A Voice in the Wilderness

ide in a most unministerial manner, showing too much of his straw-colored back hair, which rose in a cowlick at the point of contact with the hat, and he looked a small, mean creatur

, she knew there were young men with honest doubts who sometimes slid through nowadays, but a mean little silly man like that? How ever did he get in? What a lot of ridiculous things he had said! He was one of those described in t

r and father. They were not mere empty words of tradition that she believed because she had been taught. She had lived her faith and proved it; and she

t some of the verses that her father had marked for her before she left home for coll

e have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the t

It almost seemed as if God had looked ahead to these times and set these words down just for the encouragement of his troubled servants who couldn't understan

that statement!], and am persuaded that he is able to k

little

standeth sure, having this seal,

ant look to the wor

caught a verse that just seemed

from the life of God through the ignorance that i

? What was there left to preach, but empty words, when one rejected all these doctrines? Would she have to listen to a man like that Sunday after Sunday? Did the scholars in her school, and their parents, and the young man out at the camp, and his rough, simple-h

n-stairs and the voice of Bud calling his mother. She went to her

was heard, and then Bud appeared at the foot of the stai

d'ye

n that Bud

d to ask you, please, next time you can't keep an appointment with me don't ask anybody else to take your place. I prefer to pick out my own companions. It was all right, of

pped in surprise; his eyes fairly danced with dawning compr

to go, and fer me to get out of the way 'cause you didn't want to hurt

id Margaret, wit

was a man, and especially a preacher, round. Some preacher he is! This 's the second time I've caught him lying. I think he's the limit. I just wish you'd see our m

Then the missionary was a real m

I didn't feel very happy to be turned off that way," sai

e's a pup at you, after you'd made a date and all, to do like that

that I'd always rather have your company than his. How about g

ooked as if he had received a kingdom

I didn't care to go in wit

" The boy's fa

y in three minutes. Could

got the buckboard. We'll h

d out just how far it is, for I shal

r, 'nless you wanta. I

afraid I'd get spoiled if you babied me a

new day had been created since she got back from her ride with the minister. She looke

used. "Oh, I forgot! The key! Mr. West has th

in about three minutes his shock head appeared at the window. He threw the sash open and dropped out a wooden box.

teacher of the Ridge School first appeared on her fu

e plains and the sunshine into the big, dusty room,

too; 'ain't never been opened yet. Dad said

and then we'll try the

re a small treasure-chest, and finally produced a long, sm

eagerness; and the boy went forward awesomely, as if

cramped hand, "William Budlong Tanner," and then, growing

arding his handiwork with pride. "Say, I lik

oth and business-like, isn't it? You'll enjoy

the arithmetic. The last teacher said if he'd come back twent

tilt of her chin and a glint of her teacher-mettle showing in her eyes. "If you're not in al

beginning to believe that almost

me the names of the scholars and I'll write them down, and that will help me to remember them. Where will you begin? Here, suppose you sit down in the front seat and t

t girl. She has to sit front 'cause she giggles so much. She has yellow curls and she ducks her head down and snickers right ou

and laughed heartily at his burlesque. Then she turned a

softly under his breath; "Gee! that'

antomime the boy carried on. Next was Rosa Rogers, daughter of a wealthy cattleman, the pink-cheeked, blue-eyed beauty of the school, with all the boys at her feet and a perfect knowledge of h

ame to the seats where the boys sat his tone changed. She could tell

ut words. Margaret understood. She knew also that Tad Brooks, Larry Parker, Jim Long, and Dake Foster were merely henchmen of the worthy Jed, and not negligible quantities when taken by themselves. But over the name of Timothy Forbes-"Delicate Forbes," Bud explained was his nickname-the boy lingered with that loving inflection of admiration that a younger boy will sometimes have for a husky, courageous older lad. The second time Bud spoke of him he called him "Forbeszy," and Margaret perceived that here was Bud's model of manhood. Delicate Forbes could outshoot and outride even Jed Br

irst and second rows of desks, and went home praying that she might have wisdom and patience

l-room desks with the correct names of all but three or four of the scholars wri

ou won't forget nothing, no matt