 "Nevertheless any one in her senses would pre- 
 fer the title." 
 
 " I am ashamed of you, ]\Iaude. I never felt so 
 honored in my life as when I learned that such a 
 man as Alan Rivers saw something in me worth 
 loving—that he w^anted me with him forever." 
 
 V 321 
 
y.2 
 
 THE mastp:r of dheplawn 
 
 « 
 
 I ? 
 
 I ■ 
 
 '*You don't say so!" was the half-niockinp^ 
 reply, as Maude swept a courtly bow. " At least 
 my preference for the duke has gained nie a fair 
 statement of what has happened." And she 
 laughed as she left the room. 
 
 Alan, when he found himself alone with Lady 
 Seymour spoke at once of what was uppermost in 
 his mind. 
 
 " lyucia has consented to be my wife. Will you 
 continue your superb kindness by giving me my 
 wife very soon ? " 
 
 " Ah, you take my breath away ! You must 
 learn patience. Her father will not oppose you, I 
 am certain, but he must be duly consulted. 
 There are also the dressmakers and milliners, and 
 all the train of people who deck our brides, whose 
 help must be secured. 
 
 " I would be happy to take her in the gown she 
 wears to-day. What do I care for the frippery ? 
 It is herself I want." 
 
 "We could not let our daughter be married 
 away from Wyndhurst ; that has been the rule of 
 our house for some hundreds of years, and her 
 father must give her away." 
 
 Alan bowed silently to the decision. Lady 
 Seymour smiled. She liked his rugged wooing ; 
 he was always true to himself, and in this, as in 
 everything, his peculiar characteristics were ap- 
 parent. 
 
MRS. DIXON'S SUGGKvSTlONS :3^ 
 
 " Yoli will make it as early as possible when 
 yon retnrn to Eno;lancl? I shall not spend any 
 more time at the nniversities, at least not for some 
 years. My life-work mnst begin now in earnest." 
 
 " Have yon decided to be a clennni m ^ " 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " Have you spoken to Lucia on the subject ? 
 *'No. Remember we were only betrothed an 
 hour ago ; but I^ncia will not object." 
 
 "lam sure she will think that whatever you 
 wish is the best, for you will marry a friend as 
 well as sweetheart." 
 
 "Shall I have your promise to hasten it? I 
 have been alone so many years I am impatient." 
 " Yon may rest assured that I will place no un- 
 necessary obstacles in your way ; but we must give 
 our daughter a suitable wedding— the amenities 
 of social life demand it." 
 
 Alan could not help wishing for more primitive 
 customs, and remembered with some dismay the 
 elaborate ceremony to which he must submit. 
 
 They returned at once to Deeplawn, where they 
 remained a week before leaving for England. Alan 
 was to follow them later. The wedding day was 
 set early in December, and the remainder of that 
 year and part o:"the winter they were to spend on 
 the continent, l^ucia with her parents and sister 
 had not only visited the principal points of in- 
 terest in European travel, but had also turned 
 
324 
 
 THE MASTER OF DKEPI.AWN 
 
 aside from the beaten track and explored out-of- 
 tlie-wa)' places ; hence Alan could have no better 
 guide. 
 
 Mrs. Dixon was now perplexed over the ques- 
 tion, if Alan was to become a minister on his re- 
 turn where was he to find a church ? The little 
 chapel at Deeplawn was surel\- not large enough 
 to satisfy so energetic a worker. One evening 
 when he had stepped into her sitting room to dis- 
 cuss some business arrangement, she asked : 
 
 *' Will you live here after your marriage?" 
 
 " I shall certainly come here, but what my 
 ni.arching orders will be I do not know." 
 
 " How in the world will you know unless you 
 look a little sharp after it yourself? A preacher 
 ought to have a church." 
 
 " If it is necessary for me to have one, the church 
 will be forthcoming, never fear. I have no more 
 anxiety about it than the birds have about next 
 year's harvest." 
 
 " That seems to me a curious way to take 
 things. I would say you ought to do something 
 yourself." 
 
 " That is what I have been busy at the last ten 
 years, preparing for whatever work God may ap- 
 point for me, in the meantime taking hold of any 
 duty that presents itself as I go along, and not 
 waiting for some great service that may never 
 come to me. The wisest way I find, is to balance 
 
MRS. DIXON'S SUGGKSTIONS 
 
 32j 
 
 my 
 
 ig 
 
 each day's accounts, as far as possible, at each day's 
 close." 
 
 "I would like to see you settled at somethini^r 
 definite. Now if you could get one of those grea^ 
 New York churches where there'd be hundreds 
 turned away every Sunday for want of room, and 
 have your sermons put in the morning papers ! I 
 don't want you to be one of the little, common 
 kind of preachers that you scarcely hear men- 
 tioned outside of their own cliurch or neicrhbor- 
 hood." "^ 
 
 " You think to be popular is a minister's chief 
 call?" Alan said. 
 
 " I want folks to know about you all over the 
 country. There must be a few popular ones, and 
 you have as good a chance as the best. I am 
 sure you have had every opportunity ; and Lady 
 Seymour says you have great ability, that there 
 is only one here and there among the'millions that 
 is quite your equal ; but if you don't try yourself, 
 I'm afraid you'll never be known." 
 
