LOOKING FORWARD 
 
 OK 
 
 The Storv of an -American Farm. 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN R. ROGERS. 
 
 SPIKF. PTRLISHTXO <" OM1\NY 
 
 1898
 
 Copyrighted. 
 All rights roserved.
 
 Stack 
 Annex 
 
 I.) H I) I CAT I ON. 
 
 I dedicate this book to the woman who never lost faith 
 in me my wife. 
 
 THE AUTHOR,
 
 I R K I- A C K 
 
 This Story of an American Farm first appeared in 1889 
 a.s a serial in the columns of The h diisas ( \>ninit>nci\ then 
 published at Newton, Kansas, under the management of the 
 \\-riter. Recently it has been revised and partly rewritten 
 without, however, changing the design and arrangement <>l 
 the book, or the character of the narrative, which, as mav be 
 surmised, is largely drawn from actual experiences among 
 the farmers of Kansas. 
 
 JOHN R. 
 i )i.VMi iA, Washington. 
 
 January i5th, 1898.
 
 
 CHAPTER. 
 
 I. THE FARMEI. AND His FAMILY 
 
 II. MARY ( r , RAFTON ,7 
 
 IN. \\"n<> M \KF.TH THEM TO DIFFER 24 
 
 IV. MONEY ANSWERETH AI.I. THINGS ^ 
 
 \". LEAVING HOME 4,, 
 
 \ I. FACING \ FROWNING; WORLD - ^i 
 
 VII. LIFE S TRIALS ^,s 
 
 \ III. BRANCHTON 55 
 
 IX. THE LAWYER 77 
 
 X. (Jl ESTIoNS AND ANSWERS - 84 
 
 XI. MARY AT HOME - 101 
 
 XII. MR. KLI.F.RY IN TROTBI.K us 
 
 XIII. CARE AND COTNSEI. 129 
 
 XIV. LIBERTY FOR THE TOILERS 141 
 XV. SORROW . _ j {J4 
 
 XVI. ORIEF - i6s 
 
 XVII. BREAKING UP - 172 
 
 XVIII. THE STR ANGER 182 
 
 XIX. THE STTDENT \ND THE FARMER 190 
 
 XX. THE NEW HOME 205 
 
 XXI. (ii.iMi SEs OK CHARACTER 219
 
 CONTENT S Continued. 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 XXII. PLAINYILLK PF.OIM.F. 224 
 
 XXIII. THE CONFLICT <>F INTKRKSTS 239 
 
 XXI\ . DKSTI-XV 249 
 
 XXV. THE ORPHANS 256 
 
 XXVI. THK CONFLICT CONTINTF.S 270 
 
 XXVII. THK NK\V CONVERT 277 
 
 XXVIII. Niri KD IN THK Hrn 295 
 
 XXIX. A NEW DEAL 310 
 
 XXX. CONCLUSION 3 1 8
 
 *sm 
 
 "^L , ,
 
 LOOKING FORWARD, 
 
 OR 
 
 Story of ar\ flnqencari Farrr\. 
 
 "For, brother, men 
 
 Can counsel, and speak comfort to that grief 
 Which they themselves not feel ; but, tasting it 
 Their counsel turns to passion, which before 
 Would give preceptial medicine to rage." 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE FARMER AND HIS FAMILY. 
 
 OTHER, do you think I ought to go? 
 Oh I hope I can." 
 
 " Why Mary, you know as well 
 as I that all depends upon the crops 
 and the weather. Your father wishes 
 you to go and if it is possible to raise 
 the money necessary to send you, 
 you will certainly be sent, but it is 
 so uncertain about the crops." 
 
 Mrs. Grafton sighed as she said this, for she well 
 remembered how often her hopes had been raised, only to 
 be destroyed by the failure of the crops upon which the 
 family depended for a living. 
 
 The daughter was a sweet faced, brown haired girl, 
 apparently about sixteen years of age ; the mother a care-
 
 IO LOOKING FOWARD. 
 
 worn woman of forty, with a refined and intelligent face, 
 bearing the marks of a faded yonth which evidently had not 
 been without personal attractions. 
 
 Mrs. Grafton was a farmer s wife and bore the imprint 
 of her class. Hard work, care and wearying reoponsibilities 
 of her position had caused her to lose the light hearted 
 gaiety which had been a prominent trait in her character as 
 a girl, while in its place there now appeared a chastened 
 and somewhat constrained cheerfulness which, somehow, 
 gave the beholder the impression that tears might readily 
 flow from her eyes upon slight provocation. " A sweet 
 woman who has seen trouble," came almost involuntarily to 
 the mind of the beholder on first meeting her. The daugh 
 ter, as became her youth, was yet free from the marks of 
 that care which destroys so much of the life pleasure of and 
 so early gives to most Americans that sorrowful expression, 
 seen when the countenance is in repose, startling even to 
 those closely connected, if unexpectedly encountered. 
 
 Mary was a pleasant faced girl of about the usual 
 height. Her figure was trim and shapely and her full 
 brown eyes glistened with a light which betokened intelli 
 gence and vivacity. She was the daughter of a farmer in 
 humble circumstances, burdened with debt and struggling 
 wearily along the path of life, who yet cherished for his 
 daughter the highest asperations. Nothing, indeed, seemed 
 to Mr. Grafton too much to hope for Mary, and in pursu 
 ance of his design of giving her the best educational fac 
 ilities possible, she had been encouraged to think of leav 
 ing home to attend a superior school which was located 
 in a neighboring town. 
 
 Mr. Grafton was himself a well informed man, having 
 in his youth attended the higher schools attainable in the 
 immediate vicinity of his early home and these studies 
 having been followed through life by an earnest endeavor to 
 inform himself at every opportunity. He had been an om 
 nivorous reader and, being possessed of a good memory and 
 endowed by nature with a vivid imagination, his descrip-
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. II 
 
 tions of what lie had read were eagerly listened to, and 
 he had thus easily influenced his daughter in her tastes and 
 in her choice of books. Unconsciously to herself her 
 thoughts and aspirations had been directed toward a higher 
 education than seemed possible at home, although, thanks 
 to her father she had already advanced much farther in gen 
 eral literature than is usual with country girls of her age. 
 
 Mr. Grafton well knew that as a pupil in an educational 
 institution she would acquire more from her surroundings 
 and the minds with which she came in contact, than from 
 the books which she might study. At best, the theories and 
 facts accumulated there, form only the tools with which fu 
 ture work may be done. 
 
 Fortunate was it for Mary that her parents possessed 
 the qualifications which distinguished them. Mrs. Grafton s 
 gentle manner and retiring disposition was yet tempered by 
 ii firm and unwavering advocacy of whatever she regarded as 
 lovely in character or elevating in tendency. Mary was the 
 eldest child and the only daughter; a younger brother, a 
 mere child, completing the family. 
 
 Mr. Grafton had emigrated to Kansas from Ohio some 
 ten years previous to the opening of our story. He had 
 been engaged there, in one of the towns of that state in mer 
 cantile business. The failure of a friend whom he had 
 heavily endorsed at one of the banks, occurring at a critical 
 time in his affairs caused his own business overthrow. But 
 he was comparatively young, and having been himself a 
 farmer s son, his thoughts seemed irresistably turned toward 
 the life to which he now looked back with regret. 
 
 A change must be made; that was sure, and gathering 
 up the remnant of his means he came to Kansas and bought 
 the farm upon which he now resided. He was a grave and 
 thoughtful man possessed of great depth of feeling, which 
 however was not to be noted on the surface. For his family 
 he had the sincerest affection, which it is needless to say was 
 full}- returned. 
 
 Mrs. Grafton deeply sympathized with her daughter in
 
 12 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 her desire for an education and intellectual advancement and 
 yet, mother-like, feared to have her darling leave her, even 
 for so short a time. 
 
 While mother and daughter were still engaged in dis 
 cussing the probabilities regarding the wheat crop upon 
 which in large measure would depend the ability of the 
 family to send her away, Mr. Grafton came hurriedly into 
 the house and said: 
 
 " It is going to storm mother." 
 
 " Why so it is," said she, hastily looking out of the 
 window. " Come Mary, you must help me get the chickens 
 safely into the coop, and we can talk about going away at 
 another time." 
 
 Mr. Grafton went out to make everything fast about the 
 stables and mother and daughter hastily caught up the 
 smaller chickens in their aprons and drove the larger ones, 
 with the bustling hens, before them to their place of refuge. 
 
 Before they could finish their errand the rain, accom 
 panied by a fierce looking cloud and a heavy wind was upon 
 them. Running hastily to the house they managed to get 
 inside the door just as the heavily charged cloud burst upon 
 them with all its fury. The lightning with its blinding 
 glare, a furious wind which drove the rain up under the 
 shingles and fairly shook the little cottage with its fury, ac 
 companied by peal upon peal of thunder caused all thoughts 
 of anything but the violence of the storm to leave them. 
 
 A moment later Mr. Grafton rushed in, wet to the skin, 
 and amid the noise and roar of the storm, the voice of a 
 child, crying with fear, came from the next room. " Poor 
 Charley!" came simultaneously from all three, just as the 
 little fellow threw open the door and ran sobbing to his 
 mother for protection. He had been asleep in an inner 
 room and wakened by the storm, at once sought that won 
 derful refuge a mother s arms. 
 
 The storm ceased almost as suddenly as it came. The 
 sun soon shone out and the family went out to see how 
 much destruction had been wrought. Mrs. Grafton, however,
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 13 
 
 returned with a box full of half drowned chickens, which she 
 placed under the kitchen stove, that the warmth of the fire 
 might revive the feeble spark of life which barely fluttered 
 in their naked and chilled bodies. The force of the wind 
 had been so great that although the large ha} stack 
 containing Mr. Grafton s entire stock of hay, had been 
 crossed at top by wires attached to heavy stones at the side, 
 its top had been blown off by the wind and the hay wet to 
 the center. Mr. Grafton made the circuit of his wheat field, 
 and found that while the growing wheat was much of it felled 
 flat to the earth by the violence of the wind and rain, yet as 
 it had not advanced far enough to make a falling down final, 
 no great damage had been done. It was yet green and 
 would in a day or two resume its upright position. Feeling 
 thankful that he had escaped a visitation of hail which might 
 have pounded his crops into the ground, he slowly made his 
 way to the house. 
 
