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(Continued from last week.)
Charles fell back in his chair in
ustonishmnt, then rising he stamped
his feet in rage and began to walk to
and fro, meanwhile looking at the
door and through the windows think
ing she would come out; but as she
did not, he left the house, cursing
Geoffrey Garland.
After Charles had gone Lucy came
back. Taking up her sewing, she be
gan to ply her needle diligently; but
her mind was too disturbed. Laying
her work aside she leaned her arms
on the table by her and buried her
face in her hands. She could not but
regret this scene with Charles; and
her face burned with indignation as
she recalled his allusion to herself in
regard to Geoffrey Garland.
“I cannot remain indoors,” she
thought at last, as she arose and
looked down, across the field. “I shall
go and gather some ferns for my
vases.”
Catching up her bonnet, she ran
down the steps, her mood brighter
from the effect of purpose and action.
She followed a path through the field,
on one side of which were the dead
corn-stalks lying along the rows, and
on the other the cotton plants, white
with their fleecy covering. The path
led down by the creek where clumps
of bushes grew along its banks, the
flaming sumach lending autumnal
brightness to the green.
Lucy went to the ford, plucking an
autumn leaf here and there in the
-sunny places. Across the ford of the
creek two fence rails were lying and
rested on the bosom of the water.
She started across when one of the
rails dipped under. She threw out
her arms in an attempt to regain her
footing on the other rail, when some
one caught her hand, and throwing an
arm round her waist, placed her quick
ly on the ground.
Startled, Lucy looked up into Geof
frey's eager, smiling face.
“ ‘A knight to the rescue, fair lady,’ ”
he said, still holding her hand; then
he bent earnestly over her with an
uncontrollable impulse.
•‘I love you Lucy! Won’t you be
my wife?”
Lucy’s reply was a swift, upward
glance, which Geoffrey read, before
she turned her head quickly, to see
the floating rail as it was being borne
on the current.
In the meantime Charles was riding
furiously along a mountain path think
ing of a means of revenge, that h’e
might forever rid himself of his rival.
CHAPTER XII
Dr. Andrew’s Hobby —Lucy 1 Disagrees.
Goeffrey found Lucy alone. He
showed her the sketch and told her
when he made it. He concluded: “I
hope you do not consider me im
pertinent.”
THE GOLDEN AGE FOR WEEK OF MARCH 19, 1914
A GIRL OF THE OZARKS
“Oh, no, Ido not. Father must see
this!”
Goeffrey was relieved. Gurdon’s
threat to tell her had placed an un
pleasant construction on his act. Then
he asked if he might make a sketch
of her in her bower. He added: “I
would also like a sketch of your
father.”
“Oh, father and I together! That
will be delightful!”
While they were still discussing the
subject of pictures, Dr Andrews rode
up and came into the house in his
bustling way, greeting the young
persons in his hearty manner.
Presently Lucy remarked: “Mr.
Garland is going to sketch father and
me in my bower, Dr. Andrews. I want
a sketch of you as well.”
“Why, yes, my dear; it will make
a splendid contract. Watt and I will
be the dragons guarding the angel of
the bower,” and the doctor’s clear
gray eyes twinkled merrily.
“He is angling for a compliment.
Don’t gratify him, Mr. Garland,” smil
ed Lucy. “He shall sit under that
apple tree and eat one of those sour
apples, which will make the contrast
even more remarkable.” Casting a
mischievous glance at the doctor she
added:
“He doesn’t like acids, Mr. Gar
land. You may imagine his expres
sion.”
“Let us know what afternoon you
can give the sitting. I shall put the
sketch over the mantle-piece.”
“May I make a copy for myself?”
asked Goeffrey, eagerly.
The doctor looked gravely at Goe
ffrey; and though a bright color
swept over Lucy’s face, she replied
with apparent indifference:
<Oh‘, yes, and I am sure Dr. An
drews will want one, too.” Smiling
at the doctor and wishing to change
the subject and draw the doctor out
on his favorite theme, Lucy said:
“Dr. Andrews, Mr. Hunter’s sub
ject next Sunday is ‘Conversion,” and
you should go to hear him.”
“Tut, tut, child! What’s the use
for me to go? I already know what
he will say; but we must sprinkle
science with our religion. Hunter
has not yet gone that far,” and the
doctor thrust his hands in his panta
loon pockets and leaned his chair
against the wall. “If a man obeys
the law of his being he does not need
conversion. The intellectual and
moral parts of man’s nature stand
ever ready to check the perverted
animal impulse.”
“No. no, Dr. Andrews,” broke in
Lucy, “remember the Master said:
“Ye must be born again.”
“But it is this way, my child,” said
Dr. Andrews, “the indulgence of the
animal over the human faculties lea
ves a feeling of discontent and re
gret. Hunter will tell you this is con
viction—that it is the spirit of God
striving with man, and so it is; but
your religionist does not understand
the law and he looks to the Creator
By ELIZABETH MONTGOMERY SUMMERS.
for help when the needful help is
within himself. The feeling he calls
repentance is the good striving against
the evil; in other words, it is human
faculties shriving for supremacy over
the perverted animal nature. Man is
reaping what he has sown.”