 " I shall never try, you may be sure of that. It 
 will not be myself that I shall preach or uplift, 
 and it will not matter to me if my name never 
 gets into the papers. Indeed, I should much pre- 
 fer not to have it mentioned. I have other work 
 to do. God helping me I shall keep my heart free 
 from such vanities." 
 
 Mrs. Dixou' face wore a very dissatisfied ex- 
 
326 
 
 THE MASTER OF DKKPLAWN 
 
 ;!ii I 
 
 w \i 
 
 III! 
 
 pressioii. In some ways Alan was a very disap- 
 pointing^ individnal. She had never before, since 
 he was a lad, so far interfered in his affairs; bnt 
 she had an instinctive feelin*^ that she niiglit criti- 
 cise him as a preacher, since that is a privilege 
 people generally take. F'or Alan, the martyrdom 
 of criticism wonld be harmless, as it might be for 
 all preachers. 
 
 " It is of no use talking to him," she grumbled, 
 after the door had closed between them. "He's 
 that masterful about what he calls duty, one 
 might as well talk to a post. Anyway, I guess 
 his wife will be ambitious for him, and wives can 
 persuade when no other living creature can. Be- 
 sides, since she's a great lady, it will help him 
 powerfully. There's a sight of attention paid to 
 birth and money in the churches as well as out of 
 them." Mrs. Dixon breathed a sigh of relief as 
 she reflected on this, and presently dismissed her 
 anxieties about Alan's popularity as a preacher 
 from her mind. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII 
 
 THK GREAT DEEP 
 
 AlyAN bad many tasks planned for the weeks 
 intervening between their retnrn to Deep- 
 lawn and bis niarria^^e. The interior of tlie house 
 bad undergone but little change in five and 
 twenty years. Everything was now old-fashioned. 
 Though the furniture was originally of the best 
 material and workmanship, and in an excellent 
 state of preservation, yet even Alan could not 
 help thinking that Lucia might reasonably ex- 
 pect an entire renovation of the house. The 
 choicest upholstery on the continent would not 
 suit his fancy half so well as the old-fashioned 
 furniture that he remembered from childhood, 
 but with Lucia it might be different. 
 
 He regretted the money it would take to do this. 
 The amount necessary to furnish it throughout 
 would build and fit a house in the West larue 
 enough to lodge a score of boys. At last he de- 
 cided to submit his perplexities to Lucia. They 
 were alone in the library when he made his ex- 
 planation. She listened silently while he was 
 speaking, he wishing meanwhile that she would 
 make some suggestion since he feared that she 
 
 327 
 
32S 
 
 the; MASTER OF DKliPLAWN 
 
 might not understand his motives and think it 
 was lack of respect that led him to bring his bride 
 to Deeplawn without making even such prepara- 
 tions for her home-coming as one of less dignity 
 might reasonably expect. He paused for a mo- 
 ment and said then deprecatingly : 
 
 " If I have pained you with my apparent lack of 
 generosity, I want you to forgive me. I have not 
 the refined tastes chat \our husband should have ; 
 you have a rough blundering fellow to deal with ; 
 but I want you to train me mercilessly. I will 
 try to do your bidding, to anticipate your every 
 wish." 
 
 There was a rueful, pleading look on the hand- 
 some face that was intently studying her varying 
 expression. 
 
 " I will never train you. Rather I will do all 
 in my power to keep you just as you are. I do 
 not want my husband to be a conventional carpet- 
 kniHit. In re^^-ard to refurnishino: this liouse, I 
 like it much better as it is, old-fashioned and 
 homelike, with memories of your boyhood about 
 it. I sit thinking that it was here you indulged 
 your youthful dreams and ambitions in which I 
 bore no part, and now you care more for me than 
 for all else. Is not that so ? " 
 
 She looked up at him a little doubtfully, as if 
 even yet she could hardly believe that she had 
 the first place in his heart. His answer reassured 
 
THE GREAT DEEP 
 
 329 
 
 
 lier, although he was not much given to protesta- 
 tions or caresses. 
 
 " I do not know if fnamnia has told you that I 
 have a fortune in my own right from my god- 
 mother." 
 
 "It has never occurred to me whether you 
 owned a dollar. I have not even thought of 
 marriage settlements or money in coimection 
 with you." 
 
 vSlie smiled at the indifference with which he 
 spoke of what would have been of very consider- 
 able interest to the generality of men. 
 
 " I am glad for your sake that I have money. 
 We can do so much more to further your benevo- 
 lent plans." 
 
 " Your money must be left in your own coun- 
 try. I wish to support my wife to the last dollar 
 — to have her all my own." 
 
 "We won't trouble ourselves about it now ; suf- 
 ficient to the future are the perplexities that may 
 come." 
 
 Alan did, however, fit up the suite of rooms spe- 
 cially appropriated for his bride, following his own 
 instincts, to the surprise of the work-people who 
 came to execute his orders. There was nothing 
 conventional about it, but when the work was 
 completed, and they surveyed their labor as a 
 whole, they honestly acknowledged that the 
 blenditig of colors, and the effect of the differ- 
 
330 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 t 
 I 
 
 ent articles of furniture showed a finer artistic 
 effect than they could achieve. 
 
 " You would make your fortune in no time at 
 furnishing," the foreman said, admiringly. " I 
 tell you, sir, brains make their mark everywhere." 
 
 Alan look around the remodeled rooms and 
 concluded something had made them different 
 from the average, but was not aware if it were 
 superior brains or loving care that had wrought 
 the harmony. 
 
