The Redemption of David Corson

id God cre

on earth, thi

d not till th

angels, with

dise

rses, refreshed and rested by food and sleep, dragged the gleaming plowshare thr

ed in tides through his own veins. The fresh morning air, the tender light of dawning day,

. To all that was horrible and ferocious, he was blind as a child in Paradise. He did not notice the hawk sweeping upon the dove, the swallow darting upon the moth, nor the lizard lying in wait for the fly; or, if he did, he saw them only as he saw the shadows flitting across the sunny landscape. His soul w

Life had never seemed sweeter than in those few moments in which he quaffed the brimming cup of youth and health which nature held to his lips. Not a fear, not an apprehension of any danger crossed his soul. His glances roved here and there, pausing a moment in their flight like hummingbirds, to sip the swee

line of the farm, he ascended the bank and approached the carriage. As he did so the occupants got out and came to meet him. To his astonishment

ing," said

ting with the customary

is Dr. Ae

is wel

ard your s-s-speech. Didn't understand a w-w-word, but

wed and

with me, and help me sell the 'B-B-Balm of the Blessed Islands.'

read his feet apart, squared himself and smiled l

him with a look

o you s

thank thee, friend, for what thee evidently mea

you c-c-crazy? Why do y

o wish to leave m

is eyes were directed to the woman. His reply,

p-prefer to stay in this p-p-pigstye of a town

d

le month than you can earn by d-d-driving your p

sire for more money than

en and crack-b-b-brained old men; but to a f-f-feller who can see through a two-inc

ightening around his heart of something which was out of place in the bosom of a Quaker. A hot reply spr

to annoy thee, but I have been taught that 'the love of money is the root of

then exclaimed, "Young man, you may mean what you say, b-b-but you have been most infernally abused by the p-p-people who have put such notions in your head, for there is only

s indignation rising in his soul at this scorn and denial of those eternal principl

at thou art in the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity. Thy

morous view of the innocence of the y

ault of early education! Talk like a p-p-parrot! What can a young fellow like you know about life, sh

t he saw in the face of the man's beautiful companion a look which sai

ed his purpose,

you know what it is to m-m-mix with crowds of men, to feel and perhaps to sway their p-p-passions? Do you know what it is to p-p-possess and to spend that money whic

es and sins, if thee would enter the Kingdom of God," David re

t any one else to! Ever hear 'bout the fox that got his tail b-b-bit off? Wanted all the rest t

of our Father wh

one will, and it is the w-w-will of Doctor P-p-par

words, God will bring thee to j

beyond endurance, and concluding the

hated c-c-corpses! I am going where m

few moments nature had not been idle. In air and earth and tree top, following blind instincts, her myriad children were seeking their mates. And here, in the odorous sunshine of the May morning, these two young, impressionab

him, and turning he called savagely: "Pepeeta, come! It is folly to try and p-p-persuade him. Let us lea

they stood thus, gazing into each other's eyes, they saw nothing and they saw all. That brief glance was freighted with desti

th in the soul? He knew! It told its own story. To their dying day, the ac

sly: "What did you say last night about t

that lighteth every man t

ean? Be quick. Ther

soul itself and that in this light we may walk, and

tand; it is beautiful;

lled her husb

pose she is his daughter," he said to himself, and upon that natural but mistaken inference his whole destiny t

the recognition that he was living a dream life there in his happy valley; and that there was a life outside which he could not master so easily. That confidence in his strength and incorruptibility which he had always felt began to waver a little. His innocence appeared to him like that of the great first father in the garden of Eden, before his temptation, and now that he too had listened to the voice of the serpent and had for the first time been stirred at the description of the sweetness of the great tree's fruit, there came to him a feeling of

ain into the windows of his soul. For this he upbraided himself; but only to discover that at the very momen

and regret that he had enjoyed so little. Never had he experienced such a tumult in his

egain peace. There, in the stillness of his chamber, he strove for the control of his thoughts and emotion