“Hunter will tell you that when a
man is under conviction and he has
prayed, wrestled, and groaned in an
guish, a light suddenly comes into
his soul, and that he is changed, as
if by a miracle, from death unto life;
but not so, for while his intensity of
emotions continues, his faith leads
him to look for this change. There
fore, at last, his mind is wrought into
that state of ardent enthusiasm and
joyous excitement, that causes him to
believe that he is forgiven; but he
will find that he must climb the lad
der as Peter has directed.”
“But, ah, Dr. answered Lucy, “you
forget that the Lord Jesus said to
Peter when he confessed Him as the
Son of God; Flesh and blood hath not
revealed this unto thee, but my Fath
er who is in Heaven.”
“He must just ‘add to faith virtue;
to virtue knowledge; to knowledge
temperance; to temperance patience;
to patience godliness; to godliness
brotherly kindness; to brotherly kind
ness charity. If you do these things
you shall never fall.’
“Here, Peter has given the whole
law of man’s nature; but man in his
undeveloped state and perverted ways
has hedged himself about with a false
religion where even Christianity is
lost sight of.
“The religionist must yet learn,”
continued the doctor, “that the higher
feelings, when guided by enlightened
intellect, have a boundless scope of
gratification, their indulgence and
activity is bliss. Some writer has
said:
“ ‘There is a fertile space in every
life in which might be planted the oak
and fruit-trees of enlightened princi
ple and virtuous habits, which, grow
ing up would yield to old age an en
joyment, a glory, and a shade.’
“Stay, Doctor, stay,” chimed in
Lucy, her bright face glowing, “but
it must be “saving faith” to which
all these virtues must be added. You
forget that Peter was talking to the
Christians who had already been born
again and these rounds in Peter’s “lad
der” are to be “added to faith” and
we are the fruits of their faith. In
other words faith is the foundation
upon which this ladder of growth
rests.”
“Pshaw, Lucy,” answered Dr. An
drews, “Remember man’s three-fold
nature is developed by a sure and
isteady growth. All are not born
equal. The moral sentiments are
more cultivated by their parents, so
it is with the intellect, therefore, it is
easier for some to climb the ladder
than for others. Let me take a man’s
head in my hands and I can tell you
better than Hunter can whether he
will be easily converted or if he is in
need of conversion.”
“Take hold of my head, Dr. An
drews,” said Goeffrey, “and see if I
am a good subject for conversion.”
Then he laughingly added, “11l com
municate the result to Miss Eliza
beth Gurdon.”
The doctor arose with alacrity.
After a careful examination of Goef
frey’s head, he stepped back and look
ed at him with a pleased and genial
air.
“I do not believe yon are in need of
conversion, Mr. Garland.”
“Thank you, Dr. Andrews.”
“Do not thank me, my dear sir, but
your parents, who brought you into
the world and trained you. If you
will continue to allow your intellect
ual and moral faculties to direct
your life, you will be happy in away
that many a so-called saint in church
wots not of.”
“Dr. Andrews,” said Lucy, “you
must remember that the new birth,
which you are terming ‘Conversion’
instead of regeneration, deals with the
heart, the inner man, instead of ‘head
development.’ A man may convert
himself from bad habits, but these
fruits of the spirit come through a
regenerated nature, a God lighted
soul.”
“Now Lucy’s head,”
Declared the doctor, laughing
ly, but purrposely ignoring Lucy’s
well taken point, while running his
fingers through her hair in a fatherly
way, “is another well-night perfect
one, You have many qualities in com
mon; but, Lucy, you must not let this
bump of adhesiveness become abnor
mally developed,” he added with a
twinkle in his gray eyes. “That is
the great misfortune of a majority of
women.”
“There is one woman in my neigh
borhood, Smith’s wife, although I have
never phrenologieed her head, her
actions prove that that propensity is
abused, from the fact, that she clings
to Smith and will not leave him,
though he beats her whenever he feels
disposed. Moreover, she is compelled
to make the greater part of the liv
ing.”
“You are side-tracking the ques
tion too soon,” answered Lucy. “Mr.
Garland has many manly qualities, I
cheerfully agree—so did the rich
young ruler who went to the Lord,
but Jesus said ‘one thing thou lack
est.’ ”
“I appreciate your kind words about
me, but I know I needed the new
birth, and I can never forget that night
when I was in school in Little Rock
when I yielded my sinful heart to
Christ —I am far from being what I
oukht to be, but I know I have been
a new girl since that night.”
Goeffrey looked at Lucy with wond
ering delight. “Dr. Andrews, you
cannot gainsay such a Bible exper
ience that that Miss Lucy is with my
mother’s Bible.”
“You are a believer in Christianity,
Dr. Andrews?” interrogated Goeffrey.
“Yes,” replied the doctor, with a
twinkle; “but we should remember
that Christ was not gentle and meek
when he drove the money-changers
from the Temple and warned the
Pharisees. He was then filled with
holy indignation. Christianity, is not
practiced in the church as it ought to
be. But I confess this brave girl has
stood her ground well and will go
home and think about it for I must
leave you now,” and the doctor rose
hurriedly. “I called to see Watt; but
I will come another time.” The cherry
doctor bustled out and was gone.
“An eccentric old gentleman,” ob
served Goeffrey, “but I esteem him
highly.”
“None can do otherwise,” declared
Lucy. “He is a power for good in
this country; and he has been my
greatest friend from childhood; but
he could be so much more useful if
he were an active Christian man and
church member—for our mountain
peope need what everybody needs —
that wonderful ‘new birth’ which re
veals God in their hearts and lives.”
(To Be Continued.)
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