FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168  
169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   >>   >|  
aused, and again Miss Newville begged him to go on. "I cannot tell when it will be, but I know what I would like to see." "Please tell me," she said earnestly. "I would like to see the time when men will recognize their fellow-men as brothers, and when the flag will stand for equality, unity, liberty, and brotherhood." "Do you think such a time will ever come?" "I do not doubt it. The prophets in the Bible have predicted it, and it seems to me that the human race is advancing in that direction. Have you not noticed that almost everything we prize has come through sacrifice and suffering? I came here with food because the people of this town are suffering. The bags of corn which I have brought are an expression of brotherhood, of unity, love, and good will. The people all the way from the Penobscot to the Savannah are acting from such motives. It is curious that Parliament by passing a wicked law is uniting the Colonies as nothing else could have done. What the king designed for a punishment, in the end may be a great blessing." "I see it, and I want to thank you, Mr. Walden, for your words. You have made clear what hitherto I have not been able to understand. Of course, you must be aware that I hear many conversations upon affairs in the Colonies. General Gage and Earl Percy are frequent guests in our home, as are many gentlemen who sympathize with the king and the ministry rather than with Mr. Adams and Doctor Warren. I do not see how the king, who they say is kind-hearted, could assent to a law which would bring suffering and starvation to so many people." She sat in silence a moment, and then went on. "I like to hear you, Mr. Walden, speak of that good time that is to come. I should like to do something to hasten it. I feel that I am stronger for what you have said. Shall we take a stroll through the grounds?" Through the day he had been looking forward to a possible hour when he could be with her alone, to feel the charm of her presence. And now that it had come, what should he say, how let her know she had been an inspiration to him; how since their first meeting his last thought at night and the first of the morning had been of her? Were he to say the thought of her had filled the days with happiness, would she not think him presumptuous? They were widely separated by the circumstances of life,--he of the country, a farmer, swinging the scythe, holding the plow, driving oxen, feeding pigs; she,
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168  
169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
suffering
 

people

 

Walden

 

thought

 

Colonies

 
brotherhood
 
sympathize
 

gentlemen

 
stroll
 

guests


stronger

 

hasten

 
ministry
 

hearted

 
assent
 

Newville

 
begged
 
Doctor
 

starvation

 

grounds


silence

 

Warren

 

moment

 

widely

 

separated

 

circumstances

 

presumptuous

 

filled

 

happiness

 

country


driving

 
feeding
 

holding

 

farmer

 

swinging

 
scythe
 

morning

 
frequent
 

forward

 
presence

meeting
 

inspiration

 
Through
 
Please
 

sacrifice

 

Penobscot

 
expression
 

brought

 
noticed
 

fellow