Rodman the Keeper: Southern Sketches

h his own country. He was not a languid traveler; he had no affectations; but his own marked impersonality traveled with him, and he was always the most indistinct, unremembered person

t opinions to find the same constantly recurring sum total of "no consequence." After each experience of the k

ously from the spring, clasped his hands behind him and admired the prospect. Wainwright looked at him, not cynically, but with his usual expressionless gaze. The little minister drank again, and walked up and down. After a few moments he drank a third time, and continued to admire the prospect.

as he took his seat; "I will ride the rest of th

rhaps he was weighting himsel

d with a tall hat; he might have weighed one hundred pounds. He could not brace himself when they came to rough places, because his fee

to the stage," he said; "I ge

stion he always asked when he was placed next to a clergyman, varying

ion-"zeal, sir? Why, th

hear it," repl

ter took the rem

ever?"

y," repli

ry in which to believe. Among these great and solemn peaks, w

ied again, "Who?" And, after a moment's pause, and more fervently, a second "Who?

l have answer, I suppose I might

ately, and glanced at his companion. "Acquainted wit

ll," said

at Ellerby aw

rha

ime giving his companion a touch with the elbow. Then he leaned over and began a slanting conversation with the brother who occupied the window-seat on his side; but, whenever he righted himself for a moment, he either poked Wainwright or winked at him, not lightly or jocularly, but with a certain anxious, concealed earnestness which was evidently real. "Head is my name," he whispered again; "better write it down-Bethuel Head." An

just enough to carry him through, with nothing over. The seven hours on the mountain-road, which climbed straight up on one side of the Blue Ridge, and straight down on the other, now over solid rock, now deep in red clay, now plunging through a break-neck gorge, now

solitary roads homeward to small mountain-villages, one ten, one fifteen miles away. Brother Bethuel was leaning over the

d, "or was the last time I saw him; I d

ot swerve from the little minister's face, although Wainwright was n

answered Brother Bethuel.

ectly, himself unnoticed as usual; and he read there that she did pray. "She believes it," he thought. He looked at her gen

ather has been told,"

know nothing," said the girl. "C

abide to-night wi

t ready, then,

a mile from Ellerby now, and the horses began to trot for the first time in eight hours. Brother Bethuel turned himself, and met Wainwright's eyes. Now those eyes of Wainwright were of a pale color, like the eyes of a fish; but they had at times a certain inflexibi

r most distinguished families. I venture to say, sir, that strike at an Eliot, yes, strike at an Eliot, and a

ed by-by striker

ibrary; she is writing some 'Reflections on the Book of Job,' and is obliged of course to consult the authorities. You noticed the old library, did you not?-that small building in the grove, opposite t

b they are

nt. "She is not of my flock; the Eliots are, of course, Episcopalians," he continu

er of Master

quickly in the darkening twilight. He c

man is a poor fellow up in the mountains, in whom Miss Dooris is interested. He is often ill and

ht, beginning to descend as the stage

h the words, delivered in a full undertone. Brother Bethuel had a good voice; he had p

ght before he came sharply into personal contact with the discomforts of

d Georgia, the Iron Mountains, the Bald Mountains, and the peaks of the Great Smoky, purple and soft in the distance. A chain of giant sentinels stretched across the valley from one range to the other, a

by impulse or intuition, or even by liking or disliking. What persons said was not of the slightest importance to him in any way: he noted what they did. The service was in progress, and Honor was down upon her knees. He saw her confess her sins; he saw her bow her head to receive the absolution; he saw her repeat the psalms; he watched her through every word of the Litany; he heard her sing; and he noted her clasped hands and strong effort of recollection throughout the recital of the Commandments. Then he settled himself anew, and began to watch her through the sermon. He had seen women attentive through the service before now: they generally became neutral during the sermon. But this girl never swerved. She sat with folded arms looking at the preacher fixedly, a slight compression about the mouth showing that the attention was that of determination. The preacher was uninteresting, he was tautological; still the girl followed him. "What a narrow little round of words and phrases it is!" thought the other, listening too, but weary. "How can she keep up with him?" And then, still watching her, he fell to noticing her dress and attitude. Poor Honor wore a gown of limp black alpaca, faithful, long-end

ver she was). But Brother Bethuel, coming from the Methodist meeting-house, bore down upon him, and effected what the Queen of Sheba could not have done: himself openly watching the church-door, he took Wainwright by the arm, turned him around, and, holding him by a buttonhole, stood talking to him. The red wagon of the Eliots was standing at the gate; Mrs. Eliot was on the front seat, and all the space behind was filled in with children. Blac