 This task completed he started for the West, 
 taking James lyongman with him, for he wished 
 to settle the colony of boys on which his heart 
 had been so long set, and for which he had denied 
 himself many a luxury. He had secured a large 
 tract of wild land, and soon completed his plans 
 for buildings, and for laying out the estate. Long- 
 man, who had a natural faculty for carpentering, 
 was installed master builder. They did not seek 
 for much effect ; utility and comfort were what 
 they desired. Hence expensive workmen were 
 not needed. 
 
 Alan often detected himself painting rose- 
 colored pictures of this place in his imagination, 
 as he attempted to look into the future. Young 
 men and maidens were to grow up here to strong, 
 pure careers, who otherwise would be useless drift- 
 wood on life's current. The life God had given 
 to him seemed as complete and rich as he could 
 
THE GREAT DEEP 
 
 33^ 
 
 wish. Work was liis that angcs might covet, 
 opportunities for splendid service were stretching 
 out in the coming years; his life as a whole 
 was divinely ordered, yet in perfect harmonv with 
 his own desires ; and the woman he loved was 
 waiting for him to claim her. He used to pause 
 beside the workmen— rough, unkempt fellows 
 some of them were— and wonder why he had so 
 much more than they, a great pity filling his 
 heart because they and all mankind could not 
 enjoy similar gifts ; but he hoped that in some 
 other life they might not lag so far behind their 
 fellows. 
 
 Matters satisfactorily arranged here, he went to 
 New York, setting sail at once for Wyndhurst, 
 where already grand preparations had been begun 
 for the approaching marriage. 
 
 The vo\age proved a stormy one from the 
 beginning. The November skies were leaden the 
 day they started, and the huge steamship seemed 
 to groan remonstrance against fronting the mighty 
 billows the stormy Atlantic can roil up. Alan 
 was one of the few passengers able to keep his 
 feet. After a day or two there was on each face, 
 from the commander to the smallest cabin boy, an 
 expression of nnxiety, although they were well 
 used to these tumultuous moods of the sea at this 
 season. 
 
 Alan used to station himself in some compara- 
 
332 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 tively safe part of the deck and watch the weird 
 scene about him, while he reflected on the millions 
 of human being^swhom the sea had en<>ul fed since 
 the first voyager ventured his life thereon, some- 
 times wonderin<^ anxiously, if his fale should be 
 like theirs would the work that he had planned 
 with such care go on ? Would Lucia, after a 
 natural period of grieving, wed some other man ? 
 Such a course would be perfectly natural, since 
 men and women in all conditions of life are wont 
 to do this, even after marriage has made them 
 one. Would she one day be a duchess, bringing 
 to her work in the by-ways of the world the 
 splendor of her high position and historic name? 
 It was not a pleasant train of thought, this of 
 fancying I^ucia another man's wife while he lay 
 forgotten in the awful depths of this merciless sea. 
 From such reveries he would start for a hasty 
 inspection of the weather, perhaps waylaying 
 some official for a few brief words, but these were 
 not reassuring. 
 
 So the time wore on until one night he was 
 wakened from dreams of home and boyhood by 
 the sudden cessation of the ship's machinery. 
 He well knew what that meant. 
 
 He dressed quickly, but carefully. His night 
 lamp had been kept burning several nights in case 
 of some such emer<jencv. There was unusual 
 commotion on deck, hurrying feet, and the loud^ 
 
 ill 
 
THE GREAT DEEP 
 
 '^33 
 
 sharp command that could be heard above the 
 roar of the tempest. Alan hesitated for a 
 moment as he was strapping on his life-preserver, 
 since it minrht mean only a lingering agony if he 
 lay floating on the billows. 
 
 " I will live as long as I can, every hour of life 
 adds so much to my chances for rescue," he s:iid 
 half aloud, as he buckled the last strap securely. 
 
 Ivcaving his stateroom fully equipped for either 
 a tussle with the ocean or a lingering waiting on 
 a crowded boat, he went at once on deck. Stew- 
 ards and stewardesses were passing swiftly from 
 room to room, rousing any who might be sleeping, 
 and calling all to make immediate preparation for 
 the boats. He found on reaching the deck that 
 there would be room for all in the boats. There 
 were many pale faces gathering on the deck, but 
 most of the passengers belonged to the class earh' 
 trained to self- repression, and consequently held 
 themselves under good control. But a close 
 observer could detect the same passion of fear in 
 the rigid muscles and ashen cheek as in the loud 
 lamentations of others. 
 
 The huge steamship was slowly settling in the 
 trough of tiie sea. Her shaft was broken, and her 
 hull so injured that no skill of the carpenters and 
 engineers could remedy it sufficiently for her to 
 continue her contest with the elements. IMinglcd 
 with anxieties for himself and fellow-passengers 
 
334 
 
 THE MASTKR OF DRRI'LAWN 
 
 Alan felt a sensation akin to pity for the vessel 
 tiiat had fought so bravely, but was now being 
 slowly swallowed by the greedy sea. As he 
 watched her slowly settling, he questioned a pas- 
 senger who stood beside him, gloomily surve}ing 
 the scene. Across the stormy waves a line of gray 
 light was glinnnering in the east, foregleani of a 
 day that might be their last on earth. 
 
