'As Gold in the Furnace'

Cond

When the two had taken seats under a shady beech on the lawn, Roy saw that

your refusing to go to your

ew wanted me to go and dance. I did not care to dance

nt Helen's children and their frie

t care to be made a mere convenience of, nor do I wish to be patronized by my cousin Garrett. My other reason was that I w

aving you last night was a strange proceeding. I

Father; I am

w of affection, so far as the boy could remember, had ever passed between them. If Roy had only known he could have crept very close to his father's heart this morning. If Roy could have known just then, he would have seen his father's heart sore and sensitive, trying to d

. He was too sincere a Catholic of principle and too well instructed in the obligations of his faith to wish effect

r; I am sure you

ime, repeated his remark. The elder man's lips twitched. The muscle

ut all my shattered hopes of you! I have wealth and position, but they are not everything. I have looked forward to you as my prop and stay and my honor in my declining years. Must you-must you leave us?

d to him, as to a man, with a man's responsibilities. For a moment he was thrilled with exquisite pleasure in being so treated, but he did not waver in his purpose. He knew that he would probably add to his

ause you pain, but I believe I have this vo

as a lo

Are you willing to lead a life of penurious denial and of study? Can you face the ordeal of the confessional for hours at a time, listening to tales of mi

ng the life of the ordinary parish priest. He saw clearly that no one embraced the priestly life from a purely natural motive. Such as did, he argued, must become failures, and unfit for their state. He had, as every one

e a vocation, and after I graduate, I think it will be my dut

dare not. But do you think yours

her; but my confessor

giving up his last hope of being able to change his son's views. He then altered his manner suddenly, as if as

er that you have my permission to enter a seminary. I will be responsible for your expenses until your ordination. As you desire, h

er's capitulation, Roy looked up in sur

y twenty-five dollars for your private expenses, and I desire and insist that for

smay; and oh, the heart-sinking th

entlessly; "a priest's life is one of constant self-sacrifice an

and the football eleven, at college," And t

he condition under which I sanction your plans, which, pardon me if I say it, I can not but consider chimerical. The test I have s

take to say. We merely give the facts. Mr. Henning was desirous to see how his son

ith far less spending money than that which was to be Roy's share for his graduating year. It must be understood, in order to make Roy's position clear, that the boy was generous to a fault, and never having stinted his expenditures at college, or been stinted

to what hours of guiltless ignominy he was unwittingly condemning his son. We must do the lawyer the justice to say that had he imagined but on

n at the beginning of the first chapter shows us how fully