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 Prophet of peace, 
 
 3 1924 022 342 616 
 
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 Library 
 
 The original of tliis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924022342616 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
Copyrighted I907 
 AsBNATH Carver Coolidge 
 
 Published December, 1907 
 
 HUNGEnPORO-HOLBROOK CO. 
 WATERTOWN, N.V. 
 
IN THE OLD S^-L\AN'i;s HOME 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 Penned by 
 
 Asenath Carver Coolidge 
 
 Author of " The Independence Day Horror at Killsbury," 
 
 "The Modern Blessing, Fire," "Robert Fleming's 
 
 Christmas Mummery," "The War Wreck," 
 
 and many other short stories and poems 
 
 Pictured by 
 
 Cassius M. Coolidge 
 
 " All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."— /esus of 
 Nazareik. 
 
 O preachers, teachers, scholars all, speak out. 
 
 And make it plain 
 That the nation that goeth to battle 
 
 Appealeth to God in vain ! 
 
 Watertown, N. Y.. 
 
 HUNGERFORD-HOLBROOK COMPANY 
 
 1907 
 
Earth's perfect Temples wait. 
 God is the architect and judge, both just and great. 
 He would not have one living stone left out ; 
 l^or would he force beloved ones to build it thus ; 
 
 He feeleth their infirmities ; 
 They fail and fail ; He bids them try again, again. 
 
 He loveth them ; 
 And not until they boastful grow and vain, 
 Doth He withhold His strong, redemptive hand. 
 And leave the pagan pile to rotting suns and rain : 
 
 E'en then He pitieth them. 
 
Preface 
 
 ttW^TERNAL vigilance is the price of Peace." 
 M2j as well as of "Liberty." It is a mistake to 
 think that Peace is secure when our armies and bat- 
 tleships are lying idle. We must know that wherever 
 they are, the war-fiend is crouching and ready to 
 leap forth at the slightest provocation. If the 
 provocation does not come quickly they will play 
 at the murdeixms war-game or other games which 
 have the spirit of war in them and are almost as 
 destructive. There are many such games and most 
 of them are of such an insidious nature as to re- 
 quire the utmost vigilance not only of parents 
 and teachers but of preachers and all religious 
 associations which have to do with the education 
 of youth or with training them to be followers of 
 the "Prince of Peace." How difficult the task to- 
 day when war-games, war-thoughts and war- 
 deeds are everywhere! and the foul seeds of death 
 and destruction are scattered broadcast, either vici- 
 ously or ignorantly, we cannot always tell which; 
 but when we see a clergyman striving to build up 
 his church by such devilish devices as "Boys' Bri- 
 gades," we know where we are at. The boys' camps 
 in which "guns are not permitted," is a step in the 
 
Preface 
 
 right direction; but when we come upon a camp 
 where the deadly College-war-game of Football is 
 played, we cry out again, for a better wisdom and 
 a more untiring vigilance. We admit that the war- 
 fiend may be held in leash for a week or so by a 
 resolute pastor to whom the boys are indebted for 
 an outing; but we perceive that they are prepar- 
 ing for war all the same and as soon as they are 
 out from under his rule, they will go into the scrim- 
 mage pile, boasting of church sanction, and reap 
 their harvest of broken jaws and ankles ! 
 
 But infinitely worse for the cause of Peace was 
 the spectacle, recently witnessed, of hundreds of 
 warriors (professional men-ikiUers) gathering to- 
 gether to honor a woman who had given half a 
 million of dollars to encourage soldiers in their 
 deadly vocation ! She was the same tender-hearted 
 but misguided woman who donated a large sum of 
 money to the War DepartToent to help kill and 
 wound human beings and a still larger one to Hos- 
 pitals to help cure or bury them ! 
 
 Lord save us ! Is it by such contradictory ways 
 that American women of wealth are going to help 
 bring in the millennial of "Peace on Earth and 
 good will toward men?" And will it be with the 
 sanction of the church? — ^the church which is the 
 last citadel on the arch-fiend's list to be won over 
 to the military power ! The church that pays mil- 
 lions every year for sounding abroad the Divine 
 command "Thou shalt do no kind of murder!" 
 The church which is the bulwark of the home be- 
 cause it assists so largely in the moral education 
 
Preface 
 
 of clnldren — giving them their first and almost in- 
 effacable lessons and preparing them for a "war- 
 less world" which poets and prophets foretell. No, 
 we cannot believe it. But as the greatest good lies 
 at the church door, it is here that the greatest 
 danger lies. The war-<iend is always prowling 
 around under some specious plea. "Give the boys 
 all they want and you will make good hoys of 
 them," is the latest and most vicious ; for the small 
 boy is sure to want the brutal war-games which his 
 big brother is having at college. Or worse still, he 
 will want to don a hunting jacket or a rough rid- 
 ing suit and go out to kill bears or Spaniards as 
 the President did; and when Independence Day 
 comes he will want to kill the English over again 
 and have the "powder and stuff" to do it with just 
 as his great-great grandfathers had. 
 
 Thank God it is not the mission of the church to 
 supply such wants ! Its mission is to create wants 
 of a high and noble nature, and make them so true 
 and beautiful that even the brutal and ignorant 
 cannot help being possessed of them. 
 
 ASENATH CaEVER CoOLIDGE. 
 fTaterto-wn, N. T., December, 1907. 
 
To iiiv Brother 
 
 John 'Townsend Coolid^e 
 
 a believer in peace 
 
 and jol/ity 
 
Contents 
 
 HAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. The Old Sylvanus Home 9 
 
 II. The late PhUip Sylvanus and "The 
 
 Woman's Property Bills." 19 
 
 III. The Puritanical Melissa and the Soft- 
 
 Hearted Joshua 28 
 
 IV. Indian Jinny and Black Harry 37 
 
 V. The Peculiar People at Home 42 
 
 VI. Father and Mother Colton's War Talk 
 
 with the Parson 61 
 
 VII. Explanation of Principles and Denun- 
 
 ciation of Practice 71 
 
 VIII. Apple-Howling in the Colton Orchards. 82 
 IX. The Ceremony and the Sad Ending. . 91 
 
 X. Melissa's Disposal of the Pile 96 
 
 XI. Indian Jinny's Poppies loi 
 
 XII. Back to the Sylvanus Home 105 
 
 xiii. Agatha Confides in Uncle Joshua . ..116 
 
 XIV. Agatha Goes to a Twelfth-Night Party. 1 29 
 
 XV. Agatha is Chosen Queen 138 
 
 V 
 
Contents 
 XVI. The Fool, the Devil and the Queen. . 147 
 
 XVII. Dr. Cassidy's Exposition of the Mental 
 
 Brute 158 
 
 XVIII. Back to the Colton House — The Last 
 
 Farewell 168 
 
 XIX. Professor Evans' Return Home 179 
 
 XX. Polly Darling Shelby tells her Story and 
 
 Dies 199 
 
 XXI. Co-education and Marriage 208 
 
 XXII. New Life and New Thought 215 
 
 VI 
 
List of Illustrations 
 
 PAGE 
 
 In the old Sylvanus Home .... Frontispiece 
 Portrait of John Townsend Coolidge .... 4 
 I'm thankful I hain't got no leanin' that way . 36 
 Every available member of the Colton families. 43 
 Mother and me both drank of the waters of St. 
 
 Keyne 58 
 
 If the Parson had electricity enough handy . . 80 
 
 The Wassailing Party 91 
 
 And you are glad I told you now? . . . .122 
 You have gone and slain some old Croesus . .129 
 
 The Twelfth-night play 132 
 
 Dr. Cassidy plays the fool that he may get 
 
 wisdom 140 
 
 The horrid horned devil and his crew. -155 
 
 Old Poll still lives 162 
 
 Do you know Aggie and the Professor are 
 
 Cousins ? 181 
 
 Old Poll sank on the floor at Gulielma's feet . 207 
 Gulielma fell on Melissa's neck 221 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 "O, hast thou not heard," the angel repJied. 
 " "Ks a world of strange bonds and releases, 
 Where wasters and savers live side by side. 
 Where men go to war and slash and slay. 
 And women go 'round at the close of the fray. 
 And dutifully pick up the pieces? 
 
 THE OLD SYLVANUS HOME. 
 
 IT was niot a neglected looking place, nor a 
 poor one, the old Sylvanus home. It looked 
 simply puritanical. No coat of paint had 
 ever desecrated its gray old clapboards. No 
 hne of ornamental work ever so inconspicuous was 
 discoverable beneath its solid eaves. No mansard 
 iniquity had been at work with its well kept roof, 
 knocking it into divers diabolic shapes. No flimsy 
 'fleur de lis columns, no aeri'al balconies, no artis- 
 tic, sun-excluding angles, no whimsical propor- 
 tions, no oriental oddities, no fanciful stripings, 
 or glitterings, or glossings, were there. It was 
 simply a square, substantial house, with the utility 
 complement of doors, windows and chimneys, and a 
 comfortable porch on the sunny side, supported 
 by the utility number of plain safety posts. 
 
 9 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 It may have stood there fifty years or more; 
 but of one thing the beholder might be sure, name- 
 ly, that there had never been any attempt to 
 make it look young or gay. There was no sign 
 on it of a "sinful battle against the Lord's ele- 
 ments," as the late Philip Sylvanus was wont to 
 say. 
 
 All of its external belongings were gray and 
 gray ; even the stables, fences, well-curb and buck- 
 et, — the more exposed surfaces having the heavier 
 shadings, while the protected ones, noticeably the 
 sheltered piazza walls, showed those lighter touches 
 which go to prove that Dame Nature takes never 
 a step out of the way to make her subjects look 
 prematurely old. 
 
 The fact that Melissa Sylvanus Evans, the pres- 
 ent owner, looked prematurely old, was no dis- 
 proof of the above assertion, int'.smuch as it is 
 not in accordance with Dame Nature's behests, 
 that a girl barely ten years of age should become 
 housekeeper, attendant and nurse, to a father who 
 has lost a devoted wife and very efBcient helper 
 at the most inopportune period of his Ufe. It 
 simply proves that she was not a subject of the 
 benignant Dame, but rather a product of the re- 
 lentless mistress. Fate. Whether the late Phihp Syl- 
 vanus, the father, had admired or deplor'^d the pro- 
 duct, was not a matter of general discussion ; still 
 everybody who had known him at all was well aware 
 that if Melissa had been an only son insti-ad of an 
 only daughter, she would have been sent to college, 
 
 10 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 no matter what the home exigencies might have 
 been. A truth that had been emphasized during 
 a critical illness which occurred soon after his wife's 
 death, by a clause in his will, setting aside a gen- 
 erous sum of money for the education of the eldest 
 son of MeHssa Sylvanus, in case she should marry 
 and have a son. No mention was made of a daugh- 
 ter, although it was as well known in the new 
 world as in the old, that daughters did not cease 
 to be born because they were not preferred stock. 
 
 That the Honorable Phihp Sylvanus had not 
 been thus lacking in a due sense of proportion, 
 with regard to his daughter's social status, is evi- 
 dent from the fact that he had made no objection 
 whatever to her marriage with Joshua Evans, a 
 man who had served him faithfully for many years. 
 
 Joshua Evans had been too poor to get any 
 other than a common school education, and Mehs- 
 sa Sylvanus had been too busy with the duties 
 that had fallen upon her. That the result was 
 the same so far as education was concerned is easy 
 to be seen ; and there is no doubt but what the late 
 Philip Sylvanus had seen it and had been honest 
 enough to admit to himself at least, that the match 
 would be entirely even in that respect. 
 
 As to natural qualifications, Joshua Evans was 
 the softest-hearted man in the country, and Phihp 
 Sylvanus must have known it. He also must have 
 known that Melissa, although womanly enough in 
 other respects, would never die of heart-break, and 
 that her pripciples of right and justice were ab- 
 
 11 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 solutely adamantine. He not only must have ap- 
 preciated that quality in her character, but very 
 hkely he perceived it to be entirely in harmony 
 with his own — or rather the offspring of his own, 
 as he was serving his term in the legislature of his 
 state at the time of her birth, and soon after be- 
 came the promoter of the "Woman's Property 
 Rights BiU," which made it possible for his daugh- 
 ter to have and to hold his property from the grasp 
 of a scapegrace of a son-in-law who might be 
 incUned to spend it on horses, hounds and mis- 
 tresses and drop the honored name of Sylvanus in- 
 to unmerited obhvion. It must not be supposed, 
 however, that he advocated this then called "ex- 
 treme measure" without due cause. "Progressive 
 legislation," he termed it, and serenely admitted 
 that it "had to come," although he was one of the 
 bachelor members of the legislature who had vot- 
 ed squarely against it on its first introduction to 
 that honorable body. Nor did he cease from his 
 virile opposition until after his marriage to a 
 country lass, who had fallen heir to a valuable 
 strip of timber land adjoining his estate. Neither 
 did he do anything to help it along during the 
 first years of his marriage. It was not until after 
 three sons had been bom to him, and died, one 
 after the other, at a most interesting and promis- 
 ing stage of infancy — all of the same disease — 
 so said the family doctor — "(surplusage of brain 
 matter)" — that he began to look at the subject 
 in a new light, or rather, get strange gleamings 
 
 12 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 and meanings of it, through his questionings as to 
 the why and wherefore of his terrible afflictions. 
 Beautiful and brainy sons were just the develop- 
 ment that Philip Sylvanus had hoped and prayed 
 for since the first day of his marriage. Alas ! what 
 fiend of mischief had been at work inserting in 
 infant brains an over dose of gray matter in which 
 the death-dart lurks, and labelling it "male.""' 
 
 The Honorable Philip Sylvanus did not wait for 
 an answer to this rather lurid question. He fell 
 ill of a sort of an intermittent fever, during the 
 intermissions of which, he answered it for himself. 
 It was his overweening desire to perpetuate his 
 name and build up a family into dazzling propor- 
 tions, that had wrought his downfall. It was his 
 monstrous energy and ponderous wiU that had led 
 him beyond human bounds and destroyed the life 
 which he had designed to perfect. He had not 
 trusted to the Almighty as fuUy as he should, and 
 to nature scarcely at all. He had tried to do for 
 himself what those twin Powers would have done 
 much more effectively, for the reason that they 
 knew the ground and would not pass beyond the 
 necessary limits. He vowed on bended knees that 
 he would do so no more. Henceforth he would 
 receive whatsoever should come to him as an of- 
 fering from the Lord. He would wait with pa- 
 tience the advent of the fourth child and accept 
 it as a sign — brain or no brain — male or female, 
 and abide by the results. Its unlikeness to that 
 which he had planned would be the just measure 
 
 IS 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 of his punishment for having set his own will 
 against, or in place of, that of the Almighty. 
 
 The child that came was a girl — small brained, 
 dark and unlovely — "almost the Httle end of noth- 
 ing" said the appreciative nurse. She tried it in 
 a pint cup and had room to spare for a gin shng ! 
 In spite of his high resolves and his firm vows to 
 his God, Phihp Sylvanus felt a distinct shock. He 
 had rather expected it would be a girl, but he had 
 fancied it would be of the Queen Elizabeth stamp, 
 that there would be an impressive scene in church 
 at the christening, and that the ardent young 
 minister might be inspired to utter a prophecy 
 similar in spirit to that which Shakespeare put 
 into the mouth of the celebrated Cranmer. 
 
 Like King Henry, he would greatly have pre- 
 ferred a son for his successor, even if he had 
 not been of the first quahty ; but he had made up 
 his mind to accept a girl if the Lord willed, and 
 do his duty by her; and yet and yet, he had no 
 idea that she could or would be other than of the 
 most beautiful and perfect kiiid. Not only the 
 bud and blossom, but the fruitage would be of a 
 superior and attractive nature. He hated sin and 
 injustice in high places as well as low, (so he said) 
 in corporations as well as individuals, in the rich 
 as well as the poor, in kings as well as their sub- 
 jects, in governments as well as in the people. 
 Many a time had he thanked his Maker that he 
 was not a Roumanoff king to have that most 
 powerful of all monsters, the Russian church, 
 
 14. 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 wave its spiritual sceptre over his head while its 
 iron heel was spurred and ready to crush out every 
 breath of right and every sentiment of manly jus- 
 tice which conflicted with its temporal power. The 
 church that denied divorce to the poor, though 
 based on truly righteous grounds, and ordered di- 
 vorces for crowned heads on a basis of narrow- 
 ness and injustice that would have sent a country 
 judge into the shades of lasting infamy! 
 
 It was the same unblushing monster with which 
 the spirit of Nicholas the Third was already pre- 
 paring to wrestle. Aye! the spirit, for the fleshly 
 Nicholas was not then born ; but the materials were 
 ready to materialize, and the prophet with but half 
 an eye might safely foretell the type. The child, 
 Nicholas the Third, would be good and honest; 
 he would scorn to tell a lie. He would not even be 
 tempted to tell a lie, for he would be petted on 
 all sides and indulged in all things. He would be 
 encouraged to have his hey-day of love and at an 
 age when the sons of respectable parents are kept 
 under close guard and instruction. He would be 
 permitted to have illegitimate children for play- 
 things, and the children of the poor to array 
 against each other and shoot each other in pieces, 
 in order to give him an object lesson in war. But, 
 luckily, he would be of so grand a nature that 
 he would scorn to take advantage of the so-called 
 "divine rights" accorded to him. He might fall 
 a prey to love, but it would not make a beast of 
 him. He would grow into the full stature of a 
 
 15 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 man, and if called upon to renounce his much-loved 
 mistress and children for the glory of his country 
 and the honor of his name, the renunciation would 
 be complete. It would prove that he was a Rou- 
 manoff, but it would not prove that he was a cow- 
 ard or a sneak. If a royal spouse should be thrust 
 upon him by royal decree and daughters instead 
 of sons be given him by the decree of God, his 
 loyalty to them would be as true as steel. He 
 would be a man of Peace, but he would fight their 
 battles for them. He would wage a war of words 
 mightier than swords with the cunning arch-fiends 
 that hold high carnival over the dishonored bodies 
 of the wives and daughters of the Roumanoff 
 Kings. He would refuse to be divorced. He would 
 demand that his daughters succeed him on the 
 throne ! 
 
 It was thus that the Prophets saw it. Other 
 ears had not yet become so finely tuned that they 
 could hear the clashing of spiritual swords that 
 was to bring in this lagging but just reform. 
 Other eyes were not as yet so clarified that they 
 could see the vision that was to be, or read the 
 lesson that was preparing for the New World; 
 but it was in the air — the soft June air that came 
 from whence no man knoweth — ^perhaps from the 
 steppes of Russia — ^wafted on by electric forces, 
 across fevered hearts, Roumanofi' brows, Siberian 
 slave-pens, and swept in to a window of the old 
 Sylvanus house, bringing a pink rose-petal with it 
 and flinging it into the face of the little midget 
 
 16 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 of femininity that was being deposited in PhiUp 
 Sylvanus' arms as the last remnant of hope in the 
 line of a successor to his goodly name and estates 
 — ^the very last, according to the fiat of the fam- 
 ily doctor, which up to date had been considered 
 next to that of the Almighty in the Sylvanus fam- 
 
 No wonder that the Honorable gentleman 
 was distinctly and deeply shocked. That, instead, 
 of bowing poHtely to the fiat of the doctor 
 or the decree of Providence, he straightened up 
 like a man of iron and charged them with having 
 betrayed his trust — ^with having employed aU the 
 heavenly agencies against him. That he should go 
 so far as to suspect, for one brief moment at least, 
 that vile human agencies had been at work to com- 
 plete his ruin and disgrace. That he had visions 
 of divorce; that he felt a pang of envy for the 
 Roumanoff kings, who could have one for such 
 disappointments as he had suffered, without ask- 
 ing for it; that he began to think that the great 
 High Church that could look into the needs of the 
 kingly heart or throne, was the right kind of arbi- 
 trator after all for short-sighted mortals who were 
 forever getting swamped in sad straits between love 
 and duty, and wondered if the time would ever 
 come when the lesser churches would undertake 
 to do as much for the leading members of the 
 parish ! 
 
 As to the state he could say with Othello 
 that he had done (or tried to do) it some service 
 
 2 17 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 by enlisting in "The Patriot War" — ^the war that 
 was called later on, "A fooHsh and abortive at- 
 tempt to revolutionize 'The Canadas.' " He was 
 well aware that it was his willingness to serve his 
 country in that attempt, combined with the strate- 
 gic abihty he had displayed in the capture of an 
 unarmed "red-coat," that had won him an honored 
 place in its legislative halls! Why should not 
 something more accrue to him from such a bovmti- 
 ful source? 
 
 All this came sweeping down upon him, 
 but fortunately it did not engulf him. Con- 
 science re-asserted itself. iHe remembered his vow 
 to the Almighty. He took the squirming bit of 
 feminine flesh from the nurse's hands and kissed 
 it, while it was waging its first battle with the 
 impertinent rose-leaf, and the mother lay on her 
 snowy pillow smiling and thinking that the rose- 
 leaf episode was a good sign, and her husband was 
 beihaving beautifully ! 
 
 X8 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 Then -we'll see what we'll see, for humanity's sake. 
 The singular place Where the mothers of men 
 Seem evermore doomed to go round and' round 
 And pick up some kind of pieces. 
 
 THE LATE PHILIP SYLVANUS AND THE WOMAN 's 
 PROPERTY BILLS. 
 
 TO continue the retrospective view of the 
 Sylvanus family, it will be necessary to 
 state that the passage of the Woman's 
 Property Rights Bill," which occurred, 
 as before intimated, during the next session 
 of the legislature after Melissa's birth, not only 
 gave the Honorable Philip Sylvanus eclat abroad, 
 but the needed prestige at home. His wife had al- 
 ways felt a little sore at having had to give up 
 all her right and title to her snug little property 
 at the time of her marriage ; but she gave no sign 
 until various frictions between internal and ex- 
 ternal improvements — such as an extension to the 
 pantry and the addition of a bell tower to the 
 stable — had inflamed the soreness to a speaking 
 point. Then she spoke out so frankly and volu- 
 
 19 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 bly that she came very near creating a grievance 
 (or several grievances) among the women of her 
 neighborhood. One very enterprising woman with 
 a fondness for statistics actually counted up eigh- 
 teen grievances and threatened to call a convention, 
 while another who was reading WiUiam Penn's life, 
 under the new light thus unexpectedly held out, 
 noticed that he had come into possession of a fine 
 EngUsh estate through his wife and wondered if 
 her son's ruinous conduct might not have been 
 due to the secret grievance which his mother must 
 have felt and nourished on that account. 
 
 The Hon. Mrs. Philip Sylvanus admitted from 
 her own stand-point of experience that there might 
 be more in a matter of that kind than appeared 
 on the surface ; stiU she did not approve of calling 
 a convention; for reasons which she did not ex- 
 plain and which may have been discreditable to her 
 abihty to run one ; but very naturally, she did not 
 wish to be regarded as a pauper in the house of 
 her husband ,when she had put money enough in his 
 hands to buy it, make an addition on all four sides 
 of it, and re-furnish it from cellar to garret. Of 
 course, she was compelled to admit, especiaUy in 
 speaking to her husband about the matter, that 
 all her necessities had been supplied, without any 
 "open grumbhng" on his part. She had never 
 had to ask even for a new cook stove; although 
 she had known more than one poor woman, sim- 
 ilarly situated, who had sufi'ered martyrdom in this 
 
 20 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 direction, compared with which burning at the 
 stake was of slight account. 
 
 She was not a society woman. She was too 
 yoimg before her marriage to have her "coming 
 out," and afterwards her household duties, the 
 birth, nurture and death of her children, kept her 
 in very closely, taking the whole of her time and 
 all of her physical strength. After Mehssa's 
 birth, however, the strain was not so severe. Health 
 experiments had been dispensed with, for there was 
 no doubt in her husband's mind but that the girl 
 would Kve and thrive and fulfill the natural destiny 
 of womanhood without any undue anxiety on his 
 part. The brain foods that had caused her ss 
 much trouble ajid perplexity and occupied so much 
 room on her pantry shelves, could be safely rele- 
 gated to the more commodious hennery ; for Philip 
 Sylvanus held stoutly to the widely prevailing 
 idea that braniaJ expansion was not as essential 
 to the daughters as to the sons of men. 
 
 But this behef, though narrow enough if car- 
 ried to the far end of logic to have excluded them 
 from most of the advantages of education, arithme- 
 tic included, did not prevent him, when once arous- 
 ed, from throwing his whole weight against the vm- 
 just laws by which they were oppressed. It stirred 
 him up and lashed him on. Justice should be 
 done all the more to the weak, the defective, and 
 the helpless — that is, legislative justice — ^the 
 branch with which he felt especially qualified to 
 cope. He may have meant it as a sort of a puri- 
 
 Sl 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 tanical joke when he said that "parental justice 
 was a very different thing from legislative justice; 
 that it must be tempered to the shorn lamb, and 
 that it was a kind of tempering with which moth- 
 ers were divinely commissioned." Did he mean it 
 as a joke on himself, or the mothers, or the lambs? 
 became the burning question among the wives of 
 his constituency. 
 
 Meanwhile MeHssa continued to be lacking in 
 branial development, although she proved to be 
 very handy with all sorts of homely tasks. 
 
 "No wonder she grows homely to match," said 
 the facetious but soft-hearted Joshua Evans, when 
 he saw her continuously engaged in such very 
 homely tasks as feeding pigs, grating horse-rad- 
 ish or peehng onions. Joshua had never before 
 realized how indispensable such a child could make 
 herself, especially if the mother is growing weary 
 of the tread-mill of duty, and the father more 
 and more immersed in the mill of poUtics, as Phihp 
 Sylvanus became after he had abandoned aU hope 
 of having a son to take his name and the bulk of 
 his estate. This does not mean that he abandoned 
 the home farm; not a bit of it. He was not the 
 kind of a man to abandon anything on which he 
 had so secure a grip. Professedly he had spent 
 much valuable time in taming and re-claiming the 
 wild "back-woods" portion of land that had come 
 to him through his wife — ^bringing it into the 
 open market by incorporating it with the main 
 land and finally getting the whole estate under 
 
 28 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 such thorough control, with all the machinery and 
 appliances connected therewith, that he was hap- 
 py to say that "the old Sylvanus farm could now 
 almost run itself." His wife was considered a 
 part of the appliances, as a matter of course, and 
 the daughter was being beautifully worked in ; and 
 so (taking his word for it), "The Lord had been 
 mindful of him after all," and made the way clear 
 for him to spend the major part of his time at the 
 capitol — ^in the cushioned and capacious library 
 thereof — ^inspecting the laws and their codifica- 
 tions and ramifications, that were piled up there 
 in tomes and hecatomes; so many of which were 
 ridiculous, or imjust, or crippled, and greatly in 
 need of being burned, buried or mended. 
 
 "Indeed! what a grand and worthy work!" ex- 
 claimed the Honorable Philip Sylvanus; "enough 
 to last me if I should live to be a hundred years 
 old — ^no, a hundred years young," he added. "I 
 am seventy now, and I am younger than my wife 
 is at fifty." 
 
 The next bill after the "Woman's Property 
 Rights Bill," that he had the honor of framing, 
 was the "Mothers' Inheritance Rights Bill," pro- 
 viding that the mother equally with the father 
 should inherit the property of their deceased child, 
 in case that said child died intestate and without 
 children. As the law of the state then stood, only 
 the father (if living) could inherit the property 
 of said child. If the father were not hving, then 
 the mother could inherit it equally with the broth- 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 ers and sisters of the deceased child, if such there 
 might be. 
 
 "It is a mean lying law at the best," said the 
 Honorable Philip Sylvanqs. "It's as much as to 
 say that the father is nearer of kin to his child 
 than the morther, and that the mother is no nearer 
 of kin to her child than the brothers and sisters. 
 It must be stricken out of the vile old category !" 
 
 The Honorable Mrs. Sylvanus was of the same 
 opinion. She said that the "vile old catty-cate- 
 gory should have the treacherous law struck out 
 of it." Her faith in her husband's ability to strike 
 out the horrid old law, frame a new one, frame it 
 beautifully and hang it where it could be seen of 
 all men, was so perfect that she talked about it 
 among her neighbors as though it were an ac- 
 complished fact. She gave as an illustration of 
 the unrighteousness of the old law a case that had 
 occurred in her own family. 
 
 An enterprising son of her sister had gone into 
 the gold mines of Cahfomia, made a rich strike 
 and died on his way home. His father inherited 
 his fine fortune, spent every doUar of it in wild- 
 cat ventures and extravagancies, then died, leav- 
 ing the mother and sisters in a state of penury. 
 It was doubly hard to bear, as the father had 
 spent the mother's fortune soon after their mar- 
 riage, and her son's last words were for her and 
 his sisters, painting in glowing colors the things 
 he was going to do for them with his lucky gold. 
 
 Mrs. Sylvanus, as might be expected, felt a 
 
 34 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 great interest in this bill; so great indeed that 
 she consented to go up to the capitol for a few 
 days' sight-seeing, in order that she might be 
 present at its presentation. She felt sure that any 
 bill so truly righteous would pass without a dis- 
 senting vote. Such, however, was not the case. 
 She returned home tired out to the point of nerv- 
 ous prostration, and suffered from inflamed eyes 
 for the rest of the winter. Even the most poHshed 
 speeches, innocent of the so-called vulgar contrac- 
 tions and condensations, seemed overstrained and 
 ridiculous. 
 
 "Phihp," she said, in a dissatisfied tone, during 
 his next visit home, "I think those old speechi- 
 fiers might better waste their breath blowing froz- 
 en porridge than to spend it on so many useless 
 words and syllables." 
 
 That ended it. She was never asked, and prob- 
 ably could never have been induced, to go to the 
 capitol again. Henceforth she looked upon her 
 husband as a martyr to the cause of "remedial 
 legislation." 
 
 After the Honorable Mrs. Sylvanus had recov- 
 ered from her visit to the capitol, she devoted 
 herself more and more to the farm and home af- 
 fairs, which continued to run more and more 
 smoothly. Melissa became more and more of an 
 adept in the household arts. The man Joshua 
 was a host in himself, and the Honorable Phihp 
 Sylvanus spent more and more of his time at the 
 capitol, rarely coming home except to spend Sun- 
 
 S6 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 days, attend church with his family, dispense char- 
 ity, regulate and oil the farm and home machiaery 
 wherever needed, and overlook his daughter's 
 education — the latter being no great task, as she 
 did not have much to overlook — being sent for a 
 very small part of the year to a common country 
 school. 
 
 Meanwhile the Honorable Phihp Sylvanus' 
 "Mothers' Inheritance Bill" lagged fearfully. Work 
 at it as he might, — ^like a hero or a horse — ^he 
 failed to get it farther than the lower house. 
 Just why it should be so, his wife could not quite 
 understand, although he took pains to explain 
 the whole rigmarole to her over and over again 
 every time he came home. He always wound up by 
 saying : 
 
 "It is shameful ! It is unaccountable ! It smells 
 of bribery and corruption in high places." 
 
 At last he tried to comfort her with the assur- 
 ance that he was at work, during the delay, on an- 
 other bill of equal or still greater importance — a 
 bill that would give to the mother a j oint right with 
 the father to the custody of her young child. She 
 was amazed instead of comforted. She held up her 
 hand in holy horror when he told her that as the 
 law then stood the mother had no such right — 
 that if he himself did but choose he could take 
 Mehssa away from her and hire her out to a grog- 
 gery or a house of shame. She begged him with 
 tears in her eyes to "hurry back to the capitol 
 
 26 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 and leave no stone unturned to change the vile 
 law." 
 
 He hastened back ; time dragged on ; ses- 
 sion after session ended, but the law was not 
 changed. 
 
 For the first time in her life Mrs. Sylvanus 
 was tired even unto death. She lost all interest 
 in "remedial legislation," — all interest in gov- 
 ernment — all interest in life. Her heart gave out. 
 She knew the end would come quickly but she 
 would not send for her husband. She called Melis- 
 sa to her side and later on the soft-hearted Joshua. 
 She begged of him to promise to take care of 
 Melissa and see that no harm befell her. 
 
 Joshua Evans made her the promise that she 
 wished for, on bended knees, in a broken voice 
 and between soft hand-pressures and many sobs. 
 After it was over she smiled and began to talk in 
 a dreamy way, of pink rose-petals — of the blue 
 heavens in which the mother sat enthroned with her 
 child in her arms — of the earth's richness — of 
 mines of gold and silver and gems from which no 
 one was shut out — of vast flower-decked lands and 
 pearl-hiding seas to which the sons and daughters 
 had everyone a clear title; and smiling more and 
 more until the room seemed full of marvelous 
 light, she went out of it, leaving the child Melissa 
 awed and wondering, and the soft-hearted Joshua 
 sobbing and wringing his hands like one who 
 knoweth and pitieth every earth-bom creature. 
 
 27 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE PURITANICAL MEMSSA AND THE SOFT-HEART- 
 ED JOSHUA. 
 
 THE Honorable Philip Sylvanus came 
 home to his wife's funeral and was sick 
 for a month afterwards. Melissa took 
 her mother's place and served him eflB- 
 ciently, while the man Joshua remembered his vow 
 and cared for her by alleviating the burdens that 
 in his kindly judgment were too heavy for her 
 young shoulders ; and so the home machinery rolled 
 on as smoothly as ever — so very smoothly that 
 Philip Sylvanus began to reahze that, except for 
 the "speech of the people," he would be at Mberty 
 to return to the capitol, and continue his chosen 
 mission of investigating and criticizing the laws. It 
 galled him at first to think that it should be thus. 
 It never had occurred to him that his wife, being so 
 much younger than himself, could pass "to the be- 
 yond" and leave him to stand guard over the 
 daughter in whom he had taken so Httle vital in- 
 terest ! and at a time when he was deeply engaged 
 in calling the attention of the public to the laws 
 that were so oppressive to the mothers of the race. 
 
 £8 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "But such is the decree of an all-wise Providence 
 with which I no longer have the courage and in- 
 chnation to cope," said the Honorable Philip Syl- 
 vanus to his friends, with a wave of the hand and 
 a shrug of the shoulder that reminded them that 
 he was only an ex-member of Congress — that his 
 advanced age prevented him from ever standing 
 again for re-election, and that his two last bills 
 had been treated with undeserved neglect. 
 
 Thus it happened that it became not only the 
 Honorable Philip Sylvanus' duty to stay at home, 
 but the part of wisdom for him to do so. He 
 staid. The young people made his home more and 
 more comfortable for him and he became more and 
 more interested in their welfare — so much so that 
 when they finally confessed that they were engaged 
 to marry, he gave his full consent to the arrange- 
 ment, with the single stipulation that they must 
 wait until Mehssa was of the proper age. 
 
 After the engagement was made known, con- 
 gratulations were in order; but only one was of- 
 fered and that was from the family doctor who 
 wound up with the trite remark that, "even the 
 most successful lives have their little disappoint- 
 ments." 
 
 "Yes," replied the Honorable gentleman resign- 
 edly, "I have myself so often been a prey to dis- 
 appointment that it has lost its point." 
 
 After which little confession there were no more 
 disappointments, little or big in the life of the 
 Honorable Philip Sylvanus. 
 
 29 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 As before intimated, he must have adjudged the 
 match between 'his daughter and Joshua to 
 be entirely even in social and educational 
 values. Whether he went so far as to judge that 
 in the matter of heart-timber, the Sylvanus side 
 of the house would be the gainer by the proposed 
 aUiance, doth not appear. It is sufficiently clear, 
 however, that for once at least in his life, his plans 
 turned out precisely as he wished, or, more prop- 
 erly speaking, his family affairs turned out to 
 his heart's content, without his making any plans 
 at all ; for MeHssa at the age of eighteen years 
 married Joshua Evans, and in due time a son was 
 bom to them (or to him) and duly named and 
 christened Philip Sylvanus Evans. 
 
 The deUghted grandfather was in feeble health 
 at the time, but he lived long enough to make a 
 good staunch will, which began with the advise- 
 ment that the eldest son of MeKssa and Joshua 
 Evans should take the name of PhiHp Sylvanus 
 on taking the Sylvanus properties, and wound up 
 by appointing his daughter Melissa sole executrix 
 of his estate and guardian of her son — twin duties 
 which she proceeded to discharge with the same 
 unflinching exactitude that she did her household 
 duties. 
 
 The result may be easily anticipated. If the 
 boy proved to be as soft at the core as his father 
 was, he would be liable to become hard at the 
 surface through the agency of the rod and slipper 
 treatment as administered by the mother. Per- 
 
 30 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 haps it would be safer to state that the various 
 processes by which young Sylvanus had been evol- 
 ved, not being conducted on a scientific basis, were 
 not duly recorded ; but that the idea very gener- 
 ally pertained throughout the neighborhood, that 
 he was over-scolded by his mother and over-pet- 
 ted by his father. Just how much truth there was 
 in the accepted belief may be judged from the 
 following conversation which took place between 
 the mother and father parents. 
 
 Melissa's dinner was steaming hot and savory 
 and had been waiting about two and a half min- 
 utes, and yet the father and son had not come. 
 She made an inarticulate, grumbhng sound, and 
 snatching up a bell, marched to the back door 
 and rang it violently. Soon afterwards, Joshua 
 came in alone. 
 
 "Sylvanus ! where's Sylvanus .'"' gasped Melissa. 
 "Why didn't you bring him along in, Joshua? 
 He's got intu a dredful habit of dilly-dallying of 
 late, an' it's got tu be stopped short off." 
 