 "Is there any chance for safety in one of 
 those? " Alan pointed to the boats which the sea- 
 men were prepr ;ing to lower. 
 
 " It is the only chance. Before the sun com- 
 pletes one-half its journey across the sky to-day, 
 this ship will be a hundred fatlioms below the 
 surface." He shuddered as lie spoke. "But I 
 would rather go down in her than face that turbu- 
 lent swell in those cockle shells. It is death in 
 any case, but one will be short and sharp, and I 
 prefer that." 
 
 " If we must go down, it matters little as to the 
 way," Alan said calmly. 
 
 " I see you are one of the religious kind. They 
 usually take these things calmly. I have had 
 experience in them. I have been shipwrecked 
 before." 
 
 "I am glad you can bear such good testimony 
 to their courage. Is it not strange that with your 
 experience you are not one yourself?" 
 
 " Yes. " The answer came with a groan. 
 
 I 
 
THK GREAT PKKP 
 
 335 
 
 Alan forgot the extremity of his own case as he 
 reasoned witli his companion, urgin*; him, then 
 and there, to yieki his will, his entire being, to 
 God. 
 
 '' It is too late," was the one despairing cry. 
 
 By this time all the boats bnt two had been 
 lowered, and the crew came now to the boat near 
 which Alan had been quietly standing. He did 
 not know, because of the confusion, whether all 
 the boats on the other side of the vessel had *>c>t- 
 ten off safely, but knew that some had succeeded. 
 There remained on board onlv enou«'h sailors to 
 man the two boats, a group of the most timid and 
 perhaps the very bravest of the passengers, and 
 the gallant chief officers ; in all, no more than the 
 two boats could easily hold. Excellent discipline 
 had been preserved, and the steamer had settled 
 so slowly that there had been plenty of time for 
 the embarkation. 
 
 " It is of no use for them to trv, thev mio-ht as 
 well stay here and all go down together," the 
 gentleman by Alan's side said, hopelessly. 
 
 " I shall fight for my life to the last moment of 
 conscious existence," Alan said, as his keen eye 
 watched the rapid movements of the men and 
 noted their rough skill. 
 
 When the supplies had been put in and the 
 boat swung out on the davits, the seamen took 
 their places at the oars and the last of the passen- 
 
336 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 li! 
 
 gers were called to get in. But the timid ones 
 hesitated. Women, some of whom had scarcely 
 been allowed to feel a rough wind, shrank back 
 with terror, while even men grew pale as they 
 looked first at the frail boat and then at the wild 
 waves. 
 
 Alan then stepped forward, and with encourag- 
 ing words seconded the officers' efforts to get the 
 little group, chiefly of women, safely into the 
 boat. Among them was a stout lady who had 
 been bewailing her fate in a stentorian voice at 
 intervals, and a pale-fiiced little woman who had 
 been perfectly silent from the first. She faced 
 the appalling spectacle with a shuddering, in- 
 drawn breath, but gave no other sign. Several 
 additional life-preservers had been thrown into the 
 boat, along with the canned meats, biscuits, and 
 keofs of water. As soon as she was seated in the 
 boat, the stout lady chanced to see the life-pre- 
 servers, and instantly begged to have an additional 
 one strapped about her voluminous person. She 
 had loaded herself well with jewelry and her cargo 
 was valuable, even if her individual self would 
 be little missed. Alan waited until there were 
 no more who would enter that boat, and at the 
 last moment, before he climbed in himself, made 
 one more effort to persuade the man with whom 
 he had been talking, to go also ; but he and a few 
 others were determined to stay with the steamer. 
 
N 
 
 timid ones 
 lad scarcely 
 liraiik back 
 ale as they 
 at the wild 
 
 1 encoura*:^- 
 to get tlie 
 y into the 
 v^ who had 
 an voice at 
 m who had 
 She faced 
 dering, in- 
 1. Several 
 wn into the 
 scuits, and 
 ited in the 
 he life-pre- 
 i additional 
 rson. Slie 
 i her cargo 
 self would 
 there were 
 and at the 
 iself, made 
 i^itli whom 
 and a few 
 e steamer. 
 
 THE GREAT DEEP 
 
 m 
 
 The boat was safely lowered, and then the last 
 of tlie crew and officers rushed to the other boat 
 and were quickly off. 
 
 They were making every effort now to get as 
 far as possible from the ship, which was sinking 
 more rapidly. The day was breaking, so that 
 when the boat was lifted on the crest of a wave, 
 they could quite distinctly see the figures still 
 grouped on the deck, who had elected to remain 
 with the ship. Alan fancied he could see them 
 beckoning the boats to return for them ; perhaps 
 too late they had concluded there might be a pos- 
 sibility of escaping and were anxious to try their 
 chances with the rest. He begged the sailors to 
 return and take all that their boat could safely 
 carry, but his request was received in silence. 
 Again he urged, when one of the men said : 
 
 " It's too late, sir. They've had their chance, 
 and we'd only all on us get swamped." 
 
 The stout lady shrieked with terror, while Alan, 
 disheartened, watched for every glimpse possible 
 of his late fellow-voyagers. The boat was sud- 
 denly tossed more fiercely than ever, while the 
 sailors barely kep ler from overturning. 
 
