The Friendly Road: New Adventures in Contentment

are ever remotely alike-no two hours even; and sometimes a d

to the open country. It began as quietly as any Sabbath morning of my life, but what an end it had! I would have tra

the spring-at least in our country-which seem to put on, like a Sabbath garment, an

bout me, and enjoying the lesser and quieter aspects of nature. It was a fine wooded country in which I found myself, and I soon struck off the beaten road and took to the forest and the fields. In places the ground was almost covered with meadow-rue, like green shadows on the hills

he forenoon, as my mind went back swiftly and warmly to

rts. It may be true for some natures, as Leonardo said, that "if you are alone you belong wholly to yourself; if you have a companion, you belong only half to yourself"; but it is certa

by the hand and was leading me onward to great events. I knew, of course, that I had yet to find a place for the night, and that this m

there I lay down on the grass, and looked up into the dusky shadows of the branches above me. I could feel the soft airs on my face; I could hear the buzzing of bees in the meadow flowers, and by turning

o be a miracle-a miracle gratefully accepted and explainable only by the presence of God. There was another strange, deep feeling which I had that morning, which I have had a few other times in my life at the rare h

ods are still. You do not see him; you cannot find him; but you know he is there. And his singing is wild, and shy

distance, the sound of a church-bell. It was ringing for the afternoon service which among the farmer

g first of all, I confess, of the in

"Sweet Afton," which I had learned when a boy; and, as I played, my mood changed swiftly, and I began to smile at myself as a tragically serious person, an

ou shake a cherry tree if a boy drops out of it; never be disturbed when you think you

ys looking at me from out of a thicket by the r

e in the liveliest fashion. Presently one boy climbed up on the fence, then another, then a

d, tow-headed lads, a

le from my lips, "to have to wear shoes a

is!" said th

id I, "I will play

pectre in Black. It appeared before us there in the broad daylight in the middle of a sunny afternoon while we were playing "Yankee Doodle." First I saw the top of a black hat rising over the rim of the hill. This was followed quickly by a black tie, a long black coat, black trousers, and, finally, black shoes. I admit I was shaken, but being a person of iron nerve in facing such phenomena, I continue

vity, but the figure with the sad garments there in the matchless and triumphant spring day affected me with a curious, sharp impatience. Had any

God

le look of horror and astonishment t

uthority which surprised me. His calling for the moment

nd yet it seemed worth while now, having made my inadvertent remark, t

w you coming up the hill, looking so gloomy and disconsolate on this bright day, a

isturbed inner consciousness, for he asked-and

e way I imp

ly toward him. "Here," I thought

the shiny lapels told their own eloquent story. Oh, it seemed to me I knew him as well as if every incident of his life were written plainly upon his high, pale forehead! I have lived long in a country neighbourhood, and I knew him-poor flagellant of the rural church-I knew ho

young man turned partly aside and

ining my boys

no longer," and with that I put aside my whistle,

I heard your bell I thought

asked eagerl

his spirits. Then he hesitated abruptly with a sidelong glance at my ba

wering a spoken question, "I am not

flu

to come. That's what a chu

ething of his discouragement I sensed even then, and I don't think I was ever sorrier for a man in my life than I was fo

a tremendous sensation. Nowhere does the unpredictable, the unusua

in a convenient pew. It was a small church with an odd air of domesticity, and the proportion of old ladies and children in the audie

itting in his high place. The Chief Pharisee-his name I learned was Nash, Mr. J. H. Nash (I did not know then that I was soon to make his acqua

antly I found myself looking upon him as a sort of personi

seemed inured to disappointment. The prayer had in it a note of despairing appeal which fell like a cold hand upon one's living soul. It gave one the impression that this was

le young man had a spark of the divine fire, but it was so dampened by

shock these people into opening their eyes upon real life. Indeed, though I hesitate about setting it dow

e Chief Pharisee, wag my finger under his nose, and tel

, "is the spark in that pale minister's soul

s have often been saved with less!), deposit him flat in the aisle, and yes-stand on him while I elucidated the situation to the audience at large. While I confined this amusing and inter