 As usual, the storm had come up towards the close of 
 the afternoon, and night now began to fall. Mr. Grafton 
 having only himself to depend upon in the work of the farm; 
 and his wife insisting that she "would just as soon milk as 
 not;" Mary and herself had this homely duty in charge. Mr. 
 Grafton busied himself with the horses, fed the squealing 
 pigs, helped in separating the cows and calves, made all snug 
 for the night, and only as it became too dark to see did he 
 retreat in doors, where " mother, " as he affectionately called 
 her, was busy in quieting little Charley, who was fretful and 
 sleepy, and at the same time endeavoring to put away the 
 milk in the cellar and sweep out the water, which had been 
 blown, by the violence of the storm, under the door of the 
 kitchen. Mary employed herself in getting supper and 
 talking to her father, as he sat near the stove, at which she 
 was at work, of the damage done to the wheat. 
 
 " Will it hurt it much, father, do you think ?" said she. 
 
 " Why no, I hope not," he replied. " Still all is un 
 certain and there are yet many chances for loss." 
 
 " If we cannot raise the money for you, Molly, this
 
 14 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 year, we will try to do so next, and you will only be seven 
 teen then." 
 
 " Oh dear !" she sighed ; " the very idea of putting off 
 another whole year what I have looked forward to so 
 anxiously, is so disheartening." 
 
 " I know it is, and we will hope for the best, but you 
 must not set your heart upon going so strongly as to be 
 unable to bear the disappointment of a failure of our plans." 
 
 Supper was now ready, and although it was nearly 
 nine o clock, the family sat down to the evening meal at the 
 earliest possible moment at which it could have been made 
 ready. Before it was ended, little Charley was fast asleep 
 in his weary mother s arms and although it was very late, 
 the dishes were yet to be washed and put away. When all 
 was done and the family sought repose, it was with aching 
 bones and weary hearts, filled with nameless forebodings of 
 possible misfortune in store.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 17 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 MARY GRAFTON. 
 
 ORNING found the Graftons 
 early astir. And as the air, 
 refreshed by the shower of the 
 previous evening, was most de 
 lightfully invigorating, laden 
 as it was, with the odor of veg 
 etation springing into life, they 
 ^cheerfully and hopefully began again 
 P> ^ their daily round of duties. After 
 feeding the animals, Mr. Grafton could 
 not refrain from taking a hasty look at 
 the wheat field, the boundaries of which were not far dist 
 ant from the stables. The wheat was still very largely flat 
 upon the surface of the ground, but a close examination 
 convinced him that it was uninjured by the rough treatment 
 it had received. Each blade glistened with moisture in the 
 rays of the rising sun and as the slight breeze of the early 
 morning caused it to flutter gently, for a moment there 
 came over him a sense of the beauty and loveliness of na 
 ture, causing his heart to rise in thankfulness to the great 
 and incomprehensible source of the world of beauty spread 
 out before him. 
 
 Just then he heard little Charlie calling him, at the 
 stable, where he had been sent to summon his father to the 
 morning meal. 
 
 "Here I am Charlie," said he, as the little fellow came 
 into sight, in the search. 
 
 "Mamma say dinner weady, Pa." 
 
 " \Vell I am ready too," said he. "What has she got 
 for us." 
 
 "Oh mos eversing, I dess." 
 
 Taking him in his arms Mr. Grafton walked slowly 
 towards the house, amusing himself meantime by talking to 
 the child, whose opening mind was eagerly seeking to know 
 the reason for all which met his wondering gaze.
 
 i8 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 "What made the lark sing ? and why had he a yellow 
 breast? Was he glad? Did birds sing when they were 
 glad ? Was that what made Mary sing ? Did God like 
 little birds ? and if a b-a-d man shot the little bird would 
 God be sorry ?" And finally, "What made mensbebad?" 
 Mr. Graftoii could not answer, and he realized that the 
 child, who was just learning to talk, had already propounded 
 the question of the origin of evil, which staggers the mind 
 of the philosopher. 
 
 One thing distinguished the Graftons ; as the family 
 met around the table, whether well or scantily spread, each 
 strove to make it a season of light and innocent gaiety. 
 Whatever of disquiet might be weighing upon them, it was 
 thrown off and each endeavored to bring something to the 
 common fund of enjoyment. This, which had become a habit 
 with them, had unconsciously become not only a source of 
 pleasure, but also served to draw the members of the little 
 family more closely together in thought and feeling. 
 
 Seated about the breakfast table, little Charlie began to 
 tell his mother of the "buful" little bird and how nicely it 
 sang. "Oh!" said Mrs. Grafton, "that puts me in mind of 
 one of Charlie s speeches yesterday morning. We were out 
 in the garden and I was planting some seeds and had for 
 gotten him for a moment, when I found that he had stuck 
 a feather in the ground, which he had picked up. and 
 
 smoothing the dirt carefully 
 around its base he said: Now 
 see, Mamma, it will grow up 
 a hen, won t it? " 
 
 All laughed good-naturedly 
 at Charlie and his "hen/ 
 while the child ap 
 peared in no wise 
 cast down at what 
 now seemed the pro 
 bable failure of his 
 crop.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 19 
 
 " Mary you must go up to town and get some grocer 
 ies," said Mrs. Grafton. 
 
 " I did not know that we were out of coffee until this 
 morning, and there are some other things that we must 
 have." 
 
 "I would go," said Mr. Grafton, "but I must finish cul 
 tivating the north field." 
 
 "O! I will go," said Mary, "I can ride old Jim and that 
 will leave father the good team to work with. 
 
 Thus it was arranged that Mary should have the side 
 saddle placed upon a large old horse which had long been 
 the property of the family and was now only occasionally 
 called upon to perform a portion of the work of the farm. 
 
 After breakfast Mr. Grafton saddled the old horse and 
 brought him to the door where Mary was ready to mount. 
 Mr. Grafton helped his daughter into the saddle and Mrs. 
 Grafton stood near with a basket containing some choice 
 butter which was to be carried to a lady in town, who had 
 requested it sent upon the first opportunity. 
 
 The big old horse made but a sorry mount for so fair a 
 burden, and as Mr. Grafton assisted in handing up the 
 basket and looking to the security of the various straps and 
 buckles he sighed as he realized how rough and uncouth a 
 figure the old horse and rather shabbily dressed girl, would 
 make in the eyes of the fastidious. As he placed the little 
 shoe in the stirrup and noted the rough and well-worn 
 leather, a suspicious dimness came into his eyes as he felt 
 how little he was able to assist in the training of one for 
 whom he thought nothing too good. 
 
 Mary saw nothing of this ; she was a country girl, un 
 spoiled by the fashionable follies of the day, and while she 
 dearly loved beauty and beautiful things, she was yet able 
 to put away all thoughts of what she knew she could not 
 obtain. 
 
 Old Jim was honest and true and gravely jogged along. 
 The morning air was like wine to Mary s naturally joyous 
 spirit, and she hummed softly to herself the strains of the
 
 2O LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 ballads she loved, until almost before she thought it possible 
 she \vas at the hitching rack in town where she had been 
 told to leave her horse, while she busied herself with the 
 business of the morning. 
 
 Plainville was a little town of some 500 inhabitants. 
 It had a railway station and boasted of a dozen stores, a 
 bank, a grist mill, two or three churches and the usual 
 amount of scandal and jealousy. People of all kinds were 
 there ; some good, a few bad, and many quite indifferent. 
 It was an ordinary village, neither town nor country, with 
 out the advantages of either, and having some of the evils 
 of both. 
 
 As Mary drew near the rack, which was just at the 
 edge of the sidewalk and near the store she intended patron 
 izing, she saw among the loungers standing near, the 
 swaggering form of John Busteed, the worthless son of the 
 wealthy man of the village. Mary had often, with her 
 mother, visited at several residences in the town and knew 
 many of the people. Of Busteed she knew enough to 
 despise him. 
 
 Seeing that she intended stopping, John came forward 
 and proffered his assistance in helping her to dismount. 
 This she instantly determined to prevent. 
 
 " I believe, sir," said she, " that I do not need your 
 assistance; Mr. Weldon will you please take my basket a 
 moment ?" 
 
 " Why certainly, certainly I will, Miss Mary," said 
 Weldon. 
 
 John colored with anger and slunk away, to meet the 
 derisive winks and nods of the bystanders. 
 
 As soon as relieved of the heavy basket, Mary sprang 
 lightly to the ground and tied old Jim in a way that con 
 vinced the onlookers that she had often done the like 
 before. 
 
 Mr. Weldon was the village blacksmith, a man of 
 vigorous frame and speech, who, though now growing old, 
 did not hesitate, if need be, to back up his rather free
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 21 
 
 way of speaking, with muscular force. As this was under 
 stood to be his way, from traditional reports of a former 
 time, and as his manner gave promise, upon occasion, of 
 an instant "falling from grace," "Uncle Bill," as he was 
 familiarly called, was allowed to do and say pretty much as 
 he pleased. 
 
 Mary pinned her riding skirt to the saddle and taking 
 the basket from Uncle Bill, at once sought the home of 
 the lady to whom the butter had been sent. 
 
 She had gone but a short distance when one of the 
 loafers spoke up: 
 
 " Well, John, you got the mitten that time." 
 
 " G d d n the little minx, I ll get even with her for 
 that. I wouldn t a cared if it hadn t a been for this crowd 
 a standing around." 
 
 "Pooh! John, she is too smart for the likes of you." 
 
 " Well now," said John, with a meaning leer, "I ve 
 got even with girls just as smart as she is, afore now." 
 
 "You d better make your peace with God, if you harm 
 < a- >rge Grafton s girl," said Uncle Bill. 
 
 " Who s George Grafton? He aint nobody. Just one 
 of them poor farmers that you can buy for ten dollars a 
 head." 
 
 " George Grafton is what you never can be a man 
 and if men were selling for ten cents a head you couldn t 
 buy the little finger of a man, if it wasn t for your dad - 
 money. Grafton is a quiet man, but that girl is like the 
 apple of yer eye to him and if he needs any help why he 
 can get it that s all." 
 
 A chuckle of endorsement of Uncle Bill s little speech 
 went round just as the elder Busteed approached, who was 
 gradually made aware of what had occurred. 
 
 " George Grafton is bringing" up that girl with too 
 high and mighty notions," said he. "There he is, poor 
 and in debt further than he can see a way to pay. He 
 haint got no help. His boy is a girl, and they tell me he 
 is talkin er sending her to college or some such fool no-
 
 22 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 tion, and they say he spends at least fifty dollars a year 
 for books and papers and sich. It is well enough for a 
 man to have a decent education. I suppose he s got that, 
 now why don t he stop fooling with books and try and 
 make some money?" 
 