 "He's ruther a big hft fer me now days, Merlis- 
 sa," laughed Joshua. "He'll be twenty-one 'fore 
 long an' I guess he may as well begin tu kerry 
 himself." 
 
 "Where's he gone tu, Joshua Evans.'' Tell me 
 at once, without any of your circumnavigations. 
 I feel responsible fer my boy ef yu don't. Father 
 left him tu me as a solemn charge an' I don't in- 
 tend tu desert the charge." 
 
 "Sometimes we hev tu kind o' desert what looks 
 
 31 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 tu be a solemn charge — ^them that prove tu hev 
 powder in 'em, or else run the chances of getting' 
 blown up, Merlissa; but tu figger it down, as 
 nigh as I can cackerlate, yewr charge has gone a 
 huntin' rabbits, with the intention of dischargin' 
 somethin' at 'em which can't be called duty ex- 
 actly. Leastaways he took his gun an' powder- 
 horn along with him." 
 
 "And never breathed a word tu his mother about 
 it! — me that bought them fer him!" 
 
 "Sylvane ain't fond of spendin' his breath in 
 vain," said Joshua. "Besides, yu gave 'em tu 
 him as a free gift — a free Christ gift, or Christ- 
 mas gift, didn't yu? And if they were a tea-totaUy 
 free gift he has the right tu use 'em freely, hain't 
 he? Yu jest tell him he hasn't once, an' I guess 
 yu may look fer 'em in the bottom of the creek, 
 iii a jifFy. He's hasty enough when he's in danger 
 of losin' his liberties, ef he isn't when he's in danger 
 of losin' his vittels." 
 
 "When did he go ?" asked Melissa, shortly. 
 
 "Well, I didn't haul out my turnup an' scratch 
 it down, Merhssa, but as nigh as I can cackelate, 
 'twas 'bout as soon as he could git off handy after 
 breakfast." 
 
 "An' he didn't say anything 'bout bein' back tu 
 dinner, an' yu didn't ask him when he'd be back 
 nor notify me so't I needn't cook a! lot of nick- 
 nacks thet nobody else eats?" 
 
 "No, Merlissa ; he didn't say when he'd be back 
 an' I didn't think 'twas wuth while tu ask him. I 
 
 38 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 happen tu know sumthing 'bout the nater of rab- 
 bits. Yu can't lay yewr hand or gun on one at a 
 stated time, say quotter tu twelve or sech a figger ; 
 an' I know Sylvane isn't the feller thet would be 
 likely tu leave one when he's got him half or three 
 quotters cornered. It takes his father to cave in 
 on the kiUin' business. I never could bear to kill 
 anything but a pesky skunk. Besides," added 
 Joshua, giving Melissa a sly poke in the ribs as 
 he passed her on his way to the table, "I happen 
 tu know sumthing 'bout the nater of young fel- 
 lers, an' twon't du tu ask 'em tu many imperdent 
 questions, unless yu want tu make fust-class liars 
 of 'em. 'Cording tu my figgerin', there's nuthin' 
 that'll make a bad egg of a boy quicker'n tu peck 
 an' peck an' peck at him forever-lastin'ly." 
 
 "Joshua," said Melissa, after she had poured out 
 the steaming coffee and turned down the cuffs of 
 her dress sleeves, "I don't cackelate to hev my own 
 son make a fool of me ef he is an unly son, I know 
 where that boy has gone an' I happen tu know 
 what day of the month it is. It's the fifth of Janu- 
 ary an' to-night is Twelfth Night, an' ther'll be a 
 heathenish performance over at the Coltons' orch- 
 ard an' Sylvanus '11 be there. It's high company 
 he's getting intu with all his advantages. I saw 
 Injun Jinny going a blue streak across the lots 
 this morning and Black Harry and their niggery 
 young-uns will be there by evening. Justice 
 Campbell ought tu hev been killed for marrying 
 such critters. I wonder if he ever takes a look at 
 
 3 33 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 the brood that he's responsible for bringing intu 
 this neighborhood, tu go streaking and stramming 
 over the farms." 
 
 "I guess he would'nt be scared if he did take a 
 look or tew at 'em said Joshua. They are the 
 cutest looking little assortment that I ever laid 
 my eyes on, and Injun Jinny don't seem to mind 
 Black Harry's being a shade or tew darker'n she 
 is, so I reckon it's all right that Campbell married 
 them." 
 
 "I don't believe in being married by Justices 
 anyhow. It's as bad as the Quaker way and it's 
 the way they insist on having their children marry 
 if they take iSome one outside of their church or 
 meeting they call it. It's a sin and a mockery and 
 worse than no marriage at all ; but I presume that 
 Sylvanus will get so fiddled up that he'll swallow 
 the whole thing, 'an it's all because yu won't help 
 me lay down the lines as strong as they should be 
 laid, Joshua Evans." 
 
 "Ther isn't much use tryin' tu lay down the 
 lines fer a strong, healthy lad of Sylvane's age, 
 Merlissa. We might tangle him up or trip him 
 down an' give him a swelled nose, but he'd git tu 
 where he was goin', all the same," laughed Joshua. 
 "An' I'm' thinking Sylvane might be in a wuss 
 place. I never saw a sweeter, purer, more friend- 
 ly-looking woman than Mother Colton is. She 
 belongs tu the Society of Friends, they say, an' 
 she looks as though she might be a true friend tu 
 
 34 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 every man, or woman, or boy, or animule under 
 the face of the sun an' moon." 
 
 "What simpleness!" exclaimed Mehssa, in high 
 scorn. "It's the giddy-pated girl he's after. Ther's 
 nuthin' Quakerish 'bout her, with her curled hair 
 stringin' down her back. She takes after her fath- 
 er an' he don't b'long tu any church or rehgious 
 society. He's a regular infidel instid of a reg'lar 
 church-goer, as near as I can find out — a Free 
 Thinker, some call him, which means the same 
 thing. Our parson has scented him out, an' he 
 an' his apple-howhn's an' wassailin's are going 
 tu be exposed before long, an' some foaks are go- 
 ing tu be disgraced, yu mark my words, Joshua 
 Evans. Even the Quakers don't b'leev in sech 
 old heathenries as he practices ; an' I say ef his 
 wife wan't weaker'n water she'd put a stop tu sech 
 sinful doin's." 
 
 " 'Tisn't , so easy tu put on a stopper when a 
 thing gits thoro'ly tu going. I don't know anything 
 'bout Father Colton except that he's a purty 
 strong looking man with waving hair and indepen- 
 dant views," said Joshua ; "but I wonder how yewr 
 parson would goitu work tu expose a man's think- 
 in' works. Will he take off' the top of his head 
 an' invite foaks tu take a peep while his thinker 
 is in full blast.? It 'pears tu me thet if the Lord 
 God had intended our thought should be open tu 
 the admiring public, He would hev furnished our 
 heds with a winder or a sort of a trap-door con- 
 venient fer the purpose. Eh, Merlissa.-"' 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "It beats all," said Melissa, smiling grimly, 
 "what queer notions some foaks du git intu ther 
 heds. I'm thankful I hain't got no leanin' that 
 
 way." 
 
 36 
 
I M IH ANKl-ri. I IIAIN T GlIT NU LEANIN IH \T W A \ 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 INDIAN JINNY AND BLACK HAKRY. 
 
 IN spite of Melissa's intemperate assertion, 
 that "Justice Campbell ought to have been 
 kiUed for marrying Injun Jinny to Black 
 Harry" — ^which she had repeated about once 
 a year, or every time there was an "heir apparent" 
 at the Indian Lodge in the Back Woods Settle- 
 ment — Justice Campbell continued to be well pleas- 
 ed with the part he had played in that little drama. 
 It's naturalness, its poetry and pathos appealed 
 to him strongly. It was the first marriage he had 
 been called upon to "solemnize," after his election 
 to office. At first glance he did not quite like the 
 color of the appHcants. At the second glance, how- 
 ever, he recognized "the darker horse," Blaxsk Har- 
 ry, to be a harmless but rather idle old negro who 
 had been brought to the Fort by an army officer 
 as a servant and had chosen to stay on when his 
 master left and support himself by doing odd jobs 
 for the soldiers around the barracks. 
 
 "O! I know you," said Campbell, when Harry 
 was making his application in rather wordy form ; 
 
 37 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "you live over at the fort, but where did you find 
 this girl?" 
 
 "I didn't find her Massa Campbell, she found 
 me. She cried out to me. Some fellahs at the 
 Fort gave her father fire-water and he got drunk 
 and killed himself. Then she got afraid of them 
 and ran after me 'cause I was the only gentleman 
 of color visible 'round dar 'bout dat time I 'spect," 
 said Harry wiping his eyes with a brand new silk 
 handkerchief that he whisked out of his pocket. 
 
 "O! that accurst Fort! that stamping ground 
 for rascals !" exclaimed Campbell. "Come here my 
 good woman and tell me where you lived and who 
 brought you and your father there and if you 
 really want to marry this man?" 
 
 Thus entreated Injun Jinny who had been 
 standing shyly at the door, came forward and said 
 in her sweet voice. "Me lived with father — In- 
 jun Chief, on a small island, in big lake. Me hap- 
 py there. Me find pretty barks and shells. Me 
 find pretty flowers. Me sit in the sun and weave 
 pretty baskets out of the barks and shells. Me 
 paint them with red, blue and yellow flowers. 
 Father happy there All summer he sit by bright 
 blue water and fish. When the green trees are 
 spotted all over with red and gold he go out 
 and catch game. When winter come we have all 
 we can eat. We had warm hut. We had warm 
 mats for feet cold days. We had soft warm fur 
 to cover us up, cold, cold nights. Father very, 
 very happy there. He say it is only one little 
 
 38 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 step to the happy hunting ground where he go 
 when the mighty manitou call him." 
 
 At this point Jinny stopped to choke down her 
 tears, Black Harry wiped them away tenderly 
 with his handkerchief and she continued. 
 
 "Before Manitou call him, white men came in 
 a big white boat with white and red and blue flag. 
 They wear broadhats. They smile. They shake 
 hands. They say they are great-great-grand 
 children to Injin's great white brother William 
 Penn. They invite us to ride in boat. They bring 
 us over to the Fort. So far, so good, very, very 
 good." 
 
 Jinny paused again and looked at Black Harry 
 appeahngly. He grasped her hand and she went 
 on again. 
 
 "All bad after dat. Very, very bad. They 
 give him fire-water. They pick a quarrel with 
 him. They say they will not take him back to 
 the island. They laugh at him. They say he 
 lias no Island. No more hunting ground in sight 
 of the big lake. They say he trade it off for fire- 
 water long time ago. They take him in big 
 room. They bring long yellow paper and 
 show him that it is so. Then they give him 
 more fire-water and a gun. They turn him 
 out. They tell him to go find another happy 
 hunting ground — away off toward the setting sun. 
 He go up to a high rock. I follow him, He see 
 me not. He looked off over the big blue water. 
 
 39 
 
Prophet ot Peace 
 
 He hold the gun to his heart. He shoot and leap 
 away out in lake same time." 
 
 "Then she called me and I came and did every- 
 thing she wanted me to about finding the body and 
 the burial. She turned her back on the Chap- 
 lain. She wanted a silent funeral where no 
 lies were told — ^just as the great white brother 
 William, would have had it — ^in a silent place un- 
 der the silent trees by the swift blue waters; and 
 we had it," added Black Harry drawing her arm 
 within his own and assuming an air of rightful 
 proprietorship. "Please marry us now massa 
 Campbell as fast as you can. You see she has 
 no father or mother or anybody to say yes except 
 herself and we are in a hurry to go up into the 
 Back Woods Settlement where she can peel barks, 
 pick flowers, make pretty baskets and forget her 
 troubles." 
 
 "But what can you do to support a wife old 
 fellow.''" asked Campbell rather sternly. 
 
 "O I know I'm old, Massa Campbell — ^twenty- 
 years older'n she is, and this cold country kind o' 
 freezes me up ; but I'll vow to do what I can ; and I 
 can do all tihe heavy tugging and lifting and tot- 
 ing of wood and water. I can cut down trees and 
 make wood and kindlings to keep us warm. I can 
 tap trees and make sugar for the cookery. I can cut 
 down other trees and make a garden spot and 
 grow all sorts of vegetables and border it all 
 around with flowers. Yes sah I can do these 
 things," added Black Harry with tremendous em- 
 
 40 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 phasis "and I want to do them and I will do them. 
 I've gone tired of being kicked around a wicked 
 old Fort." 
 
 Campbell was satisfied. He saw a vision of the 
 hfe which they proposed to lead and it was as far 
 above the life which they would necessarily lead 
 if they hung around the Fort, as the North Star 
 is aboA'e the pit ! He married them and they went 
 away with shining faces to live their hves of sim- 
 ple love and patient industry in the Back Woods 
 of the Colton farm. 
 
 41 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 They are not Puritans. 
 
 They have no smell of blood upon than. 
 
 Only the bated odor of defeat 
 
 And goodish lives. 
 
 By warring men despised. 
 
 THE PECULIAB, PEOPLE AT HOME. 
 
 MELISSA'S scornful allusion to the 
 Coltons can be best explained by 
 introducing the reader to a scene 
 which took place in an old fash- 
 ion farmhouse five miles from the village of 
 Sidney in the same direction of the Sylanus 
 homestead. At that time, as now, it bore 
 plain evidence of having been a progressive af- 
 fair — a mere log room at first, built up no doubt 
 of the forest trees around it and furnished with a 
 huge chimney of rough stones of all sizes, such as 
 could raadily be picked up from uncultivated land. 
 As the family increased or the purse expanded 
 another room had been added, of which the materi- 
 als and style were less rude and primitive. A base- 
 ment of mottled stone carefully selected and part- 
 
 42 
 
1\"I-RY A\AI1A1:IF MFMI:FI; UK IHF I'OFFi'X 1 \MILIES. 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 ly hewn — a top story of wide boards, set up in 
 perpendicular fashion and seamed with scanthngs. 
 This part projected a Uttle in front of the other 
 and rose a httle above it and was capped with a 
 heavy overhanging roof. The next addition was 
 as large as both the others and was built of over- 
 lapping clapboards in the modern American style. 
 It was a full story in height and no scrimping. 
 The gable end faced the road, the front door was 
 panelled and the windows were furnished ■witji 
 blinds. That greater care had been expended on 
 the grounds about the new part, the evergreen 
 trees each side of the door and the abundance of 
 shrubs and vines bore ample testimony. It was 
 without doubt the company room of the house and 
 on the day of which we write, it, as well as the rest 
 of the establishment, showed unmistakable signs 
 of social expectancy. Every chimney from the 
 wide-mouthed to the slender brick one, was puffing 
 furiously. Every blind was thrown wide open and 
 the white curtains were looped back with bright 
 ribbons. The door steps were cleared of ice and 
 snow and a carefully shoveled path connected the 
 new part with the main walk that led from the 
 road to the kitchen door, — entering which we find 
 ourselves in the bustle and whirl of festive prep- 
 arations. Every available member of the Col- 
 ton families has apparently been pressed into the 
 service. The gray-headed father is assorting ap- 
 ples and heaping them up in new splint baskets, 
 stuck with sweet-smelling sprigs of spruce and 
 
 4<3 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 cedar. The white-haired mother is stoning plums. 
 Two boys are cracking hazel and butter nuts on 
 the big stone hearth. The older ones are impro- 
 vising a long table of odoriferous pine boards in 
 the adjoining room. Another, the eldest, stands 
 before a huge old earthenware bowl, testing its 
 contents and adding strained honey and various 
 kinds of spices such as his palate tells him the 
 mixture needs ; while the sole daughter of the 
 house and the presiding genius of the busy circle, 
 Guhelma Colton, is ornamenting an immense cake 
 which, since the earliest cock crow until half an 
 hour ago, has been an object of great sohcitude 
 to all; but the worst is now over — ^the stone has 
 been rolled away from the mouth of the cave-like 
 oven and it has come forth or rather been borne 
 forth and deposited on the kitchen table. It is a 
 marvel of beauty so far as perfect baking is con- 
 cerned, but the great pan from which it cannot 
 be safely divorced is not a beauty of itself, and yet 
 a few strips of fringed paper fastened on by Guhe's 
 cunning fingers is fast transforming it into some- 
 thing very Uke it. 
 
 While she was taking a look at it to see what 
 else was needed in the way of ornamentation a 
 shadow crossed the window and Indian Jinny made 
 her appearance with a blanket over her head and 
 baskets on each arm. The Coltons were her best 
 customers and her almost only friends. At least 
 their house was the only one where she felt free and 
 happy to go and competent to help. She had 
 
 44 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 come to bring the baskets they had ordered of her 
 and to help as usual on Twelfth Day. She sel- 
 dom came without a pappoose on her back. To- 
 day she had none. She looked spent and hollow- 
 eyed. The blanket that she held tightly over her 
 mouth was white with her frozen breath and her 
 moccasins clattered hke icicles at every step. 
 
 "O thee isn't well ! Thee ought not to have come. 
 H must be terrible going across the fields," ex- 
 claimed mother Colton. She made her sit down in 
 a warm corner and drink a glass of milk. 
 
 "Me sick a httle chmbing big drift but me bet- 
 ter now. Me help all e same" said Jinny after 
 she had drank the milk. 
 
 "No thee must not," said mother Colton, "we 
 are better able to wait on thee." She went for a 
 plate of food while Gulielma impelled by a feeling 
 of sympathy, which she did not stop to reason 
 about flew up stairs and got a remnant of calico 
 — it had a white ground with a httle brown sprig 
 on it. She brought it down and laid it in Jinny's 
 lap without a word. "Thank'e" said Jinny 
 choking down a tear. "Me make basket out of 
 prettiest barks and shells, and bring it next time." 
 
 "You're an honest Jinny," said Onas. He 
 wanted to help brighten her up but didn't know 
 just how to do it. "I'm glad aunt Rebecca gave 
 me an Indian name." Jinny looked at mother 
 Colton in child-like wonder. 
 
 "I never told thee did I Jinny, that Onas was 
 the name that thy people gave to Wilham Penn 
 
 45 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 for his great care and love of them. Thee's heard 
 of WiUiam Penn?" 
 
 "Little. Me like to hear more," said Jinny. Her 
 eyes began to sparkle. 
 
 "Thy people were very grateful to him Jinny. 
 They sent his widow rare furs to make a cloak to 
 protect her while passing through this cold and 
 thorny wilderness of a world without him." 
 
 "Will your people give my widow a fur cloak 
 when I die," asked Onas innocently? The boys 
 laughed at him and he hung his head. 
 
 "Never thee mind," said mother Colton kissing 
 him. - "A laugh is better than a lash. Thy cous- 
 ins asked just as funny questions, when they were 
 told who they were named for. I have them all 
 written down and they will laugh over their own 
 simple questions some day I'll warrant thee." 
 
 "Let me read them aunty, O do please! I can 
 read first rate." 
 
 "Not now Onas. Not until I am sure thee will 
 not read them in a spirit of retahation." 
 
 "I remember the question I asked when mother 
 told me I was named after William Penn's first 
 wife," said Gulielma "and I had just as soon tell 
 it as not. I asked if she were smart. J*" 
 
 "And what did she say good cousin," asked 
 Onas holding up his head again. "She said wo- 
 men were not expected to be as 'smart' in those 
 days as they are now ; but that she was very beau- 
 tiful and devoted to her husband and to the 
 Friends' faith. That she practised it from her 
 
 46 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 childhood all the way through, she dressed in the 
 plain garb 'though she mingled with people of 
 high degree and had every temptation to blaz- 
 on herself with diamonds and costly satins." 
 
 "Then I asked if she wore a quaker bonnet 
 when she was as little as I was and she said she 
 didn't know." 
 
 Father and mother Colton looked at each other 
 and laughed. She had made more than one con- 
 cession to her husband in the matter of dress, and 
 the Quaker bonnet for little girls was one of them. 
 She had admitted that no one should be in bond- 
 age to it, and Father Colton had averred that "the 
 'children of light in this generation' need not 
 wear anything so shady and uncomfortable as a 
 coal-scuttle on their heads." 
 
 "When mother told me that I was named after 
 Penn's mother who married the fighting tyranni- 
 cal old admiral, I asked her why she married 
 such a fighter when she knew her boy was so strong 
 for peace," said Jasper. "That was worse than 
 your question Onas, it didn't occur to me tliat 
 Penn was'nt born until after his mother was mar- 
 ried." 
 
 "What made you laugh at me then.'"' said Onas. 
 
 "O I don't know unless it was because you made 
 almost as queer a blunder as I did." 
 
 Onas' feelings were mollified, Injun Jinny was 
 herself again and the older brothers were too busy 
 to tell of the questions they had asked when they 
 were told about the distinguished Friends Barclay, 
 
 47 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 Loe, Callowhill, Penn and George Fox, after whom 
 they were named ; for mother Colton in her ardent 
 desire to do the little she could to hasten the com- 
 ing of the glad day of "Peace on Earth and good 
 will toward men" had named her own children and 
 her sister's also, after those who had been associat- 
 ed with them in the blessed cause. 
 
 Guhelma returned to the cake again. Her ar- 
 tist's eye had hghted on an object with which she 
 was going to improve the decoration. 
 
 "O now I must have a sprig of mother's sweet, 
 sweet majoram for the tip-^;op and then the pow- 
 dered sugar will make it look like a little moun- 
 tain of drifted snow," she said, going to the win- 
 dow to fetch the downy plant. 
 
 "Oh, merciful fury," she exclaimed, "there's a 
 man hitching his horse and we arn't half ready! 
 My sakes alive ! And it's the skue-eyed parson ! I'd 
 rather 'twould have been the slickest fellow in 
 Sidney." 
 
 "And I'd rother it 'ad been a poor cobbler than 
 a rich parson," said mother Colton, "but I'U smar- 
 tle the butter ond stuff the plums in the porridge 
 all the same. It's father that'll entertain the kind 
 that drops in unawares." 
 
 "It's no trifle 'e?ll discomfort me with his lawng 
 words or his lawng looks 'ither," said father Col- 
 ton. "I am in my own castle if I've kept track 
 of my bearings. Nor priest nor parson con let 
 me down from it so long as I pay my honest dues, 
 
 48 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 ond I've always paid them without any chumming 
 up 'ither." 
 
 The broad accent of the elders of the family 
 with the frequent dropping and picking up of the 
 letter h, leaves no doubt as to their nationality, 
 nor as to their having lived in this country long' 
 enough to get their "English broads" and "Yan- 
 kee flats," well mixed up. Their simple history is 
 easily told. After a brave struggle of ten years 
 together on their native soil, they emigrated to 
 America, bringing with them their valued house- 
 hold relics, their time-honored customs and their 
 tender regrets for Mother England, who as father 
 Colton expressed it, "could not furnish land 
 enough for so mony brawny boys." 
 
 The next year after their arrival, a younger 
 brother who who had married a younger sister to 
 Mrs. Colton came to settle on an adjoining farm, 
 and their young family soon increased to the same 
 dimensions, with the difference that all were boys. 
 Gulielma was thus placed in the rather novel posi- 
 tion of being the only girl in the "Colton tribe," 
 as the two famiUes were frequently called. She 
 was the only American born child of the elder 
 Coltons and was considered by both parents as the 
 "knowingest of the flock." 
 
 "I fear me she's almost too knowing, being she's 
 not at all homely, an' barely turned of sixteen, an' 
 my conscience troubles me lest we've put ^er for- 
 ward too much with the 'tending to visitors, be- 
 ing we're getting along in years ourselves," the 
 
 4 49 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 mother had said to her husband privately that 
 very morning. 
 
 If there were danger here, one might imagine 
 there would be still greater danger for GuHehna, 
 as femTne sole among so many older brothers and 
 worshipful cousins. Queening it over such a horde 
 would be enough to ruin a weak character and 
 even a strong one might be prematurely developed, 
 or "knowing," as Mother Colton would say, and 
 not at all afraid or "over reverent" toward men in 
 general. Father Colton appeared to have the 
 latter idea in his head. 
 
 "She's 'andsome enough and witty to motch," 
 said he, "ond she's not of the kind to swallow ony 
 mon's wash water, even a king's, although she 
 treats them all fair enough I'm thinking." 
 
 "Gosh all firelocks," said Calloe, who had just 
 come from his newly constructed table with saw in 
 hand and was quite in the mood for a little mild 
 swearing. "I wish to gracious uninvited folks 
 would stay at home ! There won't be room enough 
 now, 'thout squeezin', for all we've invited, to sit 
 around the table, let alone parson spindle-shanks, 
 and I don't know who'd like to be squeezed 'long 
 side of his bones." 
 
 "I wouldn't," said Barclay, giving a little hazel- 
 nut a big whack. "I don't Hke the Sidney fellers 
 anyhow. I ran agonst one up to The Huddle the 
 other day and he called me a little country rough- 
 scufF, and I told him he was the roughest kind of a 
 city scuff." 
 
 50 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "Give 'eed to thy words, Calloe," said his moth- 
 er, "mild swearing may beget worse. And Barclay, 
 dear child, when thee goes to Sidney thee 'ad better 
 take a little basket of pound sweets to the lad that 
 insulted thee. Thee returned 'im worse than 'e 
 sent, thee owes 'im something." 
 
 "He's a buffalo-skinning his horse," said Loe, 
 husthng a heap of butternut shucks into the fire. 
 "I guess that'll be a good excuse for not putting 
 it to the oats." 
 
 "Shall we give him a nip at the Lamb's Wool?" 
 asked George, filHng up his bowel with choice 
 cider from a big jug. 
 
 "No, no !" said Gulielma, we'll offer him naught, 
 and he'll not stay to supper. I'll see to it. He's 
 the same that I saw at the big tent meeting where 
 I went with cousin Will and Fenny, over to Mea- 
 dow Grove. There were other ministers, and good 
 lookin' ones, too, but this one has saffron skin and 
 skued eyes. He came and talked to me against 
 our heathen customs, as he called them, and after, 
 when he handed 'round the wine, he didn't offer 
 us any 'cause we were sinners, so now we won't 
 offer him any of our cider 'cause he's a saint." 
 
 "Did he want to chuck you in an ice hole and 
 then drag you out again," asked Loe, who had 
 witnessed a wintry baptismal scene and held rather 
 crude ideas of its meaning. 
 
 "1st, Loe," said the father, "parsons hear 
 through key holes, and don't be over saucy, Gul- 
 ielma, lest 'e give ye a check for the bad road." 
 
 51 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 There was no time for more words of warning 
 from Mother Colton, against the sin of retalia- 
 tion, even if the spirit had moved her, for in an- 
 other moment the Parson knocked at the door and 
 Father Colton bade him enter. 
 
 "I behave I have met you before," said the min- 
 ister, extending his hand to Gulielma, but as her 
 hands were too busy with the sweet-Ma joram to 
 receive it, and, the hands of all the others were 
 fully occupied, there was nothing for him to do but 
 pass on to the settle to which Father Colton in- 
 vited him. 
 
 "I see you are very busy with preparations which 
 those of our faith call of the worldly order," said 
 the parson as a preliminary to his intended dis- 
 course. 
 
 "Ye've spoke truth as to the business," re- 
 plied Father Colton, " and as to the worldly things 
 I'm thinking there must be enough of them to 
 ballast the unworldly. There must be winter's 
 play for summer's work, ond drinking where 
 there's eating, and eating where there's dauncing, 
 and plenty of all where there's roystering young- 
 lings." 
 
 "There's no great harm in dancing, itself," said 
 the parson, "although we do not allow it among 
 our membership. Other and better social enter- 
 tainments can be made to take its place." 
 
 "Truly, there might be changes for better or 
 worser, or the same," said Mr. Colton, " but so 
 far as I've seen thom they look no better. It ap- 
 
 52 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 pears to me it's jollier on no more 'armful to 
 daunce the which warms the blood agonst cold, or 
 to sing songs the which proctices the memory ond 
 lungs, than 'tis to play at the games of belly- 
 bhnd or shuggy-shew. I don't know this country's 
 name for them, but Guhel con tell you." 
 
 "Shuggy-shew means swinging and the other 
 means blind-man's buff," explained Guhelma as 
 crisply as a household dictionary. 
 
 "It was the great Gustava Vasa, the protestant 
 king of Sweden, the fellow that Queen Bess 
 wouldn't marry, that used to play belly-blind with 
 his colonels, wasn't it, Guhel.""' 
 
 "Yes, father." 
 
 "And what simple game was it that Queen Anne 
 used to play with 'er maids, to light the glumness 
 of Winchester palace? We were reading it in the 
 history yesternight week." 
 
 "Rise pig and go," said Guhelma, who began to 
 be amused at the way her father was holding the 
 parson back from the sermon he had evidently 
 come to preach. 
 
 "I'm of the mind that kings and queens ond 
 such have about as good a right to play the kind 
 of games they f oncy as other folks have, ond in- 
 vent new ones, too. I sometimes think I'd Hke to 
 invent one myself, ond it may be I'd do it if I'd 
 a better chonce at the learning. But Queen EHza- 
 beth did invent one, ond it wasn't much of an im- 
 provement, so I doubt me if I try," said Father 
 
 53 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 Colton, shrewdly. "Say, Guliel what was it the 
 queen called her play?" 
 
 "The Spanish merchant, father." 
 
 "To speak plainly," said Mother Colton, "we 
 don't encourage any kind of games the object of 
 which is to beat each other — ^which tend to morti- 
 fy or make each other ongry. We knew of two 
 English lords who got so mod at each other over a 
 game of cards that they shot each other down. We 
 beheve in amusements thot give pleasure to all 
 aKke — not in those thot stir up strife, and hatred. 
 Fother and I are fully agreed on the motter." 
 
 "Aye!" laughed Father Colton "and what's 
 better stiU, we are fully agreed to disagree on 
 some other motter s, such as plain longuage, plain 
 pie, plain pudding ond plain porridge. She fol- 
 lows her conscience and oppetite in respect to thorn ; 
 but she is not puritanical nor tyronical ond she 
 doesn't say that the children, who have a sweet 
 tooth, or I, who have a palate for sweet cider, shall 
 not follow the same. She says it's more impor- 
 tant what a mon thinketh in his heart, than what 
 'e putteth in his stomach; ond we all think moth- 
 er's about right." 
 
 "But it is not the eating or dancing. or the ord- 
 inary pleasures and pastimes of hfe that I came 
 to speak to you about," said the parson, coming 
 straight to the front at last. "It's the sinful old 
 wassailing customs which I'm told you hold to. 
 You sing heathen songs and drink to the health of 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 your fruit trees and go so far as to pray them to 
 give you good crops !" 
 
 "Ay, ay ! But ye must not be thinking we take 
 to that before we've done all we con to make them 
 bear us howhng crops. It's after we've digged 
 and plonted and grofted and set them under the 
 lees of the hills to protect them from wind and 
 snow. It's when we've come to the bhnd gate 
 and con see no more into the hving heart — ^the in- 
 side want, that we give up to daunce and sing, and 
 pray and drink to them and give them back the cup 
 which they 'ave given us, as the good mon drink- 
 eth to the health of his good friend, when there 
 is nothing more 'e can do to show his God will, or 
 good will, whichever ye please to call it. To speak 
 truth, Mr. Parson, some of us 'ave their orchards 
 and some have their vineyards and flocks, and we 
 of the orchards would have something to eat and 
 drink out of them though we don't expect to get 
 our whole hving out of them as ye of the church 
 vineyards and human flocks do. Otherwise we 
 might pray to them once a week, instead of once 
 a year." 
 
 "But you pray to the apple trees instead of 
 praying to God, who made them. That's where 
 the sin lies." 
 
 "Naw! It's to the inside of them which we con 
 not see. It's to the secret spirit that makes them 
 graw and bud and blossom. The same that's 
 in all grawing things — ^trees as well as human 
 creatures. And then it isn't the praying so much, 
 
 55 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 as I understand it. It's the secret compact with 
 each other that we'll do all we con for the preser- 
 vation and fruitfulness of our orchards. I'm no 
 more sure that my orchard wiU be fruitful for the 
 praying than ye are sure that a soul wiU be made 
 fruitful for the praying. It has failed too often, 
 though there are no orchards hke mine ond my 
 brother's for miles around." 
 
 "Prayer without faith!" exclaimed the parson, 
 with a shocked look, as though such an enormity 
 was too remote from his rehgious experience to 
 be easily comprehended. "That would be a sin 
 too damnable even for the most idolatrous of mod- 
 em churches." 
 
 That the parson had slain Father Colton's analo- 
 gy by dishonest non-admission as to his personal 
 faith in prayer, was perfectly evident to his inner 
 sense, but there seemed to be no help for it ex- 
 cept to put a little extra emphasis on the word 
 honest in his next utterance. 
 
 "It's hard to say what I were, except honest and 
 hard worked 'till I grew of age — and then I fell 
 in love with a maid," said Father Colton, looking 
 sideways at his wife, " and then I went down to 
 'er grondper's in the Isle of Gurnsey ond such a 
 flouncing as they gave us ! And then we went back 
 by the Vale of Llangollen, ah, me ! We were in the 
 twenties then, my sweetheart and I, and needed 
 only one light in our lontem. Now we're turned of 
 fifty and must needs 'ave three." 
 
 "I hope I may be able to supply you with the 
 
 56 
 
.,,' Prophet of Peace 
 
 needed light," said the parson, who assumed that 
 the imphed need must be of a spiritual nature. 
 
 Guhelma laughed outright. She knew the 
 lights were in allusion to an old Guernsey custom, 
 as well as the floimcing, which, with the visit to 
 Llangollen, were incidents of a wedding trip, but 
 she would not explain — the spirit of mischief was 
 stirring her young blood. 
 
 "Thank ye aU the same, Mr. Parson, but I 
 hope ye're not taking us for the bhnd and benight- 
 ed folks that will never go to anybody's church 
 because they don't happen to 'ave one of thir own," 
 said Father Colton, in a dignified tone. "My 
 brother and I don't belong to any church, but we 
 belong to the school house. We paid for three- 
 quorters of it with our own earnings, and we al- 
 ways let the church travelers in for nothing ond 
 give them a chaunce to preach at us in the bar- 
 gain. Sometimes one kind happens along and then 
 another, but we are not a bit heathenish. We treat 
 them all ahke and don't join with none, though 
 we've been invited and pohtely too; and we hope 
 we're not thought to be a set of blind bats because 
 we keep to the awld ways, we're not saying there- 
 'll never be better ones, nor denying free choice 
 to others or the children. If they've a mind to play 
 'curcuddie,' or 'the parson 'ath lost his fuddlin' 
 cap' — we'd wish them joy of the games. We're 
 not of the whip-em-in kind who go 'round tryin' 
 to make everybody behave just to their notion." 
 "But you must know that laxity is a very great 
 
 67 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 sin, especially in family government," said the 
 parson. "There must be somebody at the helm to 
 guide the craft, or it sinks to perdition. A re- 
 sponsible guide and head. As such you must be 
 master of your own house." 
 
 "A' woll, partly, I should say," replied the old 
 Englishman, casting a sly glance at his wife. 
 "Mother and me both dronk of the waters of St. 
 Keyne at the same instant and we've pulled purty 
 even all the way thru. Now and then she takes a 
 spurt ond goes a leetle ahead, but I generally 
 figger to come up with her before the londing. I 
 don't believe so much in one-handed government 
 as four, and I don't beheve in meddlesomeness ak 
 all, and wouldn't stand it no moar'n our ancestors 
 would stand the hearth tax. To be plain with ye, 
 Mr. Parson, I'm thinkin' ye've just as good a right 
 to manage your own house as we have, and if ye 
 ever cotch me coming to tell ye what ye mout do, 
 ye may return me thru the door by the wink of 
 the clock. I knew a mon once who built a fine 
 castle and dedicated it to the wind, but the cuii- 
 ousness of it gave me no right to go and pull it 
 down." 
 
 There was no misunderstanding Father Colton's 
 meaning, though oppositely expressed, and an in- 
 terested looker-on would have noticed symptons 
 of wrath on the parson's face. The safi'rony skin 
 took on a greener hue and the crossed eyes looked 
 still further askew. There was a man underneath 
 the parson without doubt, and one of no Christ- 
 
 68 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 like pattern; but he had learned his role too well 
 to depart from it, and for the next ten minutes 
 or more, no agent under cover of the highest au- 
 thority could have dealt out more deadly denun- 
 ciation of the customs in which the Coltons in- 
 dulged, or a fiercer warning as to the sinful re- 
 sults to which they would surely lead, or more 
 terrible threats of the wrath to come if they re- 
 fused to desist from the same. 
 
 "It is not as a man," said the parson, soften- 
 ing down at the close, "that I come into your 
 house to say what I have said, I assure you, but as 
 a sorrowing brother and child of God." 
 
 "I'm in the 'abit of recognizing my relations 
 and giving them the hond," replied Father Colton, 
 with a more determined sarcasm; "and I'm think- 
 ing a child might plead the baby act when an aged 
 rapscallion like myself might have no excuse at 
 all. I'm almost sure if I were to take my was- 
 sail and go to a mon's house and strive to pour 
 it down his guzzle and then say I were his brother, 
 'e'd not beUeve the story ; or if I should say I were 
 the child of some great and good person I fear 
 'e'd look into my homely face and fail to see the 
 resemblance." 
 