to have them turned upon himself. But he was not likely to have this good fortune; all her attention was concentrated upon the little minister. She said she had the package ready; it would be at the usual place. He would take it up, he replied, at sunset. She hoped the moon would not be hidden by cl

uel at last, indicating Stephen with a

the salutations in a minuet, coming up slowly and looking with gravity full in her face. He had what he wanted then-

linen collar. This clear white went down to the edge of the arched lips, and met the red there sharply and decidedly; the two colors were not mingled at all. What was there about her that interested him? It was the strong reality of her religious belief. In the character-studies with which he amused his life he recognized any real feeling, no matter what, as a rarity, a treasure-trove. Once he had spent six weeks in studying a woman who slowly and carefully planned and executed a revenge. He had studied what is called religion enormously, considering it one of the great spiritual influences of the world: he had found it, in his individual cases so far, mixed. Should he study this new s

nintelligible either by the lack of commas, semicolons, and quotation-marks, and the substitution of the never-failing dash, dear to the feminine pen. The sheets, exhaling the faintest reminiscence of sandalwood, were covered with clear handwriting, which went straigh

t would be extremely dangerous to attack the family in any way. Stephen walked along, and let the little man chant on. He had heard, in this same manner, pages and volumes of talk from the persons who insist upon telling you all about people in whom you have not the remotest interest, even reading you their letters and branching off farther and farther, until you come to regard those first mentioned as quite near friends when the talker comes back to them (if he ever does), being so much nearer than th

mes but corn-meal and potatoes,"

ve in a roaring flood; all the small artic

ildren?" inqui

ame, I saw Honor go to the mi

dee

ain. And I have seen her s

er money, and getting away as fast as possible: money, because he had for twenty-four hours made her in a

the little minister with dignity; "she can play

ey came to the pl

r: "As to horses, remember to apply to me-Brother Head, Bethuel Head. A note dropped into the post-office will reach me, a man on horseback bringing the mail up our way twice each week. Bethuel Head-do not fo

ther, crossing the plank, and following the

ntleman sat down, and leaned his crutch against the wall, with a good deal of disappointment: being a devoted churchman, he had hoped for a long ecclesiastical chat. But, after a moment, he took up with good grace the secondary subject of the mountains, and talked very well about them. Wi

w. Now, Stephen had been taken numerous times in his life to see views; the trouble was that he always looked directly at the real landscape, whatever it was, and found a great deal to say about it, to the neglect of the view nearer his side. He did not think it necessary now to play his usual part of responsive politeness to this little country-girl's open man?uvre; he could go if she insisted upon it, he

hen they had reached the summit, and Stephen was gathering together his adjectives for his usual view-remarks, he turned toward his companion, and was surprised to see how

once, twice-then f

ncouragingly: after al

ay in Ellerby any le

ided," said Stephen, r

do stay, we, that is, I-we, I mean-

ank

l, pulling off her gloves in desperate embarras

gan his vi

t the first pause, "was, that if you should stay, and need-

Stephen. Then he threw a hot shot: "Yes; Mr. Head asked me the sa

not," said

gan to blush-pink, crimson, pink; t

t strange?"

disturbed, Miss Dooris;

to make a little money now and th

I-ju

ry to he

tural, I

s to gain a few shillings: he had decided that the Colonel's old horses

nly need horses

ll apply to

that he forgot hi

"I will apply to Mr. Head, and o

ghtened

he glittering, brilliant western sky. He put his quizzical expression back out of sight, and began to talk to her. She answered him frankly. He tested her a little; he was an ol

roughened by toil, charmingly shaped and finely aristocratic-fit portion of the tall, well-rounded figure, which only needed self-consciousness to be that of a young Diana. The girl seemed so happy and radiant, so impersonal in the marked attention she gave to him, which was not unlike the attention she might have given to her grandfather, that Wainwright recognized it at las

od ones?" he said confidentially

tly, and the old cloud of

eyes rested upon him, and he read trouble, fear, and dis

made up his mind, rather unfairly, to break down the fence between the

color rushed up all

be maintained, and that some persons must do the work that you do. People can not always choose

ake me for?" said Wai

e are experienced; others may not discover you so soon. Mr. Head is

kind; disint

g again; "I assure you he

me what it is you tak

a whisper. "You are one of the new revenue dete

the moonlight whisk

es

ad and laughed out loud, as

ore in all my life." Then, when he was sober, "Miss Dooris," he said, "I am a man of leisure, residing in New York;

ice. Then it came to him how the club-men would enjoy the story, and a