 "Grafton is a good worker," ventured one of the 
 loungers. 
 
 " Yes, maybe he is, but he don t manage right." 
 
 "Well, how ought he to manage?" 
 
 "Well, he aint no use for so many books. They say 
 he s got a house full now, and he don t need more n one 
 good newspaper. The Tribune is enough for any farmer 
 to read. Then them reform notions er his is enough to 
 put any man down. Let the farmers tend to their busi 
 ness an we ll tend to ourn." 
 
 Mr. Busteed was a director and reputed heavy stock 
 holder in the local bank; his business consisted, as he 
 himself expressed it, in looking for "soft snaps." He was 
 a speculator, a buyer of grain and an occasional loaner of 
 money at unmentionable rates ? standing ready to buy up 
 property of any kind, when its owner stood in direful need. 
 Although all his efforts were directed towards taking 
 advantage of the necessities of his needy fellow creatures, 
 he veiled his deeds with a thin gloss of very ordinary 
 religion. He made no pretentious to sanctit}^ and, 
 although a member of the Presbyterian Church, he seldom 
 attended the prayer or official meetings of the society, but 
 when it came to cash support, he gave more than any 
 other five members and thus came to be the most influ 
 ential member the Church possessed. Indeed, without 
 him it seemed impossible for the Church to exist. His 
 son was an idle, worthless rake of twenty, who as a boy 
 had been guilty of all the meanness possible to mean boys 
 and who as a man bid fair to eclipse his youthful record. 
 "Now there s that girl," he continued; "she ought to 
 help her folks; no use of her readin po try, or anything 
 er that kind. She ought to work out ; she could earn at
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 23 
 
 least two dollars a week; then if she was away from home 
 lu-r board would be saved and that s two more; that s two 
 hundred dollars a year; for ten years that alone is two 
 thousand, but handle it right, put the savings of each year 
 out at interest, or employ it more profitably, and instead 
 of two thousand, in ten years it would be four or fivt 
 more than Geogre Grafton is worth. Yes, she ought to 
 work out; there is Miss Busteed wants a girl now." 
 
 " You and me," said Uncle Bill, " aint fit to have that 
 girl in our houses; we wouldn t know how to treat her: 
 why blame your old hide there is the real glory-look in 
 them great brown eyes of hers. I aint got no son, but if I 
 had one like John there, I d know better than to mention 
 such a thing." 
 
 It was Uncle Bill, and Mr. Busteed ventured no reply; 
 he noted sharply, however, the actions of those whose looks 
 and nods betokened approval of the free speech, and 
 muttering something like, "you ll see, you ll see," he stnxlu 
 hastily away.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 WHO MAKETH THEM TO DIFFER." 
 
 S Mary returned to the store, after 
 leaving the butter at the house to which 
 she had taken it, the loungers, who still 
 remained where she had left them, 
 moved very politely out of her way as 
 she entered the store. Mr. Baker, the keeper, 
 who was also the village postmaster, saluted 
 her quite pleasantly: 
 
 " Good morning; awful nice morning aint it? 
 Got lots of mail for your folks." 
 
 "Ah, is that so; are there any letters for us?" 
 " Why I believe so," said he; " but your box is more n 
 full of papers; you see, the magazines is come." 
 
 Mary expressed pleasure at having the magazines to 
 read : the coffee and other articles were soon purchased and 
 all placed in the basket she had brought; she led old Jim 
 up to the sidewalk, which answered the purpose of a horse 
 block; a moment more and she was in the saddle, Mr. 
 Baker brought out the basket and handed it up to her and 
 she was on the road home. 
 
 As soon as she got out of the village, the horse moving 
 gently along, she took from the basket in front of her, the 
 various newspapers and magazines, looked each over hur 
 riedly, reading a little here and there. Opening a magazine 
 she read what a wealthy lady had given as a description of 
 her mode of life, and this is what she read: 
 
 "We breakfast about ten. Breakfast occupies the best 
 part of an hour, during which we read our letters and pick 
 up the latest news in the papers. After that we have to go 
 and answer our letters, and my mother expects me to write 
 her notes of invitation or reply to such. Then I have to 
 go into the conservatory and feed the canaries and parrots 
 and cut off the dead leaves and faded flowers from the plants. 
 Then it is time to dress for lunch and at two o clock we 
 lunch. At three my mother likes me to go with her when 
 she makes her calls, and we then come home to a five o clock
 
 Who Maketh Them to Differ.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 2J 
 
 tea when some friends drop in. After that we get ready 
 to take our drive in the park, and then we go honi- t<> 
 dinner, and after dinner we go to the theatre or the opera, 
 and then when we get home I am so dreadfully tired, that 
 I don t know what to do." 
 
 Mary had read very much more than most girls of 
 her age; she knew that the life thus described was lived 
 by but very few in our largest cities, but as she closed the 
 book and strove to imagine the life thus brought before 
 her, the utter vacuity of such an existence was most fully 
 impressed upon her. How could sensible people live such 
 a life ? Ah! hers was a preferable life, she thought. The 
 dear faces at home rose up before her, and with a glow of 
 exultation she patted poor old Jim as the only represen 
 tative at hand of the little band, dearer than all the world 
 beside. 
 
 Turning over the newspapers, her eyes fell upon a 
 paragraph, and this is what she saw: 
 
 "In a New England town the other day, a newsboy, 
 hardly higher than the platform, was run over by a horse- 
 ear and fatally hurt. What did the self-supporting baby 
 of six years do, when writhing in the last agonies ot a 
 terrible death ? He called piteously for his mother. 
 Why ? To shriek piteously upon her breast ? That she 
 might clasp him while the surgeon worked ? Ah, no! It 
 was to give her his day s earnings. I ve saved em, 
 mother! he cried. I ve saved em all! Here they are! 
 When his little clenched, dirty hand fell rigid it was found 
 to contain four cents." 
 
 Mary s eyes filled with tears. Were there people like 
 that ? Did God care for the poor ? How could He if such 
 things were permitted to continue? And yet she knew 
 that this was but one of a thousand daily incidents in the 
 life of the cities, where brilliant sights and horrid scene- 
 are so inextricably commingled. What a world this was! 
 How much of happiness, and ah! how much of misery! 
 
 As she rode up the lane and came near the house, her 
 mother, who had been on the watch, came out to meet her; 
 giving her the basket she sprang lightly from the saddle,
 
 28 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 and throwing her arms about her mother, impulsively 
 kissed her. 
 
 The watchful mother noted the tear upon her daugh 
 ter s cheek, although her eyes were laughing and her face 
 was wreathed with smiles. 
 
 "Why Mary," she began; "has anything happened 
 to you?" 
 
 "Oh no, mother dear; but I was just reading some 
 thing which made me feel so sorry, and when I saw you 
 and thought what a pleasant home I had and how much I 
 loved you I couldn t help hugging you just a little." 
 
 Mrs. Grafton was too wise a woman to make many 
 enquiries. She knew her daughter s impulsive spirit; she 
 had full confidence in her, and for the moment busied 
 herself in helping Mary as they tugged at the dry old 
 straps and rusty buckles of the saddle. Taking it off, she 
 placed it upon the spacious back porch, while light-hearted 
 Mary led the old horse to the pasture, swung open the 
 gate, and stripping off the bridle, turned the faithful beast 
 loose, to crop the short grass. 
 
 Just then she espied her father coming into dinner 
 from the field. By going across the corner of the pasture 
 she could readily intercept him as he came up the farm 
 road, and this she did, actually running part of the way, 
 that she might meet him at a certain bend in the road. 
 
 Mr. Grafton was driving the team, which with dang 
 ling chains and rattling harness, were swinging heavily 
 along, while he walked behind. Mary came up, and 
 putting her hand in that of her father, they walked along 
 " swinging hands" like a couple of school-girls. 
 
 At first neither spoke a word ; at last Mary broke the 
 silence, saying: 
 
 " Father, what makes such a difference in the condi 
 tions of life in which people are found." 
 
 " Why, what makes you ask that?" 
 
 Mary then related what she had been reading, saying 
 that the great difference between the very rich and the
 
 LOOKING; FORWARD. 29 
 
 very poor was to her a mystery, if all were the children of 
 God, who loved all alike. 
 
 " Opportunity makes people, and the lack of it pre 
 vents them," said he. 
 
 " Don t you know what Gray says: 
 
 Full many a gem of purest ray serene 
 The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear ; 
 
 Full many a flower is born to blush unseen 
 And waste its sweetness on the desert air. " 
 
 "Oh yes," said she; "so many people never have a 
 chance; opportunity doesn t come to them. Why is it? 
 
 " Up to a comparatively recent period, orthodox peo 
 ple comforted themselves with the theory of Rev. Dr. 
 Malthas, as an answer to this question," said Mr Grafton. 
 "This theory held to the belief that the increase of popu 
 lation in the world tends to outrun the means of subsis 
 tence. That more people are born into the world than 
 can properly be cared for. That wars, pestilence, famine 
 and hardships generally, are the God -appointed means of 
 thinning out an undesirable increase. That God has 
 created more people than he can care for and that He then 
 sets men to killing and destroying one another, in various 
 ways, as a means of getting rid of His own mistakes. 
 This theory was very convenient and consoling and laid 
 all blame if blame there was upon God. Great generals 
 and small persecutors consoled themselves with the idea 
 that they were co-workers with Deity in the necessary 
 work of the world. In much the same way the people 
 who held slaves, in this country, a while ago, found a 
 passage in the scriptures which they took a great fancy to. 
 Old Noah cursed one of his grandsons, saying: Cursed be 
 Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be to his brethern; 
 and the southern divines held, without the slightest 
 authority, that Canaan symboli/ed the black race, and 
 that as Noah in the Bible had cursed Canaan, they were 
 carrying out the work of the Lord in America by holding 
 negroes in slavery. It was a very slim foundation, but 
 what there was came from the Bible and they made much
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 of it for the reason that they could lay the blame on Noah 
 or the Bible. The real truth then was, as it is now with 
 the poor creatures you were pitying, a while ago: the 
 whole trouble comes from the insane and murderous greed 
 of man. 
 