 The table-spreading was at its height in the 
 next room. The mother was handing down prec- 
 ious old heirlooms in the shape of curious water- 
 jugs, pitchers, platters, bowls, and cups, from a 
 capacious comer cupboard; but through it all 
 there arose a sound of suppressed laughter from 
 
 59 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 the boys, which came in so promptly at the end of 
 Father Colton's remarks as to leave no doubt of its 
 occasion. 
 
 "The Parson might as well vamoose" whispered 
 Loe nudging his mother's elbow. "Father is get- 
 ting up his Ebenezer." 
 
 Guhe had just taken down her father's old vio- 
 lin and was dusting the strings. She stopped 
 short and laughed hilariously. 
 
 60 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Who saith of monster war 
 
 'Tis just — ^"tis right, 
 Because the workless millions rise with fiery eyes 
 And rend with 'battle-songs the dreaming skies? 
 
 God pitieth their plight — 
 Oft cried aloud and would have hovered them, 
 E'en as He would the headstrong hosts of old Jerusalem; 
 He seeth the stiarving babes, the needless sacrifice. 
 
 FATHER AND MOTHER COLTOn's WAR-TALK WITH 
 THE PARSON. 
 
 THE parson looked at Gulielma and 
 laughed also, but it was not the 
 laugh of hilarity. It was a forced 
 laugh, something in the naiture of 
 self-defense. He knew that Father Colton had 
 beaten him at every point, but he was deter- 
 mined not to add to the shamefulness of his defeat 
 any shamefacedness of his own. He would even 
 branch off on a new trail, hoping to come out at 
 last with flying colors. 
 
 "I see you have a liberty-loving spirit, Mr. Col- 
 ten ; extremely so. Probably that's why you came 
 to plant your family in a liberty-loving land." 
 
 61 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "We were always fond of liberty, mother and 
 me, Mr. Parson and we wanted lond to motch. 
 Plenty of room for our orchard fruits and the 
 fruits of our bodies, the brawny boys that were 
 fast out-grawing the bit of lond in England, and 
 we plonned to have it if we had to go to a brand 
 new country to get it ; but 'twasn't 'til mother got 
 so scared about the demon of war, that we crossed 
 over." 
 
 "Indeed! what war was it?" asked the parson. 
 
 "No war at all just then," replied Father Col- 
 ton, "but the dogs of war raging up and down, 
 turning peace to purgatory. England 'ad squelch- 
 ed Napoleon, but was trying to imitate the brute 
 by getting up a conquering army for they didn't 
 know what ; but it proved to be for the extermina- 
 tion or subjugation of little peoples wherever they 
 could find them." 
 
 "How mysterious are the ways of Providence," 
 said the parson, reflectively. He was trying to 
 recall the object of said wars and the good that 
 came of them, presumably without success, for he 
 added: "The English are splendid fighters, far 
 better and more natural than the French, and yet 
 they have suffered the greatest losses from hard- 
 ship and exposure." 
 
 "They were not so good at starving," laughed 
 Father Colton, "but when the war fiend gets into 
 an Englishmon 'e is a bigger fiend than 'e is when 
 'e gets into a Frenchmon. If an Englishmon goes 
 into the war business, 'e does it more conscientious. 
 
 6g 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 'E will obey a war order if it takes a whole army 
 straight into the fiery pit. A Frenchman will 
 slont off a little to save a few hundred lives. Gulie, 
 what was it old French Moreau said when 'e read 
 the brutal order to the convention to give no 
 quarter to an Englishmen or 'Anoverian .■" We 
 were reading it in the history last winter." 
 
 "I have too high an opinion of French honor to 
 beheve such an instruction will be obeyed," re- 
 plied Gulielma, straightening up grandly. 
 
 "I'm glad to hear you quote French honor," said 
 the parson, smiling a little more warmly. "My 
 ancestors were French." 
 
 "I reckon you're not to blame for 'aving French 
 blood in your veins mor'n I am for 'aving Eng- 
 lish, Mr. Parson. The way we have of stirring 
 it up is where the praise or blame comes in. The 
 Enghsh recruit-devil isn't quite so black a devil 
 as the French conscript-devil that Napoleon made 
 use of to suck the healthy young life blood out of 
 France, I allow; but the English way of getting 
 lombs for the slaughter is black enough — so wooly 
 black that mother couldn't stand it to see our sons 
 grawing up there. We couldn't have earned 
 enough off from our bit of lond to have paid their 
 smart money." 
 
 "But soldiers are a necessity," said the parson, 
 hooking his hands onto his military looking coat 
 collar and throwing his chest out in soldierly style. 
 "Christian countries have to be protected from 
 heathens. More than this, it often becomes the 
 
 63 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 duty of rulers to call the people to arms and go 
 forth to plant the religion of Jesus at the point 
 of the sword, as the Crusaders did in their Holy 
 Wars." 
 
 Mother Colton gave a little start, as though she 
 felt the prick of the sword. 
 
 "Holy Wars! holy serpents and vultures?" ex- 
 claimed Father Colton. "We don't beheve in such 
 hohness. We don't want any such plonting ! The 
 crop that's plonted with blood and watered with 
 mother-tears is not the crop to suit our palates. 
 'Twas the holy war serpent that entered the souls 
 of Godfrey the noble, Tancred the good and Peter 
 the hermit, and through them turned hordes of 
 ignorant people into murdering brutes, which made 
 the Holy City a hell of blood and carnage over 
 which their leaders 'ad no power." 
 
 "The worst was burning the Jews and flinging 
 infidel babes over the holy battlements," sighed 
 Mother Colton. "I almost wish they'd leave such 
 woeful things out of the histories. It was the read- 
 ing of it that gave me the heart-bum." She shut 
 her eyes and leaned back in her chair, panting. 
 
 "Never mind, mother; perhaps they will be left 
 out as soon's the lesson's well learnt," said Father 
 Colton, tenderly. 
 
 "The Crusade lecturer that I heard over at the 
 church told something I never read in any his- 
 tory," said Gulielma, "and some of the folks 
 laughed. He said the 'Christian soldiers on en- 
 
 64 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 tering the Holy City killed every man that wore 
 infidel trousers.' " 
 
 "O! 0! I trust thee didn't laugh, Gulielma," 
 cried Mother Colton. 
 
 "No, mother, but I wondered what history he 
 got it out of." 
 
 "History or no history," said Father Colton, 
 "it's the kind of joke the blood-thirsty fonotics 
 would be Hkely to proctice. Bloody deeds gen- 
 roly have bloody jokes to help them along, I reck- 
 on." 
 
 "Whatever were their shortcomings they showed 
 a true reverence for sacred things," said the par- 
 son, in a tone of reproof. 
 
 'I wonder what King Soladin thought of their 
 true reverence for the 'true cross' when they de- 
 monded 200,000 pieces of gold to back it and kill- 
 ed 3000 hostages in default of payment," said 
 Father Colton — "when they took them up on the 
 hill above his tent and slaughtered them before his 
 very eyes, just as a mess of savages would have 
 done?" 
 
 "And I wonder what the pure and peaci^able 
 Christ would have felt if iHe had seen his professors 
 fighting hke wild beasts over the cross on which 
 they claimed He breathed His dying breath. If 
 they'd sat down quiet and read his word they'd 
 not have fought at all," said Mother Colton. 
 
 "Aye ! Mr. Parson, ye must admit, it's a stronge 
 thing that holy war leads to so mony unholy deeds 
 and sights. Only think of Godfrey the noble on 
 
 5 65 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 his way to the Mosque of Omar! History tells us 
 that his horse waded knee deep in the blood of the 
 slaughtered people," said Father Colton. 
 
 "No doubt the warriors of the cross were as 
 grieved as we could possibly be over the excesses 
 of the soldiery and the rabble," said the parson. 
 "We are told that Tancred protested with all his 
 might against the slaughter of the 300 captives 
 to whom he had promised safe escort; but war is 
 war and there is no way of avoiding the results." 
 
 "Aye, Mr. Parson, there's no way but to avoid 
 the war ! — steer clear of it as we would of a cargo 
 of powder! Before we apply the flaming torch or 
 the flaming tongue to one or the other we should 
 think of the results ! See what the good old Saint 
 Bernard did after 'e took up the Holy War cry 
 and charged its defeats to the sinful hands of his 
 followers ! 'E rained upon them his hot indignation 
 until they went mod and sent their innocent hand- 
 ed children to holy battle! — yea by the thous- 
 ands and tens of thousands, to be slaughtered hke 
 lombs, or shut up in slave pens ! No mon knoweth 
 what 'e must have suffered when 'e saw what his 
 fiery eloquence *ad accomplished." 
 
 Mother Colton wiped away a tear with the cor- 
 ner of her apron and cried in a broken voice: 
 "Foolish ! foolish parents ! They should have left 
 the holy war for holy-handed priests to settle in- 
 stead of sending their weak white-handed children 
 t(. battle." 
 
 "Mother's right as far as she goes and she goes 
 66 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 a bit farther than most folks," said Father Col- 
 ton. "I go farther still; but she spirits me on. 
 That is, she furnishes the plon and I rear the 
 house. I say that church wars should be settled 
 by the wisest and holiest members of the church, 
 thot state wars should be settled by the wisest and 
 best citizens of the state, and that national wars 
 should be settled by the wisest and best and holi- 
 est people of all the nations and states and 
 churches of the world — the truly wisest" and holi- 
 est — ^not those who say they are. There should be 
 a great High Court where every nation could go 
 to have its disputes and boundaries settled." 
 
 "But what if the jury couldn't agree, Mr. Col- 
 ton.'' You haven't thought of that contingency, 
 I presume." 
 
 "Aye, Mr. Parson, my idea is full blown on that 
 head, and mother's never said anjrthing to reverse 
 it. I say if the Grond Jury won't settle the mot- 
 ter that's put into their hands to settle, in good 
 season, let them retire for the night or a year of 
 nights into a quiet room where there's no grondeur 
 at all and no grond folks to unsettle them. Let 
 them commune with each other face to face and 
 spirit to spirit. Then if they con't settle, let them 
 choose sides and 'speU each other down,' as we did 
 in our spelling schools. If that doesn't bring on a 
 settlement they might choose their opposites and 
 wrostle with each other. Almost any little game 
 of that kind would be better than to call the hard- 
 
 67 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 worked farmers from their homes and plows to 
 fight for what they know not of." 
 
 "That is satirical as well as chimerical," hissed 
 the parson. "There must be war as long as the 
 world stands. Our duty is to improve the service 
 and reform the soldier." 
 
 "There's no such thing as improving war. As 
 Wilham Penn said: It must be arbitrated out of 
 existence," exclaimed Father Colton. "William 
 the Conqueror tried to improve it and so did Crom- 
 well and King Charles and James and hosts of oth- 
 ers, but it's grown nostier and costlier all the time. 
 Then there was Lord 'Erbert. 'E was a good mon. 
 Mother and me knew him to be. 'E tried to re- 
 form the soldier and it killed 'im !" 
 
 "That's hardly believable," said the parson 
 sharply. "I go over to the barracks quite often 
 to preach the reUgion of Jesus to the poor soldiers 
 and it strengthens me in body and soul." 
 
 "A portion of the religion of Jesus is 'thou 
 shalt not kill,'" said Mother Colton. "If thee 
 really preaches that, thy words must fall on the 
 soldiers heads like coals of fire. I pity them from 
 the bottom of my heart. Lord 'Erbert told me the 
 soldiers in England were ongry with him for try- 
 ing to reform them, and I don't wonder they were, 
 when their business was to kill ! — kill or take away 
 the liberty of others, in order to get liberty for 
 themselves." 
 
 "Mother doesn't believe that there's ony thing in 
 the world worth the shedding of human blood. She 
 
 68 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 believes in liberty of the widest pottern, but she 
 does not beheve in fighting for it except with soft 
 weapons, like the tongue (or begging her pardon) 
 the fist if sore beset. She doesn't beheve in using 
 any of the 'curst war implements, hke swords ond 
 connons ond battleships. She doesn't believe in 
 any such fiendish inventions or manufocturings. 
 Neither do I," said Father Colton. 
 
 "But they promote industry. What would our 
 wage-earners do without the work given them by 
 our navy-yards and arsenals and things of that 
 kind," said the parson. 
 
 "Cultivate the lond! Make good roads; Estab- 
 lish hbraries and mail routes — ^not for the city 
 gents alone but for the 'ard-working farmers and 
 their children! Mony things need to be done to 
 make the country a fit place to hve in for the on- 
 coming generation. Our sons are not going to 
 stay on the farms ond dig ond delve if they con't 
 have about as good privileges as the city chaps," 
 said Father Colton. 
 
 "We want good bridges, too," chimed in Bar- 
 clay. "Poor old Sorrel's leg that he hurt in Crip- 
 ple Creek bridge hasn't got well yet though Fve 
 spent hours and hours bathing and fussing with 
 it. My hands are blistered all over." 
 
 "You are on the right road, my son. A merci- 
 ful mon is merciful to his beast," said Father Col- 
 ton, encouragingly. 
 
 "I'll make thee a swab, dear child, so thee con 
 
 69 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 save thy dear hands," said Mother Colton, with 
 moist eyes. "Thee con never get another pair." 
 "You see there's plonty of honest life-saving 
 work to be done, Mr. Parson. Nobody need to 
 go into Satan's monufocturies for work. We 
 don't beheve in inventing or making implements to 
 mow down human beings that 'ave been bom and 
 fed through agony and bloody sweat. We had 
 better invent implements for the plonting and 
 mowing of all sorts of grain and food stuffs to 
 build them up. We don't beheve in the kind of 
 civilization that makes beasts of burden of three - 
 fourths of the human race in order to boost up the 
 remainder. The King's most rare dishes that call 
 for the sacrifice of human lives had better not be 
 made." 
 
 70 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 We would wipe out the streaming, blood-red bars; 
 
 Re-wing the rude staff, regild the pale stars; 
 Set the gentle, the beautiful dove of Peace, 
 In the screeching Eagle's wild feasting place. 
 Ihe Olive Branch nodding her plumes to the fiast 
 
 Should no longer be deathful and gory; 
 
 But inviting and helpful and loving and sweet, 
 
 And pure and white with New Glory. 
 
 EXPLAXATION OF PBIlSrCIPLES AND DENUNCIATION 
 OF PRACTICE. 
 
 / / ^ ■ ^HE world is full of inconsistencies," 
 * * I remarked the parson. "Your be- 
 
 I lief appears to be something hke 
 
 that of the heretical Quakers — 
 excuse me, perhaps you are of that faith," he con- 
 tinued, casting his eye on the ^■iolin that Gulielma 
 was fingering ; "but they would never keep such an 
 ungodly instrument in the house." 
 
 "Aye ! You've hit it partly, Mr. Parson. Moth- 
 er's a pretty staunch follower of William Penn, 
 but I don't follow ony denomination entirely. 
 You'd never cotch her doncing ond fiddhng around ; 
 but she doesn't say that others shon't donee ond 
 whiffle about middling lively, does she, Gulie.'"' 
 
 71 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "No, she doesn't, good mother," replied Gul- 
 iehna. "She isn't such a selfish ninny as that, 
 mother isn't. It's forcing people to do what they 
 don't want to do, that brings on more than half 
 of the wars and miseries of the world." 
 
 "Gulie thinks mother's 'thee had not better' is 
 more powerful than 'you shont,' any day," laugh- 
 ed Father Colton. 
 
 "Perhaps you and your wife regarded this 
 country as entirely consecrated to William Penn 
 and thought there would never be any more wars 
 here. That every man you met would wear a 
 broad brim and a broad smile and offer you the 
 pipe of peace," said the parson with a slight 
 sneer. 
 
 "If we did, we got undeceived right early, didn't 
 we, mother.?" said Father Colton, giving his wife 
 a significant look. "About the first mon we met 
 after we londed wore a very narrow brim, scowled 
 at us instead of smiling, pointed a sword at us in- 
 stead of a pipe, and bawled out, 'who goes there.'" 
 We were just going to enter a big queer-looking 
 gate and sit down under a shade tree to eat our 
 lunch. I was mod ond should 'ave answered rother 
 'otly ond most likely got "urt for the same, if 
 mother 'adn't stepped up to 'im ond said gently: 
 'We are friends, good friends; we were going to 
 sit in the shade ond eat our luncheon. We would 
 be happy to have thee join us.' Then 'e opened the 
 gate ond bowed politely but rother stiff. 'E seem- 
 ed to enjoy mother's dainties almost as much as 
 
 n 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 the children; still 'e acted stronge. Every few 
 minutes 'e'd spring up from the bench ond stomp 
 on the ground as though 'e were trying to make 
 a hole in it. Then 'e'd march up to the gate ond 
 look over the woters with such a distressful look as 
 we 'ad never seen on a mon's face. We thought 
 per'aps 'e was expecting dear friends on the next 
 boat ond was afraid they'd be shipwrecked; so I 
 made bold to ask 'im what it was 'e was looking 
 for so anxiously. 
 
 'D'm it, don't cher know.?' 'e replied, 
 'this is a military post and we are looking 
 for a war and can't find any. We came here five 
 months ago all the way from the military academy' 
 expecting to find a hell of a war up here, but every- 
 thing's as quiet as a Quaker meeting-house.' 
 
 'E turned away disgusted, but it just suited 
 mother ond me. We looked off^ over the quiet lake, 
 ond reckoned it would be mony a year before 'e'd 
 find a penny's worth of provocation in thot direc- 
 tion. So we smiled ond passed on. Ofter we got 
 firmly settled on these broad acres we felt as though 
 we 'ad the whole of England under our feet. We 
 knew we could make enough off from the lond 
 while our boys were grawing up to pay all the 
 domages government could make agonst them for 
 not helping it wotch for a provocation to fight ; 
 ond we've done it, Mr. Parson! — we've done it! 
 Ond now we're saving up for the education. We 
 are going to give every one of thom the kind of 
 education he wants, ond we're going to do the 
 
 73 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 same by Gulie; ond they shall all have the same 
 liberty to go or come — ^to stay with us or leave us." 
 
 "But it would be your daughter's bounden duty 
 to stay with you and comfort you in your old age." 
 
 "Not according to our way of thinking, Mr. 
 Parson. It wouldn't be Gulie's duty ony mor'n 
 'twould be the duty of ony of our sons. Because 
 the Lord gave us the good gift of a daughter it's 
 no sign 'e wants us to go into the binding busi- 
 ness. To bind 'er to duty might cripple 'er worse 
 thon to bind 'er feet. Even if she shouldn't see 
 'er way clear to morry, we wouldn't think it right 
 to close up all the other avenues. If she should 
 conceive the idea of going on a mission to China 
 or the South Sea Islands, we would not say 'er 
 nay. We would not destroy the fruits of an ar- 
 dent spirit by tying it to our decaying hves. There 
 is a spiritual morriage ond there is a physical mor- 
 riage ond both are needing the full heaven of free- 
 dom for the children born of them." 
 
 "You don't mean to say that if your daughter 
 should not marry and have a family of her own 
 to care for, you would permit her to go off on any 
 hair-brained mission she might choose and leave 
 you alone in your old age.? Such conduct would 
 b^ open to righteous condemnation as well as so- 
 cial. It would be ruinous in the extreme." 
 
 "Father had rather see me go off on a hair- 
 brained mission than to marry me off to a hair- 
 brained fellow, as so many parents do," laughed 
 Gulielma, "wouldn't you, father.!"' 
 
 74 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "Yes, I would, my daughter, ond I'd be rother 
 careful about calling ony kind of a mission hair- 
 brained. The one that conceived it might be the 
 best judge. At any rate, it wouldn't be mother or 
 me that would say or do anything to an unmorri- 
 ed daughter that we wouldn't to an unmorried 
 son — ^that would tie down the wings of the one ond 
 let ithe other go free ond ready for flight. We are 
 not like one of our great poets who wanted a 
 daughter and wanted 'er born blind so she could 
 never leave 'im." 
 
 "But the desolation and helplessness of old age, 
 you should think of that, Mr. Colton." 
 
 "Naw, not overmuch. The fear of old age is 
 cowardly. Its wants are so few. Only one or two 
 more Hghts in the lontern. It's a sin to horde 
 up the hfe blood of our children to fatten on in 
 our last days. Woddling up to heaven's gate is 
 not a pleasing figure of speech, to say nothing of 
 the reolity," said Father Colton. "Mother ond 
 I have got enough laid away to make us confort- 
 able even if we should have to hire a hond to help 
 us in our old age." 
 
 "No doubt you've been very successful in raising 
 bountiful products, through the aid of Divine 
 Providence," said the parson, "but all the more 
 you should remember your spiritual and person- 
 al duty not only to your family but to your God, 
 your adopted country and the flag that protects 
 you in your labors." 
 
 "Aye! aye! Mr. Parson; we know the inside 
 
 75 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 meaning of all thot advice. Some folks get lost 
 in a sorry strait a'tween shores ond it's not to be 
 wondered at, there are so many commanding voices. 
 The first of all, sayeth 'forgive your enemies ond 
 love them that hate you.' The second voice say- 
 eth 'hate your enemies ond slay them ond make a 
 spread over ther dead bodies,' but we listen to the 
 first voice principally, mother ond me. We strive 
 to do our duty by all ond make idols of none. You 
 ought to hear mother talk on the subject of idol- 
 making." 
 
 Mother Colton closed her hps firmly and Father 
 Colton continued. 
 
 "It's easier to kou-tou to graven images thon 
 'tis to treat poor hve folks decent. — It's easier to 
 love the lond where we live ond prosper thon 'tis 
 to love other londs, nor priests nor parsons need to 
 order us to do it. They'd better teach us how to 
 love other londs as well as we do our own." 
 
 "I presume to say you would like to have the 
 eagle on the American flag turned into a dove and 
 the red stripes into drab," said the parson, turn- 
 ing to Mother Colton with an ironical smile. 
 
 She did not reply. She was looking at her hus- 
 band. He had been dropping his h's faster than 
 he had been picking them up, ever since the war 
 talk began. It was a sign that he was getting 
 excited. She feared that the parson's last thrust 
 (being aimed at her) would make him unduly so. 
 He understood her warning but he was under full 
 swing and could not stop at once. 
 
 76 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "Eagle or dove ! Red stripes or drob ! Wot 
 would they all 'mount to with nobody to till the 
 soil or raise the 'apple-sass,' as the Yankees call 
 it ? If we all went trotting 'round a nosty old fort 
 vainly 'oping for a chonce to fight, who'd furnish 
 the food for the mouths that yawp at us?" 
 
 "Come, father, mother's growing tired and it's 
 time you were fixing up the lights," said Guhelma, 
 "and I must practice up my pieces. You'll excuse 
 me, Mr. Parson. I have to do the fiddling since 
 Uncle Tim's got rheumatism in his shoulder ;" and 
 seating herself before the fire she proceeded to 
 wake up a set of lively strains with as much un- 
 concern as though the straight-laced parson were 
 twenty miles away. It was no dull thrumming 
 from the first, but it went on gayer and faster 
 and wilder and madder until young feet could not 
 stay down though weighted with cow-hide soles. 
 Another whisk of the bow and Gulielma, too, was 
 on her feet in a jig that fairly set the old kitchen, 
 parson and all, in a whirl. 
 
 "I'd daunce meself if it wasn't for the misfor- 
 tune of hurting me whirly-bone," said the father, 
 with a gleeful face. 
 
 Mother Colton raised her hands and looked ap- 
 pealingly from one to another — the Parson in- 
 cluded, but it was of no avail. Wild spirits had 
 risen beyond her control. 
 
 "You see they can't cheat me out of the danc- 
 ing," said Gulielma, pausing at last in front of 
 
 77 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 the parson. "I can be upper crust and under 
 crust both, as mother says." 
 
 "Probably it has never occurred to you that it 
 might be your duty as a lady if not as a Chris- 
 tian, to refuse to play on such an improper and un- 
 godly instrument," said the parson, trying to 
 bring his crossed eyes to the most effective 
 focus. "It's not customary for young ladies to 
 play the violin. I have never seen it done in Sidney 
 nor any other community, heathen or Christian." 
 
 "Yank a tank, yank a tank, yank a tank tern! 
 
 "Whistling girls and crowing hens 
 
 "Always come to some bad end. 
 
 "Yank a tank, yank a tank, yank a tank tem." 
 
 Gulielma accompanied this rude doggerel with 
 such a scraping and groaning of cat-gut and fid- 
 dle-bow as would have delighted an amateur vio- 
 linist whose aim is to make the instrument talk. 
 It fairly snapped, snarled and scolded. The groan- 
 ing was plainly parsonical. 
 
 "Now," said Gulielma, stiffening herself up and 
 bowing with mock gravity, "there'll be an inter- 
 mission of two and half minutes. Those who are 
 not of our faith, have an opportunity to retire. 
 After that we shall proceed to sing St. Distaff's 
 hymn. It's a very fine old hymn and is exceed- 
 ingly appropriate for the hopping exercise that 
 will follow. A special preparation of the heart is 
 necessary for its proper enjoyment. If anyone 
 
 78 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 should join with us who is unprepared, he must 
 settle the matter with his own conscience." 
 
 Poor child. A camp meeting was a very curi- 
 ous thing to her uninstructed as she had been in 
 reHgious forms. She had never been but to one 
 and that was the one at which the parson had of- 
 ficiated and used words similar to those she had 
 repeated. She had no thought of committing 
 the "unpardonable sin," but she did not see any 
 reason why she should not turn the tables upon 
 him, now that she had so good a chance. 
 
 Father Colton tossed his waving hair proudly 
 as she finished her speech ; but Mother Colton stood 
 aghast — words soft and sweet trembled on her lips 
 and perished like rose petals in a fierce gale. 
 
 "GuHe ! Gulie !" cried Mother Colton ; but Guhe 
 heeded her not. She was concentrating her whole 
 attention on her speech to the Parson. 
 
 "Parson ; Parson !" she cried again, "I am sorry 
 if my child, hath grieved thee." Mother Colton was 
 trying to bring both of the combatants within the 
 friendly fold; but the Parson was as deaf to her 
 call as Gulielma was. His crossed-eyes had assumed 
 a terrible directness. They were riveted on Gulielma 
 with a tigerish gleam. The fight was on — ^the 
 fight between the brave, honest, innocent young 
 girl and the old, deceitful, self-seeking, sinful man ! 
 That it had better not have been. Mother Colton 
 felt through all the pulses of her being. To her 
 seeing it was the one step too far in the battle for 
 
 79 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 right and freedom, no good could come of it, only 
 evil and misery. 
 
 "Mocker and blind !" cried the parson, in a rage, 
 that startled even Gulielma for a moment with its 
 bitter intensity. "Is it possible you do not know of 
 the terrible wrath that surely overtakes those who 
 mock and revile sacred things! My words are as 
 naught to your sinful soul, but 'Judgment is mine 
 and I will repay, saith the Lord of Hosts ;' and the 
 Lord never lies. Miss Gulie, never ! Grant that you 
 have not already sinned against his chosen, be- 
 yond all forgiveness." 
 
 The parson's eyes flashed fire! His wrath was 
 mighty. No doubt, if there had been enough elec- 
 tricity handy he would have forged a thunderbolt 
 that would have stricken her down at once; for 
 he belonged to that class of God's ungodly chil- 
 dren who are prone to be tempted out of all pa- 
 tience with God's slowness in bringing sinners like 
 Gulielma to judgment. He was the Lord's self- 
 elected constable, rather than his obedient disciple, 
 and dealt in compulsory religion instead of a re- 
 ligion of love ; and here according to his creed was 
 one of the worst of sinners. A sinner that had 
 sinned against himself — a sinner that had laughed 
 at his authority, and worse than all, had mocked 
 at his ministrations and at a time which he re- 
 garded as peculiarly sacred — when he was con- 
 scious of having made a great effort to ingrati- 
 ate himself with his co-workers in the Lord's vine- 
 yard ; for to tell the truth, they had little brother- 
 
 80 
 
••IK THE I'AKsnN HAD EI.Ki'TKh IIY EXOIAIH H\MiY. 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 ly love for the small, spidery, energetic, ill-favored 
 man that had been added to or almost forced into 
 their ranks. As to how he had managed to gain 
 a footing in the church at Sidney, they shook 
 their heads and left the riddle for time and pa- 
 tience to unravel. 
 
 81 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 APPLE-HOWLING IN THE COLTON ORCHAEDS. 
 
 AS soon as the wrathful Parson was out- 
 side of the house a great burst of 
 glee rang through it from basement 
 to rafters-:;— as though a condensed 
 thunder cloud had suddenly gone out of the home- 
 atmosphere and the sun had burst forth with re- 
 demptive brightness. Even the staid elders seem- 
 ed to be lifted up and one and all flew at the work 
 of finishing the preparations for the evening's en- 
 tertainment. The haste was of the inspired in- 
 stead of the wasteful kind. Every touch told and 
 fully an hour before dark the whole house and aU 
 of its inmates were in festive array. 
 
 Mother Colton looked beautiful enough in her del- 
 icate mull cap and dress of silver-gray poplin, but 
 GuHehna had a passion for brig'ht colors as daugh- 
 ters of quaker mothers are liable to have and was 
 prone to introduce little dashes of it everywhere. 
 Pink roses on a delicate silvery ground seemed 
 heavenly in her eyes, nor did she object to colors 
 
 88 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 made in imitation of them, or of brighter flowers ; 
 but she had a loving regard for her mother's scru- 
 ples of conscience in the matter as well as a great 
 desire that everybody and everything should be 
 more or less decorated on this precious old Twelfth- 
 Night, to the observance of which her father had 
 always clung so persistently ; and so she had fast- 
 ened a httle pink rose of "the Lord's own color- 
 ing," (Mother Colton called it) between the soft 
 folds of her muslin kerchief. It was a rose that 
 she had coaxed into bloom through the tribulative 
 frosts and winds of an uncommonly severe winter, 
 for this very occasion. But her rage for bright- 
 ening up did not stop at the sentimental point. 
 It included Mump the dog and Blackie the cat; 
 and as they were not supposed to have any con- 
 sciencious scruples with regard to the wearing of 
 "false and showy colors," she had treated the dog 
 to a bright red collar and the cat to a yellow neck- 
 tie. Indian Jinnie and Black Harry although 
 decorated with old indian ornaments of silver and 
 brass, did not escape her rejuvenating touch. Her 
 pet lamb was the last to be decorated, and it was 
 leading her a merry chase through the snow- 
 bound walks, trailing the scarlet ribbon she was 
 trying to tie around its neck. 
 
 "O, you little mischief! You remember the 
 washing I gave you yestermorn." 
 
 "That was cruel," said a pleasant voice. 
 
 "O, Sylvane! I feared you were not coming!" 
 exclaimed Gulielma joyfully. 
 
 8S 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "I got off for a day's hunting and I'm going 
 to make a good long day of it. I brought you 
 the hare you wished for last year. It's all ready 
 for roasting. I left it under a pan on the milk- 
 house table." 
 
 "Thanks and thanks! How kind of you to re- 
 member my foolish wish! Hares are no longer 
 plenty. I fear you have had a tiresome chase." 
 
 "No, I enjoyed it. I was on my way here. O! 
 how pleasant everything looks ! How beautiful !" 
 
 It seemed to be rather a premature assertion, 
 as he had hardly taken his eyes off from Guhehna 
 up to that moment ; but it was none the less heart- 
 ful. 
 
 "Your parson was here to-day and he didn't 
 seem to think so. He called my dear old violin, 
 that father had before he was married, an ungodly 
 instrument, and me a bhnd mocker," said Gulielma, 
 in a grieved tone. 
 
 "The wretch !" exclaimed Sylvanus, standing his 
 gun up in the snow with an emphasis. "I per- 
 fectly hate that creature!" 
 
 "And he hates me. He looked at me as though 
 he ached to wring my neck off." 
 
 "O, Guhe, Gulie !" cried Sylvanus, turning white 
 to the very lips. 
 
 Then they stood still and looked at each other, 
 as young people are prone to do when oppressed 
 by an indefinable fear. Sylvanus was a brave lad 
 as well as a handsome one. He would not give in 
 to a weak emotion. 
 
 84> 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "Gulie, that parson is a fiend! a sly old devil! 
 I shall have to thrash him if he doesn't let you 
 alone." 
 
 Guhe shook her head. She was going to speak, 
 but the words stuck in her throat. 
 
 "He ought to be thrashed out of the pulpit and 
 out of the town. He's always trying to make 
 fools of young people — those that aren't fools to 
 begin with. That's the way he gets so many into 
 his church. He blasts them so they don't know 
 anything. There's Tim Deering ; he was a bright 
 fellow until the parson took hold of him and got 
 him to run a soldiers' Sunday School over at the 
 Barracks. Now he has fits and is giving all he 
 has to the church. The parson knows that I won't 
 speak to him, so now he's trying to reach me 
 through mother. She told me last night that she 
 had made up her mind to send me to a military 
 school instead of a law college." 
 
 "And you think he influenced her?" 
 
 "Yes, I know it. I recognized the serpent's 
 trail; and now he is after you. I can't stand it. 
 I shall have to thrash him. It's my fate." 
 
 "O, Sylvan! Sylvan! How could a mother 
 be influenced to send her only boy to such a ter- 
 rible school? It would be bad enough to let him go 
 if he wanted to; but to make him go! My mother 
 would rather die than have one of her sons go to 
 a mihtary school — a school that would teaoh them 
 to kill their fellow men ! But then you know that 
 she belongs to the 'Society of Friends.' " 
 
 85 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "Sweet, beautiful mother!" said Sylvanus in a 
 low tone; "and the 'Society of Friends!' what a 
 lovely society that must be! I'm going to join one 
 the first time I have a chance." 
 
 "You Sylvan? You couldn't think of such a 
 thing as thrashing the parson or anybody else if 
 you belonged to such a Society," said Gulielma, 
 smiling brightly. 
 
 "But how could I help it if anyone should say 
 anything so insulting — ^so untrue? You are not a 
 mocker, Gulie, and you are not bhnd." "Blind," 
 he repeated, laughing. Then he continued solemn- 
 ly. "You are my bright, clear-seeing sister, Gulie, 
 and I love you. Whatever comes, remember I love 
 you." 
 
 "Never fear. Sylvan. I shall remember that as 
 long as I remember anything." 
 
 The lamb was Ucking the hem of her dress now, 
 as though quite willing to submit to any decora- 
 tions she might see fit to impose. She stooped 
 down and patted the meek head and tied the long 
 ends of the ribbon into a cluster of graceful bows. 
 The blue dress, the scarlet ribbon, the rich auburn 
 curls floating down on the lambs snowy fleece, and 
 above all the fair face and the deep dark eyes, 
 touched for the moment with a shade of sadness, 
 made altogether a rare picture, and one that Syl- 
 vanus Evans carried in his heart for many sorrow- 
 ing years ; but for the next hour or more they were 
 the gayest of the gay company that soon filled the 
 old house with mirth and jolHty. 
 
 86 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 Dajicing at the Colton's usually began with the 
 arrival of the first couple. It was a thoroughly 
 sensible and agreeable way of warming up the 
 blood after a wintry walk or ride. A drink of de- 
 licious cider might help, and it was as free as 
 water; but there was nothing so efficacious as the 
 sprightly dance. It might be a jig, a polka, a 
 schottische, a common waltz or an old-fashioned 
 country dance — according to the number and dis- 
 position of the guests. Sometimes they had "The 
 Pretty Polly Dance," at Mother Colton's request. 
 It was quiet, and humane as well, for it rested the 
 fiddler and gave him or her a chance to take a sip 
 of cider. 
 
 Lest this odd old dance should go into lasting 
 desuetude, it may be well to say that it consisted 
 of two parallel rows of dancers who sung as they 
 joined hands in alternation and danced from the 
 head to the foot of the ranks. 
 
 "O, where were you last night, pretty Polly, 
 pretty PoUy! 
 
 O, where were you last night, pretty Polly, O! 
 
 Dancing with a young man very merry, very- 
 merry, 
 
 Dancing with a young man very merry, O !" 
 
 "First come, first served. Sylvan," said Guhel- 
 ma. "You must have a jig to prevent your tak- 
 ing a cold after chasing rabbits all day over snow- 
 drifts." 
 
 87 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 Thus commanded, Sylvanus ran to the kitchen 
 and changed his heavy boots for the so-called 
 "dancing pumps." He did not stop even to take 
 a nip of the "Lambs Wool," \rhich filled the great 
 cider bowl to the very brim, for Gulielma was al- 
 ready at the violin playing the tune that had 
 shocked the parson. She played it as she had nev- 
 er played it before, Sylvanus thought; and he 
 danced it as he had never danced it before, Gul- 
 iehna thought; nor were they the only ones that 
 were thus impressed. 
 
 "I fear me they'll be crying before they sleep, 
 like the babes that over-laugh themselves," said 
 Mother Colton, who passed through the room 
 when the jig was at its height. "I've never seen 
 them so running over fuU before." 
 
 "O, please play it again," pleaded Sylvanus; 
 but another couple rushed in and called for a 
 "quick-step," and could hardly wait to take off 
 their wraps before they were saihng around the 
 room. Then a big sleigh-load came and must have 
 a good sohd dance to stir them up after a long cold 
 ride. Then another and another until the house 
 was filled. 
 