lear afternoon sunshine and got a reviving glimpse of the smiling green hills and

ly looking for me, and asked me to wait and walk along with him, at which his four boys, whose acquaintance I had made under such thrilling circumstances earlier in th

r charming. The minister's wife, a faded-looking woman who had once possessed a delicate sort

ggling acres of garden and meadow upon which the minister and his boys were trying with inexperienced hands to pie

own door he became a different and livelier person. Something boyish crept into his manner, and a new look came into the eyes of his faded wife that made her almost pretty again. And the fat, comfo

ce I felt him clasp my hand on one side while the oldest boy clasped my hand on the other,

e by browning and crushing the crusts of bread and then rolling them down into a coarse meal. A bowl of this, with sweet, rich, yellow milk (for they kept their own cow), ma

many a richer home where there was not a hundredth part of the tr

nning a long apron and helping his wife-and the chubby baby pu

, disappear in thin air. In all that community I suppose there was no one but the little faded wife to whom the minister dared open his heart, and I think he found me a godsend. All I really did was to look from one

eader, not only inside of his churc

aimed with great earnes

how he led and moulded our community; and as I talked I

ught to be the moral leader of

tell him," excl

inking, doesn't he, th

t too much,"

to himself as to us, "a min

face and the light that came into his eyes. I should never

the greatest battle in the world today-the only rea

ligion which sets a man apart and assures him that the entire universe in the guise of the Powers of Darkness is leagued against him. What he needed was a reviving draught of the new faith which affirms, accepts, rejoices, w

in, "I am the real

Minister nodding

nd not Mr. Nash, who sho

is your only true pragmatist. If a philosophy

chair, threw back his head, and s

I WILL lead it. I'll have my

ut it seemed to me that little Mrs. Minister, a

stride up and down the roo

ways trying to hold him down and keep him back. M

epeating, quite oblivious of our pre

tings and boys' clubs, and lots of things like that-but Mr. Nash says it is no part of a minister's work: that it cheapens religion. He says that

upon the walk, and an instant lat

ing that astonishing gift of swift recovery which is the

ome down from the heights and greet Mr. Nash. A

lf, "we shall see Chr

s introduced to the great man. He looked at me

e man who was in ch

of me, nor could I wholly blame him, for I knew well how he, as a rich farmer, must look upon a rusty man of t

but an unusually meek and saintly man exceedingly uncomfortable. But the minister, with the fine, high humility of those whose passion is for great or true things, was quite oblivious to the harsh words. Borne along by an irresistible enthusiasm, he told in glowing terms what his plan would mean to the community, how the people needed a new social and civic spirit-a "

at the community does. You're hired, ain't you, an' paid to run the church? That's the en

n soul were being weighed in the balance. What would he do n

im-once-wistfully. He rose from his place, drew himself up to his full height

ring the g

he room and took down a brown earthenware jar, which she brought over and placed

as he might the communion-cup just be

ud voice, "I've decided to

ng out the contents of the jar upon the table-a clatter of dimes, nic

how much mon

dollars and s

to his pocket and, after cou

in this neighbourhood. You gave twenty-six dollars last year-fifty cents a week. It is a generous contribution, but I cannot take it any

o one of us

ere. I am convinced that what the community needs is more of a religious and

ch a light in her eyes as any man might well barter his li

coins for which they had skimped and saved for months for a particular purpose. Talk of the heroism of the men who charged

his money will no longer command him any advantage. Like all hard-shelled, practical people, Mr. Nash could only dominate in a

d the little pile

Mr. Nash

. Nash ros

t," he sai

ge expression in his small round eyes-was it anger

meetings-a man that knows as little of farmin' as you

hat, and then went out of

ectly silent, then the minis

et's sing

o the cottage organ and s

l we sing?

artha," he responded; "somethi

an Soldier, Marching as to

press with rigour on; A heavenly race

from her seat, the minister impulsively

the greatest ni

the room, and then with an

-morrow and pick out

ng day, taking a hand with them in the garden, but of t