 " Now-a-days there is another passage that people who 
 are engaged in keeping poor people in their places are 
 very anxious to quote, and that is Christ s saying at a 
 particular time: The poor always ye have with you but 
 me ye have not always," as though He meant people to 
 assist in the work of making poverty permanent, but if 
 these will only look it up, they will find that this was 
 really said in opposition to a protest of Judas, and a pre 
 ceding verse exactly describes the people who are repeat 
 ing what Jesus said without noting the circumstances. It 
 is found in the twelfth chapter of John: 
 
 This he said not that he cared for the poor; but be 
 cause he was a thief, and had the bag and bare what was 
 put therein. 
 
 " Man s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands 
 mourn!" That s the foundation of the whole trouble." 
 
 They had now arrived at the stable where 
 Charlie was awaiting them, and as Mr. Grafton 
 stooped to take the little fellow in his arms, 
 Mary drew the reins from his hands, tied them 
 in the proper rings and deftly unhar 
 nessed one horse before Charlie had 
 finished telling his father a wonderful 
 story relating to a little bird 
 which the house cat had caught 
 and eaten. The other horse was 
 quickly stripped, Mary led them 
 to the trough, while her father 
 pumped the water for the thirsty 
 beasts. Soon they were placed 
 in their stalls and all then went 
 in to dinner.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 3 x 
 
 Just as they reached the back door they saw a man 
 driving a pair of ponies before a buggy, moving rapidly along 
 the public highway. As he came to the entrance to the 
 Grafton place he turned and came up at a smart trot. 
 
 " It is Busteed," said Mr. Grafton. " I wonder what 
 makes him come in." 
 
 "Howdy, Graftou," said the man of business. " I was 
 going out to Barnes place on a little business, and I just 
 drove in to let you know that I ll have to have that money 
 sooner than I thought, fact is I need it bad; you haven t it 
 by you, I s pose?" 
 
 "No," said Mr. Grafton, " I haven t, and I did not try 
 to get it, as you told me that it could run until after harvest, 
 just as well as not." 
 
 "So I did, but I didn t know what was coming. Well 
 I ll have to have it." 
 
 "Why," said Mr. Grafton, "I don t see how I am to 
 get it for you unless I borrow it." 
 
 " No, I s pose not ; but you can do that, can t you ?" 
 
 " Possibly I can. But I do not know whom to go to for 
 a loan. Can you tell me?" 
 
 " Well," said Busteed, " I expect the old Squire is the 
 only chance." 
 
 Mr. Grafton made no immediate reply, for he knew, as 
 did every one in the vicinity, that old "Squire" Clinch, as 
 he was called, was but a creature of Busteed s, and of others, 
 who, having no capital of his own, did a precarious business 
 as loan agent, and was expected by his employers to take 
 advantages which they were ashamed openly to extort. 
 
 "Well," said Mr. Grafton, "I ll try what I can do for 
 you in a day or two." Busteed whirled his ponies about, 
 and, with a parting injunction to "be sure and fix that 
 matter up," he was gone. 
 
 Mrs. Grafton had been a listener to the colloquy just 
 related, and as the family sat down to dinner, the knowledge 
 of the serious financial straits they were in, and the uiicer-
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 tainty of the future, was for once too weighty to be thrown 
 aside. 
 
 "Why don t you laugh to me," said little Charlie, not 
 ing the grave and silent faces.
 
 .LOOKINC, FORWARD. 33 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 " MONEY ANSWERETH ALL THINGvS." 
 
 EORGE Grafton had for some time 
 been "running behind," as the neigh 
 bors said. The loss of a crop, followed 
 by a long-continued time of low prices, 
 had reduced his means of living to the 
 lowest possible point. 
 
 When the farm, upon which he lived, was 
 purchased, he had bought it 011 "payments," 
 and as the crops raised had not enabled 
 him to pay the balance of the purchase 
 money at the appointed time, the farm was mortgaged and 
 the money raised for that purpose. The mortgage drew a 
 heavy rate of interest and formed a serious annual charge. 
 He did not look upon life as a mere opportunity to collect 
 a store of dimes and dollars and so, out of regard to what he 
 considered the higher interests of himself and family, man} 
 opportunities for accumulating money were allowed to pass 
 as unworthy the sacrifice which he felt they would be called 
 upon to make in obtaining it. It thus happened that he 
 found himself the subject of many criticisms, on the part of 
 his neighbors, regarding his management of affairs, most of 
 which were in the same line as that of Mr. Busteed, regard 
 ing Mary s services. It thus came about that, although he 
 had been reasonably successful in his business of farming, 
 so far at least as raising crops was concerned, yet he found 
 that he was not only not gaining financially, but was actu 
 ally running astern. And when he compared his condition 
 with that of the farmers about him, he found that his condi 
 tion was fully as good as the average. Those who had 
 raised more had also taken greater risks, and lost more. 
 Those who had been raising cattle had lost heavily in their 
 operations by the fall of prices as controlled by the manipu 
 lators of the great markets. 
 
 The next morning Mr. Grafton went to the village,
 
 34 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 resolved to make some arrangement, if possible, to obtain 
 the money to pay off Busteed, hoping that the crop might 
 turn out so favorably as to relieve his necessities, at least 
 for the time. 
 
 Arrived in the town, he at once sought the bank, and 
 was there told that "they were not loaning now," but that 
 they had in the vault some funds belonging to a private 
 party which might possibly be gotten with a good, well- 
 secured note ; " but," said the cashier, " if the note suits, he 
 will discount it ; he don t loan at a specified rate ; says he ll 
 buy good notes. How much do you want?" 
 
 " I have a note out for a hundred dollars that I want to 
 pay," said Mr. Grafton. 
 
 u You will have to have an even hundred, then ?" 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Well, then, I expect the best plan will be to make a 
 note for one hundred and twenty-five, and get a good signer 
 and we will submit the note and see what can be got ; I 
 suppose sixty days time will suit you?" 
 
 "Yes, I can pay it then, I hope, but what amount will 
 I realize from the note you describe?" 
 
 "Well, the party who has this money is pretty hard, 
 and he is a close shaver." 
 
 " Yes, I presume so, but can t you give me an idea of 
 the amount he would allow on such a note?" 
 
 "Well, Grafton, this man loans money for what he 
 can make, and he makes all he can, and I don t reckon 
 you would get much over the amount you need. Might 
 some." 
 
 " You mean to say, then, that he would not give much 
 over a hundred for such a note?" 
 "Well, that s about it." 
 
 "Let s see," said Grafton; "that is twenty-five per 
 cent, for two months time, or twelve and a half per cent, 
 per month." 
 
 "0, you needn t go wild now; that aint the way to 
 look at it, it is simply buying the note for what it will
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 35 
 
 " LKT S SEE," SAID GRAFTON ; "THAT is TWENTY-FIVE PKK CENT. FOK TWO MONTH S 
 
 TIME, OR TWELVE AND A HALF 1 ER CENT. PER MONTH." 
 
 You sec money is scarce and a tiling is worth what 
 it will bring. You make your note and if anybody will 
 irivr m>re for it, take it to eni; there s no force to this 
 thing. This is a free country." 
 
 "You know very well that there are so few who have 
 any money that they are able to take what advantage they 
 please," said Graf ton. 
 
 "Oh, well if you want to p,et huffy about it I don t 
 believe this party would loan to you anyhow; he don t 
 want no trouble with anybody." 
 
 ( irafton turned upon his heel and left the bank; he 
 knew as well as he cared to know, that the mythical per 
 sonage who had the money was none other than the 
 cashier himself, who thus sought to "turn an honest 
 penny."
 
 36 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 But the money must be had and Grafton was deter 
 mined to secure it, if possible. He had borrowed it of 
 Busteed at "legal rates," or twelve per cent, per annum, 
 and he was aware that as harvest was approaching and the 
 farming community being called upon for unusual expen 
 ditures, were at this time nearly all borrowers of money 
 in large or small quantities, and that he should be obliged 
 to pay a heavier rate than the note now drew. Resolving 
 to know the worst, he went at once to Squire Clinch s 
 office and made known his business. 
 
 " What security have you to give?" said Clinch. 
 
 " Well," said Mr. Grafton, "I guess I would as soon 
 give you a chattel mortgage, as to ask anybody to go on 
 my note." 
 
 "What on?" 
 
 " Well, on my big team of horses." 
 
 " You want a hundred dollars?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " For sixty days?" 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " Well, you make out a note and mortgage for one 
 hundred and ten, and I ll get the money." 
 
 " Why, that s five per cent, a month," said Grafton. 
 
 " Footy near it, that s a fact ; but the fellows I loan 
 for is sharpers; they have to have their interest, and then 
 I must get a little for my work of making loans. Best I 
 can do for ye, Grafton; fact is, money is scarce." 
 
 Well, I ll see," said Grafton, as he turned and went 
 out. 
 
 He went at once to the shop of " Uncle Bill " Weldon, 
 the blacksmith. 
 
 In small villages and country places the blacksmith 
 shop is a source of neighborhood gossip unequalled. Men 
 go there to have work performed, and, being away from 
 home, are obliged to wait upon it. Conversation is cer 
 tain to ensue regarding neighborhood news, scandals and 
 quarrels, and topics ranging from the last message of the
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 37 
 
 President down to the legitimacy of the latest child born 
 in the "settlement" are fully discussed and decided. 
 
 rude Bill was hammering away at a piece of iron, 
 and barely glanced at Grafton as he entered ; having fin 
 ished his "In -at" and returned the iron to the forge, he 
 straightened up and began to pump at the bellows. 
 
 I nele Bill," said Grafton, "I want to speak to you a 
 moment!" 
 
 "All right, say ahead!" 
 
 Grafton walked to the further corner of the little shop, 
 Weldon followed, and in a low tone the farmer said: 
 
 " I ve got to have some money and I ve been over to 
 the bank and around to the old Squire s, but they all want 
 rates that no man can long stand to pay; do you know of 
 any one who has a little by him that aint in the regular 
 thieving line?" 
 
 " No," said Weldon, " I don t. I did a while ago, but 
 being as it is getting so near harvest and every body 
 having to have more or less, I don t think you can do 
 better than to take up with their offers." 
 
 " Well," said Grafton, "if I must, I must." 
 
 " Yes, there aint no other show, least ways, not now." 
 
 Turning about, Mr. Grafton went at once to Clinch s 
 office, made out the mortgage, secured the money, paid his 
 imtc. which he found at the bank; thinking as he paid it 
 that possibly the mythical party who was willing to loan 
 at twelve and a half per cent, per month had now secured 
 another hundred dollars to loan at an increased rate. He 
 went immediately home. As he drove up to the stable 
 Mary came out and began to unharness the team upon 
 one side while her father was engaged upon the other; 
 practice had enabled her to do this very quickly, and she 
 had "her horse" unhitched and was leading it to the water 
 trough before her father had finished the one he was 
 engaged upon.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 Pretty smart boy I ve got," 
 said M>. Graf ton. 
 