 After the last guest had been treated 
 to the dehghtful warming-up process, Gulielma 
 hung up her violin and the wassail procession be- 
 gan to form. It was headed by Father Colton 
 and his brother, with tin horns. Their twelve sons 
 followed with buckets of cider and cups. A num- 
 ber of the tallest men were furnished with the so- 
 
 88 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 called "fire-brands." As soon as thebrands were well 
 ignited, every man of the guests fell in line and 
 the procession marched gayly to the orchard. 
 
 The orchards of the two brothers were about 
 a quarter of a mile apart. A flaming torch mark- 
 ed the entrance to each orchard. Colored lant- 
 erns hung on the limbs of the trees that had been 
 singled out as worthy of the ceremony — ^making 
 altogether an attractive and novel scene, espe- 
 cially in a country as yet but sparsely inhabited. 
 As the years rolled on, not a little had been done 
 to increase the brilhancy and significance of the 
 occasion. It was beginning to be talked about 
 outside of the neighborhood, and it was nothing 
 unusual of late years to see a load of curiosity- 
 seekers from Sidney driving around that way to 
 witness the unique spectacle. 
 
 Sylvanus Evans was one of the number that had 
 at first been attracted to it by its oddity. After- 
 wards he studied it up and could see nothing more 
 objectionable in it than in any other of the old 
 holiday customs, stiU in vogue. It appeared to 
 him to be rather more entertaining and fully as 
 harmless. On closer observation, he saw that the 
 wassailing customs as practiced by the Coltons 
 were rather more original and considerable more 
 aesthetic than those in which their old English 
 ancestors indulged. More than this, he soon be- 
 came so ingratiated with the bright and industri- 
 ous family as to suggest other improvements. The 
 colored lanterns to distinguish the good from the 
 
 89 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 bad trees, was one, and quite recently he and Gul- 
 ielma had planned others of a more distinctly hu- 
 manitarian kind. 
 
 "Mother thinks it would be better not to have 
 the hare hunted or killed for the feasting," said 
 Guhelma shyly and Sylvanus looked into the 
 depths of the clear eyes and nodded assent. 
 
 No doubt that if all the improvements which 
 these tender young souls, inspired by the Prophet 
 of Peace, were dreaming of, had been inaugurated 
 they would have brought the custom into still 
 greater prominence. But alas! for their innocent 
 plans. A cruel fate in the shape of a Puritani- 
 cal mother and a diaboHcal parson was on their 
 track. 
 
 90 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE CEREMONY AND THE SAD ENDING. 
 
 THE orchard of the elder Colton was 
 in full view of the house and the young 
 women stood at the windows watching 
 the performance which seemed more 
 grotesque in the distance. 
 
 At one blast from the horns every cup was fill- 
 ed with cider. At a double blast every voice join- 
 ed in singing the old wassail song — 
 
 "Wassail the trees thet they may bear 
 Many an apple and many a pear, 
 For it's more or less fruits they will bring 
 As we do give to them wassailing." 
 
 At a triple blast from the horns the men broke 
 ranks and scurried away to take their places un- 
 der the trees. At the fourth blast they sang the 
 following toast: 
 
 "Here's to thee, old apple tree, 
 Whence thou may'st bud, whence thou may'st 
 blow, 
 
 91 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 And whence thou may'st bear apples enow. 
 
 Hats full! Caps full! 
 
 Bushel! Bushel! — sacks full; 
 And my pockets full, too ! Huzza !" 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 "Huzza ! Huzza ! Huzza ! 
 Apple tree, apple tree! 
 Bear apples for me; 
 Hats full, laps full, 
 Sacks full, caps full — 
 Apple tree, apple tree, 
 Bear apples for me." 
 
 The chorus was accompanied by a violent rap- 
 ping on the trunks of the trees, after which they 
 drank part of the cider from the cups and threw 
 the remainder on the bodies and limbs of the silent 
 occupants of the hill-side. This being done the 
 procession re-formed and marched to the orchard 
 of the younger Colton, to go through with the 
 same ceremony. 
 
 When they were midway between the two orch- 
 ards Sylvanus glanced back and saw an object of 
 some kind moving slowly along. It did not look 
 like a sleigh-load of people. There seemed to be 
 an uprigiht figure heavily muffled and a big 
 black looking bundle. He shivered involuntarily. 
 The vehicle with its sinister looking load came to 
 a stand still. That was nothing, of course. Prob- 
 ably it was waiting for the procession to go into 
 
 92 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 the orchard and then it would come up and watch 
 them boldly. He turned away for a moment and 
 when he looked again it was dashing at full speed 
 over the road that led to the elder Colton's. It 
 was not a natural thing to do, and Sylvanus Ev- 
 ans had a feeling that it boded no good. 
 
 "Now, girls, we will fasten up the house," said 
 Gulielma, as soon as the wassailers were out of 
 sight. "You may bolt the front doors while I run 
 to the milk-house to get the rabbit. O, what a 
 jolly old custom!" 
 
 She meant the custom of barring out the was- 
 sailers and not allowing them to enter the house 
 until some one had guessed what was on the spit. 
 A few moments afterward a wild shriek was heard 
 from the rear of the house and a scene of terror 
 and confusion followed. 
 
 "Guhe ! Guhe ! my child !" cried Mother Colton, 
 dropping the great cider bowl she was just plac- 
 ing on the dining-table and shattering the fine old 
 family relic into a thousand pieces. She ran to 
 the milk-ihouse. The door was open and the dead 
 hare lay across the threshold, but Gulielma was 
 not there. 
 
 "Don't be frightened, mother! don't be fright- 
 ened! It's only the boys come back to find out 
 what kind of game she had," cried the girls. 
 
 They ran out in all directions, one after the 
 other. They peered into all the sly corners, the 
 stables and out-houses. 
 
 "O! she has been stolen — carried off, I know 
 
 93 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 she has," said Mother Colton, and this was the 
 verdict of the men who came back from the orch- 
 ards soon afterwards and hurried off in all direc- 
 tions to find her. 
 
 It is useless to describe the faithful search that 
 took place during that long and bitter night, or 
 the sad and jaded appearance of those who came 
 back to say that they had found no trace of the 
 missing daughter. Last of all came the distracted 
 father. He went out with Sylvanus Evans but he 
 came back alone, and to all questions as to where 
 the young man had gone, he would only say : 
 
 "The poor lad has some notions of his own." 
 
 Young Evans' notion was that Parson Shelby 
 knewaU about Guhehna's abduction, and that he 
 would go straight to his house and thrash it out 
 of him. The straightest way led across the fields 
 in the direction of his own home ; but he vowed he 
 would not stop though he passed the very door and 
 his mother stood in it calling him. No ! he would 
 never stop anywhere until Grulie was found. 
 
 On and on he went over frozen streams and snow- 
 drifts, repeating his resolve until he came to the 
 highway. Then he leaped upon the fence and 
 paused a moment to mark out his course. The 
 day had begun to dawn and the spire of the Shel- 
 by church was distinctly outlined against the snow- 
 ladened woods. The nearest way would take him 
 between his father's house and liarn. But it did 
 not matter. He would go on and on as fast as 
 his limbs would carry him. He leaped into the 
 
 94 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 road and then stood there as though rooted to the 
 spot, gazing at something. It was a trail! 
 
 He plunged into it like a keen-scented hound 
 and soon came upon what appeared to be a huge 
 bundle of old buffalo skins; and there the trail 
 ended ! 
 
 "Gulie ! Gulie !" he cried, bending over the pack. 
 A strong narcotic odor was the only reply; but 
 it was as much as to say that she had been drug- 
 ged, swaddled up and cast forth at his father's 
 door in fiendish malice. 
 
 "Thank God ! She may still be alive," he groan- 
 ed, as he tore away at the bundle with a beating 
 heart. It was securely bound and he had nothing 
 to work with but a pen-knife, save his teeth and 
 hands; but he worked away like a savage in the 
 last throes of despair — heeding nothing but the 
 hard-knotted cords — giving no thought to the 
 nauseous odor that was steaming into his open 
 mouth and distended nostrils, until the last cord 
 was cut and the last wrap thrown open ! 
 
 And then! and then! Gulie was not there, but 
 a stronger stream of noxious gas blinded him and 
 he fell prone upon the sickening pile. 
 
 It was thus that Joshua Evans found his son 
 when he went forth to his morning's task. 
 
 95 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 Melissa's disposal of the pile. 
 
 WHILE Joshua was caring for his 
 son and bringing him out of his 
 "drunken carouse," as Melissa 
 called it, she armed herself with a 
 long pole and went out to investigate the sus- 
 picious looking bundle. She gave it a vigorous 
 stirring up and having satisfied herself that there 
 was nothing alive in it or of any commercial value, 
 she decided to rid the premises of it by burning it 
 up at once. There were plenty of dry kindlings 
 in the shed and good live coals in tihe kitchen stove, 
 and Joshua was not there to hinder the process, 
 so she made quick work of it. 
 
 "There" she said to herself as she saw it all 
 aflame, "I guess that will be out of the way by the 
 time Joshua is through with his job, and if any- 
 thing should come to light that we haven't cackel- 
 ated on, I guess I've done all I could to clear our 
 skirts. Faugh!" she added, what a smell! But I 
 don't have to tell what I've smelt. A smell don't 
 count for nothing in court. If Justice Campbell 
 
 96 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 can make anything out of that pile of ashes when 
 I get through with it he's welcome. Mercy ! what 
 a queer green flame ! I guess I've squelched the 
 whole thing if there was anything to squelch — that 
 is, so far as we are concerned. I reckon others 
 will have to bear the disgrace if there is any. Syl- 
 vanus' neck isn't broken yet but mebby it's been 
 jerked sharp enough to set him to thinking." 
 
 The truth was, Melissa had held more than one 
 consultation with her minister about the "Colton 
 Tribe," as she called them, and the surest way of 
 freeing her son from their "satanic yoke," and in 
 her last talk with him she remembered having said, 
 not only that "the whole tribe ought to be put in 
 the lunatic asylum, but that she had rather have 
 her son's neck broken than to see him yoked to 
 that heathenish girl." 
 
 It is not to be inferred that Melissa really meant 
 what her language implied, or that she would have 
 participated in any such drastic proceedings. It 
 was only her intemperate (now called strenuous) 
 way of talking — a style much in vogue with her 
 blunt old puritan ancestors and which is not en- 
 tirely unknown among their descendants of to- 
 day — the kind of brutal and passionate assertion 
 that foments family fueds, church dissensions and 
 national and international wars and rebellions. It 
 is the outcome of the same spirit of selfishness and 
 intolerance, that tempts the rich Wall Street gam- 
 bler to say of the poor night rambler who is 
 caught peering in at the brilhantly lighted, ex- 
 
 7 97 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 pensively curtained windows of his home, that 
 "the rascal ought to be shot without mercy," or 
 that the oook who is taken dizzy and deserts her 
 post while he is feasting his friends "should be 
 killed on the spot." 
 
 He does not mean it. He has simply forgotten 
 for the moment that to kill a man or woman for 
 much graver offences, is the act of a savage and 
 was abolished by statute long ago. When he 
 comes to himself he is glad that it is so. He knows 
 that it has saved his better from his worst self 
 just as the statutes of Charles the second saved 
 the truly Christian from the pretentious Puritan, 
 in the early centuries of the New World, when it 
 was a far away dependency of the old — a neglec- 
 ted child so to speak, whose scheming mind is 
 prone to get too far ahead of its moral make up. 
 He perceives though ever so dimly that the king 
 that would neglect his subjects or the mother her 
 children, with their inherited weaknesses for apple- 
 stealing and brother-killing, until they had gone 
 so far as to bore holes in the tongues of those who 
 insisted on preaching a different creed from their 
 own, is no longer worthy to be called king or 
 mother, and thanks God that the better sense of 
 the New World decided at last to take its own af- 
 fairs into its own hands. 
 
 In fact the security of the law was under him 
 and over him and all around him when he made his 
 brutal speech and he felt it just as Melissa felt 
 that her minister would make a religious attack 
 
 98 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 on the "Colton Tribe" instead of the one she had 
 suggested. 
 
 She had no idea as to how it would be done ; but 
 he had assured her that it would be in a beneficent 
 manner, and she rested in that faith even when 
 she detected the odor of chloroform and saw the 
 iniquitous pile darting forth tongues of pale green 
 flame. 
 
 Indeed, why should she not ? She knew very little 
 of the drug except that it was called a beneficent 
 discovery and that it had been discovered by the 
 same man who invented the percussion cap that 
 had given such an impetus to scientific gunnery. 
 She had seen the man. She went to his house once 
 when he lived in "Lost Village," to buy a box of 
 "percussion pills," (as she called them) for Syl- 
 vanus when he was a little lad and had a gun 
 taller than himself. She remembered it well be- 
 cause his laboratory where he made them, exploded 
 soon after and Sylvanus burned his hand "while 
 trying (as he informed his mother) to make the 
 precussionists, pre-cuss." 
 
 Chloroform had not come into popular use then, 
 but now it was recognized by the surgeons of Lon- 
 don and Paris to be of great value in painful surg- 
 ery, and Dr. Darling of the Asylum was experi- 
 menting with it. 
 
 She was present once when it was administered 
 to an insane patient for the removal of sensitive 
 and diseased teeth. Surely that was the acme of 
 beneficence and she had no idea that it would be 
 
 99 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 used for otiher than beneficent purposes. But she 
 had an indefinite sort of an idea that the ignorant 
 outside world might think differently. Justice 
 Campbell might come "nosing around" and he 
 was one of the over-soft kind Uke Joshua and would 
 take Sylvanus' part, and she did not want any- 
 body to take Sylvanus' part. She was determin- 
 ed that he should have the full eflFect of his chas- 
 tisement — that is so far as he could without drag- 
 ging herself or his father "into the muss." 
 
 Mehssa's rather pecuUar precautionary meas- 
 ures, with regard to bhebundleproved to be useless. 
 When Sylvanus recovered from the effects of the 
 drug it was not to think of himself or it, but to 
 continue his quest for the lost girl. He was a 
 monomaniac for the time being. He spoke no 
 word. He rushed out of the house while they were 
 at breakfast and without their knowledge and pur- 
 sued his way across the fields until he came to the 
 road that led to Parson Shelby's house, but be- 
 fore he reached it he met one of tiie Colton guests 
 who told him that the daughter had been 
 found. How and where he did not know but he 
 was going to see. Sylvanus went with him. 
 
 100 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 INDIAN JINNY AND HEE, POPPIES. 
 
 AS to Justice Campbell, it was not 
 until six months afterwards that his 
 attention was called especially to the 
 case; and then it was in a some- 
 vhat peculiar manner. Injun Jinny made her 
 appearance at his office one day with a bask- 
 et full, to overflowing, of wilted poppies. They 
 gave out a strong narcotic odor as she sat 
 them down on the table close by his elbow. 
 
 "O, Jinny", he exclaimed! "How could you 
 slaughter them so.? They look so pretty in your 
 garden !" 
 
 Campbell sometimes went for a drive through 
 the Back Woods Settlement in midsummer and the 
 prettiest sight there was Jinny's garden flaming 
 with poppies of all colors. (That is unless it was 
 her wigwam with pappooses of varied colors.) He 
 had an idea that she cultivated them (the poppies) 
 for the pretty show they made. 
 
 Jinny shook her head. "Me no grow papaver 
 any more. Me come to tell you why. Papaver 
 
 101 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 good one time. Papaver bad another time. Break 
 bone, Papaver good, very good. Pull out teeth, 
 papaver good very good." She illustrated its ef- 
 fects by crushing a bunch in her hand and pressing 
 them into the hoUow of her cheek. She leaned 
 back, shut her eyes and sat very still for a few 
 moments. Then she roused herself and murmur- 
 ed sleepily. 
 
 "Pain all gone. Papaver good, very good. So 
 far, so good." 
 
 "You are right Jinny," said Campbell who had 
 no idea whither she was drifting but thought he 
 would help her along. Poppies are excellent for 
 leg-ache or tooth ache, especially when there's a 
 break or pull. White folks make opium of them 
 and that's better or at least handier than your 
 way. They don't have to carry around a basket 
 of the raw material." 
 
 Jinny shook her head again. 
 
 "Me see Injun Chief do dat. He take papaver 
 juice from papaver head. He put it in papaver 
 leaf. He dry it in the sun then he put it in pipe. 
 He smoke, smoke, smoke, smoke. He smoke up 
 his brains. He smoke up everything, but his skin 
 and bones. He make his eyes sick. He make his 
 stomach sick. He make his knees sick, very sick. 
 He fall down as fast as he get up. Papaver cook- 
 ed in sun is bad for pipe. Injun Chief find it so. 
 He put papaver in pipe no more. 
 
 "Sensible Indian," laughed Campbell. "He 
 
 102 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 knows enough to let it alone when he sees that it is 
 kilhng him." 
 
 'Tie know what he take. He give it to him- 
 self. He no give it to some other who open mouth 
 in dark. He no medicine man who make folks 
 sick so he sell his medicine, who give papaver, 
 papaver all'e time." 
 
 "Confound the fellows they kill more than they 
 sure," said Campbell flaming up. It always made 
 him angry to think of medical practitioners as 
 idiots, money makers or criminals. 
 
 "Now Hsten again," said Jinny in a sudden ac- 
 cess of excitement. "Break heart — papaver no 
 good. "Road to heart through throat. Papaver 
 poison everything long dat road. It kill slow — ■ 
 inch by inch ; but it kill all e same. Murder ! Mur- 
 der! Murder! Guhe! Gulie! Gulie; Me go bring 
 Gulie away from murder-man! 
 
 She rushed wildly out and was off before he 
 could gather up his wits sufficiently to question 
 her as to her real meaning; but why question her 
 when she had made her meaning so plain he asked 
 himself and straightway decided that he would 
 question somebody else — his wife for instance (who 
 was one of the Asylum committee) — or the man- 
 agers or some one in authority ; but before he had 
 learned anything more than what he had heard 
 before (except that there was supposed to be a 
 love aiFair between Guhelma Colton and Sylvanus 
 Evans) Indian Jinny was arrested for attempting 
 to break into one of the patient's rooms at the 
 
 103 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 Hospital, and the best he could do for her (or 
 did do) was to get her released on a plea of 
 temporary insanity, pay her fine out of his own 
 pocket and send her home. 
 
 "What more could I have done?" was the ques- 
 tion that Justice Campbell asked of himself aloud 
 and angrily when he was alone again in his office. 
 Many a man with the elements of reform hot with- 
 in him has asked the same question of himself and 
 others and failed to receive the true answer. It may 
 come to him in after years — after incalculable 
 misohief or misery has been caused by its sinful 
 delay. It would be sure to come to Justice Camp- 
 bell and he would score himself roimdly for his — 
 blindness ? — ^no ! Indian Jinny had said behold the 
 sign and he had seen it; but he had not followed 
 the gleam, why? Had the business of his office 
 prevented him? Had the claims of society held 
 him back ? Had pride or prestige bound him down ? 
 He would know why at last and perhaps perceive 
 that the little things of life are the great things 
 after aU and the little ones of the earth are the 
 mighty ones and will be so reckoned in the account- 
 ing house of The Eternal. 
 
 104. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 BACK TO THE SYLVANUS HOME. 
 
 TEN years have passed away since 
 Joshua Evans found his son lying 
 in an unconscious condition in the 
 snowy yard between the stable and 
 the house. Each year had added a tender 
 shade of gray to the old Sylvanus buildings, 
 without a doubt; but the ordinary observer 
 would hardly notice any change at all and even 
 the most acute would fail to see anything more 
 radical than a newish-looking finger-post which 
 had been erected by corporate decree to point out, 
 as Uncle Josh facetiously put it, "the mighty fact 
 that it's jest exactly one mile from the tip of this 
 finger tu the right smart village of Sidney." 
 
 It had recently been painted Pompeiian red at 
 the corporation expense, and, curiously enough, 
 was the only bit of gay color visible at this point, 
 unless we include the fire red bar across the west- 
 ern sky at which a pale-faced young girl was look- 
 ing dreamily. The skyey stripe in spite of its 
 straight edges was a beautiful piece of celestial 
 
 105 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 painting, vastly unlike that of the finger-post; 
 but the two pieces of coloring were no more unlike 
 than the two pairs of eyes that were looking at the 
 one and the other. 
 
 Melissa Evans' sharp, gray eyes were fixed on 
 the finger-post, which looked cruder than ever 
 above the new fallen snow. 
 
 "I wonder what father wu'd a sed," remarked 
 Melissa, "if he'd known there'd ever been such a 
 gaudy stuck a' front of the house at that. I de- 
 clare ef Joshua didn't come nigh runnin' his 
 slay agin it. It appears to be alius in the way, like 
 a fiery demon." 
 
 "Oh, I do so hope Uncle has brought me a let- 
 ter!" exclaimed the young girl, jmnping up and 
 running out to the stable, where Joshua was in 
 the first stages of unharnessing his horse. 
 
 "Yes, Agatha, here it is, in my great coat 
 pocket; an' a big fait one, too, just the kind I 
 shu'd hke myself instid of the lank ones which 
 are mostly nothing but duns or prayers for a 
 month's loan; but mebby if'll be too fat for you, 
 like our Christmas goose," said Joshua, with a 
 merry twinkle in his eyes. "Ef jwur appertite 
 isn't any better for this kind of stuffin' than for 
 that, mebby yu might as well divide up with 
 A-unt Merlissa an' me at once." 
 
 But Agatha drew out the letter and bounded 
 into the house with a spirit of eagerness that ar- 
 gued poorly for the piece that would be left for 
 others' perusal. 
 
 106 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 Joshua nodded to himself. He hoped the let- 
 ter would do her good; indeed, he almost knew it 
 would. He had been thinking of it and her, all 
 the way home. 
 
 "Poor little Agatha !" said he to himself, "she's 
 ben gittin' out of kilter of late. No relish for 
 Christmas dinner, nor New Years, either. No 
 sperrits, no bright cheeks any more. No apper- 
 tite for candies an' trinkets ; an' I don't know as I 
 orter wonder at it," thought Joshua at last, "fer 
 as I live, she's a'most seventeen, an' must need 
 sumthin' quite diffrunt — lively cump'ny of her own 
 chewsin', mebby ;" and then he thought of his 
 wife Melissa, who was ten times more precise and 
 Puritanical than he was, and wondered if the need- 
 ed change could be brought about. 
 
 It was probably owing to this pre-reflection 
 that Joshua was able to throw himself so prompt- 
 ly into the breach, wliich was being prepared. 
 When he entered the house Agatha was deep in 
 the fat letter, with a happy look on her fair face 
 that he had not seen there for many a day, and 
 Melissa was watching her grimly and askance. 
 
 "It's from Eva Campbell," said Agatha, look- 
 ing up at last. "They are having such merry 
 times ; and she wants me to come to a grand 
 Twelfth Night party they are going to have, and 
 stay all the next week." 
 
 "They're alius having some kind of popish per- 
 formance at the Campbell's," said Aunt Melissa, 
 tartly, "an' I want you to keep clear of sech giddy 
 
 107 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 cump'ny. When we sent yu to school I fully ex- 
 pected yu'd fall in with Myra Sharp. They're 
 good orthodox folks, the Sharps are, and don't 
 cowntnunce none of that fooHsh sort of babblery, 
 an' imagery work, sech as the Campbells are alius 
 at." 
 
 "I can't endure the Sharps," exclaimed Agatha, 
 with a flushing face, "but I love Eva Campbell, 
 and I hke every one of the family I've ever seen; 
 and I know they don't keep the holy-days because 
 they are heathens, but for amusement and in- 
 struction, too, sometimes. Eva told me once that 
 on St. Innocent's Day her father dressed himself 
 up as old King Herod and gave them aU a sham 
 whipping, and what a joUy time they had. He 
 didn't do it she said because he worshipped the 
 cruel old King, but to fix the story in their minds 
 and make them thankful for better treatment ; and 
 now she says her brother is home with an Enghsh 
 college chum, who knows all about the curious 
 old sports, and that they never had anything like 
 this Twelfth Night party that he and Harry and 
 Dr. Cassidy are getting up; but she will not tell 
 me what it is because she wants to surprise me — 
 besides, she doesn't know herself." 
 
 "That sounds like Irish wit," said Joshua, 
 laughing, "but I beheve the Campbells are Scotch- 
 Gran'father was Scotch and a trew blue tu; but 
 he hadn't no sech predjudices 'ginst old customs 
 as some of this country foaks hev. He was brought 
 up to them. I hev a pack of old letters in the big 
 
 108 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 chest now, tellin' of the funny skirrups they used 
 to hev in his famerly on Christmas an' fer twenty 
 days arter. The unly restraint he made wuz that 
 tha shuden't do mean, beggarly or crewel things ; 
 an' that each one shu'd explain the origin an' his- 
 try of the custom he was actin' out. I've heard 
 him say 'twuz a great help to him when he went 
 to Eton college, fer it took the boys so long tu 
 study up anshunt doings which he'd took in witli 
 his coltish frohckin's." 
 
 "That's the way with the Campbells at school," 
 said Agatha. "They seem to know naturally so 
 many things the rest of us are ignorant of." 
 
 "I don't beheve in sech sin-breedin' knowledge," 
 said Avmt Melissa, witheringly; "an' I'd ne'r be 
 guilty of smuttin' eny child of mine's mind with it ; 
 an' I'm amazed tu see yu set there upholdin' it, 
 Joshua. I've heerd my own gran'mother an' Dea- 
 con Sharp tell tu much 'bout the munkish devel- 
 trees as use't to be done at colleges, not tu be well 
 principled against 'em even ef I didn't know enuf 
 by natur. On some of thur gaudy days, they 
 used tu elect a clerk an' a boy bishop, an' after 
 the mock bishop hed preached a mockin' sarmon, 
 an' the clerk hed read mockin' prayers, the bishop 
 would up an' kick the clerk down hill an' hke as 
 not break his skull. Then they'd arm themselves 
 with long poles an' go capering 'round with a lot 
 of salt bags, an' beg everybudy tha cum across 
 to buy some. Once tha met a poor country feller 
 who refused to buy an' tha went at him and stuffed 
 
 109 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 his mouth full of salt an' beat him with thur pesky 
 poles 'til he was took up for dead. Sumtimes tha'd 
 take in intu ther heds to bar out ther teacher an' 
 like as not git some old guns an' swords an' threat- 
 en tu kill him if he tried to git in. They hed sech 
 orful hollerday rows in Henry Eight's time, thet 
 he had tu make laws tu prevent 'em; but the pop- 
 ish Queen Mary let all the fiends loose agin an' 
 tha run wild 'til good Queen Bess' time. 'Twus 
 hard work the pious queen hed tu break down Sa- 
 tan's back-bone an' circumvent the 'sly courses of 
 the Romish Fox,' but the staunch old Puritan John 
 Bruen helpt her all he c'ud, an' ef uthers 'ud read 
 his life as careful's I hev, I reckon ther conshun- 
 ses wudent kerry 'em out en inkuridgin' giddy 
 pated foakes tu set sech waggery agoin' agin. 
 Sech scarletries look mighty fine, I dare say, tu 
 young foaks who haint been bro't up straight from 
 thur cradles, but tha lead to naught but sin an' 
 vanity, tu say the least." 
 
 Melissa showed herself better posted on the enor- 
 mities of the old holiday customs than Joshua was 
 on their usefulness ; but his mission being, on this 
 as other subjects, to soften down what he called 
 the "hasihness of Merlissa's jedgment," he re- 
 plied: 
 
 "Just as eatin' an' drinkin' lead to gormundiz- 
 ings an' drunkenes. I 'spect thur's ne'er a crowd 
 of human bein's, let alone school boys, but hev 
 some that'll cut up an' do mischief; but that's no 
 excuse for keepin' stiddy ones from healthy fun. 
 
 110 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 Yung-uns will hev fun ef they hev tu git it in 
 crooked ways ; an' the crookid kind, like the bent 
 backbone, isn't half so good's the straight. Queen 
 Bess squelcht the boy bishop skirrup, but it cropt 
 out in sumthin' else, I reckon. I don't see as his 
 irreverenshal sarmons were worse than the High 
 Sheriff's speech to the Oxenians which I read once. 
 He called 'em the 'chickens of the church,' and the 
 sweet 'swallows of salvation.' No, Merlissa, thur's 
 sech a thing as gittin' pesky wicked fer want of 
 decent divertisement. Young creaturs with keen 
 appertites will gnaw themselves to a bone ef tha 
 can't find the food tha want." 
 
 I shu'd think yu wur goin' crazy-giddy your- 
 self, Joshua, ef I didn't know contrary-wise," said 
 Melissia, in high-pitched tones. "I never heerd sech 
 simpleness out of yur hed afore. A body'd think 
 we'd got a baby skilleton shut up in the howse, tu 
 hear yu go on. Ef yew've the right kind o' spunk, 
 Agatha, yu won't swoller that whimsy mor'n I. 
 Yew'r old enuf tu read, thank Provydunce, an' 
 I'll give yu a set of books I lurnt by hart when I 
 wuz young, an' ef yew'l read 'em faithful, an' are 
 the common sense gurl I take yu fer, yu wunt 
 want tu go canterin' after sech sinful shows as 
 the Campbells git up. I'm goin' tu envite the 
 Sharps up here some day this week an' I expect 
 yu tu help du the preparin' an' make yewrself more 
 agreeable than yu hev aforetimes." 
 
 "I don't want to read any more of those mouldy 
 old bcxoks," cried Agatha, trembling from head to 
 111 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 foot. "I hate them ! And I hate James Sharp ! I 
 will never speak to him again as long as I live! 
 The horrible, insolent vilhan! I'll die before I'll 
 play the agreeable to him ! I can work in the kitch- 
 en 'til I'm dead if you want me to, but I'll never 
 step a foot in the parlor when James Sharp is 
 there! Never!" 
 
 Poor Agatha rushed out of the gray old sitting- 
 room with the dry, gleaming eyes and colorless 
 face so much more alarming to the wise parent 
 than the usual tears and ready rebelliousness of 
 the ordinary vexed girl of the period. 
 
 Aunt Mehssa laid down her knitting-work and 
 looked at Joshua with a firm mouth. 
 
 "I've been a-seein' t'was comin'," said Joshua, 
 ruefully. 
 
 "What was comin', Joshua? It's nuthin' but 
 hysterix. I know a receipt that'll fetch her out of 
 them quicker'n scat; but we'll hev tu let the fit 
 git square on furst. Its time when she begins tu 
 tear her hair an' grate her teeth." 
 
 "Nay, nay, Merhssa. She's ben kept tu close, 
 that's what's the matter. She orter hev a bit of 
 yung comp'ny an' ov her own chusin', tu, an' not 
 those as is sot under her nose without askin'. It's 
 mighty nateral to hate those things that are thrust 
 upon us, whether tha be folks or books." 
 
 "I hope you ain't that simple, Joshua, as to talk 
 her part about James Sharp. Jest ez tho' he were 
 heels over bed in love with her an' didn't know 
 how tu behave decent. I've seen them kind of hys- 
 
 112 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 terical girls afore, that 'ud go an' git up an or- 
 ful row about some feller an' then wind up by 
 marryin' him, w'ich wuz what tha were at all the 
 time. 'Taint me that will be the cat's paw tu 
 eny seoh monky trix ez that." 
 
 "I don't know nuthin' 'bout that part of it, 
 Merlissa but, I do know she's my dead brother's 
 child an' I'll ne'r consent tu hash maisures. I be- 
 gin tu think mebby ef we'd a ben gentler with 
 Sylvanus he'd a ben with us now, an' then tha'd 
 ben cump'ny fer each other; but now she must 
 go outside fer comp'ny, indeed she must, Mer- 
 lissa." 
 
 Joshua's last words were uttered with a firmness 
 that made Mehssa gaze at him for a moment in 
 cold-eyed wonder. 
 
 "Well, I s'pose yu can du as yu chuse with your 
 brother's child, but ef she were my brother's I'd 
 cure her of her siinple hysterix an' she'd never 
 enter Campbells' door, ither; but yu shan't sa I 
 don't keep tu my side of the fence, nur lack in 
 charity ither. Ef y'ur gentle maisures of med'cin 
 don't happen to work, the bowl of wormwood an' 
 hemlock ploster'U be reddy all the saim. I s'pose 
 yu've fergot all about the scrape them miserable 
 Ck)ltons got intu with that giddy-pated girl of 
 theirs.'' Crazinis ain't nuthin', nine times out of 
 ten, but hysterix cum tu a hed ; an' I bleev ef tha'd 
 hed sense 'nuf tu hev soak't her feet an' gin her 
 a dose of cleansing med'cin' in the start, she 
 needn't a ben packed onto the 'sylum at all." 
 
 8 113 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "I tho't y'ur minister laid it tu the Lord," said 
 Joshua, quizzically. 
 
 "A judgment of the Lord," said Melissa, sharp- 
 ly, "an' so it turned out tu be, but at first 'twant 
 nuthin' more than hysterix bro't on by inkurigment 
 in sech heathenries ez the Campbells indulge in. 
 I'm jest as sure of it as I am that I'm a living 
 bein, Joshua Evans." 
 
 "Well, she wuz a handsome gurl, an' a likely 
 one, so far as I know, Merlissa, but I will say I 
 cud never bear tu set under the shadder of Parson 
 Shelby's preachin'. I'd rubber bed a cork-screw 
 tried onto me eny day than them twisted eyes of 
 hisen ; an' his skin alius lookt ez tho' t'ud just ben 
 taken out of a smoke-house. Then there was that 
 military collar an' that killing air that he put on 
 when he mounted his horse tu go tu the barracks 
 tu preeoh his docterin of forcing the religion of 
 Jesus onter the heathens with the pint of the sword. 
 No, Merlissa, he wan't the kind of stuflF I'd cut a 
 parson out of, ef I'd the job of making one, an' 
 from all that I know of the Lord, he'd be fully as 
 pertickelar. He had a knack of drivin' the Lord 
 and family straight out of my hed, Mary an' 
 Marther an' the hull kit, an' I couldn't think of 
 nuthin' but Poll Darling an' how she must hev 
 lookt when she drest up like a devil an' went out 
 for tu scare Tite Shelby intu marryin' her. And 
 it's my 'pinyun 'tisn't no worse tu sing an' dance 
 an' throw cider onto old apple trees an' think 
 they're going tu bear more fruit fur your pains, 
 
 114 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 as they said the Ck)ltons did, than it is tu pertend 
 you're a devil and scare foaks intu doing ez yu 
 want 'em tu ; and I guess 'twuden't be apt tu make 
 'em eny more hysterical nur half so superstitious. 
 Poor Tite! Mebby 'twas a relief tu him tu die; 
 fur she's a cunning old baggage tu this day, old 
 Poll is, but she isn't cross-eyed, nur Tite wusen't, 
 nuther. I vum ! I never thought on't afore, but 
 I shuden't wonder ef the scareing hed something 
 tu du with fixin' the parson's eyes that way. Tha 
 said she never told him she was the devil that 
 scared him 'til the first child was bornd, an' the 
 parson wus the one!" 
 
 "It beats me," said Melissa, "how fond some 
 foaks are of imagining things tu suit themselves. 
 I'm thankful I hain't got no leanin' that way !" 
 
 115 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 AGATHA CONFIDES IN UNCLE JOSHUA. 
 
 AFTER the finishing stroke recorded in the 
 preceding chapter, Melissa arose and 
 marched to the kitchen with tiie dignity 
 * of a housewife, who, conscious of having 
 done her duty in one department, turns to another 
 in which she is sure her presence is equally 
 important. Joshua, as much as he apprecia- 
 ted her queenly management of that highly 
 polished Moloch, the "royal range," did not for 
 once let it overawe his resolution with regard to 
 Agatha. For the next hour or so he knew Melissa 
 would be as vehemently employed with the supper 
 as she had been in the late war of words ; and, go- 
 ing softly into the hall, he found Agatha pacing 
 up and down, looking ghostly white and clutch- 
 ing Eva's letter in her strained hands. 
 
 "Don't, Agatha ! Don't take it so tu heart ! You 
 shall go, and hev some new things tu wear, tew. 
 Only don't git so ixcited. It hurts me dredfly tu 
 see yu look so unhappy." 
 
 "She won't let me, I know she won't," said 
 
 116 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 Agatha, looking at him with a grievous face. "I've 
 been here three long years, and I've tried to do the 
 work just as she wanted me to, but she never lets 
 me do anjrthing / want to. She always wants me 
 to go and see somebody or have company I can- 
 not bear. Eva has never been here but once, she 
 treated her so like poison. Then there's that hor- 
 rid James Sharp ! Oh, uncle, I wish you'd let me 
 tell you how dreadfully mean he's treated me! I 
 tried to tell aunt, but she wouldn't Hsten. O, dear ! 
 dear! I'd rather die than live in such dreadful 
 fear and misery!" 
 
 "Agatha, my child!" cried Joshua, trembhng 
 with sudden fear and rage, "if that beast has put 
 you to shame, tell me quick in one word, an' I'll 
 hunt him up this minute an' strike him strait intu 
 the airth like a rotten hound!" 
 
 "No! no! He tried, but I escaped! He'll try 
 again, though, I know he will. He swore he'd 
 have me in spite of everything." 
 
 Joshua heaved a sigh of rehef, so wide was the 
 difference in his mind between the accomplished 
 evil and the threatened one ; but tears of pity stood 
 in his eyes. 
 
 "Be quiet, now, Agatha ; be quiet an' tell me all 
 about it. I'll take care of you arter this, an' ef 
 that nasty critter comes prowlin' round, I'll try 
 my skunk gun on his stinkin' pate, ef I am an 
 old man an' a church piller in the bargain." 
 