 " I guess that's the sea that took the steamer 
 down," one of them said, when the worst of the 
 danger was over ; and sure enough, when they rose ' 
 on the next wave there was nothing to be seen 
 but the sky and the sea. Alan urged the crew to 
 
 w 
 
33^ 
 
 THE MASTER OK DEEPLAWN 
 
 go back, for possibly some might come again to 
 the surface, buoyed up by their life-preservers. 
 
 "It's no use," an old tar said, moodily. 
 " They'll all be drowned before they see daylij^ht 
 again, the ship'll carry them so far down with 
 her. The suction's powerful strong when a big 
 steamship goes down, I can tell ye." 
 
 *' We can at least go and see," Alan said. 
 
 The boat was turned carefully and they pro- 
 ceeded toward the spot, but nothing could be 
 seen. The day grew clearer. Across the waters 
 a few gleams of sunshine were stealing, while the 
 wind certainly was blowing less furiously. 
 
 " Why don't you row for land ? " the stout lady 
 said, querulously. " What's the use beating round 
 in one spot ? " 
 
 "Well, ma'am, for one reason we're about a 
 thousand miles from land, near as I can make 
 out, and us fellers 'd find that a pretty longish 
 row, specially in this sea." The sailor grinned as 
 he spoke. 
 
 A scream of despair was her only reply. 
 
 " Never you fret, lady. We're in the track of 
 the winter steamers. If we can hold on for a day 
 or two, some of 'em'U maybe pick us up." 
 
 " You don't mean to say you are going to keep 
 us in this nasty little boat all that time? " 
 
 " Not ag'in yer will, madame. We'll h'ist ye 
 overboard whenever ye gives the word." 
 
isr 
 
 me again to 
 cservers. 
 1, moodily, 
 see daylight 
 down with 
 when a big 
 
 said. 
 
 d they pro- 
 
 g could be 
 
 i the waters 
 
 *•, while the 
 
 isly. 
 
 t stout lady 
 
 ating round 
 
 re about a 
 can make 
 
 tty longish 
 grinned as 
 
 ply. 
 
 fie track of 
 
 'U for a day 
 
 ip." 
 
 ng to keep 
 
 :'ll h'ist ye 
 
 THE GREAT DEEP 
 
 339 
 
 I 
 
 The lady searched for her pocket handkerchief 
 but It had been left behind. 
 
 "Whatever shall I do? All mv good clothes 
 are gone too. What shall I do when I ^et to 
 land ? " ** 
 
 " It's my opinion yer standin' a poor chance of 
 gettiu' there. Appearances is that ye'll be a fol- 
 lenn» of yer good clothes afore manv days." 
 
 " Oh, you dreadful creature ! Didn't you tell 
 us a steamer was coming this way ? " 
 
 *' Maybe them that's out has all gone down like 
 our own. In that case we'll hev to wait till some 
 others start from shore. By that time ye'll hev 
 fretted yerself to death, and may be we'll have 
 et ye, beni' as vittels ain't none too plentiful." 
 
 The stout lady moaned despairingly, but Alan 
 interposed to comfort her. At eight o'clock food ' 
 was handed around. Only one tin cup had been 
 supplied, but even the most fastidious gladly took 
 their turn. 
 
 " It is like a love-feast, only we do not have the 
 experiences." It was the little gentle-faced woman 
 who spoke, while she smiled as cheerfully as if 
 they were a picnic party out on a quest for 
 pleasure. 
 
 " Haven't you any one to fret about you if you 
 should never be heard from?" the stout lady in- 
 quired. 
 
 " Yes, my husband in India would grieve, and 
 
340 
 
 THE MASTER OF DEEPI^AWN 
 
 my four children in America wonld miss a moth- 
 er's love and prayers, but whatever h.ippens will 
 be all ri^i^lit." She smiled placidly as she spoke, 
 as if it were all life, here or in other worlds, and 
 it mattered little where one might be as long as 
 they were about God's work. 
 
 Alan now took his Rible from his pocket, and 
 for an hour or more read from its pages and talked 
 to his little audience of less than a dozen, more 
 earnestly perhaps than he had ever done to any 
 audience in his life. Even the sailors sometimes 
 leaned on their oars to listen. Then he relieved 
 one of the sailors at the oars. The man lay down 
 wearily and was soon fast asleep in the bottom of 
 the boat. At noon the food was again passed 
 around, but there was little eaten, except by the 
 men at the oars. 
 
 The short day began to wane. Although well 
 supplied with wraps, all save the rowers were blue 
 with the cold, while the weary faces that looked 
 out over the tossing sea were sufficient to dis- 
 hearten the most cheerful. Now and then a quav- 
 ering hymn broke from the lips of the little lady. 
 They had all exchanged names, and acquainted 
 each other with their pla es of abode. Her name 
 was Manning. She and her husband were mission- 
 aries, who had been home on furlough. He had 
 gone to England a few weeks before, on the jour- 
 ney to his field of toil, but she had remained in 
 
 Ml 
 
a moth- 
 ens will 
 '. spoke, 
 Ids, and 
 long as 
 
 cet, and 
 I talked 
 n, more 
 to any 
 letimes 
 elievcd 
 y down 
 ttom of 
 passed 
 by the 
 
 !:h well 
 re blue 
 looked 
 to dis- 
 i quav- 
 e lady, 
 ainted 
 ■ name 
 ission- 
 'e had 
 t jour- 
 led in 
 
 THR GRKAT DEEP 
 
 341 
 
 America with her children as long as possible. 
 vShe was leaving them with her parents and was 
 naturally a little heavy-hearted at the long separa- 
 tion that must ensue before she would see them 
 once more. 
 