 " I wish I was a boy, then I 
 could help you. 
 
 "Why, don t you help me 
 now?" 
 
 "O, I try to do what little I 
 can; but it is so little and there 
 is so much to be done." 
 
 "Ah! Molly you are a great 
 help to me as it is. I don t 
 know what I would do without 
 you and the folks in the house." 
 During this little colloquy 
 Mary had been engaged in narrowly watching her father s 
 actions and manner, hoping thereby to gain some inkling 
 of the condition of his mind. She knew very well the 
 purpose of his visit to Plainville, but she chose not to ask 
 him directly regarding this, as she was well aware that in 
 case he wished her to know, he could readily tell her, and 
 then, if from any cause he did not wish her to be informed 
 she had too much regard for his wishes to seek to pry into 
 the matter. 
 
 Presently she said: u My plan of going to school will 
 have to be given up, won t it, father?" 
 
 "Not if I can help it," said he. "Perhaps the wheat 
 may do wonders for us." 
 
 " But that is so frail a hope. It isn t possible, is it, 
 for us to receive enough from that to meet all demands 
 and send me away, too?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, it is possible." 
 
 "But it isn t probable?" 
 
 Why, I fear not; I wish I could say something more 
 encouraging, but I can t. You must be a brave girl, 
 Molly, I know you can be. You are young. The world is 
 all before you and I feel sure that what we all so much 
 desire for you can somehow be accomplished.
 
 FORWARD. 
 
 39 
 
 Then you don t think I am. one of the flowers, 
 
 born to blush unseen 
 And waste its sweetness on the desert air. " 
 
 " Bless vour heart, you are one of the flowers, at anv 
 
 i / . 
 
 rate," said Mr. Graf ton. "There comes mother and Charlie 
 for us now." 
 
 It was but a little way from the kitchen door to the 
 front of the horse stables, and Mrs. Graf ton, having fin 
 ished her preparations for the noonday meal, came out to 
 hurry them in to dinner; little Charlie running down the 
 path before her. 
 
 " Father," said Mary, "you go in with mother and I 
 will feed the horses. I can just as well as not ; you know 
 I am your boy now;" and she set her straw hat jauntily 
 upon one side of her head and saving, "come, old fellows, 
 you ve drank enough," she led the horses toward the 
 stable, whistling a few bars from "Suwanee River." 
 
 Mr. Grafton stood looking after the brave-hearted 
 girl, and as his wife came up, said: "That girl is a 
 wonder to me sometimes; isn t she a jewel?" 
 
 She has set her heart upon going to school," said 
 Mrs. Grafton. 
 
 " Well, we must have her go, if such a thing is pos- 
 sibl 
 
 "Boy," called Mr. Grafton, quite loudly; "give those 
 horses ten ears of corn apiece; and a voice came back 
 from the depths of the stable, imitating as well as it could 
 the rough tones of a man: 
 
 "All right, sir: just as you say."
 
 4o 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 LEAVING HOME. 
 
 HE days come and go. Life is 
 but a chain of events following 
 each other in uninterrupted suc 
 cession. We are hurried forward 
 by the march of time, whether 
 we will or no, and as we look 
 backward upon the path we have 
 trod and the way we have come, 
 
 we are forced to acknowledge that a power greater than 
 that of our own will has been imposed upon us. The thing 
 we intended did not come to pass. 
 
 Thus was it with the Graf tons; the summer came 
 and went. Their hopes and expectations, as with others, 
 rose and fell with the varying tide of experiences forced 
 upon them. They did what they could, and having done 
 this, they were still at the mercy of circumstances over 
 which they had not the slightest control Every cloud 
 that rose in the west made them feel their entire depend 
 ence on the elemental forces which might, within an hour, 
 deprive them of ability to pay the indebtedness which 
 hung, like a heavy weight, upon their minds. Every 
 moment of waking consciousness was burdened, and even 
 the dreams of the midnight hour took on the sombre hue 
 of possible disappointment and defeat. 
 
 Love sweetened the load. A little love, a little hope, 
 with confidence in the rectitude of intent, can sweeten the 
 life of even the veriest slave. With these, life is a pleasure 
 and each day a new-found opportunity. 
 
 Mr. Grafton s harvest had not failed him. Despite 
 his fears and the exigencies of his position, he had been 
 successful, and although obliged to make sale of his crops, 
 to meet his pressing obligations, and at a lower rate than 
 he felt sure could be later obtained, he yet had been able 
 to meet the demands made upon him. The immediate
 
 I.ooKINC, FORWARD. 43 
 
 pressure had been removed, and for the present In- was 
 safe. 
 
 The (iraftons sympathi/ed deeply with their daugh 
 ter s desire to attend some institution of learning, which 
 they hoped might ail ord an opportunity for enlighten 
 ment, and a glimpse into that broader and higher life of 
 the mind, whieh once beheld and comprehended, lifts its 
 votaries to a position from which they survey the tangled 
 web of life with an equanimity and confidence felt only by 
 those who have learned that the mind of man is, indeed 
 and in truth, a kingdom. 
 
 " Mary." said Mrs. Graftoii one day, " I have a plan 
 in mind for you." 
 
 "And what is it, mother 9 " 
 
 "It is this: we cannot pay your expenses at school 
 this year, certainly; next year may be no better than this, 
 and yet I feel that the attempt ought to be made. Now 1 
 have thought that possibly a place might be found for you 
 in Dr. McFarland s Institute in Topeka, provided you 
 could be able to pay your way by work in the household; 
 you know this is a boarding-school and there must be a 
 good deal of work to be done. What do you think of this? 
 Would you be willing to undertake it?" 
 
 " Why I certainly would if you approved of the plan." 
 "As to that I could not tell," said Mrs. Graf ton, "un 
 less I could view for myself the surroundings and see what 
 would be required of you. Of course, as a member of Dr. 
 McFarland s household, you would be reasonably safe, but 
 I could not tell whether the position you would be called 
 upon to take would be of any advantage to you or not." 
 "I certainly could advance in my studies there." 
 
 Yes, but there are other things to be thought of," 
 said Mrs. Grafton. " I have talked this matter over with 
 your father and we are both of the opinion that the only 
 way to settle it definitely, will be by our going to Topeka 
 and making the necessary enquiries."
 
 44 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 "It is nearly time for the fall term to commence, 
 isn t it?" said Mary. 
 
 " Yes, and if we go we must start not later than next 
 week." 
 
 Youth is hopeful and expectant; it looks forward to 
 the future with pleasure. Mary was anxious to make the 
 attempt, and it was decided that Mrs. Graf ton and her 
 daughter should, on the following week, go to Topeka and 
 see what could be done. 
 
 The few days which intervened were busy with prepa 
 ration in the Grafton household. Somehow it became 
 known that Mary was to go away to school and that she 
 was expecting to attend Dr. McFarland s aristocratic 
 Institute for Young Ladies. Mrs. Grafton did not volun 
 tarily speak of it, but in the country, unless one refuses to 
 answer the usual civil enquiries of neighors, it is almost 
 impossible to keep anything long a secret. Being repeated 
 from one to another, the story grew to such proportions, 
 that the real facts regarding the attempt of the poor farm 
 er s daughter to obtain educational advantages and her 
 willingness to do menial work to secure them, were dis 
 torted and made to represent the acts of foolish people 
 who desired to ape the manners of those above them in 
 the social scale. 
 
 It became at once the topic of general comment; 
 Busteed remarking that pride always went before a fall, 
 and that Grafton was only making a fool of that girl of 
 his. She would get notions that would spoil her and 
 make trouble for the family. He had known, he said, of 
 one such case before; the folks were well-meaning people 
 enough and thought everything of Lucy, and sent her off 
 to the city, and in a little while, maybe a year or two, she 
 was walking the streets, a painted harlot. 
 
 Mr. Ellery, the Presbyterian minister, rather guard 
 edly took an opposing view. Mary was a bright girl, and 
 he felt sure would give a good account of herself. That 
 she should desire an education, he thought very commend-
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 45 
 
 able, and if she, was resolved upon obtaining it, her parents 
 were doing right in assisting her, at some sacrifice, to 
 gratify her ambition. He was acquainted with Dr. Mc- 
 Farland, he said, and would give Mary a letter of intro 
 duction, which might be of some service. 
 
 The appointed day soon arrived, and Mr. Grafton 
 drove to the station with his family. Little Charlie was 
 too young to fully comprehend what was meant by his 
 sister s departure. 
 
 " You will conic hack pretty soon, won t you, sister," 
 he said. 
 
 "Yes, dear," said Mary, "I hope so;" and for the first 
 time the full meaning of leaving her home came suddenly 
 upon her. She had been occupied with the preparations 
 connected with the departure ; her mother had been con 
 stantly by her side, and knowing that she was to accom 
 pany her on the journey, she had not fully realized that 
 the ties, which were with her so strong, were so soon to be 
 even temporarily sundered. The tears filled her eyes, and 
 for the moment she was sorry the journey had been under 
 taken. 
 
 " Ma, don t let Mary go!" said the child; "she will cry 
 all the time if you do!" 
 
 " O, no she won t! Mary knows there is much to do, 
 and that nothing of value is ever gained without some 
 sacrifice," said the mother. 
 
 Before leaving the wagon and just as they came into 
 the town, Mr. Grafton said: "Mary there is one rule, 
 which if you will follow will, I think, be to you a sure 
 guide; it is this: Never do anything whicli you think 
 your father and mother would not approve. 
 
 " O, father!" said she; "you know I would not do that!" 
 
 " I know you. would not now," said he; " but the fu 
 ture may change you. We cannot tell what may be in 
 store for you." 
 
 As Mr. Grafton said this, he took his daughter s hand 
 in his and said: " Do you promise, Mary ?"
 
 46 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 " Yes," said she, slowly, looking straight into his eyes ; 
 "I will!" 
 
 Mr. Grafton drove his wagon up to the depot, helped 
 out his family and, when he had hitched his team, came in 
 to the station-house to wait for the train, which was shortly 
 due. 
 
 The arrival and departuie of trains at country stations 
 forms a connecting link between the gay outside world and 
 the dull and rather monotonous existence lived by dwellers in 
 country villages. Most of the inhabitants occasionally con 
 gregated at this time to catch a glimpse of the rapidly- 
 moving train, the strange faces, and to take note who among 
 them is going away or returning from abroad. 
 