 "Oh, it's such a hard thing to tell, uncle! I 
 
 117 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 suppose that's why Aunt Melissa wouldn't listen 
 to it." 
 
 "Poor, poor child!" said Uncle Joshua, encour- 
 agingly. "That was too orfoil hard in Merhssa, 
 an' I've been orful careless, too. I did think 'twas 
 kind of cur'us tu see yu watchin' tu ketch all sorts 
 of rides an' ring in with all sorts of foaks that 
 were goin' backwards an' forward tu town; but, 
 hke a fool 't I wuz, I thought mebby the road 
 wuz gettin' kind of tiresome travelin' it so much. 
 So that wuz why yu took so suddenly tu that big 
 maskerline Jane Drake, was it?" 
 
 "Yes, uncle; but sometimes Jane had errands 
 to do after school, and that would make us late 
 and then Aunt MeHssa would scold. I didn't won- 
 der as long as she didn't know; but to think she 
 wouldn't let me teU her all about it," said Agatha, 
 sobbing between her words. "She said she wouldn't 
 hsten to such stuff, and if there was anything in 
 it I had led him on. I, Uncle Joshua ! /, who hat- 
 ed him from the first sight; but he dogged me 
 wherever I went — at church, school and Sunday 
 school — staring at me with his great vicious eyes, 
 or sidMng up to me to whisper vile compliments 
 in my ear. After a while I learned to keep pretty 
 well out of his way. Then he began to follow me 
 home from school. That was worse than all the 
 rest." 
 
 "Of course it was," said Uncle Joshua, "an' 
 then you rung in with Jane an' got scolded for 
 takin' keer of yourself an' doin' jest right." 
 
 118 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "After Aunt Melissa scolded me so hard, I 
 thought perhaps I had not done just right. I 
 had never said anything to James Sharp about his 
 conduct. I had only avoided him; so after think- 
 ing and tliinking about it, I concluded to tell him 
 my mind and beg him to stop following me. I 
 did so." 
 
 Agatha paused again and shivered. 
 
 "Oh! I can't help it, uncle; it was so horrible 
 what he said. All alone on that lonely road, with- 
 out a human being in sight ! I was obliged to listen 
 to him. I will not try to tell you all of the vile 
 words with which he clothed his ideas of love. But 
 the threats yooi must know. He said he bad nev- 
 er asked me to love him. His business was to love 
 me, and he should love me all the more, the more I 
 frowned upon him and spited him and kept folks 
 between us. He didn't expect me to fall into his 
 arms. He didn't like fruit too easy won, but he'd 
 see he had the fruit all the same, and he'd have 
 a good taste of it, no matter how high up it hung 
 nor how cunning it hid itself behind green leaves 
 and such, nor how many thorns it had around it, 
 nor how well it was guarded by men or dogs or 
 dragons or devils. And when I threatened to tell 
 you, you ought to have seen him sneer. He said 
 he'd advise me to do that by all means. He'd 
 known lots of girls who had done that, and they 
 always got the checker on themselves." 
 
 "Checker!" exclaimed Uncle Joshua, "he'd a 
 
 119 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 found out where the checker was if yu had told 
 me." 
 
 "But you see I thought of what Aunt Melissa 
 had said. If she would not listen to me, how 
 would I dare tell you? The thought made me feel 
 sick and faint. I suppose he noticed it, for he 
 grew more and more insolent until it seemed to me 
 I could not live another moment in his presence. 
 But how was I to escape? If I could only get to 
 the top of the hill I should be in sight of the house. 
 I stretched my eyes toward it. How far away it 
 seemed! — but something was moving there! It 
 proved to be a horse and cart and a stalwart driv- 
 er. I hurried joyfully on and was soon safe at 
 home." 
 
 "Home, Agatha! It's purty forgivin' in yu tu 
 call it home when' tain't ben nothin' hke what 
 home orter be, I snum ef 'tain't," said Joshua, 
 wringing his hands in a reproachful way. "meb- 
 by we orter try an' help yu some now the worst 
 is over. Mebby we cud aflFord to hev sum wings 
 put ontu that hoss an' driver. 'Twas they that 
 helped yu instid of them that shu'd. It was migh- 
 ty cheap gittin' rid o' the sticky viper, but yu 
 jest let the pizen creetur cum shnkin' intu this 
 place fer fruit an' he'll git his last supper off of 
 sumthin' he can't eat, ef it does come disgraceful 
 late in the day." 
 
 "But that is not all, uncle. I said I'd tell you 
 all!" 
 
 "More yet, Agatha ! An' yu here safe an' sound 
 120 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 to tell it," said Joshua, thrusting his hands 
 through his thin locks in a dazed way, "but I guess 
 ef yu cu'd bear tu go thru it, I can bear tu hear 
 it without goin' stark mad ; but tell me quick, child, 
 ur mebby I shel go ofF the hooks intirely." 
 
 "A few mornings after, at roll call, Myra Sharp 
 told the teacher that her brother James was go- 
 ing west on the noon train and would be gone a 
 month. I breathed free once more. That night 
 Jane was detained and I started home alone and 
 was enjoying my walk as I had not done in a long 
 time, when all at once as I was passing Meadow 
 Grove I heard a crashing among the bushes and 
 out leaped that horrid James Sharp with a yell of 
 fiendish triumph. I barely escaped his clutches 
 as he sprang up the bank, and then I ran with all 
 my might. Faster and faster I ran until it seemed 
 as though the very air turned blue and I was lift- 
 ed up and fairly hurled onward toward the top of 
 the blessed hill that shone hke a bright speck 
 above the fearful valley. On and on, feeHng noth- 
 ing but a sense of feathery lightness — seeing noth- 
 ing but the hill-top — hearing nothing but the 
 straining and panting of my Satanic pursuer — 
 now farther and farther off — then nearer and 
 nearer! Now a yell of triumph close to my ear — 
 then a curse of disappointment behind my back! 
 Now a blast of hot breath that lifted the very hair 
 on my head — then a wheezing and puffing in the 
 distance — and once, at last, la yelping and desper- 
 ate plunge and the tips of iron fingers brushed 
 
 121 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 across my garments! Then another sensation as 
 thought I were fairly leaping and sailing through 
 the air — as though wings were all around me ! The 
 air grew paler and paler, the hill shone brighter 
 and nearer, the sound of the panting monster grew 
 fainter and fainter, the cursings grew deeper and 
 deeper! I felt my feet imder me once more, and 
 leaped with a cry of joy on the summit of the hiU! 
 Do you hear. Uncle Joshua? Saved! And you are 
 glad, Uncle Joshua — glad I told you now?" 
 
 "I ruther guess I am," said Joshua, with his 
 mouth all a quiver, "an' I guess ef Merlissa cu'd 
 see me this minit she'd say I wuz the one who'd 
 got the hystericks. I guess I'll be the one who'll 
 have tu hev the hemlock ploster put ont' the out- 
 side of my stumick an' the pepper tea on the in- 
 side ! But say, Agatha, du yu know yu hed a look 
 like Sylvanus when yu told y'ur aunt yu hated 
 James Sharp an' the huU Sharp famerly? Yu 
 look't a'most 'zactly ez he did when he sed he hated 
 the minister an' the deacon an' the church an' ev- 
 everything in it, an' I'm thinkin, mebby I orter hev 
 taken him tu one side an' coaxed him tu tell me 
 all about it, but I let Merhssa manage. Yu see 
 I hadn't no idea in them days that a mother cu'd 
 be too hard on her unly child, an' a boy int' the bar- 
 gain." 
 
 Agatha pushed back Uncle Joshua's straggling 
 hair in sympathetic silence. "But I'm orful glad 
 yu told me, Agatha," he continued, "an' so glad 
 yu got out of the clutches of that devil's imp that 
 
 122 
 
\Xli Yl.ni ,\RK GLAD I TUl.I) YOU Nl^V?" 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 I don't know what tu say hardly, nur how tu be- 
 have. But say, Agatha, yu don't hev no notion 
 thet the angels cum right down from heaven an' 
 help't yu thru with thet business, do yu?" 
 
 "I don't know, Uncle. It seemed as though I 
 could not have done it by myself, but I suppose I 
 must. I didn't think of anything except that I 
 must get to the top of the hill or be lost. Perhaps 
 all my faculties went to my limbs and feet." 
 
 "Yu're an' orful wise girl, Agatha, and an or- 
 ful good one, and an orful honest one, too. Now 
 I know lots uv pious f oaks that ef tha'd gone thru 
 a thousanth part as hard sailin' as that, tha'd hev 
 gone an' boasted that the Lord Almighty an' all 
 the angels of heaven hed cum strait down from the 
 skies tu help 'em! Now I beleev the right kind of 
 spunk is tu help yourself just as far as yu posser- 
 bly can, an' not hang onto the Lord an' famerly 
 'til they are all tuckered out, so to speak; an' 
 I like the notion that yu put all y'ur faculties 
 intu yer limbs an' feet ; an' j est bleev that's what 
 made 'em feel so light, like feathers as it were. 
 Tha were just chuck full of mind an' soul, an' 
 mind an' soul hain't got eny weight tu 'em at aU, 
 but they can steer better'n Jehu! An' that's how 
 yu were able tu fly right away from that great 
 splurgin' lumbring, logy, bellurin' bull-devil! I 
 know 'twas, an' I'm so proud of yu I can't hold 
 in hardly, an' mebby I shel wind up by bein' glad 
 that nobody wuz thair tu help yu!" 
 
 123 
 
Prophet ot Peace 
 
 "But Aunt Melissa won't believe a word of it," 
 said Agatha, with a look of returning distress. 
 
 "Never yu mind that," said Joshua. "It will be 
 all right now't I know it. I'll manage Merlissa. 
 We won't say anything 'bout it jest now. She won't 
 giv' in. She never does giv' in arter she's taken 
 the stand. The way is tu kind o' furgit what she's 
 sed an' then take a fresh hold kind of unexpected 
 afore she's hed time tu clap her steel plate ontu 
 her vitals. Thur's no use wastin' amunitions on 
 Merlissa when she's got herself extra double plat- 
 ed an' steeled against 'em." 
 
 "But she'll invite him here," said Agatha, who 
 saw clearly the practical difficulties that must 
 arise out of Melissa's antagonism. 
 
 "I'll fix that. I'll see that he doesn't accept eny 
 invites ef he duz git 'em. I know thair'll be uther 
 things that'll be hard fer yu, poor cihild. Sech a 
 hard'ning of the bowels of compashun is dredful 
 tu witnis. I swon, ef I don't think it's a disease 
 sumtimes ; but ef 'tis, mebby it can be cured, when 
 the righ surrup's invented. Thur's sumthin' cur'- 
 us 'bout Merlissa. She don't du nuthin' wrong 
 herself, but she j edges so ha'shly of wimmin foaks 
 that wern't bro't up tu du ez she wuz; an' she 
 wuzn't bro't up tu du nothin' but wurk like a 
 dog the hull week an' then be driv' tu church an' 
 sot up like. a rail tu listen tu a sarmon that wuz 
 stiffer than a hull pile o' rails. Yu see, her moth- 
 er died when she wuz yung, an' Father Sylvanus 
 wuz one of them that tho't wimmin foaks warn't 
 
 124 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 made fer nuthin' but tu scrub an' wait on men 
 foaks, tho' he wuz a pretty smart man in other 
 ways. I tell you the time was when I felt orful sor- 
 ry fer yer Ant Merlissa, but I didn't feel sorry fer 
 her soon enough. Yu see it makes lots o' differents 
 what sort of grub foaks are bro't up on when tha'r 
 yung an' naterally hungry. Hearts must hev 
 sumthin' tu eat as well as stummicks, an' ef thur 
 ain't nuthin' but whetstuns pervided fer eighteen 
 or twenty years on the stretch, yu can't expect 
 tu git 'em softened up to once. But never mind 
 that Agatha, I'll stand by yu 'til the jedgment 
 day." 
 
 "But if he should break into my window at 
 night," said Agatha, encouraged by Uncle Joshua's 
 kindness to give full vent to the fears that had 
 racked her nerves and robbed her of healthful 
 sleep. 
 
 Joshua nearly broke down again when this phase 
 of her cruel hurt was brought clearly before him, 
 but he assured her that means of safety could be 
 invented. 
 
 "I'll tend tu that, an' this very night, tu, Aga- 
 tha. Ef that devil's cub cums prowlin' 'round 
 these premises he'll git intu a trap that'll make 
 him shorter'n the legs — " 
 
 Uncle Joshua paused to think of some as- 
 surance more immediately effective. "O I 
 know how we'll fix it fer to-night," he resumed. 
 "I shan't be feelin' fust rate an' I'll sleep on the 
 big sofa in the hall, an' then yu'll jest swing y'ur 
 
 125 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 door open arter the lights are out, an' I'll shove 
 the sofa up intu the nighest corner, an' then yu'U 
 go right tu sleep an' be as safe as a baby in its 
 cradle." 
 
 "O, uncle, how good; What a relief!" 
 
 "An say Agatha, yu don't feel much sick now, 
 du yu?" 
 
 "No, uncle." 
 
 "An' yu ain't tu much ixcited, air yu.'"' 
 
 "No, uncle." 
 
 "An' yu'll go tu bed to-night an' sleep as sound 
 as a bug in a rug won't yu?" 
 
 "I hope so, uncle." 
 
 "An' I tell yu what 'tis, Agatha, arter this yu 
 ain't goin' tu sleep so far off from us. It's kind 
 of pokerish fer young foaks tu sleep so far off 
 from everybody. I'll tend tu that, an' you're go- 
 in' in cump'ny more. I'm goin' tu begin by kerry- 
 in' yu to Sydney, an' yu shel stay jest as long as 
 they want you tu, an' Eva shel Cum up here an' 
 stay jest as long as you staid thair. I'll tend tu 
 that; only jest yu cum an' eat supper when it's 
 reddy. You hevn't et 'nuf tu keep a mouse's fur 
 sleek, I don't know the time when. An' ef yu don't 
 eat Merlissa'll twit me of not knowin' how tu doc- 
 tor gurls, an' cut me out with wormwood tea an' 
 ginger sop ; an' that'll be most tu hard on me be- 
 cause I'd ben studyin' over it afore this, an' want- 
 ed tu giv yu sumthin' pleasant tu take," said 
 Uncle Joshua, with a shrewd look that Agatha 
 fully understood. 
 
 126 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 Joshua's medicine acted hke magic, and he was 
 so encouraged that he continued to administer sly 
 doses of it as he thought the case required, besides 
 managing Melissa so shrewdly that he actually got 
 Agatha off for Sydney without a word of warning 
 from that alert duty doer. Before arriving at the 
 Campbell home he dropped a generous roll of bank 
 bills into her lap. 
 
 "That means dresses, bunnets, ribbins an' evry- 
 thing yu want, Agatha." 
 
 "Oh, oh!" exclaimed Agatha, "auntie won't like 
 it ! She always buys my things." 
 
 "But she ain't goin' tu eny more. You're old 
 'nuf tu bi fer y'urself now, an' know 'nuf too, eh? 
 Yu can git Eva tu help yu at first. Yu'r aunt an' 
 me are most tu old fashund, besides we unly hed 
 a boy tu bi fer, an' I reckon tha don't hev things 
 quite so lively as girls. I ain't much on sech gear, 
 but 'peers tu me yu hain't got y'ur trappin's fixt 
 up quite as gay ez the gin'ral run uv girls, eh, 
 Agatha?" 
 
 "Oh, no, uncle, but I don't care so much about 
 that ; the Campbells never seem to notice my clothes 
 at all." 
 
 "That's kind," said Joshua, with a gesture of 
 pricked pride, "but thur's no use of taxin' folks'es 
 kindness when 'tisen't necessary. Go right off an' 
 bi hull sets uv evrything reddy-made, so yu can 
 slip 'em right on 'thout eny rippin' or puckerin', 
 an' I'll be blamed ef enybody is. It's nature fer 
 yung foaks to want as good as uthers hev, an' 
 
 W7 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 right, tu; an' we mean tu du right, I guess, tho' 
 we overlook the kernel of it sometimes," added 
 Joshua, with a quiver that went straight to Aga- 
 tha's heart. 
 
 188 
 
"li>r ll\\K(;(JNK \NIi SLAIN MJ M K Ul 1 > CRI 1 ST : 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Twice six nights then from Christmas they do count with 
 
 diligence. 
 Wherein each maister in his house dothe burn up frank in- 
 
 sence. 
 Which dothe preserve the\- say their teeth and nose and 
 
 eyes and eares, 
 From every kind of maladie and sickness ail the yeares. 
 
 — Navogorus. 
 
 AGATHA GOES TO A TWELFTH-NIGHT PARTY. 
 
 / / A GGIE ! you don't say your uncle 
 * ^ /_^k gave you all that money for gew- 
 / ^k gaws and gimcracks," exclaimed 
 the merry-hearted Eva Campbell, 
 shaking her and giving her a rousing kiss on each 
 cfheek. "No ! you've gone and slain some old 
 Croesus witih your seven-shooter eyes and stolen his 
 wallet! Or else you have turned into a witch — a 
 real powerful white witch! Do you know, your 
 uncle and aunt were so awful strict and close with 
 their only son, that he ran away and never's been 
 heard of since. I tell you what it is, Aggie, I'll 
 enjoy helping you spend that money more than 
 I ever did anything in my life. We won't leave 
 a solitary cent." 
 
 9 129 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "And he said I must get everything ready- 
 made so I could put it right on without any rip- 
 pin and puck'ring," said Agatha smiling through 
 glad tears. 
 
 "Well, men do know something about dress, af- 
 ter all," laughed Eva. "Your own mother couldn't 
 have done better than that. I shall kiss that 
 good old uncle of j'ours, the very first time I see 
 him, I know I shall." 
 
 "Good old uncle, indeed ! I can't think it was 
 his fault," said Agatha, "his son's running away." 
 
 "Did you ever hear there was a lady in the 
 case.? A beautiful young girl." 
 
 "I've heard it hinted by the Sharps; but they 
 called her the ungodly girl that mocked the minis- 
 ter and was sent crazy as a punishment." 
 
 "That's the one, but everybody doesn't look at 
 it in that way, Papa, for one. He says the min- 
 ister was a vile, sneaky-looking fellow and of a 
 bad family, and the girl was very handsome and 
 intelhgent-looking and of an honest, industrious 
 family ; but they were Quakers — or at least the 
 mother was, some called the father a dreadful 
 Free-thinker. Isn't that queer though, as much 
 as to say it's wrong to think freely," laughed 
 Eva. "But papa says that's where the trouble 
 began. He thinks there was foul play." 
 
 "Then I believe it will be explained some day," 
 exclaimed Agatha, "and cousin Sylvanus will come 
 home. Oh, dear ! how happy I should be !" 
 
 "Do you know, the girl was taken crazy at 
 
 130 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 a Twelfth-Night party," said Eva, with a look 
 of awe on her young face; "but it wasn't at all 
 like our party. Oh, dear! I hope nothing will 
 happen to ours — nothing sad, I mean ;" and with 
 that hope the ghost of fear fled away. 
 
 Later in the day when the shopping was done 
 and Agatha was dressed for dinner, Eva could 
 not repress her admiration. 
 
 "That ruby cashmere is perfectly heightening !" 
 she exclaimed, "and those Moliere boots. You 
 could slay Harry with one of those ; you must come 
 down and be introduced now." 
 
 Young Harry Campbell, as intimated, had a 
 professed admiration for exquisite Molieres, or 
 the forms they encased, and, like many another 
 heart-free young fellow, had an eye so well prac- 
 ticed on such subjects that he invariably took their 
 measurement at first glance ; but professions, even 
 of a loftier kind, do not always tally with prac- 
 tice. A trap ■ sprung suddenly in the way some- 
 times prevents. The trap in the present case was 
 Agatha's eyes — half veiled with sombrous lashes 
 and overbrimming with gentle pleasure. They fas- 
 cinated and perplexed him, too. There was a 
 look in them w^hich he had seen elsewhere — in a 
 dream, perhaps, or in the eyes of one of the Ma- 
 donnas on the college walls. He felt quite sure 
 he had never seen the like in human orbs. Strange 
 to say, his chum Louis Martin, had a similar no- 
 tion, except that he located the look in the eyes 
 of some one he had actually known. But the 
 
 131 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 hour for mirth was at hand and he was too niuch 
 taken up with the idea of making the evening's 
 entertainment a success in the eyes of Eva Camp- 
 bell to think about other eyes. 
 
 The Bean-King Cake, which was made by the 
 combined efforts of Mrs. Campbell and Eva, was a 
 splendid affair, and Louis Martin, in his desire to 
 do full justice to it had conceived the idea of com- 
 ing out in a perfectly original character — ^namely, 
 the Caliph of Cakeland. How the young man con- 
 vinced himself that it would be proper for a suc- 
 cessor of Mahomet to introduce an innovation in 
 the form of a Caliphess, does not appear, but it 
 is certain that he prevailed on Eva to assutne that 
 character. 
 
 Their chief servants were the Colonel of Correc- 
 tion, the Duchess of Distribution and the Princess 
 of the Pancake Pail. The Colonel was armed with 
 a long gilded rod with a cushioned knob on the end 
 of it. His duty was to seat the guests and main- 
 tain order. 
 
 After the guests were all seated and reduced to 
 silence by the free use of the rod, the Caliph step- 
 ped forward in front of the Bean cake and ad- 
 dressed them as follows: 
 
 "My dear friends: I have not the historical 
 traits of old Xenophon or Thurcydides or Livy or 
 Tacitus, which you will doubtless perceive without 
 any further use of the rod of correction to make 
 you do so; but I will try to give you a dim out- 
 line (the dimmer the better) of Twelfth-Night 
 
 132 
 
THE TWEI.FTH-N'IGIIT PI,AY. 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 history ; also a boiled down or baked account of 
 the famous Bean-King-Cake. 
 
 "Twelfth-Night was first invented between three 
 and four hundred years ago. It has been invented 
 a great many times since, but as I hitherto re- 
 marked, that was the first time. As soon as King 
 Alfred heard of this wonderful invention, he called 
 the festive individuals of his court together and 
 passed a resolution to the effect that all of the 
 twelve days after Christmas should be called fes- 
 tivals, whether they were festive or not, I suppose. 
 Quite contrary to his expectations, however, old 
 Twelfth-Night continued to be the j oiliest of them 
 all. 
 
 "As to the reason of the invention, it is suppos- 
 ed by some to have been invented in honor of three 
 persons anciently called the 'Three Kings of Col- 
 en,' — ^Melchoir, an old man with plenty of gold, 
 Jasper, a young man who abounded with frank- 
 insence, and Balthaser, a black-a-moor (resemb- 
 ling the southern negro in his palmiest days) with 
 wide-spread beard and pockets full of myrrh. 
 Whether the old Colenites felt honored by the in- 
 vention, I have never been able to learn. But of 
 one thing I am quite certain — namely, that the 
 most important outcome of the invention is the 
 Twelfth-Night Bean-King-Cake. There have been 
 various ways of making this cake. Some of our 
 very great-grandmothers constructed it of flour, 
 honey, ginger and pepper, and furnished it with 
 a penny instead of a bean. In that case the one 
 
 133 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 who got the penny piece was not only saluted as 
 king, but he was presented with a chunk of chalk, 
 and raised up to the rafters of the house, and 
 told to chalk them. Then he was raised up again, 
 and told to chalk them again. For a whole year 
 after that, no ugly devil or witch or hug, dared to 
 enter that house or meddle with those rafters." 
 
 At this point of the discourse there was so much 
 laughing among the hearers, that the Caliph had 
 to pause and order the "rod of correction" to be 
 passed around. 
 
 "It is very necessary you should quit laughing," 
 continued the Caliph, "for what I am going to 
 tell you now is so solemn that you couldn't laugh 
 if you tried. It is this: 
 
 "Once upon a time the Herefordshirians were 
 accustomed to make their cake and put a hole in 
 it instead of a bean. After the cake was baked, 
 which was sure to happen soon after dark on 
 Twelfth-Night, they went out into a big field and 
 built a big fire in the middle of it, and twelve 
 small fires around it. Then they invited an ox to 
 join their company, which invitation being accept- 
 ed, they took the cake and hung it up on one of 
 his horns. Then they tickled his nose with switches 
 until he tossed it off, and if he threw fche cake be- 
 hind him, it belonged to the mistress of the house, 
 if in front (or the boosy, as they called it), it be- 
 longed to the master. In this way the Hereford- 
 shirians saved their beans." 
 
 "As to the bean itself, it might be well to say 
 
 134 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 in passing, that pretty much all we know of its 
 early history is that it was handed down from the 
 ancients as sacred fruit. Beans were as much ven- 
 erated by the old Romans as onions were by the 
 old Egyptians, or leeks by the old Welshinen. They 
 were supposed to contain the souls of the dead. 
 They were given away at Romish funerals. They 
 were burned on Romish altars to rid people of 
 ghosts. Pliny and Plutarch had something to 
 say about them. Burton's Anatomy in its melan- 
 choly dissections found that beans were considered 
 hallowed. Pope Euticiannus laid them on the altar 
 and blessed them. Eaten at. the first Lenten servi- 
 ces they were called confession beans. Eaten on 
 'Care Sunday,' they were called Carelings. ' Eaten 
 on 'Whirhng Sunday' I presume they were called 
 Whirlings. One of the old popes made a receiptbook 
 that tells how to cook them. It says they should 
 be soaked in clean water just as confession should 
 be steeped in the clear waters of meditation, and 
 that we should not soak ten or twelve beans, but 
 all we want to eat. Nor should we meditate on 
 ten or twelve sins, but all we want to get rid of. 
 For further instructions on the subject, please 
 consult the noted 'Erasmus' adages on the religious 
 use of beans, or 'Mr. Withers' book called 'Abuses 
 Stript and Whipt.' 
 
 "Our present bean cake is a very large one, 
 as you will observe, but the bean in it is very 
 small, much smaller than the Moluska bean used 
 by the Harries Islanders to cure the evil eye. It 
 
 1S5 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 does not belong to the order of Molusks, at all 
 but to the 'pork and beans order,' which Ameri- 
 cans prize so highly.' 
 
 "And now, my friends, our royal cake is on the 
 eve of being cut into many pieces and given to a 
 devouring army of the same number. If a young 
 man gets the bean piece, he will be crowned king 
 and choose his queen. If a young woman gets 
 it, she will be crowned queen and choose her king. 
 After which they wiU reign triumphant until mid- 
 night. During their reign we must all obey their 
 orders almost implicitly. We are aware that some 
 may think that from now until midnight is rather 
 a short time to give orders in and have them obey- 
 ed. Also that the king and queen can't much more 
 than begin to reign before they will have to quit 
 reigning; but we must console ourselves with the 
 reflection that this arrangement is in harmony 
 with the free institutions of this country. So 
 much so that we half suspect they must have got- 
 ten their inspiration from the old bean-cake cus- 
 tom. At any rate, we haven't much faith in kings 
 of any kind and incline to handle them with a 
 short rein. We have rather more faith in queens ; 
 still we would not want to be bossed by them all 
 day long and until much past midnight. Of 
 course the people of England and other benighted 
 countries think differently. I heard a very wise 
 sort of a person say only yesterday that all they 
 ever needed in England was a senseless or savage 
 king in the place of the .good queen, in order to 
 
 136 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 make war a holy terror to all the world ; and the 
 one who spoke the piece reckoned the need would 
 be supplied in good time ; for the reason that there 
 never was a line of kings or queens that did not 
 produce now and then a fool or a fighter. 
 
 "Therefore we should be immensely thankful 
 for the short-lived kind, and should be more than 
 willing to give them implicit obedience — that is, 
 if they don't ask us to do anything wrong, or 
 anything we don't know how to do, or that we 
 don't want to do." 
 
 137 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Begin then to chuse 
 
 This night as ye use, 
 Who shaJl for the present delight here 
 
 Be a king be the lot, 
 
 And who shall not, 
 Be Twelfe-day Queen for the night here? 
 
 — Herrick's Hesperides. 
 
 AGATHA IS CHOSEN ttUEEN. 
 
 AFTER the Caliph had finished his speech, 
 the servants were commanded to count, 
 not the noses of the guests, but the 
 mouths, in order that the cake might be 
 cut into the exact number of pieces, or "cut to fit," 
 laughed Eva. When the counting was done, the 
 Caliphess with a monstrous sword-shaped knife 
 proceeded to cut the cake. After which the 
 "Duchess of Distribution" and the "Princess of 
 the Pancake Pail" were ordered to pass it to the 
 guests, and the "Colonel of Correction" was warned 
 to be in readiness to pass around the rod if needed. 
 During the passage of the cake, the Caliphess 
 eulogized entertainingly, not only the important 
 position which the coming Queen of the Bean- 
 
 138 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 Cake was doomed to occupy, but the posi- 
 tions of the Princess si tlie Pancake Pail 
 and the * Duchess of Distribution, which 
 positions, she averred, were augmented and 
 should be made much of, especially in this 
 wonderful land, where no titles were to be had, 
 outside of the domestic economy. As to the Colo- 
 nel, she had nothing new to suggest — Colonels 
 were as plenty here as abroad even without the 
 "rod" attachment; but the oldest inhabitants had 
 never heard of an American queen, or princess, or 
 duchess, without an attachment of something in 
 the nature of beans, pancake pails or sugar-bowls- 
 
 At this point the laughing and clapping were 
 so great that the Colonel of Correction had to go 
 around with his rod. After order was restored, 
 the Caliphess proceeded to call attention to the 
 very grave fact that we lived in a free country — 
 very free indeed — also that it was a country of 
 perfect equality — no matter how much the queens 
 of other countries might deride us, or how often 
 they might remind us that while the wives of the 
 kings were queens forevermore, the wives of the 
 presidents of America never had any titles. They 
 were not even called presidentresses. And that 
 there were absolutely no titles for sale in that 
 strange new land. That when an American lady 
 wanted a title, she had to go abroad to buy one. 
 
 Among other things to be safely boasted of 
 were our national emblems — our striped flag and 
 our big eagle. One was noted for its large wave 
 
 139 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 and the other for its large spread. Taken con- 
 jointly, they could make a much larger, finer and 
 higher spread than even the wonderful emblems 
 of hindoo royalty, which consisted of an umbrella 
 and a cow-tail fan. 
 
 During the laughter and bustle that followed 
 these odd remarks, a middle-aged gentleman in 
 scholarly attire entered the room and sat down by 
 the door. No one but Agatha Evans seemed to 
 have noticed him. Soon after, his entrance she saw 
 him in close conversation with Mr. Campbell, as 
 though something of importance was being discuss- 
 ed — something of more importance it seemed than 
 the announcement that Harry Campbell had cap- 
 tured the Bean, but her attention was soon drawn 
 away from them by Harry himself, who, royally ar- 
 rayed, bowed low before her and invited her to 
 share the honors of his kingdom. 
 
 "One of the most important things in royal 
 housekeeping," said the Caliph, after the Queen had 
 been duly crowned and the guests had sworn 
 fealty on bended knees, "is to procure a fool; and 
 as one may give out or die of the sullens if another 
 takes his place, their majesties have decided to en- 
 gage a fool and his five sons at one-fell swoop." 
 
 The fool that made his appearance on the stage 
 was a fool worth having. His cap had a profusion 
 of tinkling bells and was uncommonly high. From 
 the back of his speckled coat protruded an im- 
 mense bundle of gay feathers. 
 
 "Your name.?" demanded the King. 
 
 140 
 
riK. iwssinv ri.AV:; TiiK I'oni. 'i h at iif. m \\- i;ii wisi hm. 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "Cockney, an' it please your majesties." 
 
 "What can you do to amuse the royal com- 
 pany?" asked the Queen. 
 
 "Oh, its a musical prodigy I am. Your majes- 
 ties have heard of the great Allah, I reckon. Well, 
 there hean't many things he'll lend his ears to ; but 
 he lends them to prayers and the Koran and to 
 my songs. He says my music is superbly divine." 
 
 "Sing us your best song," commanded the Cal- 
 iphess. 
 
 Cockney strutted back and forward on the stage 
 and gave a succession of crows which caused so 
 much laughter that the Caliph ordered the rod of 
 correction to be applied — which caused still more. 
 
 "What else are you distinguished for.'"' asked 
 the King. 
 
 "For ex-squeez-it beauty of form," said Cock- 
 ney, strutting proudly across the stage;" tho' I 
 bean't nowhere as tall as one of my ancestors, that 
 old Mahomet saw once upon a time. Why, bless 
 you ! if Homet spoke truth, the crest of that spe- 
 cial ancestor towered up to the second heaven ; 
 but, begging your Majesties' pardon, it bean't 
 necessary to be so large in order to be largely ad- 
 mired. The tasty old Goths admired birds of ex- 
 actly my size. They put our figgers up in their 
 churches for ornaments ; and the brave old Malay 
 chiefs are always sending for my potografs to 
 put on their banners. Then ther's good Martin 
 Luther. He preferred the small kind of birds for 
 small spaces at least. When the old wizard Faust 
 
 141 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 tried to astonish the natives of Erfurt by driving 
 a span of oxen with a big cart of hay through a 
 little lane only wide enough for two persons, 
 Martin took hold of him and exercised him 'til the 
 hay and oxen dwindled to a single straw drawn by 
 a pair of common-sized cocks. The which was a 
 much neater and convenienter kind of witchcraft, 
 because cocks are neater than oxen and don't take 
 nigh so much room." 
 
 "Have you letters of recommendation from dis- 
 tinguished persons.""' inquired the Queen. 
 
 "O, yes, your Majesty! Hicky-tomes full of 
 them — handed down from your great-great an- 
 cestors. From Mars, Apollo, Mercury, Escula- 
 pius, Numa Pompillius, Themistocles, et settery. 
 One of my great-grandfathers assured Themistoc- 
 les of a victory over Xerxes. Another helped 
 Romulus to select the site of Rome, and still an- 
 other, before the time of Darius and Megabazno, 
 lorded it over all Persia." 
 
 "Have you no enemies?" asked the King. 
 
 "Only a few undistinguishable ones," replied 
 Cockney. The Africans blame the likes of us 
 for their black skins. They say that just as the 
 Creator was getting ready to whitewash them, a 
 cock up an crowed and he had to quit, 'cause he 
 had only that one night to do it in. Then there 
 are those cruel old Shrove Tuesday fellers. They 
 owe us a grudge 'cause one of our mew-sicaX breth- 
 ren struck up a note one dark night that prevent- 
 ed them from murdering their masters." 
 
 142 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "That is very curious," said the Queen. 
 
 "Yes, your Majesty, but it bean't so much of an 
 old curious as it is a door stone named Nebu- 
 chadnezzar." 
 
 "Did you ever see one ?" asked the Queen. 
 
 "Yes," rephed the fool; "once when I was trav- 
 ehng through the Assyrian gallery of the British 
 museum. It was close by the Hittite monuments 
 and the bronze gates of a salamander." 
 
 "Hirtite and Salamaneser, you fool, you," said 
 the King. 
 
 "Yes, your pardon, and it came from the temple 
 of Mr. E. Saggil, who lived jest out of Babylon." 
 
 "E. Saggil, you fool! not Mr. E. Saggil!" 
 shouted the King. 
 
 "O, yes, your Majesty; but the door-stone was 
 there and it was named Nebuchadnezzar, and it 
 told how long it took old Neb. to git himself in 
 order after eating grass." 
 
 "Enough," scowled the Caliph. "Now tell me 
 the names of your five sons." 
 
 "Cockney Jr., Pigney, Dogney, Horsney and 
 (!atney; but you may speak for yourselves, my 
 sons and heirs," said Cockney, turning proudly to 
 his brood, who were dressed to represent the ani- 
 mals for which they were named. Whereupon Cock- 
 ney Jr., crowed like an infant rooster, Pigney 
 squealed, Dogney howled, Horsney whinnered and 
 Catney mewed. 
 
 "Have you always followed your present profes- 
 sion.''" asked the King. 
 
 143 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "Bless your Majesties, no! I began as a par- 
 son, then I drifted into a devil and then I got to 
 be a fool." 
 
 "Why did you change your vocation?" asked 
 the Caliph. 
 
 "On account of a fuss I got into with some 
 Apple-Howlers." 
 
 "Apple-Howlers !" exclaimed the Caliph, "what 
 are they.''" 
 
 "O, they're a set of heathens who pray every 
 Twelfth-Nght to their apple trees to give them 
 'howHng crops.' Then they knock on the trees as 
 though there was somebody inside that they want- 
 ed to wake up. Then they sing to them and drink 
 to their healths and throw some cider on them as 
 tho' they had mouths and could drink, too." 
 
 "We know our old world ancestors used to do 
 something of the kind, but you don't pretend you 
 ever saw anybody do that in this country," said 
 the King. "Remember we bargained for a fool, 
 not a liar." 
 
 "Please your Majesties, my apple-howlers came 
 from the old country and brought their old cus- 
 toms and old cider bowls and jugs with 'em. And 
 they cut down the sugar trees planted by God and 
 planted apple trees in their places." 
 
 "You mean the maple trees that the old explor- 
 ers fancied were going to supply the whole world 
 with sugar. Your apple-howlers showed a better 
 wisdom. You must have been a fool to have ob- 
 jected to that," said the Caliph. 
 