 The night closed in thickly ab(mt them. Alan 
 changed his place and took a seat beside the brave 
 little missionary, whose courage siiowed no signs 
 of faltering. Screening her avwell as he could 
 from the wind, he drew the tired head against his 
 arm, and in a little while was glad to find that slie 
 had forgotton her sorrows in the blessed oblivion 
 of sleep. The night wore on, as the longest nights 
 are wont to do, until the dark hour just before 
 the dawn, when all, save the men at the oars, 
 were nodding on their seats. 
 
 Suddenly a cry startled them : *' Ship ahoy ! " 
 In an instant the drowsiest was wide-awake and 
 joining the general call for help as the huge steam- 
 ship came steadily toward them. Their cries were 
 unheard as they might have known they would 
 be in the sob and swell of wind and sea and the 
 creaking of the ship's machinery. The boat was 
 caught in the swell caused by the vessel, as she 
 forged steadily past them, forcing the men at the 
 oars to increased activity to save themselves from 
 being engulfed. 
 
 Alan's courage began to fail him, while life had 
 never seemed so precious as now. The men set- 
 
342 THE MASTER OF DEnlTAWN 
 
 tied doggedly to their oars and for some time there 
 was unbroken silence. Wlien the day broke each 
 was shocked at the haggard appearance of his 
 fellow-voyagers. M^s, Paxton, the stout lady, had 
 collapsed utterly and lay a disheveled heap on a 
 pile of rugs, but Mrs. Manning bore up cheerily. 
 Even the sailors, inured to the dangers of the sea, 
 seemed to draw courage from her. 
 
 Precisely on the hour, Alan passed around the 
 food which he called breakfast. All partook ex- 
 cept Mrs. Paxton. She had reached that speech- 
 less state of misery not far removed from loss of 
 reason. Another day began to wear away. From 
 certain symptoms the little company began to 
 grow uneasy about Mrs. Paxton. Although ap- 
 parently so full of robust health she was standing 
 the strain the poorest of any. Another night's 
 exposure might extinguish the flame of life that 
 was already flickering feebly. 
 
 The sea was coniparativel\- calm now, the No- 
 vember sun shining quite brilliantly, and every 
 eye, save Mrs. Paxton's, was scanning tlie far hori- 
 zon for signs of steamship or sailing vessel. Sev- 
 eral times on the distant rim dividing sea and sky 
 they saw white sails dipping out of sight. P\>ur 
 o'clock was on them. Soon night would close in, 
 another dreary night, worse than the last because 
 their strength was farther spent. Even the little 
 missionary grew faint-hearted. 
 
 h 
 
THE GREAT DEEP 
 
 343 
 
 Suddenly, up from tlie world of waters, another 
 steamship loomed, and oh, joy ! their boat lay in 
 her track. Alan was the tallest in the boat. The 
 rowers held her as steadily on the course as possi- 
 ble, while he stood in the prow holding up an oar 
 with a rug fastened to it, as high as he could 
 reach. How feverishly they watched the sun sink- 
 ing low toward the horizon and the on-coming 
 steamship! Which would travel fastest? If not 
 seen before sunset, the twilight was so short they 
 would scarceh/ be noticed, a little darkening speck 
 on the wide, dim sea. ]\Irs. Manning quickly saw 
 that they must have a white signal. 
 
 "How shall we get one?" Alan asked, anx- 
 iously. 
 
 A faint tinge crept into the wan cheek, but she 
 said bravely : "' J put on my dress over my night- 
 dress. I will give you that." 
 
 Soon her snowy garment was spread. It had 
 not swung from the oar five minutes when a puff 
 of smoke burst from the ship's side, and a little 
 later the glad reverberation struck their ears. 
 
 " Was there ever such music as that in all the 
 world?" Mrs. Manning said, bursting into tears. 
 
 " Ye needn't fret now, \ on dear little woman. 
 It was vou that saved us all," a rouiih sailor 
 said, with a quiver in his voice. The steamer 
 was bearing swiftly down upon them, but Alan 
 still swung his signal aloft, until an answering flag 
 
344 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWX 
 
 was unfurled, which the seamen knew meant cer- 
 tain rescue. The sun was dipping- out of si^ht. 
 Would the daylight last until they were rescued? 
 
 Mrs. IManning had dried her eyes and was watch- 
 ing the ship with a pink glow on the pinched 
 face. The sailors did not know it was gratitude 
 to her all-powerful Father that had caused that 
 burst of weeping. It had eased her full heart, 
 and now she could have sung for very gladness, 
 only she was so chilled and faint. 
 
 Mrs. Paxton was aroused sufficiently to raise 
 her head and emit deep groans at frequent inter- 
 vals, while she watched the shadows of evening 
 settling between them and deliverance. 
 
 " However am I to get hoisted up into the 
 ship?" she questioned, plaintively. 
 
 " That'll be the easiest of our troubles if once 
 we get near enough to give you a pull," a sailor 
 responded, cheerfully. Presently the steamer's 
 whistles began to blow. 
 
 " That'll make us safe if it gets pitch dark. It 
 don't make the leastest odds which on us finds 
 t'other as long's it's done," a dark-browed sailor 
 remarked, complacently. 
 