 Mr. Ellery was there with his letter of introduction, as 
 he had promised ; this he gave to Mrs. Grafton and, wishing 
 them a pleasant journey, he withdrew. 
 
 " Uncle Bill " Weldon was also present ; his shop was 
 near at hand and he was often at the depot for a few minutes 
 at train time. " It s as good as a show," he often remarked. 
 "A fellow can t pound all the time, and I don t believe I lose 
 anything by taking a breathing spell, once in a while." 
 
 Watching his opportunity, he said to Mary, unheard by 
 others: "Don t you ever forget the old folks, Mary; just 
 remember that you won t never have any friends equal to 
 them if you live to be as old as Methuselah !" 
 
 The train came thundering along and, amid hearty 
 good-byes and hurried hand-shakes, they were off. 
 
 Arrived in Topeka, they went at once to a quiet hotel, 
 which had been recommended to Mrs. Grafton. 
 
 The " Institute " was at some distance from the center 
 of the city ; taking the street-cars they soon came to the 
 place ; it was a large, rambling edifice, with spacious 
 grounds. With some trepidation Mrs. Grafton told the 
 pale and rather thin girl, who answered her summons, that 
 she wished to speak to Dr. McFarland, and they were shown 
 into a large reception-room adjoining the hallway. The 
 room was large and the ceiling lofty ; it was tastefully fur-
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 47 
 
 nished with old-fashioned and somewhat worn furniture, the 
 walls were hung with portraits and paintings, a large piano 
 occupied one corner, upon it was a vase filled with rare 
 flowers ; some statuettes posed upon brackets, and from an 
 elevated position a full-sized bust of some ponderous worthy 
 looked down upon them. They had just glanced about the 
 room when the door softly opened and an elderly gentleman 
 in slippers, advanced to meet them. Mrs. Grafton rose, 
 saying: " Dr. McFarland, I suppose?" to which he bowed 
 assent; " I have a letter of introduction," said she, "from 
 Mr. Ellery, of Plainville." 
 
 "Ah !" said he ; "pray be seated !" 
 
 As he was reading the letter Mrs. Grafton took a rapid 
 inventory of his features, but without being able to deter 
 mine much regarding his character. He was of about the 
 average height and size ; his face was quite full, with puffy 
 cheeks, rather inclining to red in color, denoting a lack of 
 sufficient exercise, and, as she thought, a possible high 
 temper. Before she had fully made up her mind as to the 
 kind of a man the doctor might be, having finished the 
 letter and now knowing the character of the case in hand, 
 his manner underwent a slight change from the rather 
 stately air with which he began the interview. 
 
 " I do not know, Mrs. Grafton," said he, "that we have 
 any vacancy in the line which it seems you are thinking of. 
 We have a great many applications of this kind, and really 
 I must say, that so far, they have given us more trouble 
 than any we have to deal with. No doubt your daughter 
 would expect all the advantages we could give her, and as a 
 necessary result of this expectation, would not be very 
 profitable as a helper." 
 
 " My daughter would certainly strive to please, and is 
 so anxious to attend school that she would be willing to 
 work pretty hard to secure a position which would enable 
 her to pursue her studies," said Mrs. Grafton. 
 
 " You are aware, Mrs. Grafton, that if your daughter 
 should take the position of helper, that she could not asso-
 
 4 8 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 ciate upon terms of equality with the young ladies of the 
 house. That she could only receive instruction in the 
 studies taken by the day scnolars who do not room in the 
 house, and that her position would be far from pleasant." 
 
 "And what are those studies ?" said Mrs. Grafton. 
 
 u They are confined to the higher English studies and 
 the languages," said the doctor. " Perhaps I should have 
 sooner stated that the whole direction of these household 
 matters is in the hands of Mrs. McFarland. Should you 
 think it worth while, after what I have told you, I will 
 summon her." 
 
 " I should like to see Mrs. McFarland," said Mrs- 
 Graf ton. 
 
 The doctor withdrew and they were left again to their 
 reflections and a survey of the room in which they sat. 
 Just as Mary was trying to make up her mind which one o 1 " 
 the ancient Greek philosophers was represented by the big 
 bust, the door again opened.
 
 "Taking a book from the table Mary began turning the leaves"
 
 LOOKING FORWARD 5! 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 FACING A FROWNING WORLD. 
 
 RS. McFARLAND was appar 
 ently about fifty years of age, 
 spare, slight and nervous. As 
 she advanced to meet Mrs. 
 Grafton and her daughter, for 
 she it was who came in that 
 lady s attention was strangely attracted 
 by the short, bobbing curls with which 
 each side of her face was furnished. 
 They shook and danced in such a way as to give a stranger 
 a very good idea of the energetic, nervous and quite business 
 like lad} 7 who wore them. 
 
 "Mr. McFarlaud tells me," said she, "that your daugh 
 ter wishes to assist us in the work of the house, as a means 
 of defraying her expenses." 
 
 " That was what we came for," said Mrs. Grafton; "you 
 are Mrs. McFarland, I suppose ? " 
 
 " Yes; you will excuse me, I suppose I should have 
 introduced myself. What kind of work has she been 
 accustomed to do, and would she be willing to apply herself 
 to, do you think ? " 
 
 " She has been accustomed to the usual housework 
 done upon a farm and I think would be found faithful," said 
 the mother. 
 
 Mary sat silently, looking first at one of the ladies and 
 then at the other, and felt her heart sinking within her. 
 I low near and dear her mother seemed to her, now that she 
 seemed likely, temporarily, to lose her. The very tones of 
 her voice, as she talked with Mrs. McFarland, seemed 
 changed. She wondered that she had not before noted how 
 soft and gentle was her manner and expression. She shrank 
 as Mrs. McFarland glanced keenly at her while she talked. 
 Could she endure the life at the school, which did not now
 
 52 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 seem so attractive as she pictured it? She could not tell ; 
 but of this she felt assured : it must now be attempted. 
 
 Meantime the ladies had progressed so far in the nego 
 tiations that at Mrs. Grafton s request they went out of the 
 room to inspect the house, that the mother might fully 
 inform herself regarding the duties which would be required 
 of her daughter and that she might see for herself the room 
 she would occupy and the persons she might expect to 
 associate with. 
 
 Mary was left alone, and again the feelings of doubt 
 and discouragement came over her. This was what it was 
 to leave home and go among strangers ! How silent it was 
 and how close the air in the room ! "Ah, but this will never 
 do!" she thought, and taking a volume from the table she 
 began turning the leaves, and as she became somewhat 
 interested in its contents, courage returned and she again 
 mentally resolved to bravely bear her part in what she now 
 felt must be the struggle of life just opening before her. 
 
 Mrs. Grafton was gone some time. When she returned 
 the preliminaries had been arranged, and it was agreed 
 that Mary should begin, in the morning, her round of duties. 
 
 They returned at once to the hotel, where Airs. Grafton 
 explained to her daughter fully the situation at the Institute 
 and what her duties would be. Mrs. McFarland had insisted 
 that Mary should do what she had termed "kitchen work." 
 She held out a faint hope that after Mary had proved her 
 self both willing and trusty, that possibly she might be able 
 to give her a more agreeable position, but she was very 
 politic and made few promises. Mary was to be allowed 
 the evenings for study, but the day would be entirely taken 
 up by work, with the exception of the hours occupied by 
 recitations. 
 
 The prospect was not very encouraging, but it was all 
 there was, and was the best that could be done. They hr.d 
 not expected much, and yet they had hoped for more. 
 
 The next morning Mrs. Grafton accompanied her 
 daughter to the Institute, gave her a little money, charging
 
 MARY GRAFTCN (Age 15.)
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 55 
 
 her to come immediately home if she desired at any time to 
 leave, and with many kisses and parting injunctions, left 
 her for the first time among strangers. 
 
 The journey home was monotonous and tiresome ; the 
 child whom she had borne, watched over and tenderly cared 
 for had been left behind and her separate life begun ! Some- 
 lit >\v, Mrs. Grafton could not help feeling as though return 
 ing from a funeral. 
 
 Arrived at Plainville, she found Mr. Grafton and Charlie 
 awaiting her. Although she had been absent only for a 
 day or two, it had been a lonesome, dreary time for them, 
 and Charlie, especially, was overjoyed at her return. 
 
 Mr. Grafton had a few purchases to make, and they 
 went at once to the store of Mr. Brown, who, as usual, was 
 ready to engage in conversation, which he had found, led to 
 trade and subsequent profit. 
 
 "And so you left Mary at Topeka ? " said he. 
 
 " Yes," said he ; "I did ! " 
 
 " Was n t you sorry to leave her among strangers ? " 
 
 " Why yes, I was ; indeed, I was obliged to talk as 
 cheerfully as possible, or we should both have broken down; 
 Mary never left me before ; but we both thought it best that 
 she should remain." 
 
 " Yes, I s pose it s all right, but I should think you 
 would want to keep her to home ; and then, it must be ex 
 pensive to keep her there, ain t it ? " 
 
 " We have made arrangements which will reduce the 
 expense," said Mrs. Grafton; "but the cost of the trip, 
 books, incidentals, clothing and the like are still, for us, 
 quite heavy." 
 
 u Mrs, Grafton felt almost guilty, in the thought that 
 she was concealing the fact that Mary was only a "kitchen 
 girl at the Institute and was hardly considered a scholar, 
 and yet, mother-like, she could not bear to relate the parti 
 culars ; it was no body s business, she thought.
 
 56 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 " Quite a number of young folks is talking of going 
 away to school, now," said Mr. Baker ; "and they say John 
 Busteed is going, right off." 
 
 "John Busteed!" said Mrs. Grafton, with some aston 
 ishment ; "what has induced him to think of such a thing?" 
 " Why, it is kinder curious, considerin that he never 
 would go to school here ; but they have a new kind of col 
 lege now-a-days to teach business, they say, and it s to one 
 of them he is talking of going, I believe ; there is a business 
 college there, ain t there ?" 
 
 " Why, I believe so," said Mrs. Grafton. 
 Why this announcement should affect Mrs. Grafton, 
 she could not tell ; she told herself that this was no concern 
 of hers ; that what John did or did not do, could not be a 
 matter of interest to her ; and yet she could not bear to 
 tliink of his ever being in the same city with Mary. Slight 
 as was the occasion, she felt troubled at the thought. She 
 knew, as did every one in the vicinity, of his evil ways, and 
 somehow could not shake off the thought that his going to 
 Topeka was in some way connected with his knowledge of 
 Mary s present residence. 
 