 144 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "But I wasn't ; I was only a parson and I didn't 
 pay any attention to 'em 'til they got hold of one 
 of my flock and begun to make a howler of him." 
 
 "How was that? Did they drag him off and make 
 him howl against his will?" asked the Caliph. 
 
 "No not exactly, but it amounted to the same 
 You see there was a girl among the tribe; an' he 
 fell in love with her, then he was on hand to help 
 'em do their howling or anything else. He went 
 so far as to say that Twelfth-Night with its ap- 
 ple-howhng wasn't any more heathenish than 
 Christmas with its Santa Claus that children were 
 taught to believe brought them the presents prayed 
 for ; and so he went in with them and they worked 
 the thing up into a fine feast. He and the girl 
 bought colored lights and put on the extra touches, 
 you see." 
 
 "Was she a handsome girl?" asked the Caliph- 
 ess. 
 
 "Yes, very handsome, and saucy to match. Of 
 the kind, that if she broke into a church, would 
 make terrible havoc with the young men and par- 
 alyze the pastor's influence. I wouldn't risk that. 
 I built up the church with my own work and mon- 
 ey. It was awful weak when I begun, but I man- 
 aged to get lots of valuable folks into it, and it 
 occurred to me it was high time to gather in the 
 well-to-do heathens. Their orchards had become 
 very valuable property and they were coming 
 into social prominence. I decided to make my first 
 attack against the ungodly tribe on their next 
 
 10 I4t5 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 feast day and capture them and bring them into 
 my church and under my influence, or spoil them, 
 especially the girl." 
 
 "You must have been a devil of a parson," said 
 the Caliph, savagely. "Were you a married man.?" 
 
 "No," said Cockney, "but I was just as good 
 as one for the church. I was a woman hater." 
 
 "Then you were a tragic parson," said the 
 Queen, "a good mate for old Euripides, the tragic 
 poet. You should have taken warning by him. He 
 was a woman hater, you remember, but he married 
 twice and was finally torn to pieces by — dogs." 
 
 Dogney set up such a terrific howling that 
 Pigney, Catney and Horsney all joined in, mak- 
 ing a very savage sounding affair out of it. 
 
 After the tumult was queUed, Cockney said: 
 
 "No, your Majesties; I was not torn to pieces, 
 when I called to convert that tribe, but they made 
 fun of me — Vhich was almosd; worse." 
 
 146 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE FOOL, THE DEVIL AND THE ftUEEN. 
 
 //"W" attacked the father first," continued the 
 ^ ~ ■ Fool. "He had no reverence for anything 
 
 T 
 
 ■ under the face of the light of the sun and 
 moon. He not only made fun of me but 
 of greater ones than I. So you see I was in good 
 company at least." 
 
 "Greater than you! you with the fool-star of 
 Destiny in your forehead ! You who were blocked 
 out in the beginning to be a court jester! Who 
 could be greater.'"' asked the King. 
 
 "O, William the Conqueror, Cromwell, Napoleon 
 and several other old saints and warriors," re- 
 plied Cockney. 
 
 "What did the father say about William the 
 Conqueror.""' asked the Queen. 
 
 "He said he was a land grabber. That he took 
 the people's land from them and allowed them to 
 stay on it provided they would fight his horrid old 
 battles for him free of charge and furnish their 
 own implements to do it with." 
 
 "That was very sharp practice, if it were true," 
 said the King. 
 
 147 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "I couldn't prove it wasn't true, your Majesties, 
 so I mentioned Cromwell as an offset to such nig- 
 gardliness ; but he said 'old Crum paid his soldiers 
 so high that everybody wanted to be one; so the 
 few that were left had to be worked and taxed to 
 death to keep the soldiers stuffed and strutting." 
 
 "Indeed, that's a new view of the great war im- 
 prover's method," said the Caliph. 
 
 "He said there was no such thing as improving 
 war. France tried to improve it by conscription 
 and England by amalgamating the War OfBce 
 with the Horse Guards." 
 
 "Pretty good!" laughed the King. What 
 next.?" 
 
 "When I insisted that war must have improved, 
 as it was now conceded to be a noble art, especially 
 in France, he said he 'couldn't see anything noble 
 in leading a lot of poor soldiers like sheep to the 
 slaughter;' and when I tried to down him by as- 
 serting that the French nobility fought their own 
 battles in the good old times, he said : 'Yes, they 
 pretended to, but they surrounded themselves with 
 a body-guard of servants — made embankments of 
 them (so to speak) instead of mud and stone — 
 that human flesh was dirt cheap in those awfully 
 good old French times, and cheaper than horse 
 flesh even in Napoleon's time — that this greatest 
 of all generals told his aid-de-camp to "take good 
 care of the horses for they cost money, but no 
 matter about the soldiers, they could be got for 
 nothing.' " 
 
 148 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "What could you say to such a horrible accusa- 
 tion as that?" asked the Cahphess. 
 
 "Oh, nothing. I knew if I disputed it he'd 
 give chapter and verse, and, begging your Majes- 
 ties' pardon, the chapter and verse of history can't 
 be disputed any more than the chapter and verse 
 of the Bible." 
 
 "It seems that even a fool sometimes knows 
 when to keep silence," laughed the King. 
 
 "Yes, your Majesties; but I didn't keep silence 
 exactly. Perhaps it would have been better for 
 me, or for the war-cause, if I had ; but I didn't. I 
 branched oflF onto the Holy Wars. Well, begging 
 your Majesties' pardon, you ought to have wit- 
 nessed that scene. If I had shot Mother Colton 
 straight through the heart she couldn't have be- 
 haved worse, and as for Father Colton, he scouted 
 the whole batch of Holy Wars, from first to ninth- 
 ly. He compared St. Bernard's Holy Experiment 
 with WilKam Penn's Holy Experiment and called 
 it a very unholy thing. He said 'Bernard gave 
 battle-axes to the white-handed children and Penn 
 gave peace-pipes to the red-handed Indians." 
 
 "I incline to think he was right on that point. 
 He must have been a Quaker — a good staunch old 
 Quaker of the kind that would lay down even hfe 
 itself for love and peace," said the Queen, blush- 
 ing prettily under the King's admiring gaze. 
 
 "His wife was, but he wasn't even a good whole 
 Quaker. The inconsistent old wretch!" exclaimed 
 Cockney, angrily. 
 
 149 
 
Prophet of jPeace 
 
 "But it seems he believed in it more than he did 
 in any other religion," said the Caliph. "No doubt, 
 he loved his wife all the more for her sweet belief." 
 
 "O, yes ; he seemed to be dreadfully fond of her 
 — casting sheep's eyes at her every other minute, 
 as though ihe thought she was the most desirable 
 object in existence," sneered Cockney. 
 
 "Thou fool! Was there anything wrong about 
 that.''" demanded the Caliph, glancing lovingly at 
 the Cahphess. 
 
 "No, your Majesties; but he had such awful 
 original ideas about other things." 
 
 "Mention a few of the most original ones," 
 commanded the Caliphess. 
 
 "jHe said Yankee soldiers got so desperate wait- 
 ing for a chance to fight that they stamped holes 
 in the ground. He thought it was a burning shame 
 to make so many holes in the ground and not 
 plant anything in them, when there was so much 
 planting to be done. He said it was a ridiculous sin 
 to kill off any kind of folks in a country where 
 there wasn't more than one person to ten thousand 
 acres of land. He said, mother and me knew an 
 artist once, who had an order from an EngUsh 
 lord to paint a fine picture of William the Con- 
 queror leading His Troops to Battle and that he 
 pictured him on a splendid horse, followed by a 
 lot of rag-tags armed with rakes and rails, shovels 
 and hoes and mops and brooms. They had a flag 
 on which was inscribed, 'Groing to fight for him 
 and furnish our own implements.' " 
 
 150 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "I can't see anything awful about his ideas, 
 though they may be original," said the Queen, 
 who had recovered from her blushings sufficiently 
 to attend to her question duties. "Even originality 
 is no longer considered a crime in this country. 
 The lives of men ought to be considered very 
 precious indeed. Men are certainly very valuable 
 on farms and such places, if they will only settle 
 down and work bravely for their wives and chil- 
 dren. From what you have said I conclude that 
 the Coltons were a good, honest, peaceful, much- 
 loving, hard-working family and the mother at 
 least was a member of the Society of Friends." 
 
 "Yes, your Majesties, but the inconsistency, the 
 mockery, the apple-howling and the ungodly fid- 
 dle ! They were enough to make George Fox and 
 William Penn appear from their graves !" 
 
 "But they didn't appear, did they?" asked the 
 Caliphess, saucily. 
 
 "No! no! but the awful girl came down on me 
 then and there. That is, she dismissed me with the 
 same words that I used to dismiss the camp-meet- 
 ing which she attended. Then I swore off on con- 
 verting them and turned devil and scared them all 
 to pieces — ^the girl into the asylum, the lover out 
 of the country, the parents and two sons of the 
 tribe into their graves, and the residue into schools 
 and colleges." 
 
 "You say you scared the residue of the Colton 
 sons into schools and colleges; what an absurd 
 
 151 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 statement!" exclaimed the King. "How could you 
 do such a singular thing. ?" 
 
 "I beg your Majesties' pardon. I don't remem- 
 ber just how I did it; perhaps I made it sort of 
 pokerish for them to stay at home," replied Cock- 
 ney. "I scared them all ofF, anyhow, besides giv- 
 ing their apple trees something stronger than 
 cider to drink. I rid the neighborhood of the 
 whole tribe with their cider-drinking and apple- 
 howling, which they were trying to set up against 
 wine-drinking and camp-meeting howling; and 
 when I got the work all done to my satisfaction, I 
 preached a sermon to my flock about the ungodly 
 girl who was stricken down by the Almighty for 
 her sins ; but after I'd got it all nicely laid onto 
 the Lord's shoulders, I was struck down myself, 
 and when I got up I was a fool." 
 
 Very few of Cockney's listeners knew how much 
 truth there was in his story. There were fewer 
 stiU who did not feel that it had a local signifi- 
 cance, and probably not one who did not wish to 
 know the fate of the poor girl who was scared into 
 the asylum. In fact, the CaUph was just going 
 to ask the question when Mr. Campbell came upon 
 the stage with the man that had attracted Aga- 
 tha's attention. 
 
 "Professor Sylvanus !" exclaimed Harry and the 
 Cahph, "but what brought you here.'' Has the 
 college burst up.'"' said Harry. 
 
 "No; something's wrong here, though, but I 
 must explain to all." 
 
 152 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 The explanation was to the effect that a band of 
 roughs dressed up as devils and ghosts were com- 
 ing to frighten and break up the company. Their 
 first move would be to touch off a quantity of ex- 
 plosives under the windows to represent the day 
 of judgment. Then the plan was to march in and 
 create a great confusion by extinguishing all the 
 lights they conveniently could, after which they 
 would seize hold of such persons as they chose 
 and give them an extra scaring. Having acci- 
 dentally overheard the plan, the professor could 
 not say who was to have the extra scaring. No 
 names were mentioned but, those of the "big feeling 
 college f eUers ;" but the chief devil had taken great 
 pains to convince his followers that there was 
 some one who must be left absolutely to his mercy. 
 Some one, he said, who was here against the wish- 
 es of friends, and had treated pious folks very 
 shabbily. 
 
 "Of course Mr. Campbell could prevent them 
 from entering the house," said the professor, "but 
 he thinks best to let them in and see just what 
 villainy they are up to ; for it struck me there 
 was villainy of some kind afoot; if so it is better 
 to catch them in the act, unsheet and unhorn them 
 and find out who they are." 
 
 "Luckily," said Campbell, "we have enough 
 good swords here to quell a much larger army of 
 devils than we are likely to have. I call them good 
 swords because they are made priucipally of paste- 
 board and with no intent to kill ; but lest they 
 
 153 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 should prove to be too good, I will add 
 a few. ropes and canes, with the under- 
 standing that you are to make no move- 
 ment on the horde until they have laid hands 
 on some one or made it plain what they intended 
 to do. Then you may rush to the rescue. Be 
 careful, though, not to hurt them seriously. We 
 don't believe in killing even scoundrels; we want 
 them to repent and live." 
 
 The company clapped their hands and seemed 
 delighted with the curious turn of affairs — :all ex- 
 cept the Queen, Agatha Evans. As Mr. Campbell 
 finished his instruction she turned pale and shiv- 
 ered from head to foot. 
 
 "Hide me, Harry! Hide me! It's Jim Sharp, I 
 know it is, and he means me! me!" 
 
 "What makes you think so?" whispered Harry. 
 
 "Because he's always been following me and 
 frightening me and saying dreadful things ; and 
 I hate him and he knows it ; and he'd drag me off 
 and murder me if he could — I know he would. 
 Hide me somewhere, Harry, good Harry!" 
 
 " Let him dare to touch you !" muttered Harry, 
 turning back his sleeve. "There's muscle enough 
 for him." 
 
 "But he carries firearms and he'll kiU you ; and 
 all because I am here. O, I must go away !" 
 
 Agatha started up with the wild idea of get- 
 ting out of the house. 
 
 "Agatha! Agatha! listen to me," said Harry, 
 catching her hand and drawing her back, "I will 
 
 154- 
 
THE HORRID HORNEIi hE\"lI. ANTi HIS CREW. 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 not let you go. I can defend myself and you, too, 
 from that scoundrel. Trust me and fear nothing. 
 As you have been my charming queen in the play, 
 be my queen now in grand earnest." 
 
 A silence hke the pause between a drama and 
 a farce suddenly fell upon the guests. Then a 
 big noise — a sort of "a flash in the pan crack of 
 doom." and everybody laughed. 
 
 "Hist !" said the professor. "Spirits come soft- 
 ly shod. Remember your role. Appear to be 
 frightened, but don't be." 
 
 A moment after the hall door opened as with a 
 gust of wind, the haU hghts went out, there was 
 a pattering of stockened feet and the horrid horn- 
 ed chief appeared with a body-guard of imps bear- 
 ing small brimstone lights. Like other chiefs, the 
 chief devil had his subaltern officers. They were 
 dressed in masks to simulate red eyes, lolhng ton- 
 gues, and other frightful deformities. In fact, 
 there was an odor of the genuine Hades in their 
 diabolical ranks that was not to be laughed at, 
 and the counterfeited alarm of the guests exceed- 
 ed Mr. Campbell's expectation. Even he felt a 
 slight thrill of fear as he noticed the brawny pro- 
 pertions of the chief devil, whose heavy muscular 
 limbs were left untrammeled, as though prepared 
 for a serious fray. "Encouraged by the well-ac- 
 ted panic, they began with hoarse mutterings and 
 warnings, which increased in volume until they 
 sounded like the brayings of a herd of mules, 
 chopped up into words and sentences, such as — 
 
 166 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "woe to ye" — "mockers and defilers of religion !" 
 — -"judgment is at hand!" 
 
 The chief seemed especially and horribly tri- 
 umphant. He marched his devUish horde to the 
 foot of the stage and ascended the steps with great 
 outspread hands, which had been painted black 
 with white knuckles, to make them look as horny 
 as possible. 
 
 "Agatha Evans !" roared he, "your hour is at 
 hand." 
 
 Every eye was watching him. Every arm was 
 prepared for defense. Harry was fairly aching 
 to leap upon him and hurl him from the room ; but 
 nobody was prepared for the scene which took 
 place. Queen Agatha arose with a gesture of 
 command, and confronted the horrible wretch. 
 
 "It is you, James Sharp !" she cried. "I would 
 know you through a hundred disguises! You! 
 who sold your soul to Satan long ago and are 
 clad in your proper garb at last! You, who have 
 followed me with your vile and hated attentions 
 for two long wretdhed years ! You, who have made 
 my hfe a terror because you could not bend me to 
 your foul will ! You, who have come here to-night 
 with your deluded followers, not to mete out pun- 
 ishment for sin as you pretend, but to wreak your 
 vengeance on me; I scorn, defy and denounce 
 you, in the name of all that's sacred, innocent and 
 good ! And I warn you to turn now and flee from 
 the wrath that is preparing for you! Hide your- 
 self in the farthermost hollows of the earth until 
 
 156 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 you can come forth a new man with a regenerated 
 human soul ! Fly while you may ! I am queen 
 here to-night and a score of brave men are wait- 
 ing to seize you and give you over to the justice, 
 which would bring your mother's gray head to the 
 grave. Disobey my order and it will be done." 
 
 "Away!" cried the Queen, raising both hands 
 and rushing toward him, as thought she would 
 force him to go by the added power of a nearer 
 presence. The King stood at her back with his pa- 
 per sword, but he looked daggers. 
 
 The monster stood for a moment irresolute. One 
 homy hand made a slight backward movement, but 
 was clutched by the other, as though held from 
 murderous intent. Then he rolled his great head to 
 one side and saw that the guests were armed and 
 ready for him. Also, that his company had re- 
 treated to the door and were huddHng there in 
 panic-stricken groups; and, making a low bow to 
 the Queen, he marched silently out with the dignity 
 of a fallen Lucifer of the first brand. 
 
 157 
 
CHAPTER XVn. 
 
 O turn your searchligbt on ttie evil roots. 
 
 The out-penned, crime-curst spots — the devil's nooks ! 
 Cry "iKilt" to wars of violence and blood-smirched fame 
 Cry "down" to greed and monumental shame — 
 
 Cry "hush" to diamond beggars throned in state 
 Who'd skim starred gems from bluest heaven and blackest 
 hell 
 
 And' the resentful bosom of the earth as well. 
 
 Du. cassidy's exposition of the mental beute. 
 
 EVENTS do not die for lack of the prac- 
 ticed historian. They are written on hu- 
 t man hearts or photographed on human 
 brains with a distinctness which calls for 
 little else than the clear-seeing eye and patient 
 spirit to gather them together and clothe them 
 with their true significance. 
 
 The statement made by Dr. Cassidy in his rep- 
 resentation of Parson Shelby, under the guise of 
 Cockney, in the Twelfth-Night play, to the effect 
 that he had rid himself of the Colton sons by 
 scaring them into schools and colleges, was not as 
 absurd as it appeared. It was made to elicit 
 rather than give information. He was the new 
 physician at the Shelby asylum and Guhelma Col- 
 
 158 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 ton was his patient. He had his theory with re- 
 gard to her retention there and the disruption of 
 the Colton family, but he had come to a stand- 
 still in his quest for proofs with which to prop 
 his theory; so, when pressed by the King to fur- 
 nish said proofs, he could do no better than to try 
 the comic dodge and run to cover under the "loss 
 of memory" plea, as many an actual witness in an 
 actual court had done before him. 
 
 It was a whimsical idea, but there was a serious 
 one back of it. From such bits of gossip and in- 
 formation as he had been able to gather, he had 
 formed a very correct idea of Parson Shelby's 
 character. It was of the Machivaelian type — a 
 type tihat could do more harm to open-hearted 
 non-resident people than any other type in exis- 
 tence — "^a type of mental brute," he said to Mr. 
 Campbell during the preparation of his role, 
 "that is getting to be more and more in evidence 
 year by year, and if let to go on in its perilous 
 ways, will ere long disrupt the whole social fabric." 
 
 "Ah ! I understand you, said Campbell. "When 
 the devil of invention makes a gun that will mow 
 down a whole regiment at one shot, the destruc- 
 tion of the world will be at hand — that is, if 
 enough fools can be found to use such vile, life- 
 destroying instruments ; but let us hope that the 
 world will be 'fertile' in wise people instead of 
 fools when that time comes ; meanwhile we must 
 thank God for poor Gulielma that the parson was 
 a mental instead of a physical brute." 
 
 159 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "Yes, Yes!" replied the doctor; "but, being 
 a mental brute, he saw clearly that the next work 
 for him to do, after getting her into the asylmn 
 and having her pronounced hopelessly insane, was 
 to separate her as far as possible from her rela- 
 tives. Me saw that it would not be safe to allow 
 the Colton sons to keep a strong hold of their 
 fine farms and become a power in the community. 
 In such case they would be almost sure, sooner 
 or later, to unearth the fraud which was being 
 perpetrated on one of their number. But how 
 to get them away quickly and keep them away; 
 that was the question." 
 
 Campbell shook his head. "It's beyond me, 
 doctor ; I can't see how he could have scared them 
 into schools and colleges, as you have it in the 
 play." 
 
 "And yet they went," replied the doctor; "You 
 yourself have told me so. Two years after the 
 9)bduction not a member of the Colton famiHes 
 remained on the farms. It looks for all the world 
 like a panic. Not a physical panic, exactly, which 
 makes people scramble over each other to get 
 out of a burning building, but a deep-seated soul 
 panic, brought on by a succession of shocks or 
 misfortunes, with society's cold shoulder to help 
 it along." 
 
 "But the sons were young and healthy and 
 hardy. They could not have been easily scared; 
 or at least they would have recovered easily." 
 
 "Why easily, Campbell? Think of that terrible 
 
 160 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 first shock! The awful night spent in hunting 
 and calling for the lost girl — the only sister — 
 the adorable cousin! How would you have felt 
 had it been your daugthter?" 
 
 "Good God ! I should have died," groaned Camp- 
 bell. 
 
 "They did die, the father and mother and uncle 
 and aunt and her youngest brother and cousin; 
 so you have told me, Campbell. Do you not think 
 the oithers must have received an awful shock?" 
 
 "Surely, they must, Doctor." 
 
 "And do not you perceive that they had no 
 chance to recover from the initial shock before 
 others came and others.? You know what they 
 were, CampbeU." 
 
 "Yes, I know, doctor. There was a whole 
 string of misfortunes up to the date when the last 
 af the cousins went to college. The brothers went 
 first, but I fail to see the parson's hand in any- 
 thing so beneficent. If he had killed them or got 
 rid of them in some secret way — ^poisoned them, 
 as I suspect he did -fihe fruit trees — I could under- 
 stand it easily enough." 
 
 "No, no ! Campbell ! You forget that he was 
 not of the kind to soil his hands with htunan gore, 
 though, like some of the government brutes, he 
 would not scruple to incite others to do it. He 
 would not stop to poison human beings though 
 he might poison their fruit trees and cattle, or 
 even poison the minds of the commimity against 
 them. He was simply a mental brute." 
 
 11 161 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "I stand corrected, doctor, but I can't quite see 
 how he could manage to get them all off to college 
 so slick and clean even if he had wanted to." 
 
 "You have heard of people taking advantage 
 of the tide in order to do things quickly and 
 easily, have you not, Campbell?" 
 
 "Certainly, doctor." 
 
 "The mental brute would be likely to know that 
 the Coltons had saved up money, not only to pur- 
 chase exemption for their sons in case of war, but 
 for their education in college." 
 
 "Yes, doctor ; it was a weU-known fact. They 
 were anxious to have their children highly edu- 
 cated — 'liberally educated,' they called it. They 
 purposed to send them to colleges where hberal- 
 ism was taught in all branches, especially in re- 
 ligion." 
 
 "And they went to just such kind of colleges^ 
 Campbell.?" 
 
 "Yes, doctor." 
 
 "And they did not come back, Campbell?" 
 
 "No, nor the resolute lover, either ; but I don't 
 see how Parson Shelby could have prevented any 
 of them from coming back even while he was liv- 
 ing, and he has been dead these five years." 
 
 "But his uncle. Dr. Darling, the girl's keeper, 
 has died recently; his mother, old Poll, still lives, 
 so does the asylum slander, and society's cold 
 shoulder is still in full force." 
 
 "But they must all be mature men now. Keep- 
 
 162 
 
OLD POLL STILL LIVES 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 ing them away must have become a very difficult 
 matter, even if it were not originally so." 
 
 "No, Campbell, not so difficult as you think, 
 after the lines were all laid by the far-seeing ment- 
 al brute. Have you never heard that college life 
 and education are antagonistic to farm life and 
 work.?" 
 
 "Yes, doctor, but it ought to be the reverse." 
 
 "Have you not heard that when the finest and 
 most adorable member of a family or clan faUs 
 into ruin or disgrace, the whole family or clan 
 must suffer the consequences.?" 
 
 "Such is the fiat of society, but it is cruel and 
 idiotic." 
 
 "Have you not heard, Mr. Campbell, that busi- 
 ness is business, and that managers of insane asy- 
 lums have been known to fail to note or report 
 cases of recovered reason among their best-pay- 
 ing patients.?" 
 
 "Lord save us, doctor ! Whither are we drifting ? 
 Is the 'Profession of Medicine,' like the 'Profes- 
 sion of Arms,' threatening to become such a huge 
 incorporaited business affair as to endanger the 
 health of the world.? Is the individual to be sac- 
 rificed to the glory of the profession? Are the 
 poor creatures who are saved from the warrior's 
 sword doomed to die under the surgeon's knife, 
 or have their wits dethroned by the vicious use of 
 opiates .?" 
 
 "No, Campbell; not if we who see the danger 
 will come bravely to the front and oppose this 
 
 163 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 diabolical business twist which is being given to so 
 many of the organizations of the present day. If 
 we go on sailing with the tide, I trust you will 
 know about where we will land. To begin with, 
 Campbell, there should be no such business as the 
 business of administering to the sick. As soon as 
 it becomes a business, there comes the temptation 
 for the doctor to keep his patients sick instead of 
 making them well. Only think of it ! What an 
 opportunity for the unscrupulous medical practi- 
 tioner ! All he has to do, to coin money, is to 'get 
 a corner' on the genus homo, — drug and dose his 
 best-paying patients and keep them on his pay roll 
 for life ! If business lags, he can easily get up a 
 small pox scare. When we add to the old tricks 
 of the trade the new inventions, the wonderful ap- 
 pliances for looking into people and cutting them 
 up, the outlook for the medical financier is simply 
 tremendous ! He threatens to hold all the other 
 great financiers of the world in the hoUow of his 
 hand! Just fancy an old biUion-dollar financier 
 charging the celebrated medical financier (who is 
 dancing attendance on his family) with 'inflating' 
 their imaginations and 'watering' their medicine! 
 Eh, Campbell.? Would it not be a fitting scene 
 for the laughter of the immortal Jove?" 
 
 "Truly," laughed Campbell, "but I don't see 
 what we can do about it, unless we shoulder it 
 onto the goverment, and I fancy it would be rath- 
 er a heavy load." 
 
 "Aye, Campbell, but the goverment can lighten 
 
 164. 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 the load. Once let it take hold of the matter and it 
 can see to it that the people are kept well instead 
 of sick. We have a health department or a skeleton 
 of one now for the cities. Let it be perfected and 
 extended throughout the country, and have medi- 
 cal practitioners all along the Hne. If an occa- 
 sional money deficit should occur, government need 
 not worry about it any more than it does about 
 the deficit in the postal department. Good health 
 is surely more important than three mails per 
 day." 
 
 "I see, I see, doctor. The country could be 
 di^^ded into districts and a doctor appointed for 
 each district, and given a good living salary to 
 keep the people in health and in good healthy sur- 
 roundings. We ought to work for it with might and 
 main. But I wonder, doctor, how you could have 
 been induced to enter the medical profession when 
 you knew the temptations in wait. To the poor 
 fellow it must be overpowering." 
 
 "I didn't know when I sitarted out any more than 
 your boy, Harry, did, Campbell. As soon as I 
 found it out, I hoped to evade it by finding em- 
 ployment in an institution (a coward's device), 
 but when I got to the Shelby Institution I found 
 myself in the thick of it, and but for you — •" 
 
 "I understand, doctor, and I stand converted. 
 You have helped me more than I have helped you. 
 I see now that I ought long ago to have given a 
 helping hand to those good, honest, industrious, 
 peace-loving people. I felt sure they were being 
 
 165 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 wronged, but of course I did not know how great- 
 ly. I might have known, however, if I had joined 
 with them and investigated the matter as I had an 
 opportunity of doing." He thought of Indian Jin- 
 ny and added, "I might have known if I had 
 followed the gleam. Eh, Campbell?" 
 
 "Yes doctor I'm more than converted, I'm con- 
 science smitten. I feel Uke a first class criminal. 
 I may as well make a clean breast of it. Did you 
 ever see Injun Jinny?" 
 
 "Yes, she comes to the asylum to see Guliehna, 
 and every time she comes she seems happier and 
 happier." 
 
 "Well, doctor, I believe if I had followed that 
 brig'ht httle Indian woman's lead I could have 
 saved Guhelma Colton from nine horrible years ! 
 It's monstrous ! I ought to be arrested, imprisoned 
 and spat upon!" 
 
 "Convince me Campbell and perhaps I'll have 
 your sentences carried out," laughed the doctor. 
 
 Campbell told the story without gloss or reser- 
 vation. When he had finished the two men clasp- 
 ed hands. They understood each other to the core. 
 
 "Here's my pledge for the reestabhshment of 
 those that are left," said Campbell. 
 
 "By that sign you shall go free," said doctor 
 Cassidy, solemnly ; "for they are the kind of peo- 
 ple we must have or perish. People who believe 
 in honest work and practice it! People who till 
 the soil and raise fruits with intelKgent care, and 
 are happy in so doing. Who put away all danger- 
 
 166 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 ous and brutal shows and amusements, hke cock- 
 fights, baseball and football, who indulge only in 
 those that tend to strengthen the body and elate 
 the spirits, like dancing and gymnastics. Who 
 avoid aU sorts of games with wihich people 'beat 
 each other' and stir up strife and hatred. Who 
 eschew all intemperance of speech or living. Who 
 absolutely refuse to go to war for their own coun- 
 try or any other." 
 
 "But the dancing and the show and the gay rib- 
 bons. The staunch old Friend Society would have 
 none of them," said Campbell. 
 
 "I confess myself to be in favor of the reformed 
 or progressive order," said Cassidy. "Healthy 
 amusements, harmless shows and inexpensive dress, 
 such as the inner light approves, is the kind for 
 me. Mather Colton's Quakerism may not be of 
 the old, old style, but it is good enough. A lov- 
 ing, true and tolerant spirit breathes through it 
 all. If George Fox could come back to-day no 
 doubt he would change many of the non-essentials 
 of the faith and make it's practice more in har- 
 raany with other sects. It is sound at the core — 
 founded on a rock that cannot change as long as 
 the world stands." 
 
 167 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 God knows and all men know, or should. 
 
 That murder-work breeds murdering brood; 
 That ail things bard and foul and wrong. 
 Beget a curse, in place of sainitly song. 
 
 What then of ghastly wars, of brutal laws. 
 
 Of slimy walls, of cruel bars. 
 
 Of stinging lines, of high divides? — 
 
 Be still! the heaven-wide answer comes. 
 Down with them all, forever down! 
 
 BACK TO THE COLTON HOUSE THE I^AST FAEE- 
 
 WELl,. 
 
 / / ^"^ O on, doctor," said Campbell, in a 
 m thick voice. "Tell me all about 
 
 ^L ■ that brute's doings." 
 ^^"^ "I can't go on, Campbell. I 
 have got to the end of my rope. Another plunge 
 and I should be out at sea. You must remember 
 that the mental brute works in secret, under the 
 closely-curtained dome of the brain. His eyes 
 are port-holes, into which it is useless to look for 
 light as long as he is "in the flesh," and unfort- 
 unately his devious deeds are not written on his 
 bones ; otherwise I should be engaged about now 
 digging somebody up." 
 
 168 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 Dr. Cassidy's idea of the mental brute is obvious- 
 ly correct. We may as well remain in outer dark- 
 ness as to try to gather information from such a 
 source. That the parson, whom he believed to be 
 the chief conspirator against Gulielma Oolton, was 
 an unalloyed mental brute, is equally plain ! but he 
 was dead, and it is not likely that he ever told even 
 his motiher of his worst acts, or of any acts which 
 he could not account for on righteous grounds ; 
 stiU a httle more light may be thrown on the sub- 
 ject by going back again to the old Colton house 
 and viewing a scene which occurred there the year 
 after the daughter's incarceration in the asylum. 
 
 Twelfth Day has come again, but the house 
 shows no signs of young life. The blinds are clos- 
 ed and the curtains drawn. The thin gray smoke 
 from the huge kitchen chimney is barely discern- 
 able. The front yard is an unbroken mound of 
 snow. A sohtary sleigh track is the only exter- 
 nal evidence that anyone has come or gone. Inside 
 of the house there is no one astir except Mother 
 Colton, and she is but the Shadow of her former 
 self. She has never recovered from the shock of her 
 daughter's abduction and the sad events which fol- 
 lowed quickly on. The youngest son had been 
 broken-tieiarted over his sister's loss and she had 
 closed his loving eyes in death. All the other sons 
 are far away, and the neighbors pay her scant at- 
 tention. Her husband did not wish to leave her 
 alone "this day of all days," but there was very 
 important business to be done, and he must go. 
 
 169 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 She had helped him off with cheerful words — 
 tying the warm comforter around his neck, just as 
 she had done for forty years or more ; and now she 
 is tottering from room to room, putting things to 
 rights with her thin hands. After completing the 
 work, she sits down to rest; but she does not sit 
 long. She rises up with a pink glow on her cheeks 
 and mounts the stairs in eager haste. She enters 
 a large square room. It is the "boys' room." 
 There is a bed in each corner. Each one is drap- 
 ed in immaculate white, and has an odor of laven- 
 der and myrrh. Over the heads of the beds hang 
 the portraits of the five sons. She looks and smiles 
 sweetly upon them, one by one. She pats each 
 pillow, picks a bit of lint from one, a dead fly 
 from another and from another a httle black spi- 
 der. Then she goes into GuHelma's room, kneels 
 down by the bed, buries iher face in the pUlow, and 
 S'obs aloud. It is the cry of the mother's heart for 
 the child that is dead to her and yet liveth. 
 
 After the bitterness of the agony is over, she 
 rises and goes to a big clothes-press and opens an 
 old sandal-wood trunk. One that they had 
 brought with them from England, oh, so many 
 years ago ! It contains their wedding garments, 
 she takes her own out, one by one — kerchiefs of 
 fine lace and mull, shawls and slippers of delicate 
 cinnamon-colored satin, and a dress of shining 
 silvery-gray silk, in the pocket of which is a half- 
 cake of rare-perfumed soap — the best that could 
 be found in London — the kind that the Queen used 
 
 170 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 for her morning bath. Suddenly, a happy thought 
 seems to strike her. She gathers up the garments 
 and hastens down to her room. She bathes her- 
 self with great care, using the rare soap and a 
 fine old Hnen towel. She arrays herself in her 
 wedding garments, donning at last the dehcate 
 cap that covers like a film of cloud her shining 
 hair. She looks in the mirror, and lo, she is a 
 bride again ! Then she lies down to sleep and 
 dreams. When she awoke her husband was enter- 
 ing the door. 
 
 "Motiher, mother!" he exclaimed, as she sprang 
 up and looked at him with a smiling face, "what 
 wondrous change is this.? What new thing is it 
 you 'ave on.-"' 
 
 "New !" laughed Mother Colton. "Look again ! 
 Thy memory is short; look again and thee will 
 see it is very old." 
 
 "O, mother! its the wedding dress! Why 'ave 
 you put it on.?" 
 
 "0, father, I know not why. The spirit moved 
 me to do it, and so it is done." 
 
 "I doubt me not it was a happy thought, moth- 
 er. It has made you look so young. Not a day 
 older—" 
 
 "Hist, father! Tell me how it hath fared with 
 thee this day." 
 
 "Aye, mother, as well as it con in this un'appy 
 world, I'm thinking. They were all there. The 
 great city doctor and lawyer and the officers and 
 managers, and their testimonies were all against 
 
 171 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 our hopes. They proved it all out plainer thon 
 it's ever been made before. Our poor girl's mind 
 will never come back again, but her sweet body will 
 'ave the best of care and lodgment as long as it 
 stays in this world. It costs a bit of money, moth- 
 er, but we would 'ave none but the very best. Twen- 
 ty doUans a week, mother, but the farm wiU bear 
 us out in it, I reckon. We wall want so little, 
 living aU alone by ourselves." 
 
 "But the boys, father ! There are rumors of war. 
 What if one should break out.? Would there be 
 enough for the ' gover'ment and the colleges and 
 the asylum, too.? Thee knows we were not think- 
 ing of the asylum when we were laying by for the 
 others." 
 
 "Aye, mother ! There must be. The asylum mon- 
 ey is taxed to the farm. The other is exempt. It 
 aU belongs to the boys. It is as safe as we con 
 make it, — eh, mother, why do you tremble so?" 
 
 "Father ! father ! I know not. A great fear 
 has hold of my heart. I almost repent me, we did 
 not bring the dear child home despite her wild im- 
 aginings, as poor Sylvanus would 'ave 'ad us do. 
 'E was a good honest lad. 'E would 'ave helped 
 us faithfully — ■ the spirit tells me so ; and thee and 
 me could 'ave seen to her every hour of the time. 
 Now we must trust to stronge hands." 
 
 "Mother ! mother ! Do not think of that ! Think 
 of the disgrace it would 'ave been to 'ave had our 
 child morry so young." 
 
 "Yes, father, in the old country ; but it's not so 
 
 172 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 here. I've heard of mony a girl marrying at fif- 
 teen with no excuse at all. But we need not 'ave 
 had them married. Poor Sylvanus ! How much 
 better it would 'ave been for him to 'ave helped 
 us try to bring her to, thon to 'ave gone and beat 
 the parson and ron away from home." 
 
 "Mother! mother! do not speak of thot. Ther's 
 a mystery about it thot none con solve. Besides 
 we could not force tihe poor child to come. Do 
 not mind me of thot dread day when we tried to 
 bring her away. It will drive me wild." 
 