 Presently they w^ere close enough to see that the 
 huge black hull was waiting motionless for them 
 in mid-ocean. Here was human life in peril, and 
 nowhere does life seem more precious than to the 
 t >ilers on the sea. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 THE END 
 
 WHEN Alan reached New York, for the res- 
 cuing steamer was westward bound, he 
 cabled at once to Wvndhurst. The day that was 
 to have been his wedding day was spent at sea, 
 but he managed to preserve an outward calm, al- 
 though his spirit fretted at the pain and suspense 
 his absence must be causing. Mrs. Manning de- 
 cided to re-embark with him on the next steamer, 
 but iVIrs. Paxton had assured them all a good 
 many times each day that no money could tempt 
 her to brave an Atlantic voyage again, unless in 
 midsummer. 
 
 The second trip was so stormy that even Mrs. 
 Manning used to scan the seamen's faces and the 
 sky with evident anxiety, but they reached Liver- 
 pool in good time. Alan, without a moment's 
 delay, hastened to Wyndhurst. The wedding feast 
 would be stale by this time, but so much the bet- 
 ter if thereby he might escape the infliction of a 
 grand wedding. Indeed, he would not hold ship- 
 wrecks an unmitigated evil if they procured that 
 gain. 
 
 He was received as one alive from the dead. 
 
 345 • 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
 346 THE MASTKR OK DKEPLAWN 
 
 Lucia had endeavored to be brave, but had suf- 
 fered severely from the days of suspense. Lady 
 Seymour hovered around, and mothered him so 
 tenderly he assured her it would be worth while to 
 have periodic escapes from similar dan<^ers to en- 
 joy such tender solacement. To his dismay he 
 found that the marriage state was to be in no wise 
 abated. 
 
 He breathed a sigh of relief when at last all 
 the grand display of silks and laces, precious 
 stones and costly viands, had passed into history, 
 and he and Lucia were permitted to start out alone 
 to take the honeymoon that married lovers look 
 back upon in after years. He had met all the 
 great people of the country, the witle circle of 
 relatives whom the clergyman's words had made 
 his own, and was received by them with a charm- 
 ing cordiality, not altogether due to the fact that 
 he was Lady Seymour's son-in-law. 
 
 The \oung couple were back in London the 
 last of the winter, Lucia quite as anxious as Alan 
 to get home to Deeplawn, to take up in earnest 
 their life-work together. All sorts of dire predic- 
 tions were made by their friends as to the misfor- 
 tunes that would befall them if they ventured to 
 cross the ocean in ]\Iarch, but the trip was phe- 
 nomenally calm. 
 
 Extensive preparations for their home-coming 
 were being made at Deeplawn. Wedding presents 
 
THE END 
 
 347 
 
 of every conceivable shape ai;d variety were beiiif^ 
 niaiuifactiired, and suitable wearini^ apparel was 
 beinji;- secured, in which the donors were to per- 
 sonally present their offerings. 
 
 The day they arrived was one of those inspiring 
 ones March happily mixes in with its storms — 
 bright sunshine, with the wind blowing from the 
 northwest, with exquisite cloud-forms floating like 
 joyous, living things across the blue dome, their 
 shadows sweeping hillside and sea. 
 
 They came in the train which reached Deep- 
 lawn station in mid-afternoon. Every one of 
 Alan's tenants old enough to leave the cradle, with 
 all his boys from far and near, was waiting to do 
 him honor. Rven Mrs. Dixon unbent from her 
 usual aloofness so far as to make one in the com- 
 pany of his employees and beneliciaries. 
 
 Lucia responded with a cordial grace that 
 charmed them all, to their friendly overtures. 
 There were many shining faces and bright eyes 
 in the gathering. Every lad was prepared to wel- 
 come and love the new mistress of Deeplawn 
 equally with its master. 
 
 A grand feast had been prepared by Mrs. Dixon 
 and her staff, in which she had been ambitious to 
 outshine the chef of the previous > ear, and 
 Eucia's warm encomiums at the close of the feast 
 left her nothing further to desire. 
 
 After a short stay at Deeplawn, the spirit of uu- 
 
 i 
 
348 THE MASTER OK DKEPLAWN 
 
 rest, or rather, longiii«j[ to be in real work, drew 
 Alan to the West. When he reached Riverbank, 
 the name the boys had chosen for tlieii home, 
 he found his presence was sorely needed. James 
 Lono;^nian had been absent only a few weeks, but 
 in that time the seeds of disloyalty had been quite 
 widely sown. The man left in charge was pos- 
 sessed of an unfortunate temperament, although 
 in every other respect admirably suited for the 
 position. 
 
 Alan was quick to decide in such matters. The 
 individual was sacrificed at once for the general 
 good. He had no false views of mercy, since he 
 believed in the wisdom of seeking the greatest 
 good of the greatest number. This made him 
 slow to work with large numbers in any enter- 
 prise. He believed that incompetent persons 
 were too often retained in positions for which 
 they were wholly unqualified because of false 
 pity or personal influence. Lucia was amazed 
 at the swiftness, as well as clearness of his judg- 
 mcnls. Even when he impressed her as being 
 stern, she was still confident that he was right. 
 