 Life with the Grafton s passed soberly along. Letters 
 from Mary were eagerly looked for and read. She was 
 making progress, she wrote, and although her situation was 
 not altogher what she would have chosen, still she made no 
 complaint, spoke eagerly of the pleasure she hoped for, 
 when permitted to return, and desired them to dismiss all 
 anxious fears regarding herself. 
 
 John Busteed had gone to Topeka. He was said to be 
 attending the commercial college there, but vague rumors 
 from time to time reached Plainville of rioutous doings and 
 sundry escapades at Kansas City and elsewhere, which were 
 received much as a matter of course. His father was not a 
 man to talk much of his affairs, but expressions from him 
 at different times were reported, from which it was gathered 
 that the sou was causing his father to expend what were 
 considered large sums in his maintenance.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 57 
 
 One day Mrs. Jones, a neighbor of the Graftons, "ran 
 in" for a little visit, to talk, as she said, "just a minute." 
 
 " I thought I ought to tell you," said she, "what they 
 are saying about Mary. John Busteed has writ home that 
 she ain t going to that fine school at all; that she is just 
 working out; says she is just a hired girl there. Says he 
 is acquainted with some of the girls that goes there, and 
 they are high-flyers, too, I guess, if all I hear is true. You 
 see my boy Dick got it from Ben Thompson, up to to\vn, 
 and John writes to him telling what fine times he s a hav 
 ing. He says he goes to the play about every night, and 
 he can go with the best of em. I don t believe it, of course, 
 but some of the things they hint about is just awful ! He 
 says that the girls get permission to go to visit friends in 
 the city, after school hours, and then don t go, you know, 
 but go off for buggy rides and to the theatre, and dear 
 knows what all. I thought I ought to tell you, you are 
 always so careful about Alar}-, and so particular. And John 
 says money and fine clothes is all any of em cares for, and 
 that enough of them will carry any fellow through, if he is 
 careful to keep straight in the right places. You see, John s 
 father gave him letters, when he went away, to some of the 
 big-bugs he knows there, and that gave him a chance to go 
 to their houses, and he says he knows when to put on the 
 right kind of a face. Says he goes to church, some of the 
 time, nice as a pin, and he writ something about Mary, too. 
 I thought I oup ht to tell you."
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 LIFE S TRIALS. 
 
 RS. JONES was a clever, good- 
 hearted soul, and really intended 
 to do the Graftons a favor by 
 repeating the stories in circula 
 tion, which she had heard; still, 
 Mrs. Grafton could not listen to 
 vulgar and scandalous tales without a 
 feeling of personal injury arising within 
 her breast. Mary s name her daughter s 
 name had been lightly used, and al 
 though the closing inquiry failed to draw 
 out any direct charge against her fair 
 name or standing at school, yet the 
 poisonous breath of suspicion had been suffered to fall upon 
 her, and this was enough to awaken in the mind of the 
 mother an unrest and concern to which she had heretofore 
 been a stranger. Mary had been reared and most carefully 
 nurtured at home, her every thought and wish as open as 
 the day ; her mother had been her constant companion, and 
 between the two had grown up that perfect confidence which 
 the wise mother has found to be a source of control un- 
 equaled. Mrs. Grafton had felt that her daughter s every 
 thought was known to her, and in this knowledge she had 
 trusted. Mary was safe ; she knew it must be so, and yet 
 and yet ! Ah ! the anguish of doubt. What should she do? 
 Whoever has, in youth, been religiously instructed, 
 turns for help, in moments of distress, to that great Hope, 
 within the veil. Years may pass, and creeds decay. Philo 
 sophy may teach and have her claims allowed. Doubt and 
 deceit may have done their work ; and yet, in the supreme 
 moments of life the spirit of man rises by a demand of its 
 own nature, instinctively, to its source !
 
 \ fq=* 
 
 vN )
 
 LOOKING FORWARD 6 1 
 
 Thus it was with Mrs Grafton, after her kind-hearted. 
 but garrulous, neighbor had taken her departure She 
 walked from room to room and back again, in the little 
 cottage, and all the thought that formed itself in her mind 
 was : " God help us ! God help us !" 
 
 Presently she became calmer and, reali/.ing that active 
 exertion was, under the circumstances, best for her, she 
 hurriedly began the preparations for the evening meal. 
 
 Mr. Grafton was engaged in moving a fence from one 
 location to another, upon the farm, and as the weather was 
 mild, little Charlie Avas with him, riding upon the wagon 
 in >in one point to another. Mr. Grafton liked to have the 
 little fellow with him and talked to him as though he were 
 interested with himself in the progress of the work in hand ; 
 and indeed he was ; at least Charlie felt himself to be of 
 great importance. Didn t he hold the horses while his 
 father was loading up, and did he not drive one load almost 
 all the way alone ? 
 
 But now the work of the day was done, and Mrs. Graf- 
 ton saw them drive into the yard, near the stable. Mr. 
 Grafton remained to care for the team, but Charlie came 
 running in, eager to tell his mother of his efficiency in 
 helping his father with the work. 
 
 " Oh, mother, we got it all over!" said he. 
 
 Mrs. Grafton replied cheerfully, but very soberly, to 
 the little fellow. Child-like, he instantly divined that 
 something was wrong. 
 
 " Mamma, said he, looking sharply Jit her, " you have 
 been crying !" 
 
 "No," said she rather doubtfully; "I don t think I 
 have cried any !" 
 
 " I guess you have," said the child ; "for your eyes are 
 just as shiny as they can be !" 
 
 Mrs. Grafton caught the little fellow in her arms, and 
 pressed him to her heart. Giving him a kiss, she said : 
 " Now, go and tell papa supper is most ready !"
 
 62 LOOKING FORWARD 
 
 Seated at the table, Mrs. Grafton told her husband 
 what Mrs. Jones had said. His countenance fell, and the 
 dark lines which at times disfigured his face were plainly 
 apparent. 
 
 "Is everything turning against us?" said he. 
 
 Mrs Grafton had had time for reflection, and was now 
 disposed to look more composedly upon the matter than 
 at first. 
 
 "Why, no indeed, George! said she; we haven t 
 heard a word from Mary, you know, and so we can say we 
 know nothing that should trouble us." 
 
 "That s just it," said he; "we don t know anything 
 about what may be going on at Topeka, and that s what 
 we ought to know. You ought to go at once and see Mary, 
 and I have n t a dollar to send you with." 
 
 " I know it, George; but I have been thinking the 
 matter over and my confidence in Mary is not yet weak 
 ened. She will not deceive us; and if we write, she will 
 answer truthfully. I should like to go, but that with us is 
 not to be thought of; still, I feel confident it is all for the 
 best. Don t you know how Mary promised you, when she 
 went away, to do nothing which she knew we would not 
 approve? Surely, you have not lost faith in her, so soon? 
 
 " No," said he; " I have n t, but in the life of a young 
 girl these things are so terribly important that one can t 
 help feeling anxious Well, we must write at once and 
 tell her all that is being said, and of our anxiety, and ask 
 her to tell us all about the Institute. It is all we can do. 
 Poverty holds us as in a vise." 
 
 Supper ended, Mr. Grafton went out at once to do the 
 usual evening work upon the farm. Hurrying through 
 this, he came at once into the house and sat down to write. 
 A long letter was soon finished, and saddling a horse, he 
 went at once 1 to Plain ville, that the letter might go upon 
 the early morning train. The town was but a few miles 
 away, and yet it was very late before he returned.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 The winter passed slowly away. Upon a prairie farm 
 it is impossible for a farmer to profitably employ himself 
 except in feeding or fattening animals, and with most it 
 
 is simply a period of expense and weary waiting for the 
 opening of a new season. Without the capital necessary 
 to engage in stock-raising, the business of cropping is 
 almost of necessity a failure. Mr. (Jrafton had only barely 
 escaped financial ruin the previous season, and now that 
 another year had dawned and another spring begun, he 
 saw only a repetition of the past in store for the future. 
 His affairs were not in quite so good trim as they had 
 been the previous year. Some losses had occured, slight 
 in themselves, yet to him they proved quite serious. 
 Almost without money, a few dollars must yet be sent to 
 the dear girl, so bravely and patiently struggling against 
 the social slights and ostracism of her position, in the hope 
 of a better and brighter day. 
 
 As the spring advanced, poor old Jim, the faithful 
 horse, who, like his master, had struggled on, honestly 
 endeavoring to meet the demands upon his time and 
 strength, but unlike him, without hope in the future, 
 suddenly fell sick, and it was plain his days of service 
 were over. Mr. Grafton did what he could, summoned a 
 kind-hearted neighbor, who was supposed to be wise in
 
 64 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 horse-flesh, to his assistance; but the wise man shook his 
 head: " It s no use," he said; "you can t do anything for 
 him; it s a bad case of lung fever, and in his enfeebled 
 condition and considering his age, he ll die." 
 
 But Grafton would not have it so. "He has done hist 
 best for me," he said. " He never failed me, and at least 
 he shall not want for care." 
 
 The neighbor took his departure, but Mr. Grafton 
 went at once to work. Mrs. Grafton put the wash-boiler 
 upon the kitchen stove, water was heated, and together 
 they watched and worked through the livelong night. 
 As the light began to show in the east, the faithful beast 
 stretched himself upon the stable floor and, with a parting 
 struggle, was gone. 
 
 " He is dead," said Mr. Grafton; and as he spoke the 
 tears, which lie had endeavored to hold in check, refused 
 longer to be controlled. Mrs. Grafton wept aloud. " To 
 think," said she; "that the poor, faithful fellow never can 
 have any remuneration for all his toil for us, is too bad! 
 too bad! Life is so hard so ruthless and so cruel!" 
 
 Spring found the Graftons compelled to practice the 
 closest and most pinching economy to provide even for the 
 daily returning wants of the body. To add to the gravity 
 of their situation, the payment of the interest on the 
 mortgage upon the farm, which had been deferred, was, 
 now demanded. The agent of the loan company at the- 
 county seat wrote that the company had instructed him 
 to make a collection, at once, of all amounts due, and that 
 no further time would be given. 
 