 "Forgive me, father ; I wiU try not. Did thee 
 hear from the boys to-day?" 
 
 "Yes, mother, here it is — a letter from George 
 full of love to mother; but Sylvanus is not there. 
 Somebody else must 'ave sent the catalogues. I 
 could 'ave sworn they were from him." 
 
 "Father! father! It's another mystery and I 
 like it not!" 
 
 "But it's a fine college, mother, and Penn and 
 George both hke it, as you will see. Then it's only 
 a short distance from the agricultural college and 
 they con see Loe and WiU every week." 
 
 "So it appears, father," said Mother Colton, 
 after reading the letter; "but my heart is weak. 
 It takes' fright so quickly since the one great 
 fright." 
 
 "I know, mother; I know; but you must not 
 think of it so much." 
 
 "How con I help thinking, father, when every- 
 body makes me think? It's mony a day since a 
 
 173 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 neighbor has dropped m to speak, a friendly word 
 and when I meet them they look, at me ask- 
 ance. O, father, what 'ave I done that a legion 
 of enemies should encompass me about? I wish I 
 could tell thee how they seem to me when I go 
 to the asylum — the door-keeper, the nurse, the 
 doctor and all. It seems as though they were 
 doing something to our child thot we know not 
 of?" 
 
 "Mother ! mother ! It connot be. People are 
 not so bad as thot. They may think wrongly of 
 us but it is because they do not know us, so we 
 must not return evil suspicion for evil suspicion. 
 Thot is according to Friends' doctrine, and me- 
 thinks this is the time to protice it. Lie down, 
 mother, and 'ave your nap out. I fear me I 
 broke in upon it too soon." 
 
 Mother Colton laid down on the bed and closed 
 her eyes. Presently her sister and husband came 
 in, and the sisters had a little laugh and talk 
 over the wedding dress while the two brothers dis- 
 cussed their business aiFairs. They had both lost 
 some of their best fruit trees during the year, and 
 they oould not see the reason why. 
 
 "It almost seems as though it might 'ave been 
 done by prejudice," said the younger Coljton. 
 "Once or twice I've heard it hinted thot sugar 
 maples wor of more value thon the fruit trees 
 we 'ave plonted in their places." 
 
 "Whot fools," began Father Colton; but he 
 glanced at his wife and saw a spasmodic twitch- 
 
 174 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 ing of her hands and was silent. To call anyone 
 a fool was strictly against the Quaker discipline, 
 and he had promised to try to drop the habit, on 
 his wedding day. 
 
 "Father ! father !" cried Mother Colton, "go and 
 put on thy wedding garments. The trunk is open. 
 I could not bear to shut it up and leave them 
 there alone. They *ave been locked up with mine 
 so mony, mony years. Go and put them on and 
 come and speak to me in the plain longuage as 
 thee did on thy wedding day." 
 
 There was an unusual, almost an unearthly ring 
 in her voice. The sister and brother looked at 
 each other for a moment in silence. Then Father 
 Colton went up stairs like one in a dream. He 
 did as she had bidden him. He put on the fine 
 gray broad-cloth suit tihat he had worn on his 
 wedding day as a compliment to her sweet Quaker 
 faith. When he had done so he came down and 
 went to her side. 
 
 "Promise me," she said gently, "promise me as 
 thee did that day. Thou hast not forgotten the 
 words." 
 
 "I promise thee, Rebecca, that I will try never 
 again to call any human being a fool." 
 
 They clasped hands. They were bride and bride- 
 groom again as they had been forty years ago ; 
 but the rosy flush was dying out of her cheeks 
 and her eyes had a far-away look. 
 
 "Father! Father! I see! I see!" 
 
 "What is it, Rebecca? What seeest thou.?" 
 
 175 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "Father! I see what no mortal eye 'ath seen." 
 
 "Tell me what it is like, Rebecca?" 
 
 "Father ! Father ! I hear what no mortal ear 
 'ath heard." 
 
 "What hast thou heard, Rebecca ? Tell me what 
 thou hast heard." 
 
 "Father! I know whaA no mortal knoweth." 
 
 "Tell me what thou knowest, Rebecca." 
 
 "Father! see! see! Beyond the red battle field' 
 Beyond the black storm cloud ! Beyond the ghost- 
 ly ocean!" 
 
 "What is it thou see'st there, Rebecca?" 
 
 "Father! see! see! They shake hands. They 
 reason together!" 
 
 "Who are they, Rebecca?" 
 
 "William the Peace-maker! He is William the 
 Conqueror now." 
 
 "Who else is there, Rebecca?" 
 
 "See! see! Father The children are coming! 
 They that were sacrificed on their country's altar 
 — cruelly self-slain ! Their faces are scarred ! Their 
 bodies are lean and broken." 
 
 "What do they say, Rebecca?" 
 
 "Forgive ! Forgive ! We knew not what we did." 
 
 "See! see! Father!" 
 
 "What see'st thou Rebecca?" 
 
 "Gulie ! GuHe ! The poppy fields ! They are beau- 
 tiful but deadly ! It's as I told thee, father." 
 
 "O, Rebecca! Rebecca! What wouldst thou 
 'ave me do.^"' 
 
 "Nothing, more father. Legions and legions 
 
 176 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 are against us ; the ignorant and bad. They that 
 crucify the body ; they that crucify the mind ; they 
 that smite for gold; they that are crazed with 
 grief. The day is overpast." 
 
 "Forgive me, Rebecca ; forgive me. Would that 
 I could go with thee." 
 
 "See! see! father! They are coming!" 
 
 "Who are coming, Rebecca.''" 
 
 "Gulie! Sylvanus! the Ohristly child! hist fath- 
 er ! Peace be still ! See ! see ! father ! They come ! 
 They will take our places." 
 
 "Who are coming now, Rebecca.''" 
 
 "Our sons ! all except — " 
 
 "Except Barclay, mother.''" 
 
 "Barclay is coming, father. 'E beckons us — 
 thee and me. Take my hand, father! Go thou 
 with me through the valley and the dark shadow. 
 Lord! Lord! Give us peace or give us death." 
 
 Father Colton took his wife's hand in a still 
 stronger clasp. He bent over and kissed her plac- 
 id forehead. Then came the awesome silence, brok- 
 en only by the sobbings of the brother and sister. 
 When they were sure that all was over, they drew 
 near — gently, very gently, fearing to disturb the 
 grieved husband; but the fear was vain, for he 
 had gone with his wife quietly, and with a look 
 of grave determination on his dead face. 
 
 "O, how peaceful! How beautiful. Lord vouch- 
 safe it may be even so with us," said the weeping 
 sister. 
 
 The wish came remarkably near being fulfilled. 
 
 12 177 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 Ere Twelfth-Night had come again, they were ly- 
 ing side by side in the family burying ground be- 
 tween the blossoming orchards. 
 
 178 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 PROFESSOR SYLVANUS EVANS RETURNS HOME. 
 
 AS James Sharp left the Campbell house, 
 Cockney (Dr. Cassidy) who had been 
 inspecting the devil's face during the 
 scene with the absorbed interest with 
 which a physician inspects a perplexing case, 
 whispered a few words to Louis Marten and the 
 two went hastily out. Mrs. Campbell, solicitous 
 aJbout Agatha, had taken her to her room, whither 
 Harry followed, and was allowed in his capacity 
 of medical student to administer needed relief. 
 Mr. Campbell was examining his grounds and Eva 
 was left to attend to the guests, who soon dis- 
 persed, with exception of the Professor, who was 
 waiting to speak to Louis Marten. Eva took oc- 
 casion to express thanks for the information that 
 had saved them from disturbances which might 
 have proved serious indeed. 
 
 "Thanks should come from our side of the 
 house," said the Professor, "but perhaps you do 
 not know — I am the runaway son of Joshua Ev- 
 ans." 
 
 "Agatha's cousin !" exclaimed Eva. 
 
 179 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "Yes, but she's not to know it to-night. She's 
 had toio much excitement for once, and if you will 
 keep her with you for a few days, until I have ex- 
 plained the affair at home and attended to an im- 
 portant matter which will take my whole time for 
 the present, I shall be doubly obliged." 
 
 "I doubt if you could get her out of mama's 
 hands if you tried," said Eva. "You see, we think 
 it's been rather too duU for her at the old home; 
 excuse me, I thought you would know." 
 
 "Yes, I do know," replied the Professor; "and 
 then to have it haunted by that horrible creature ! 
 I used to know him. James Dusius Sharp was his 
 name. He was always a bad boy. Aggie ought 
 to have called him by his middle name. Dusius 
 means devil in old Galhc." 
 
 "Indeed!" said Eva, laughing. "Then we'll 
 call him by the pet name of Deuce after this. I 
 wonder how he happened to be so rightly named?" 
 
 As Louis did not make his appearance, the Pro- 
 fessor finally left in spite of Eva's urgent invita- 
 tion for him to spend the night. After his de- 
 parture, she went into the conservatory to see that 
 all was right there. 
 
 "Louis ! Mr. Marten !" she exclaimed, almost run- 
 ning against that gentleman, "I told the Profes- 
 sor you were not in. Why didn't you come and 
 speak to him? You must have heard him go." 
 
 liouis thrust his cane into a jar of sensitive 
 mimosa, with the glum look of one who is primed 
 for a quarrel with some sort of resentful creature. 
 
 180 
 
'r;^-^.7fr':^>CT-'-T ;-?iv:^' -t3- 
 
 -"•W"^:: 
 
 "DO Yor KNOW" Ai;r.IE AN II THE PROFESSOR ARE COUSINS 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "I thought he was well — " 
 
 "Well good-byed?" asked Eva, merrily. 
 
 Louis did not reply, but kept on plucking the 
 mimosa until every leaf bristled as though in 
 righteous anger. 
 
 "Mr. Marten," said Eva, "I can't allow you to 
 torment my poor nervous little mimosa — ^besides, 
 it isn't safe. You ought to hear the gardner on 
 that subject. He says it got so mad when he 
 transplanted it that it gave out poison odor like 
 a rattlesnake." 
 
 Louis looked up, moodily. 
 
 "Do you know, Mr. Marten, the Professor is 
 Agatha's cousin.'"' 
 
 Louis expressed no surprise. A feeling far 
 stronger had hold of him. 
 
 "The Professor is a lucky fellow," said he, 
 bluntly. "If there's anything pleasant or surpris- 
 ing to be said or done, he's always first in the 
 lists and gets the cream of thanks, gratitude, and 
 everjrthing we poor devils covet." 
 
 "Then you don't like him.?" said Eva, inclined 
 to laugh. 
 
 "Nobody can help liking him — a man that does 
 more good to women and children in the course of 
 a year than a parish priest. He seems to know 
 by instinct what villains are up to. Many a one, 
 both in and outside the college, he's cheated of his 
 victim. There's nothing like such favors for win- 
 ning ladies' hearts ; but of course it's mean to envy 
 such a fellow." 
 
 181 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 Eva thought Louis was talking absurdly, but 
 she suddenly lost all disposition to laugh at him. 
 She didn't wonder at his disappointment at the 
 breaking up of the play over which he had work- 
 ed so hard. She felt it herself. There were so 
 many funny things at the end. 
 
 "O, dear! I did enjoy it so much," said Eva, 
 naively. "If we oould only have it over again 
 next year with a new frontispiece; but there's no 
 use of wishing. If you and the Professor don't 
 cross each other, I'm afraid you and Harry will. 
 I don't know as it can be helped, though, she's so 
 splendid! But I shall try not to envy her, never- 
 theless." 
 
 "Who.? What do you mean?" asked Louis. 
 
 "Agatha, certainly," replied Eva. 
 
 Louis' jealous mood cleared up at once; but be- 
 fore he got farther than to say that it was the 
 Professor's attentions to herself which were so dis- 
 tasteful to him Eva was seized with an uncon- 
 trollable shyness, and, snatching one of the color- 
 ed tapers with which the conservatory was light- 
 ed, she ran into the hall and upstairs. Safe on 
 the upper landing, she remembered a message she 
 had to deliver, and, turning around the banis- 
 ter, she looked down on Louis' upturned face hke 
 a cherub, he thought, on a soul in purgatory. 
 Her words were surely no part of a cherubic re- 
 frain; but her fair face, illumined by the glow of 
 the colored taper held in her plump little hand, 
 was undoubtedly divine. 
 
 189 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "0, I forgot to tell you," she said, "the Profes- 
 sor will call for you at nine in the morning." 
 
 Long before that hour the Professor was on 
 his way home. He had no thought in his mind of 
 playing the role of the prodigal son. The tide of 
 sentiment was not strong enough to carry him 
 over the proper limitations. He could go as far 
 as to say I have sinned against Heaven — the pa- 
 tient Heaven that bends above us day after day — 
 for he felt now that if he could have had patience, 
 divine patience, to have stood by Gulielma Colton 
 and worked and dug and mined and pleaded for 
 the truth, no knowing what would have come of 
 it. It might have shortened her ' cruel imprison- 
 ment, for a year or a day perhaps, and that, he 
 told himself, would have been worth the labor. All 
 that he acknowledged ; but to say that he "was no 
 more worthy to be called" the son of Melissa Ev- 
 ans, was out of the question. He knew he was 
 fully as good and perhaps a little better, than such 
 a rigid, unloving mother could reasonably -ex- 
 pect. He could not even credit himself with hav- 
 ing come back on purpose to make this visit. He 
 had always had it in mind to come if the asylum 
 should change hands and there was any hope for 
 him there. And now it had changed, and he had 
 come and was hurrying home in the early dawn 
 that he might be back in time for the first asylum 
 train ; for he felt that it was important that the 
 visit should be made on Agatha's account if not 
 his own, and he would mange it so there would be 
 
 18S 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 no delay of the all-important duty on which his 
 soul was set. 
 
 In his youtih he had fought a hard battle for 
 himself and for one he loved better than himself. 
 He fought it single-handed and in vain. Now 
 he was called on to fight it over again with a pros- 
 pect of aid and with what success he had hardly 
 dared to think. Ten years was a long time. 
 How could she be brought back who had been shut 
 out of the world so long and subjected to horrors 
 which only the damned deserve? There had never 
 been any question in his mind with regard to the 
 calamity that had befallen Gulielma. She had 
 been seized and dragged off by the parson, as 
 Cockney had stated, and the Parson was Parson 
 Norman Shelby. He had said so at first and at 
 first her relatives had believed him; but the devil 
 was at work in more ways than one, and even they, 
 the father and brothers, at least, fell away from 
 him and inclined to give ear to a whispered calum- 
 ny among the asylum authorities to the effect that 
 her wrecked condition was due to has dishonorable 
 treatment, and ere he was aware of the plot against 
 him, he was prohibited from seeing her, and the 
 asylum doors were shut in his face. Then it was 
 that the suspicion came upon him that the physi- 
 cian was in collusion with the parson and the plan 
 was to keep her insane instead of curing her ; but 
 as he failed to give good proofs for so monstrous 
 a proposition, it was regarded at the very least as 
 the vagary of a love-sick lad. Up to that time 
 
 184 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 she was not a regularly accepted inmate of the 
 asylum. She had been found on the ground in an 
 unconscious condition and had been brought in 
 there, as she would have been taken to any other 
 place. — So they said. A council of physicians was 
 called as soon as she came to herself sufficiently to 
 tell her strange story. Her description of the dev- 
 il, her excited nervous condition, together with 
 the assurance of the resident physician was enough 
 to convince them of her insanity. The theory pro- 
 mulgated by these wise heads was that she had been 
 taken suddenly mad while the party was at its 
 height, had gone out and leaped upon the ice- 
 bound stream which ran past the house,, and slid 
 and ran, following its course, until her physical 
 strength was spent, which, according to the best 
 calculation they could make, would be hable to 
 happen just about the time she reached the asylum 
 grounds. As to her remaining in the asylum, 
 that must be decided by her friends, of course. 
 
 It -was at this point that he had made his hard- 
 est figtht. He begged of her parents to bring her 
 home, he would marry her, he would devote his 
 whole life to her recovery. He would consult the 
 best physicians ; but this proved to be clearly im- 
 practicable in their eyes, as every proposition to 
 that effect had been followed by an alarming con- 
 dition of the patient. Once, indeed, every ar- 
 rangement had been made to remove her, but when 
 they came to get her she was worse than she had 
 ever been — too ill, indeed, to think of it ; and after 
 
 185 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 a few more abortive attempts, she herself absolute- 
 ly refused to entertain the idea. When the last 
 attempt was made she imagined them to be a le- 
 gion of devils that had come to drag her off to 
 their den, and became so violent that the asylum 
 officers interfered in her behalf and sent the grief- 
 stricken parents away broken hearted. They also 
 sent to Sylvanus Evans the following message, pur- 
 porting to be from her : 
 
 "Tell him that he has ruined me and that I never 
 wish to see him again." 
 
 And so his last hope was slain; everybody was 
 againstt him. MeHssa, his mother, was harder than 
 aU -the rest. Whereas others had accepted Parson 
 Shelby's view or the asylum slander, she seemed 
 ^o have accepted both. High words passed be- 
 tween mother and son. He wound up by caUing 
 the parson "a mean, hypocritical, old church devil, 
 who deserved to be thrashed out of the commu- 
 ity." The next day he leaUy went and thrashed 
 him and left the country. 
 
 It all came back now, as he hastened through 
 the cold dawn over the snowy road. The old Col- 
 lon house, gleaming with festive Hght and sunset 
 glow, Guliema's pet lamb leading her a wild chase 
 through the snow-bound walk and trailing a scar- 
 let ribbon she was trying to tie around his neck. 
 Her glad look at his unexpected arrival ; the spasm 
 of anger he felt when she told him of the parson's 
 visit; the feehng of impending trouble which had 
 made him say: 
 
 186 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "Whatevei- comes, GuHe, remember I love you." 
 Yes, he could almost feel the crisp breeze that 
 hfted the mass of reddish-brown hair and spread 
 it over her shoulders like wings, as she looked 
 gravely into ihis face and rephed : 
 
 "I shall remember that as long as I shall re- 
 member anything, Sylvan." 
 
 Ten years had passed, and now he stood at his 
 mother's door, — the same old time-stained door, 
 and here wias the same mother that had looked 
 upon him with such cruel suspicion. 
 
 "You don't know me," said he tossing ofF his 
 cap. "It's so long since I ran away." 
 
 "Aye! Aye!" said Mehssa, seizing him by both 
 shoulders, " you look too much like my side of the 
 house. I'd a known you anywhere, and I knew 
 you'd come back when your jedgment had come 
 to a head." 
 
 "And I almost knew what you'd say, too, moth- 
 er — ^but father!" 
 
 Joshua had fallen down on the lounge. 
 
 "O, my son ! my son ! Bless you for coming back 
 tu us, my son! We were too hard on you! Too 
 dreadful hard. Yes, I will say it, Merlissa. It's 
 God's truth. Many's the time I've waked up in 
 the middle of tihe night an' seen it as plain es tho' 
 it had ben written on the wall with a red-hot 
 brand. An' I know t'wuden't hev appeared so of- 
 ten if it hadn't ben true. We couldn't hev expect- 
 ed you'd a stood more'n you did, Sylvanus, 'Twuz 
 us as hed orter a known how to treat a yoimg 
 
 187 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 lad. Thar's no use eddykating young-uns up high 
 an' then trying to keep 'em down low." 
 
 leather and son understood each other at last, 
 and it was in Joshua that Sylvanus found a sym- 
 pathetic listener, as he recounted the scene of the 
 previous evening and suggested that Agatha 
 should be left with the Campbells until fully recov- 
 ered from her severe nervous strain, while Melissa 
 went on with her breakfast-getting as dexterous- 
 ly as though nothing had occurred out of the oom- 
 mion course. 
 
 It was not until he spoke of leaving immediate- 
 ly after breakfast that she stopped short and said : 
 
 "Leave us so soon, Sylvanus? and what for.? 
 It seems so kind of nat'ral to hev you back." 
 
 Sylvanus took a letter from his pocket and read 
 it aloud. It was written by Louis Marten in en- 
 tire ignorance of the fact that Professor Sylvanus 
 was Sylvanus Evans and the lover of the patient 
 so graphically described. It was as follows: 
 
 Dear Professor : — In accordance with your wise 
 counsel, I introduced myself to the physician of 
 the Shelby asylum the next day after my arrival. 
 Dr. Cassidy is an enthusiast on brain diseases as 
 well as yourself, and one can't pass five minutes 
 in his presence without learning something. He 
 gave me an account of a very remarkable case 
 w'hich now occupies his attention. As I promised 
 to give yoiu notice of any interesting case here, I 
 wiU begin at once ; and that it may be truly inter- 
 
 188 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 esting, I will give it in his own words. "We of 
 the brain," said he, "have our pet patients as well 
 as others. I came here a year since and on my 
 first round I found my pet. Let me describe her. 
 Hair of reddish-brown, curhng and abundant — - 
 eyes of pulplish blue, large, brig'ht, but not star- 
 ing — expression such as I have never seen on the 
 face of the sane or insane. It aroused my inter- 
 est at once. 
 
 "How are you to-day.?" I asked. 
 
 "Better," she replied, "the devil hasn't been 
 here for two whole weeks." 
 
 "And so you don't enjoy his company .f"' 
 
 "Oh, he is frightful," she exclaimed, throwing 
 up her beautiful hands with a nervous motion. 
 
 "How does he look.?" 
 
 "Great, red, roUing eyes, flaming nostrils — his- 
 sing tongue like a big serpent's — ^black, homy 
 hands," She shut her eyes and shuddered. 
 
 "What makes him come, the scurvy fellow.?" 
 
 "Because I mocked the parson," 
 
 "Did he say so.?" 
 
 "Yes, when he dragged me off. He doesn't say 
 anything now." 
 
 "Why don't you scold him and tell him to keep 
 away ?" 
 
 "Oh, I'm so scared ! I shut my eyes against him. 
 I try to go away, but only my mind goes. My 
 body can't. My feet were frozen the night he 
 brought me here." 
 
 189 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "Where does your mind go?" 
 
 "Away, away! through waving poppy fields, 
 billow upon billow !" 
 
 "Are you sick afterwards?" 
 
 "Yes, sometimes, and sometimes dizzy, but it's 
 better than looking into the devil's horrid face." 
 
 "How often does he come?" 
 
 "As often as I begin to feel better. I feel so 
 much better now and I'm so afraid he'll come." 
 
 "But the devil came no more and there was an 
 astonishingly rapid improvement in her condition. 
 The fear of the return of what I regard as a hul- 
 lucination, still possessed her, but in less degree. 
 She began to hope. She thought of other things. 
 She talked of other days — of her old home and 
 friends. Finally she related what had occurred 
 on her last day at home. ; the Twelfth-Night prep- 
 arations ; the scene with a parson who came to 
 labor with them about the sinfulness of such amuse- 
 ments. Some parts of her story amused me great- 
 ly, especially her 'tifF with the parson;" but to 
 her it had a terrible significance, as he had wound 
 up by calling her a 'mocker,' and the devil had 
 come that very night and dragged her off." 
 
 "Then you were dreadfully frightened at what 
 the parson said," I remarked, thinking that must 
 be the sole cause of her insanity. 
 
 "No ! I never thought of being frightened until 
 the devil came and grabbed me." 
 
 "What were you doing and where were the 
 young men that they did not help you?" 
 
 190 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "The men had all gone over to Uncle's orchard," 
 she replied ; and then, looking at me intently for a 
 few moments, she added; "I have never told any- 
 body what I was doing, but I'll tell you. I went 
 down to the milk-house to get a dead hare which a 
 young man had brought me that day. Nobody 
 knew anything about it but us two. It was hid- 
 den there. I was going to put it on the spit to 
 broil. Then I was going to rejoin the girls and 
 have them help me make the young men guess 
 what it was before we let them in. It was an old 
 custom. We had never tried it before and we 
 thought it would be very funny." 
 
 "Did ywu take a light with you?" 
 
 No, I knew just where it was but as I was 
 reaching out my hand for it, the horrible devil 
 seized me and said he was going to punish me for 
 mocking the parson. And that's the last thing 
 I remember. It seems I lost my wits then, though 
 they say I lost them before," said she reflectively. 
 
 "A suspicion seized me. It was that the parson 
 and the devil were both one and the physician was 
 in collusion witih the parson. The apparition had 
 ceased two weeks before my charge began, which 
 was about the date of the physician's fatal illness. 
 I set that down as a singular fact and began to 
 investigate the case in earnest. I found that the 
 physician, Dr. Darhng, was the uncle of Parson 
 Shelby alluded to and brother to PoUy Darling 
 Shelby, the parson's mother, who had given the 
 
 191 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 money for the asylum, and that the brother and 
 sister were children of a play-a<!tor, who had lived 
 in one of the large cities and whose life business 
 it had been to take the part of devil or ghost in 
 plays where such characters occurred. That Polly 
 had been in possession of her father's stage clothes 
 after his death, was no secret to the old inhabi- 
 tants of the neighborhood. In her youth she had 
 donned a ghostly suit and frightened a very rich 
 fellow into marrying her ; a fact which she divulg- 
 ed at the birth of their first child, Norman Shelby, 
 who grew up to be a vile-looking, mean-spirited, 
 narrow-headed lad; but who, in spite of such de- 
 fects became in time the pastor of a small church 
 in the suburbs of Sidney — a mere handful of peo- 
 ple at first — 'but he built it up in some mysterious 
 way. The asylum was its outgrowth. His mother 
 gave the beautiful site. Her brother was called 
 from unknown parts and became the resident phy- 
 sician, and the family came into power. At this 
 point a lover comes in, a son of a prominent mem- 
 ber of Parson Shelby's church. Strangely enough, 
 he alone of all the world asserted precisely what I 
 am almost ready to prove. Only the devil's outfit 
 and the lover are wanted. If I could find them I 
 am confident my task would be done. My pet pa- 
 tient would be fully restored from a mental dis- 
 tress a/nd a nervous apprehension, which at pres- 
 e+.n are the only symptons which border on insani- 
 ty." 
 
 192 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 Thus closed Dr. Cassidy's story of his pet pa- 
 tient, of which I will give you my own diagnosis 
 after I have seen her. 
 
 Yours in the branial cause, 
 
 Louis Marten. 
 
 After the astonishment of the pair at the con- 
 tents of the letter had subsided a little, Melissa's 
 skepticism returned. 
 
 "I oan't make it square to reason, how a minis- 
 ter as hed such a power of bringin' souls into the 
 cfhuTch sh'd a ben what he hedn't orter a ben," 
 said she. 
 
 "I alius told yu, Merli&sa," said Joshua, "I 
 didn't bleev in churches gittin' rich too suddint, 
 more'n foaks, an' thur wus sum that seem'd es tho' 
 they were gathered in by nickeromiancy instid of 
 religion. Thar wus Bill Sutler fer one. He seem'd 
 half cracked after the minister got him in toe, 'an 
 he gave all he had to fresco the church; an' the 
 widder Jeckups — it didn't seem tu agree with her 
 tu give five hundred for the new organ, she turn- 
 ed green an' sickly an' died a month arter; an' I 
 yewst tu think sumtimes as I sot an' looked owt 
 of my pew, that I never saw si many wild an' on- 
 helthy looking foaks under one rufi". An' I bleev 
 now that they was scart intu it by that devil min- 
 ister instid of bein' led intu it by the Lord; an' 
 then that asylum ! I wudn't a tho't thur wus more'n 
 half a dozen truly onfortunit wuns eny whair 
 round afore 'twus built, an' now there's a hull 
 
 13 193 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 great big howse full. It a'most seems es tho' 'twus 
 a hatchery fer onfortunits instid of a cure. An' 
 it's my 'pinyun as all these yere diviltry trains 
 sech as Jim Sharp wus caught in cum 'riginaUy 
 owt o' the old Darling depot. An' the foundations 
 wus laad when Poll scared Tite Shelby intu mar- 
 ryin' her. Thur's no tellin' how a thing of that 
 kind'll end." 
 
 "But 'taint reason tu think," said Melissa, 
 "that wits ken be bro't tu, that's ben wool gether- 
 in' so many years. I never knew but one es that 
 happened tu, an' she wus alius so sickly she wusn't 
 good fer nothin'." 
 
 "Aye! aye! Merlissa, but he must go fer fear 
 ef she did happen tu cum tu, she'd be the like- 
 liest tu know him of all. Poor child ! It makes me 
 fairly crawl tu think on't. 'Twud be like risin' 
 owt of yer own grave ter git lost 'mong the tomb- 
 stuns of yer kin. Father an' mother an' uncle an' 
 aunt an' one brother an' cousin, all ded an- buri- 
 ed on the old place, an' the rest scattered tu the 
 four winds, an' the snug houses an' barns all 
 rented an' run down, an' the fine old orchards all 
 blasted. I swow ef 'tain't nufF ter pull a body's 
 heart owt by the roots ; an' then tu think of that 
 pesky parson sayin' the Lord dun it — as tho' the 
 Lord didn't know 'nuf to treat honest, industrious 
 foaks decent; but say Sylvanus, he never seem'd 
 quite so puiFed up arter the thraslhin' yu give him ; 
 not quite. He grow'd sallerer and sallerer year by 
 year, an' his eyes skued wuss an' wuss, till one day 
 
 194 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 he drop't in his tracks ; an' his uncle went oiF kind 
 of suddint. I've heard say that Injun Jinny both- 
 ered the life out of him and come tu think of it I 
 sJiouldn't wonder if she did; for she was awful 
 fond of the girl. Perhaps sihe scented out what 
 he was doing to her. He had Jinny arrested once 
 for trying to break in Gulie's room, but if I know 
 Jinny that wouldn't prevent her from watching 
 him on the sly; but I don't know nothin' about 
 it only that they'r all struck down now except old 
 Poll an' they say she's tumin' kind of foolisJi an' 
 lets things owt. Mebby yu'U go an' see old Poll." 
 
 "Mebby he won't," said Mehssa, sharply. "Thur 
 ain't no use of canterin' arter foaks that have gone 
 sillj' or crazy, ither. Tha don't know what ther 
 slabberin' 'bout. I'm thankful I hain't got no 
 leanin' that way." 
 
 This was one of the double cuts for which Melis- 
 sa was famous, but it did not prevent Sylvanus 
 from seeing that the hint was a good one or de- 
 lay him for a moment in his visit to the asylum; 
 and soon after nine o'clock he and Louis Marten 
 were on their way thither. 
 
 "You are just in time, old fellow," said Louis, 
 after the Professor had made his explanation. "We 
 think we've captured the devil's outfit. 'Twas the 
 one Jim Sharp wore ; but you know that Cockney 
 was Dr. Cassidy, and our Twelfth-Night play was 
 due to his being so full of the matter. Besides, he 
 thought something might come out by his repre- 
 sentation of the parson. But it came in a very 
 
 195 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 different way from what he expected. Imagine 
 his surprise when the devil's face, which his pa- 
 tient had so often described, appeared suddenly 
 before him. He was bound not to let it escape 
 him, s'o as soon as Jim got louibside the door, he 
 came and got me and we went for him. His com- 
 panions jumped into a sleigh in waiting and drove 
 off like lightning, while he walked leisurely to the 
 end lof the street and entered an old warehouse 
 owned by his father. We suspected he had gone 
 there to unmask. We waited until we saw a faint 
 light shine forth from under the door, then we 
 rushed in upon him and succeeded in ripping the 
 thing off." 
 
 When Louis Marten and Professor Sylvanus 
 Evans arrived at the asylum they found Dr. Cas- 
 sidy singularly employed. He was fitting mini- 
 ature lamps and combustibles into the eye-sockets 
 and nose of a false face. He did not stop until 
 he had strapped it on to an attendant in waiting. 
 
 "There now!" said he, in triumph, "come, all 
 of you, into the dark closet and you will see if 
 that is not just horrible enough. But I'm sorry 
 I shall have to wait 'til evening before I show it to 
 her," added he, after they had pronounced it 'an 
 excellent devil.' " 
 
 "Perhaps we'll find enough to fill up the time," 
 said Louis ; "allow me to introduce you to the mis- 
 sing lover, Professor Sylvanus Evians !" 
 
 The three men held a long consultation as to 
 
 196 
 
Prophet of" Peace 
 
 the best method of breaking tlie news to the pa^ 
 bient. 
 
 "Love before science," said the Doctor, at last, 
 and taking the Professor by the arm he led him 
 through the long hall, opened a door, pushed him 
 in, and turned abruptly away. 
 
 Htalf dazed, the Professor found himself in a 
 handsome, spacious roiom. Pictures hung on the 
 wall. There were fragrant flowers. A golden 
 bird was singing in a golden cage ; but no person 
 was visible. There was a screen in the upper end 
 of the room. After a little, he got up courage 
 enough to 'approach it. He paused before it. He 
 bent his ear to it and hstened. The bird stopped 
 midway in its song. His heart almost stopped 
 beating. He took a step forward, then drew back 
 and wrung his hands. What if she should not 
 know him.? What if she should look at him out 
 of frightened eyes.? He was so changed in all 
 things ! No ! There was his voice. Even his fath- 
 er said that was not changed "a mite." It was a 
 happy thought, and no sooner thought than the 
 words were out of his mouth. 
 
 "Guhe! Gulie!" 
 
 There was a stirring as though she might be 
 awakened from sleep, then a sigh. Then silence 
 again. Perhaps Sihe was listening. 
 
 "Gulie! Gulie! You said you would remember 
 me always. Have you forgotten me?" 
 
 "No! No! Come! come!" 
 
 "Hear me first, Gulie. I have grown so old and 
 
 197 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 wrinkled and yellow you wiU not bear to look upon 
 me." 
 
 "Come, come! I am crippled and can't come to 
 you, but I must see you." 
 
 He stepped behind the screen. 
 
 "Sylvan! O Sylvan! Sylvan!" 
 
 "Gulie! GuKe!" 
 
 The proceedings which followed might have been 
 called truly insane by anyone not in the secret of 
 the cruel fate which had kept them so long apart. 
 Enough ! We will not attempt to remove the screen 
 or tear aside the veil which hid for hours there- 
 after from aU the world these two long-suffering 
 souls, so overcome at last with love's insatiable 
 hunger. 
 
 In the evening there was a recognition of ano- 
 ther kind in which Dr. Cassidy and Louis Marten 
 took part. It was the recognition of the bogus 
 devil which had destroyed so many years of Gul- 
 ielma's Colton's young life. 
 
 198 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 POLLY DARLING SHELBY TELLS HEE STOKY AND DIES. 
 
 AFTER Sylvanus' first shock of joy at 
 Gulielma's recognition was over, he 
 recalled his father's advice about see- 
 ing "old Poll," and, consulting with 
 Dr. Cassidy, they decided to have an inter- 
 view with her before calHng a meeting of the 
 asylum board. If she refused to come, they would 
 visit her at her house. They sent a carriage with a 
 message couched in polite terms, and Polly came. 
 When she entered the door the first object she saw 
 was the devil's mask hanging in a conspicuous 
 place on the wall. She gaped at it for a moment, 
 and then, clapping her hands to her sides, in- 
 dulged in such a wild fit of laughter that Dr. 
 Cassidy rushed in, thinking some mad patient had 
 escaped from the attendant. Seeing Polly, he 
 came forward courteously and asked: 
 "What pleases you so, Mrs. Shelby.'"' 
 "I know'd he'd make a mux on't. Devil Sharp. 
 He ain't quick and spidery 'nuf. An' then tu 
 
 199 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 think o' hevin' a hull army on 'em ; an' a tralp- 
 sin' intu foak's houses as didn't invite em', an' 
 wouldn't collude with 'em nohow." 
 
 "Then you lent him the things, did you?" 
 
 "Ha! ha!" laughed Poll. Who could a lent 
 'em but me, mistopher? But how did this git 
 'round here so quick.'' Knew the way I s'pose, an' 
 couldn't stop wi' sech a blunderbuss as Duse; ha! 
 ha!" 
 
 "It was funny," said the doctor, faUing in with 
 her vein. "Come in here and I'll tell you all about 
 it." They went into Guhelma's room, which was 
 apparently vacant, she and Sylvanus having with- 
 drawn behind the screen, as the plan was, if PoUy 
 should come. After helping Polly to a luxurious 
 seat, the Doctor proceeded to give -her a ludicrous 
 description of Jim Sharp's performance at the 
 Campbells, taking, care to emphasize the idea that 
 he had played the devil Hke a fool. 
 
 Poll was delighted, and her appreciative "Ha! 
 ha !" came in at every turn. 
 
 "I told him he'd make a fool on't," she cried, 
 "but the big bum-guzzard tho't he know'd more'n 
 them as hed ben bro't up tu the bizniz. He ain't 
 an honor tu his name, Dusius ain't; ha! ha! ha! 
 Du yu know, mistopher, I named him; that is I 
 put the devil in the middle of his name. That's 
 'bout the best joke I ever cut. Ha! ha! Named 
 a deacon's son. Devil, an' the deacon nur his wife 
 don't know it tu this day; but I couldn't put the 
 devil's cunning intu him. He's meaner'n the devil, 
 
 200 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 tu mean fur a fust-class devil, an' stronger'n an 
 ox; but he ain't cunnin' enuf tu kerry him thru'. 
 I knew he'd git that ripped of on him, and I jest 
 laid in my bed an' laft 'till my old bones ached." 
 
 "Wem't you afraid of losing it.?" asked the 
 Doctor. "It's a fine old heirloom." 
 