 Before long she was fully as enthusiastic as he 
 over this Western enterprise, which was restored 
 to prosperity by Alan's securing a suitable super- 
 intendent, and was beginning to think that the 
 work here and at Deeplawu, including the settle- 
 ment in life of all these boys and girls and the 
 
THE END 
 
 349 
 
 k, drew 
 erbank, 
 ; lioiiic, 
 James 
 ^ks, but 
 211 quite 
 ;as pos- 
 iLliougli 
 for the 
 
 s. The 
 general 
 ince he 
 greatest 
 :le him 
 i enter- 
 persons 
 
 wliich 
 f false 
 iniazed 
 s judg- 
 
 being 
 
 : as he 
 L\stored 
 
 supcr- 
 lat the 
 
 settle- 
 tid the 
 
 super\'ision of the extensive properties, was quite 
 enough for any man ; but as the months wore on 
 she found that Alan was not reasonable in the 
 amount of work he planned for himself. 
 
 "We should call you a merciless taskmaster if 
 it were another than yourself that you compelled 
 to work so hard," she said to him once, by way of 
 remonstrance. 
 
 ''It is because so many are idle that the few 
 must bear heavy burdens; besides, we can pass 
 this way but once. That thought makes life tre- 
 mendously solemn to me." 
 
 " And yet you seem joyous in your work. I 
 never saw any one moie so." 
 
 '' I can only be content when working to my 
 utmost. You are not tired of a working-man for 
 your husband? You knew what I was, Lucia, 
 when you took me ' for better, for worse. ' I hope 
 you are not finding it has been for worse. " There 
 was anxiety and pain in both face and voice as he 
 stood looking down so tenderly into her sweet face. 
 
 " It has been all for better. I would not have you 
 different from what you are, not the very slightest, 
 if I could." She turned and kissed the hand 
 pressing lightly on her shoulder. 
 
 "Then we are supremely happy. Should we 
 not give much when so much has been given 
 us?" 
 
 " Yes." The answer was uttered softly. Some- 
 
350 THE MASTER OF DEEPLAWN 
 
 times I^icia felt as if Christ himself were speakiiifr 
 to her in some mysterious way tlirouj^h her Inis- 
 baiid's words. She certainly knew that he dwelt 
 farther within the divine presence than any one 
 she ever knew. 
 
 Sometimes he came to her with a perplexed 
 look on his face, and always at such times with 
 an open letter in his liand. 8he grew at last to 
 understand the token — -ome ]>astnrless churcli 
 was seeking him for its minister. Now it was a 
 fashic 'able city church that ofTered as inducement 
 a larj^c salary ; and then a run-down charge desir- 
 ing a brilliant preacher to fill its empty pews ; or 
 occasionally a mission chapel, to which had come 
 rumors of his wealth and work, besought him to 
 come to its relief. Unfortunately there were so 
 many messages of this kind, he concluded Provi- 
 dence had nothing to do in the matter, but was 
 calling him to a new work of his own. 
 
 Lucia was first consulted and later on Lady 
 Seymour, both of whom gave him hearty encour- 
 I agement in the enterprise. The thought had been 
 
 '' slowly developing in his mind that more might 
 
 be accomplished if he became pastor and patron 
 of his own mission, drawing around him a band of 
 helpers who would be responsible to himself alone, 
 although walking in conjunction with an estab- 
 lished church. He planned to have his church 
 self-supporting if possible ; neither was it to be the 
 
 :t? 
 
THIC END 
 
 351 
 
 church of the rich or of the poor exchisively, but 
 rather a uieetiug- place \vlR:re the difiereut classes 
 could learu their couimon brotherhood aud iuipart 
 to each other their varied experiences and views 
 of life's meanings and aims. 
 
 Three years saw this dream partly realized, and 
 promisinof to become the most successful enter- 
 prise that he had yet attempted. The modest 
 chapel on a quiet street in the great city had 
 been outgrown, and a massive down-town church 
 that had been kept in operation by its congrega- 
 tion at a ruinous cost, considering what it was ac- 
 complishing, had been rented for a term of years, 
 and in due time a large and influential church 
 keeping the New Testament order, was estab- 
 lished, whose power was ever increasing. 
 
 Deeplawn was still the real home of Alan and 
 Lucia, although modest apartments had been rented 
 near to the church. These were made the headquar- 
 ters for the work generally. All their plans were 
 made here, while workers who needed a few days' 
 rest found it a happy asylum in which to recu- 
 perate their energies, expended in that most ex- 
 hausting work, wrestling with the sins and weak- 
 nesses of the dark places of a great citv. 
 
 The long vacated nursery at Deeplawn echoed 
 again to the merry shouts of childish voices. 
 Another Rex and his baby brother Alan had 
 started on their long journey through the eterni- 
 
352 THE MASTER OF DKEPLAWxX 
 
 tics. The father, as he looked into the innocent 
 face of his first-born, waukl ask liiniself : Was there 
 any possibility of this little lad making shipwreck 
 of life as that other Rex had done ? To s ive him 
 from that he would gladly see the white lids close 
 111 the sleep of death ; but he did not fear such a 
 fate for his boy. With God's help, he and his 
 noble wife, loved more than when led as a bride 
 to the altar, hoped to train their own and many 
 another child to lives of noble Christian service 
 For this he lived and labored, and in such work 
 he found a joy divine. 
 
 THE END 
 
■ .#>■ ■OJPiy" yi^! "HIVJ* UUP ' « .■• I