 "Thur's nobody to air or Jiair it after me," said 
 PoU, dryly. '"Tain't many that can play the 
 devil true, mistopher." 
 
 "Who played the devil the truest of anybody 
 you ever saw.'"' inquired the Doctor. 
 
 "O, father, of course. He was an edykated 
 devil, — a skientific devil. He could repeat the 
 devil's pater noster backward. He hed a talent 
 fer it." 
 
 "Did his son inherit his wonderful talent.-"' asked 
 the Doctor. 
 
 "No, he didn't mistopher; not a bit of it. Sons 
 don't alius hev the father's talent. Sometimes it's 
 the garls." 
 
 "And so it was transmitted through you to 
 your own son, probably, Mrs. Shelby." 
 
 "No, it warn't," said Polly, with a changed 
 aspect. "He couldn't play the devil at all, an' he 
 warn't fool 'nuf tu try. He was a parson. He 
 could tell jest where the devil ort tu come intu the 
 sarmon, though, an' he could enjineer him tip- 
 top. Some parsons never know where an' when 
 tu introduce the devil, nur how tu prank rownd with 
 him after they git him in; but Tie knew." 
 
 "And so neither your brother nor your son 
 
 201 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 had your father's talent. Wasn't that strange?" 
 asked the Doctor quizzically. 
 
 "But they didn't," said Poll, firmly, "an' any- 
 body't thinks they did's a fool." 
 
 The Doctor was thrown off the track for the 
 moment; but he saw it wouldn't do to let Poll 
 think he was the fool, so he replied hastily: 
 
 "I never saw either your brother or your son ; 
 but Pve been told they played the devil to our 
 naughty red-haired patient very successfully." 
 
 Poll sprang up in wild anger. "That's a he! 
 a devihsh fool's lie. Not a smart devil's lie. She 
 played the devil to my son, an' she got it back 
 again better'n she sent. It's awful queer, ain't 
 it, mistopher, that them as can bild hell fires out 
 in the field wi' the devil, an' sling cider ont' old 
 apple trees wi' the devil, an' hang devil's lanterns 
 ont' ''em, an' stuff' ox's livers wi' devil's fish-hooks, 
 an' make manger pies shaped Hke the devil's coffin, 
 an' larf in the parson's face like a devil, an' play 
 the devil's fiddle, an' throw the sacrament wine 
 onto a cat's back an' throw the sacrament bread 
 to the devil's dogs, couldn't hold ther jaw bones 
 together when they see jest one of the devil's 
 horns. Mighty queer, ain't it, mistopher, that a 
 little spidery woman like me c'ud skeer sech f oaks 
 jest by puttin' on the devil's cloze; but yu see, 
 mistopher, I alius did know how tu dress. I alius 
 c'ud make a common cahker look better'n any uth- 
 er girl on the river c'ud a French cahker ; an' when 
 I drest up in Satan's cloze, I made 'em look jest 
 
 202 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 like Satan's cloze. Thur's a nack tu it, mistopher, 
 an' thur's a nack tu scarin' foaks when yu git the 
 cloze on. You've got tu look like the auld stratch, 
 tu begin with; an' then yu've got to feel like the 
 auld scratch, an' act hke the ould scratch, an' 
 pray the Lord tu fergive ye afterward ef ye've 
 done any harm. But I guess 'tain't no harm tu 
 scare the devil out of his own trix ; an' it's the 
 garl of Playf air Darling that can du it every 
 time." 
 
 When Poll had finished her mad speech, she 
 sobered down and looked at the Doctor as though 
 sihe expected him to speak. 
 
 The Doctor took the cue. "And so it was you, 
 instead of your son, who played the devil to our 
 naughty infidel patient.? How strong you must 
 have been to have brought her here !" 
 
 Poll went oif again with her derisive "ha! ha! 
 'Taint alius them that wilts sinners down that 
 drags 'em off, is it mistopher? I ain't a Sampson. 
 All / do is to play devil — ^play it fust class. Yu 
 see, I hed it in me tu be a star devil; but father 
 was tu busy lookin' fur it in his son tu see it in 
 me." 
 
 "And so your brother couldn't help you at all?" 
 asked the Doctor. 
 
 "O, yes, he could, mistopher. He was the devil 
 with opium and morphine. He knew jest wheir 
 they cum intu the medicine, as well as my son did, 
 where tihe devil cum intu the sarmon. After I 
 skeert her up, he opiumed her down, tu keep her 
 
 203 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 from howlin'. Yu see — she was bro't up tu howl. 
 So she desarved all she got, an' her lover desarved 
 the squirt of stuff he got, when he was goin' tu 
 thrash the parson an' make 'im tell where the girl 
 was. It put him in hmbo 'til they got the girl aU 
 booked in the asylum. O, isn't it fun, tho'," added 
 Poll "tu see how easy it is tu make a hell in this 
 world for those as desarves it." 
 
 It was plain enough at last. Both Poll's talent 
 for deviltry and her brother's knowledge of opi- 
 ates had been used by the parson for accomplish- 
 ing his purpose with Guhehna. The Doctor had 
 no need of asking any more questions on that 
 head. 
 
 "But how is it you've been neglecting our ap- 
 ple-howler of late.? You haven't played the devil 
 to her since I came. I'm afraid she'll get to be 
 too much for you," said the Doctor. 
 
 "O, I never play the devil now 'less I'm sent for," 
 said Poll. "My brother alius sent for me when she 
 needed me, an' I thought mebby she'd hed 'nuf 
 tu larst her hull life; an' I'm most old nuf tu go 
 out of the biznis ; but say, mistopher, if she's got 
 tu be skeert I'll du it an' yu'U see how neat 't'U 
 be done," she added, starting up with a glow of 
 professional pride on her swarthy face. 
 
 "You shall decide between you," said the Doc- 
 tor, suddenly folding back the screen. 
 
 Verily the vision thus disclosed was enough to 
 have exorcised the devil out of the veriest inhabi- 
 tant of the pit. There had been no conscious at- 
 
 204 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 tempt at stage effects, but Sylvanus, in the flood 
 tide of his re-awakened love, had sent to Sydney 
 for dresses, jewels and flowers of the most ex- 
 exquisite description. Besides, there was a mag- 
 nificent wheeled ohair, and in it sat Gulielma like 
 a queen on her throne. Her beautiful hair was 
 woven into a crown brighter than gold. Her 
 garments were of shining blue. Her lap was fair- 
 ly overflowing with the rarest flowers that could 
 be found in all Sidney ; and Sylvanus himself sat 
 looking at her like the adoring subject which he 
 surely was. 
 
 The effect on Poll seemed electric. She stood 
 still and speechless for a moment. Then she 
 crossed her hands and her lips moved feebly. Gul- 
 ielma, who had no idea of posing, said in her 
 hearty way, "Poor Polly ! come and speak to me. 
 I'm not so bad as you think. I never meant to do 
 wrong. I never meant to hurt your son's feelings ; 
 but it's all past now. Sylvanus has come back 
 and I'm so happy." 
 
 Poll looked at Sylvanus and found her tongue. 
 "You don't say he's come ? He that wasn't afeerd 
 of the parson or devil or nobody?" 
 
 "If you mean me," said Sylvanus, sternly, "I've 
 come. Your services will not be needed any more. 
 I shall take care of her after this." 
 
 "I can't think she meant to wrong me so," 
 pleaded Gulielma. "She thought I deserved it, 
 perhaps. Speak to her, Sylvan. Tell her about 
 the old customs and how I was brought up to 
 
 205 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 them; just as she was to masquera/ding in the 
 devil's clothes." 
 
 "Thus appealed to Sylvanus explained the mat- 
 ter as well as his patience would permit. 
 
 PoU eyed him sharply and w^hen he had done, 
 she broke forth. 
 
 "I alius did think ye was the only one 'twarn't 
 skeert or be-fooled. Alius did like them that can't 
 be come it over. An' I'm sartin my son forgave 
 ye the whalin' afore he died; but yii see, misto- 
 pher, he was my only child, an' mebby I stuck tu 
 him clusser'n I ort. He said she was a great sin- 
 ner an' desarved the wust kind of skeerin'. Wimen 
 foaks are bro't up tu mind the men foaks of the 
 family, mostly ; an' I got sort of spoilt afore I 
 got thru with number one. Yu see, mistopher, I . 
 wanted tu be an actress of the starry kind, but 
 father, he sot his foot on it. All he wanted of me 
 was tu wait on him an' his cronies, an' 'twan't no 
 posy, ye'd better bleev. I played 'em tricks now 
 an' tljen, an' they desarved it; but father whaled 
 me for it, all the same, an' kep' me a slavin' ez 
 long ez he wanted me; an' then he shucked me 
 off onto poor ole gran'ma down here by the river, 
 an' didn't leave me nuthin' but his devil's cloze 
 fur my fortin when he died; but I never did any 
 skeerin' with 'em lest I thort 'twar desarved. 
 
 "Say, mistopher," continued Poll, "did ye nev- 
 er hear how't I got a husband wi them devil's 
 cloze.'' I did, an' a rich one; but ye never heerd he 
 desarved the skeerin', did ye? Well, he did desarve 
 
 206 
 
iLIi I'OL], SANK UN THE KLUUR \T 111 LIELM \ s IKET. 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 it. I'll say it ef it's my last words. I say a fel- 
 ler's no more biznis tu give way, ef he's tempted, 
 no more'n a gal has. No more right tu promise 
 an' not kerry it out." 
 
 Poll came hobbling up to Gulielma step by step, 
 until she stood close by her side, looking into her 
 eyes as though fascinated. When she quit speak- 
 ing, she leaned wearily on the arm of the chair, and 
 looked up into her face in a strangely appealing 
 way. Gulielma thought of the time when she, too, 
 had been tempted to repay wrong with wrong. 
 She thought of her own free home life as compared 
 with this poor creature's and of her present joys 
 and hopes, and the spirit of forgiving love swept 
 over her in a fuU tide. Her breast heaved con- 
 vulsively, a flood of tears rushed forth, and she 
 held out her hand. 
 
 "Poor Polly ! poor Polly ; everybody treat- 
 ed you so cruelly," was all she could say. But it 
 was enough. 
 
 "That means ye forgive me the skeerin'," said 
 Poll, taking her hand softly in her own and kiss- 
 ing it ; but even as she did so i a spasm of pain 
 crossed her face, then it grew deathly white, and 
 she sank on the floor at GuHelma's feet. 
 
 "Quick! Doctor! Quick! Sylvanus!" cried Gul- 
 ielma, but by the time they had laid poor old Poll 
 on the couch her heart had ceased to beat. 
 
 207 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 CO-EDUCATION AND MAEEIAGE. 
 
 THE "reaction" in Agatha's condition, 
 Trhich Mrs. Campbell prophesied, came 
 to pass; but owing to her motherly 
 kindness, Professor Evans' prescience 
 and Harry's tender attentions, it proved to be 
 nothing serious. A little more of this, a little 
 less of that, plus one or two aggrevating causes, 
 according to Dr. Cassidy's diagnosis, and it migtit 
 have terminated in a dangerous difficulty of heart 
 or brain. It was not until late in the afternoon 
 of the next day after the play, that anything like 
 sleep visited her ; and then it threatened to be a 
 troublesome affair. Two blood red spots came 
 upon her white cheeks, and, tossing her arms over 
 her head, she cried out: 
 
 "Hide me! hide me, good Harry!" 
 
 In a second Harry was at her side, whispering 
 
 promises of protection, as on the night of the play. 
 
 "Harry, my son, I'm afraid you will excite her 
 
 too much. The fever is on, you see," said his 
 
 mother. 
 
 208 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "Fever to the canines!" said Harry; "she's 
 frightened just as she was last night. I only said 
 what I did then, and I know it will help her — 
 help her better than opiates !" 
 
 Dr. Cassidy, who was sent for at once, was quite 
 of Harry's opinion. "Real offers of protection 
 from imaginary horrors," he said, "are as bad 
 for the horrors, as the near presence of real flesh 
 and blood is for ghosts," and so the imperturbable 
 Dr. Harry sat holding his patient's limp hands 
 until the crisis was past, and she sank into refresh- 
 ing slumber. 
 
 "I want to see Cousin Sylvanus and inquire all 
 about aunt and imcle," said Agatha to Harry the 
 next morning. She was up and dressed in the 
 dark garnet, with the ermine-hned cloak, which she 
 had figured in as queen, wrapped carefully around 
 her; but she was restricted to the invalid's chair 
 for the day at least by Dr. Cassidy's positive 
 orders, with Dr. Harry as resident physician. Eva 
 and Louis had gone for a drive, and Mrs. Camp- 
 bell was busy with her household affairs. 
 
 "You will have to put up with me for the pre- 
 sent, Miss Agatha. Cousin Sylvanus has gone to 
 the asylum to see a little woman that needs him 
 much worse than you do. I've just had a letter 
 from him. I'll read it to you if you'll promise to 
 take up with me contentedly." 
 
 "Of course I will, Harry; what a torment you 
 are," said Agatha. 
 
 The letter contained a new version of a story 
 
 14 209 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 that Agatha had often heard from one and an- 
 other of the members of her aunt and uncle's 
 church. The story of "the ungodly girl that was 
 struck crazy for her mockery and sin." She shiv- 
 ered to think of what her own fate might have 
 been. 
 
 "There! there!" said Harry, "you needn't be 
 afraid. You are to stay with us as long 
 as we think best, and that's forever, I say. I'll 
 never go away and leave you on haunted ground. 
 That vile fellow might come back any day, and 
 I'd never trust him if he turned into the biggest 
 saint living." 
 
 "Has he really gone?" inquired Agatha. 
 
 "Yes, and everybody's glad enough. They say 
 even his mother hopes some good wiU come of it." 
 
 "Do they blame me, Harry.-"' 
 
 "Blame you!" exclaimed Harry. "I'd like to 
 see the person ! We would have done a very com- 
 mon thing; set the law onto him and made him 
 worse, probably. You sent him away to repent 
 in sack-cloth and ashes. It was a grand thing to 
 do, and everybody thinks so." 
 
 "Then it's your deed, Harry. I would have 
 fled like the weakest of cowards had it not been 
 for your brave words." 
 
 "Let me repeat them now, then, with others su- 
 peradded," replied Harry. "As you have been my 
 queen in play, be now the true, true queen of my 
 heart, my life and my very soul." 
 
 310 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "I wish I could, Harry, good Harry, but I'm 
 nothing but a poor wreck of a — " 
 
 "But I'm going to be a doctor and learn how to 
 repair just such wrecks," said Harry, shutting 
 off further words in a way quite in vogue with 
 large-hearted young lovers. 
 
 Of course, there was nothing more to be said, 
 but the silence that followed was sweeter than 
 speech, and apparently more inspiriting even to 
 Agatha herself; for when Eva and Louis return- 
 ed from their ride, they declared with one accord 
 that she was looking charmingly well. Thereaf- 
 ter no restrictions, except those instituted by Dr. 
 Harry, were deemed necessary. 
 
 Only one wedding woimd up the holy-day sea- 
 son of which we have been writing. It was that 
 of Professor Sylvanus Evans. It was in vain that 
 Gulielma begged him to wait one short year. In 
 vain Mehssa reiterated that "she'd alius be so sick- 
 ly, she wouldn't be good fer nothin'." She had 
 come back to him, he knew not for how long or 
 short a time, and he could not and would not Hve 
 another year in the same world with her and Hve 
 apart. 
 
 Eva and Louis and Agatha and Harry went to 
 the wedding. 
 
 "The sweetest, cunningest wedding that ever 
 was made," said Eva. "A beautiful bride reclin- 
 ing on cushions of lilies and roses !" 
 
 But which of the infatuated ones it was, who 
 proposed that the model little wedding party 
 
 211 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 should adjourn to meet again later on witih faces 
 turned coUegeward, nobody seemed able to teU. 
 The wonder is, that it really .happened. Nothing 
 of the kind had ever been heard of in Sidney. 
 Frights like that which had shattered GuHelma 
 and threatened Agatha with the same fate, happen- 
 ed now and then. Drimkenness and immorality 
 held their nightly orgies. Athletic monsters 
 like Jim Sharp made the streets unsafe for inno- 
 cent feet; but that a "couple of girls should go 
 off to college with the fellers they were engaged 
 to," was something that the "oldest inhabitant" 
 did not expect to live to see. 
 
 MeUssa was of the opinion that "girls had bet- 
 ter stay tu hum an' lurn ter cook an' make piUer- 
 cases, than tu go tu college with the boys." Dea- 
 con Sharp was sure that "the College that allowed 
 such wojks 'ud be ruined." And stiU others pro- 
 phesied that the "Halls of learning were to be 
 speedily transformed into the courts of love." 
 Be comforted, dear reader; for as I live the col- 
 lege in question continues to flourish grandly. 
 
 Five years were added to the calendar before 
 any event of startling importance happened to 
 any of the members of the above party. There 
 had been a double wedding meantime, and Dr. 
 Harry Campbell and Agatha were living in a 
 pleasant village on the borders of the great coal 
 fields of Passewumkit. A disaster had occurred at 
 Polar mine, which aroused imusual interest; and 
 the society, of which the young Campbells were 
 
 212 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 the delightful center, were going to give a play, to 
 get up a testimonial to a <ihief workman, who, by 
 his almost superhuman efforts, had prevented the 
 falling of a huge beam, which otherwise would have 
 added a large number to the list of the kiUed or 
 injured. In the accident, tihe toes of the Chief had 
 been badly hurt, and it had been unanimously de- 
 cided that even the toes of so brave a man should 
 not go without substantial sympathy. He had 
 never been heard of outside of his mining asso- 
 ciates until now; but marvelous things were being 
 told of him. If rumors were true, the Sampson 
 of the Polar Mine could hardly be surpassed by 
 the bibhcal Sampson, the mythical Hercules or 
 the Roman Milo, and certainly not by modem 
 Sampsons, such as Steam Carpenter, Joe Call and 
 Abner Mcllrath. Just how much the great beam 
 weighed which he had supported on his shoulder 
 until another prop could be secured, nobody knew ; 
 but it was confidently asserted that the stout chief 
 had been known to lift a weight of one thousand 
 pounds, outside of harness ! 
 
 It happened that the amateur company of the 
 play to be presented for the chief's benefit, could 
 find no other mother and babe that so completely 
 filled their high ideal of the beautiful wife and 
 child, which must be seen crossing the enemy's 
 camp, as Agatha and baby Harry; but it also 
 happened that they had forgotten to put in place 
 the cannon, that powerful engine of expression 
 which was to give the audience a vivid idea of ihe 
 
 213 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 supreme danger of the situation, and make the 
 safe passage of the wife and child before the open 
 jaws of the iron monster an impressive afflair. 
 
 "We can't help it now," said one of lie commit- 
 tee of arrangements huddled near the door. "It 
 weighs upward of five hundred pounds, and we 
 haven't muscle enough amongst the whole of us to 
 get it in place — at least without making a ridicu- 
 lous racket. Besides, there isn't time. The moth- 
 er and child will cross over in just two and a half 
 minutes." 
 
 A figure from a group of workmen, near by 
 darted into the ante-room and quickly re-appear- 
 ed, bearing on his great muscular shoulders the 
 heavy cannon, which he placed gently on the stage, 
 and, crouching by its side, because there was no 
 time for escape, added a real excitement to the 
 scene, which could hardly have been done in any 
 oliier way. The sudden start which Agatiia gave 
 and the closer clasping of baby Harry's arms 
 aJbout her neck, as she passed the strange ghoul- 
 Kke figure and caught an eager look out of eyes 
 she had seen before, wrought the enthusiasm of 
 the spectators to a still higher pitch, and by the 
 time Agatha and her child had reached her hus- 
 band's arms in safety, they broke out in wild ap- 
 plause. 
 
 An afterthought was to have a look at the Sam- 
 son of the play ; but by the cannon's side where he 
 was last seen, nothing was visible except the trace 
 of a bloody foot. 
 
 S14 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 "Up strong-linked hands ! Up love-linked hearts ! 
 "Up thorn-crowned heads! Up heaven-lit eyes! 
 
 "Rim the whole world tho' rough and wide, 
 
 "So all the peace-born armies of the earth may march 
 "In tl>e long century's van with mighty strides." 
 
 NEW LIFE AND NEW THOUGHT. 
 
 DR. Harry Campbell being chosen testi- 
 monial bearer to the heroic mining chief 
 found 'him after a long search, in a curi- 
 ous cave-like dwelling on the outskirts 
 of the Passewumkit mines. 
 
 "Are you the brave fellow that saved the miners' 
 lives .'"' asked the Doctor, of a strange figure dim- 
 ly visible by the lurid light of an iron lamp. 
 
 "Ask me a question that dates farther back, 
 my good sir," said the chief. Ask me if I am the 
 fiend that came to your Twelfth-Night party six 
 years ago. Nay, start not; but know the truth. 
 I am James Sharp." 
 
 The doctor started back as though bitten by a 
 serpent. "Excuse me, it came over me so sudden," 
 he replied; "but you have repented, — ^you have 
 done worthy deeds — ^you have saved precious lives 
 
 215 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 — you have suffered — ^you — ^yes, I know it now. It 
 must have been you who brought in the cannon. 
 The blood on the floor must have been from your 
 injured foot. I fear it is very badly hurt." 
 
 "A mere scratch, sir," rephed the chief. "The 
 toes may have to come off, but what would that be 
 compared with the pangs of conscience resulting 
 from wanton injury to youthful innocence. What 
 would that be compared with disease and defile- 
 ment of mind or souLP" 
 
 "But you have repented. It's enough, my brave 
 fellow! Give us a hand," replied the kind-hearted 
 doctor. 
 
 "Repented, yes! But know, my good sir, that 
 regeneration is slow. Slow, indeed, when human 
 nature is weighted with the deadliest of sins ! Mine 
 is not complete. Will not be for many a year. 
 Perihaps, never!" 
 
 "That's not for you to judge, allow me to say," 
 replied the Doctor ; "you may be too hard on your- 
 self." 
 
 "But the proof! I must have the proof!" said 
 ihe chief. "When the purest woman in the world 
 can meet my eyes without a shudder, I shall know 
 my regeneration is complete. Yes, I shall know! 
 I shall know! No man need teU me," he groaned, 
 sinking down on a rude seat by a rude statue, 
 so placed that the Doctor saw only the back of 
 it. "I shall know, and by one sign only," he con- 
 tinued, incoherently. "The eyes of iihe pure in 
 heart are the mirrors in which we can see our de- 
 
 216 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 formities, if we look at them soberly and honestly. 
 They tell no lies, for they 'have seen God.' 'Blessed 
 are the pure in heart.' I never had a pure heart. 
 It was full of iniquity to begin with. Where the 
 flood-gates of sin were open, there was I, lapping 
 the tide. I thirsted to do evil. I had an ingrain- 
 ed capacity for it. Oft times I dreamed of being 
 a mighty power bound on a mission of war and 
 rapine. Aye ! here is the mystery. I blame no man 
 for my evil deeds ; but my heart is hot within me 
 when I hear the roar of cannon and the rattle 
 of musketry, or see or think of forts or warships, 
 as though they had in some inscrutable way stamp- 
 ed my whole moral being with their damning 
 seal." 
 
 Dr Campbell, feehng that a presentation such 
 as he had been commissioned with, would be alto- 
 gether superfluous, laid down the package and 
 hastened out and away from the dingy cave to 
 the blessed light of home and the sweet, human 
 love that awaited him there. 
 
 Apparently James Sharp never regarded his 
 regeneration as complete ; for he spent his days in 
 the grimy coal pits of Passawumkit, rarely coming 
 to notice except in moments of imminent peril, 
 requiring feats of great muscular strength. Af- 
 ter the aflFair of the testimonial, the money of 
 which he distributed among the disabled miners, 
 he grew so in pubHc regard that it became quite 
 the rage for benevolent societies to send him mon- 
 ey to be used as his judgment directed. The min- 
 
 217 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 ers soon began to look upon him as little less than 
 their physical saviour. Never a rotten beam, a 
 dangerous man-trap, or a gaseous mine, but he 
 was there, drawn by an attraction as strong as 
 that which led Sylvanus Evans to the saving and 
 helping of more gracious souls. Even dry sta- 
 • tisticians were converted to the popular behef in 
 him, wihen they found that the mine disaster roll 
 of the Passewumkit had, since his advent, been re- 
 duced to about one-third of its usual number. 
 
 "I hed faith that my boy would turn tu right 
 ways at last," said Mrs. Deacon Sharp to MeHssa 
 Evans, after a visit to her son's subterranean 
 home. "He hed sech a powerful drawia' toward 
 your good an' hansum niece ; but he's dredful hard 
 on (himself tho'. He says he was that selfish that 
 he hed it in his heart to drag her off an' murder her 
 rather than lose her; but I can't think but he'd 
 hev turned, afore the last stroke. Do you know, 
 he has an image of her that 'he sculped himself at 
 the foot of his bed, an' he kneels down an' prays 
 afore it night an' mom." 
 
 "Well, it do^s beat me," replied Melissa, "how 
 enybody can cum down to figger worship who's 
 ben bro't up to a higher. For my part, I'm thank- 
 ful I hain't got no leanin' that way; but foaks 
 appear to be made diffrunt, an' mebbe it's summat 
 as Sylvanus says, 'It's better to worship wood an' 
 stone tiban not to worship anything at all.' I 
 s'pose when enybody's bizzy at that foolishness 
 they hain't thinkin' of thur murdrus lusts." 
 
 218 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "Well, it is a changin' world, tho' it seems to be 
 made so kind of stiff," said Mrs. Sharp. " 'Twan't 
 yu nur me tVud a tho'rt fifteen years ago that 
 Parson Shelby c'ud a cut up sech an ornery trick 
 as he did, tiho' he'd a hed ten mother devils ter 
 help him instead of one. I'm a'most sartin, Dus- 
 ius lurnt some of his pranks frum Poll, tho' 'tain't 
 his way ter shuffle his sins onto uther foakses 
 shoulders. But the maskeradin' in devil's clothes, 
 I know he did, 'cause it looks exactly like her. The 
 drinkin' an' rapein' he lamt over't the barracks, of 
 course. The Deacon says they don't make no 
 bones of such things over there, ther code of mor- 
 als is so diffrunt from uther foakses, an' I guess 
 mebby he knows, for he ran away an' 'listed tu 
 fig'ht agin the poor Injuns when he was a lad; 
 an' I've alius thoug'ht he was more lax in some 
 ways than he would a ben if he'd staid at home an' 
 worked the farm, as he orter hev done. And now 
 I tihink mebby James Dusius inherited his laxity. 
 When I come ter look at it, I blame myself for 
 lettin' him run so loose as I did. Ef I hed another 
 boy to bring up, I'd keep him jest as clus as I 
 would a girl, I swan tu man ef I wouldn't. But 
 jest tu think of a minister of the meek an' lowly a 
 goin' at them Coltons as he did. An' then ter 
 think old Poll S'h'ud let it all owt, an' she that was 
 hurt the worst sh'ud go an' fergive her! Poor 
 Gulielma ! I don't see how she could do it. I swan 
 tu man I don't." 
 
 219 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "Sylyanus says it was because she's an angel," 
 replied Melissa ; "but I've alius noticed f oaks that 
 are weak an' sickly never du hold mad like uthers. 
 I used ter think sickly foaks warn't good for nuth- 
 in', but mebby the world duz need a few of the fer- 
 givin' kind." 
 
 "I hev faith tu bleev she'll git hearty an' well 
 in the Lord's own time," said Mrs. Sharp. "She 
 has so much tu help her along — sea breezes an' 
 love an' a London doctor. Sometimes I tMnk that 
 love alone could hev done it — such love as Sylvan- 
 us'es, I swan tu man ef I don't. 
 
 Shortly after, Joshua drove up in a new car- 
 riage made extra low to order, for Sylvanus' in- 
 valid wife; and now they had come and Agatha 
 and the babies, also. 
 
 "I never heerd tlhat Agatha hed but one baby," 
 said Mrs. Sharp. "I bleev ther's some sort of 
 nickeromancy about it — I swan tu man ef I don't ;" 
 but MeHssa heeded her not. She laid hold of a 
 handsome wheeled chair and went to meet them. 
 She had taken many a trip to Sidney to select the 
 chair, and felt that by so doing she was going to 
 disdharge her duty to her "decrepit daughter-in- 
 law," as she called her. Sylvanus leaped out of 
 iihe carriage in great glee, and turning, assisted 
 Giilielma to alight. He no longer had to carry 
 her in his arms. 
 
 Melissa stopped short and exclaimed: "You 
 don't say she can stand on her feet?" 
 
 280 
 
GULIEI.MA lET.I. ON MELISSA S NECK. 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 "Yes, she can, mother," shouted Sylvanus ; "she 
 will never need your beautiful chair, I trust." 
 
 "No, mother," said Gulie, "but it was so good 
 of you to do all this for me ; and it will be so nice 
 for tJie — ^the — ^baby!" Then she hastened forward 
 and fell on Mehssa's neck and kissed her until the 
 gray old face turned pale and twitched with emo- 
 tion. 
 
 "Mother ! mother !" Gulielma broke out again, 
 "we are going to be a help to you after this in- 
 stead of a trouble. We are going to settle down 
 on the dear old farm. The boys are coming back 
 and we are going to begin life over again, and 
 we will try to begin right. We are going to love 
 everybody whether they love us or not — just as 
 the blessed mother that's gone would have us do." 
 
 "Leave us agin !" gasped Mehssa, turning sharp- 
 ly to Sylvanus. "What does this all mean.? Leave 
 us in our old age! Arter all yewr sight-seeings 
 an' health-seekings, I thought yew'd cum hum tu 
 stay?" 
 
 Sylvanus came close to her side and laid the 
 sleeping babe in her extended arms. "Mother, 
 dear mother ! Accept this as our bond of faith that 
 we will never desert you ; that we will be near you 
 always and with you whenever needed. Five miles 
 is not far away, eh? Mother, don't cry. I should 
 say rather, bless you for those tears ! I know what 
 they mean. You would like to hold the little one 
 heart to heart every day, and somehow or other 
 it must be done. If five miles should prove to be 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 too tedious a journey, we will have the road paved 
 and covered, so the family express can run back 
 and forth in spite of wind, and rain. We saw 
 something of the kind being done in a little heaven 
 of a place which we discovered while we were 
 abroad; or did we dream it, Gulie?" laughed Syl- 
 vanus. "What we know is that if all the cruel 
 mockeries and extravagances of the world, the 
 huge fortresses, the awful wars and the judicial 
 murders with all their expensive engineery were 
 done away with, we might have sheltered highways 
 from one end of the country to the other, over which 
 the tenderest balbes could be taken without being 
 smothered in blankets." 
 
 "But tlhe old place is all rotted and run down," 
 said Melissa. " 'Tain't fit for foaks tu live in, 
 'specially fer children that hev a knack o' gettin' 
 intu the most malarious places." 
 
 "We know that, mother, and so we've planned to 
 stay with you, off and on, for a long time, per- 
 haps ; at least until we get the old place all s.weet- 
 ened up and put into good Uving shape — made 
 again into a comfortable, healthful family nest. It 
 would be easier for us to stay here, where every- 
 thing has been so well kept; it is good in you to 
 want us to stay, but we know our duty is there. The 
 dear old buildings and orchards are calhng to us 
 to save them from unmerited decay. The spirits 
 of those that lie under the precious sod are calling 
 still more loudly. We know what they would have 
 us do. We went to see the 'Society of Friends,' 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 to which Mother Colton belonged, when we were 
 in England. We attended their meetings and 
 were received into their Society with open arms — 
 the little one and all. We were baptized witih their 
 loving spirit and we promised to do all that in us 
 lies to re-kindle and keep the true flame burn- 
 ing." 
 
 "You don't pertend tu say't yew've fersook the 
 church yu were baptized in an' gone an' jined the 
 Quakers, Sylvanus Evans ! Them stripped and peel- 
 ed people, who let every shark that comes along 
 strip and peel 'em 'til there ain't nothin' left but a 
 bundle of bones — Them that's weaker'n water — 
 that never 'complished nothin' that never get where 
 they're goin' to ! Ther' ain't flame enuf in the hull 
 grist tu keep a gander alive!" exclaimed Melissa, 
 crushing the sleeping child so close to her heart 
 that it awoke with a chuckle of dehght and swung 
 its httle pink fists aloft as though it were trying 
 to find anchorage in the sky above. Melissa's nose 
 proved to be the nearest andhor, and it made a con- 
 venient dip for that purpose, as she finished the last 
 sentence. It may not have been intentional, but 
 some benign influence must have been at work with 
 her physical system- — ^adjusting it to the new 
 relations, perhaps, for she continued in a mild 
 tone. 
 
 "The Society of Friends, yu call 'em. Well, I 
 guess they're friendly enuf — most tew friendly tu 
 the wicked an' devihsh, but they hain't got no 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 force' tu 'em and my experience shows me that we've 
 got tu stan' up fer owrselves an' famerlies some- 
 times, 'specially w'hen we know we're in the right 
 an' narrer road, an' knock down them that in- 
 sist on blockin' our way." 
 
 "No, no! mother. We must love our enemies 
 out of the way, instead of knocking them out, or 
 stamping them out. We make brutes of ourselves 
 when we use the brute's methods." 
 
 "I yewst tu think yu hed plenty of spunk about 
 yu, Sylv^nus," said Melissa, trying to hide a smile 
 at the baby's struggles with the imaginary an<Shor ; 
 "but, I declare, I don't know where it's all gone 
 tu. Yu yewst tu bleev in treating sinners 'cordin' 
 tu their desarts." 
 
 "So I did, mother but experience — our experi- 
 ence, GuHe's and mine — ^tells us that there's noth- 
 ing gained by treating the wicked as they deserve. 
 We have to turn wicked ourselves in order to do 
 it. Violence breeds violence. Itove is the true con- 
 queror. All tihe victories that are gained by the 
 sword are the worst kind of defeats. The lessons 
 that are taught by retaliation are hke burning 
 coals flung on the devil's ire." 
 
 "O ! if we had only -known it ! and if father — " 
 Gulielma broke oflF with a sob. "If dear father 
 and I had believed as mother did, that 'a soft an- 
 swer tumeth away wrath !' We did not realize that 
 sarcastic words cut deeper than swords." 
 
 But we know it now," said Sylvanus. " Yes, 
 
 324 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 motiher, it's all as clear to us as daylight, and we 
 have joined together to love the world even as we 
 have to love each other; to do all we can for its 
 peace and happiness, without the use of violent 
 methods or exasperating words. Father Colton 
 was a good man, and honest and witty and loving ; 
 but Mother Colton stood alone in her faith. There 
 are two in her place now; and there will be oth- 
 ers and still others. They will make haste slowly. 
 They will pick up the waifs and estrays tenderly. 
 They will do good to those that curse and despite- 
 fully use them. O, mother! mother!" he went on 
 passionately, "we know the way will be hard some- 
 times, .and often sad, and we will want you to help 
 us and ciheer us on. There will be no quick suc- 
 cesses, no brilliant victories which the world rec- 
 ognizes as such; but the sound of mother's en- 
 couraging voice would be sweeter than all others, 
 and we shall have it, I know. I feel it now in ev- 
 ery fiber." 
 
 He stooped down and kissed her forehead, then 
 he held out his hands for the bajby ! but the little 
 rascal had gotten firmly hold of the anchor at 
 last, and would not let go, even at his father's en- 
 treaty. 
 
 "Yu see he don't wanter leave his poor old gran'- 
 ma," said Melissa, in a choking voice. 
 
 "Baby always holds fast to a good thing af- 
 ter he had once captured it," laughed Gulielma. 
 "I have to kiss the little hands a great many times 
 
 386 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 before he will let go. I sometimes wonder if it 
 isn't a family trait." 
 
 After the process of disintegration had been 
 accomplished by Guliehna's kissing method, Mel- 
 issa's chaaiged face was a wonder to behold. Unde 
 Jo^ua had been helping Agatha with her baby 
 and lunoh basket, but they stopped and looked at 
 each other with moist eyes. 
 
 "I guess the right surrup's ben invented at last," 
 whispered Joshua. "I swow, I never felt so sorry 
 for Merlissa sence the day I asked her tu git mar- 
 ried; but I'm afeared it's a'most too suddin't. I 
 reckon I'U hev tu attend tu her a mite." 
 
 This was his way of "tending tu her." "Mer- 
 hssa," he said coming up and laying his hand on 
 her shoulder with rousing emphasis; "I alius told 
 yu that Shelby asylum was a hatdiery for unfor- 
 tunits instead of a cure, an' now we've got the 
 proofs right in owr own famerly." 
 
 Melissa revived. "I don't bleev in layin' ontu 
 the asylum what the bad managers done," she said, 
 imprisoning the soft little fist in her hard hand, 
 "an' I'm thankful I hain't got no leanin' that 
 way." 
 
 Have mercy, O God ! 
 Hath our country gone mad? 
 It givelbh a million a day 
 To 'hurt and slay; 
 And a paltry sum 
 To the starved and lone — 
 To the wrecked and helpless and homeless one. 
 
Prophet of Peace 
 
 Have mercy, O God! 
 Hiaith the world; gone mad? 
 It glveth its millions on miUions of gold 
 For seas on seas of blood — 
 For murder and loot and rapine and blood; 
 And a palty sum 
 To save us from plague and wMriwind and flood. 
 
 [the bnd.]