 In consultation with his wife, Mr. Grafton had almost 
 determined to give up the effort to retain the farm. He felt 
 that without a great change in his affairs took place, lie 
 mnst shortly be compelled to do so, and the thought occured 
 to him that he might be able to make an arrangement with 
 some one who would be willing to take the farm, subject to 
 the mortgage.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 Mrs. Grafton was loath to give it up, and yet she could 
 offer no plan which seemed likely to succeed in holding it. 
 " If we give it up, where shall we go and what shall we do? * 
 said she.
 
 66 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 BRAXCHTOX. 
 
 HAT something should be done, 
 was plain. Money must be had 
 and payments made, and it was 
 finally decided, after much careful 
 thought, that the better course 
 would be for Mr. Graftoii to go to 
 Branchton, the count}- seat, which 
 was distant some thirty miles, and 
 ascertain Avhat could be done ; it 
 being plain that either the farm 
 must be given up or more money 
 raised upon it. 
 
 The farm upon which the 
 Graftoii s lived consisted of a quarter 
 section, or one-hundred and sixty 
 acres, of good land. The house was 
 a small and inexpensive cottage ; the 
 
 stables and other out-buildings, scarcely worth} the name, 
 being cheap structures, intended at the time of construction 
 as only temporary make-shifts, which might answer until 
 better could be erected. As is usual under such circum 
 stances, however, it had been found impossible to replace 
 them, and they had been patched and mended from year to 
 year, with a new board here and there, slight additions 
 made and changes effected, with but little substantial 
 improvement. The farm was an average Kansas home 
 stead, and was valued at some three or four thousand dollars. 
 Upon this there was a mortgage of one thousand ; this, 
 having been placed some years before the opening of our 
 story, bore interest at the rate of ten per cent, per annum, 
 and called for an annual tribute of one hundred dollars. 
 Mr. Graftoii had been told that he could secure a larger 
 loan upon the farm, by agents of the different loan com-
 
 ; 
 
 W! ^ i
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 69 
 
 panics, but he well knew that if he found it impossible to 
 pay the one he now carried, that to add to the burden made 
 it certain that the farm must be given up. But now neces 
 sity forced him to immediate action. Either the farm must 
 be sold or a new and larger loan secured. It was impossible 
 otherwise to pay the interest upon the mortgage now long 
 over-due. 
 
 Bright and earl}- one morning, Mr. Grafton harnessed 
 his horse to the farm wagon, and placing therein feed for 
 his team, a couple of loaves of bread and some boiled ham 
 for himself, with blankets for his bed, drove slowly down 
 the lane and out upon the highway towards Branchtou. 
 As he turned for a last look at the place he called home, he 
 saw his wife and little boy watching him from where they 
 .stood, just outside and near the corner of the house; he 
 waived a hasty adieu and the next instant an intervening 
 tree shut off the view, and he was alone. As he drove- 
 slowly along, his reflections were strangely mixed. Must 
 he lose the farm? And what then? He was not likely 
 to have enough left to enable him to engage in business of 
 any kind, and although he felt himself competent to act as 
 clerk or assistant, still he knew that, almost without excep 
 tion, employers desired young men, and disliked to employ 
 middle-aged or old men as assistants. Just what could be 
 done, he could not say ; the future was not encouraging, 
 and yet, when he contrasted his position with that of others, 
 he felt cause for thankfulness; how happy was his home? 
 was ever man more blessed than he ? Something must 
 happen to his advantage, he felt sure ! 
 
 It is only the made-up stories that end with everybody 
 happy and contented. The comedy of errors which we call 
 life ends with the tragedy of death ! Disguise it as we may, 
 the grave is the goal which all are certain to reach, and the 
 author who would sketch the happenings of actual residence 
 upon this earth, without other motive than to set down the 
 realities of existence, must content himself with a recital of 
 many things which he could wish were not true.
 
 7 o 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 Thirty miles is a fair day s travel for a farmer s heavy 
 team, and it was late in the afternoon as Mr. Graftoii rode 
 into Braiichtoii. As he drove up to a stable, a man canie 
 out and accosted him with, " Want to stop ?" 
 
 " Yes, I guess so !" said Mr. Graftoii. " AVhat do you 
 charge for a pair of horses to hay " 
 
 " Fifty cents a day ; you care for your own team." 
 
 "And a chance to sleep in the hay ?" said the farmer. 
 
 " Oh yes, they mostty do," said the man. " If you are 
 going to stop, drive into the wagon yard ; I ll open the 
 gate ;" and suiting the action to the word, he swung open 
 the heavy gate, and Mr. Grafton drove into the enclosure, 
 where a number of farm wagons had already preceded him. 
 Unharnessing his team, he led them to the trough in the 
 yard, gave the horses what water they wanted, and placed 
 them in the stalls which the hostler pointed out. When he
 
 I.OOKINV, 1-okWAKI). 71 
 
 had fed and cared for the team, washed at the pump in the 
 stable yard and eaten of the bread and meat in the wagon, 
 the day was spent and evening approached. The streets 
 were brilliantly lighted, and invited him forth. Giving a 
 parting look at his horses, he saw that each had eaten his 
 corn and was busily engaged in munching hay. " There ! 
 old fellows," said he ; "I guess you are all right, and I ll 
 take a turn through the town." 
 
 Sauntering carelessly down the street, jostled by people 
 of all classes and conditions, he could not but wonder at the 
 eager air pervading the whole. Each seemed intent on 
 something important ; even the little knot of men gathered 
 about the story-teller at the corner were anxious and ex 
 pectant, awaiting the denouement supposed to lie hidden at 
 the end. The minds of all appeared occupied with the 
 happenings or business of the moment ; reflection, there 
 was none. All were influenced and moved upon by the 
 doings of others, and although to Grafton this had been a 
 familiar sight in years gone by; yet, as he had now been for 
 a number of years comparatively secluded, living as he did 
 iipon a farm, the difference in manner of thought and life 
 between the farmer and townsman was the more forcibly 
 impressed upon him. The saying of the wise man came 
 again, with added force : " Iron sharpeneth iron ; so a man 
 sharpeneth the countenance of his friend!" Yes, that was 
 true ; but was it best for the man ? Was man a mere hu 
 man fox whose sole aim in life was compassed by the effort 
 to obtain advantage which other foxes should repel ? 
 
 As he wandered down the street his ears were saluted 
 by the sound of a drum in the distance ; as he approached, 
 he found that a detatchment of the despised Salvation Army 
 was conducting a service upon the street. A crowd sur 
 rounded them, composed of all kinds of people. The leader 
 was exhorting all to flee from what she described as "the 
 wrath to come." With earnest and somewhat incoherent 
 words, she appealed to her hearers. All listened respect 
 fully. She told of nothing new; no charm of manner
 
 LOOKI\<! FORWARD. 
 
 invested her words with power ; evidently she was unedu 
 cated, and in personal appearance inferior, and yet hundreds 
 hung upon her speech. Why was it? Grafton was not 
 what is termed a religious man, he did not believe the iron- 
 bound creed which she appeared to teach, and yet he felt 
 the power of her earnest utterances. What was it that 
 attracted him ? Ah ! thought he ; these people own the 
 bond of human brotherhood ; no desire for gain influences 
 their action; despised and rejected of men, they yet seek to 
 serve. 
 
 Deep down in the 
 nature of every man 
 there exists a chord 
 of sympathy, which 
 respond s to the 
 slightest manifest 
 ation of genuine 
 interest in his wel 
 fare. All own its 
 power. It exists; 
 the heart of man does 
 beat i n sympathy 
 with that of his fel 
 low, and upon this 
 hangs the hope of 
 humanity. And this 
 bond of brotherhood, 
 of s y m p a t h y, de 
 pends upon no ex 
 ternal aid. It is not the creature of custom, or of man- 
 made, or priestly law ; it is a natural force inherent in the 
 nature of man and beast. Cattle herding upon the open 
 plain, join in defense; even hogs do the same when sum 
 moned by the cries of a fellow. A crowd of men will not 
 see a weakling abused at the hands of a stranger; and 
 wrong, fully exposed, is half cured.
 
 I.OOKINV, FORWARD. 73 
 
 By means of the printed page, the public press, and 
 that inter-communication, which in our day is constantly 
 increasing, men are brought more and more into the rela 
 tions of brotherhood, their wants and wishes are made 
 known, and that community of feeling produced which is 
 slowly revolutionizing the world, and which will continue to 
 operate with added and increasing force until the kingdoms 
 of this world shall become the kingdoms of righteousness, 
 justice and peace. 
 
 The Salvationists took up their line of march, singing 
 us they went, a boisterous song, but one removed from the 
 ridiculous. Grafton turned away and sought the stable ; 
 looking in upon his faithful friends and finding them still 
 contentedly eating their hay, he got his blankets from the 
 wagon and ascended to the hay-loft ; stepping over first one 
 and then another, who had already composed themselves 
 for the night, he wrapped himself in the blankets as best he 
 could, and soon was lost in sleep. 
 
 Harly the next morning he was astir and attending to 
 the wants of his team. A hasty toilet at the pump, more 
 bread and meat from the wagon, and he was ready for the 
 business of the day. As soon as the office of the loan agent 
 was opened for business, he was there. Having a slight 
 acquaintance with Mr. James, the agent, that gentleman 
 accosted him with, " Hello, Grafton ; got my note, did you?" 
 
 " Yes, I received the notice, and have come for the pur 
 pose of making some arrangement." 
 
 " Ready to pay the interest ?" 
 
 "No," said he ; "I am unable to pay it to-day." 
 
 " Well, what are you going to do about it? You know 
 my orders were peremptory!" 
 
 "I suppose," said Mr. Grafton, "that if nothing else 
 could be done, a new and larger loan might be made ?" 
 
 " Yes, and unless you have the money, 1 expect that 
 will be the only way you can do." 
 
 " I would sell the farm if I could get anything near 
 what it was worth," said Mr. Grafton, rather ruefully.
 
 74 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 "Well, now, that s the thing you just can t do! said 
 Mr. James, very positively. 
 
 " No sale for land, eh ?" 
 
 " O, Lord, no ! ain t been a regular bona fide sale of a 
 farm, I don t know the day when." 
 
 " Why, I occasionally see notices of transfers in the 
 county papers," said the farmer. 
 
 "Oh, well, you know how that is, I spose. They are 
 j ust turned over ; same as if you had already got as heavy 
 a mortgage as could be placed on your farm, and could n t 
 pay the interest, then sometimes the company, to save ex 
 pense of foreclosing, gives the holder a trifle to make clear 
 title ; but you are in a pretty fair shape to what a great 
 many are. I can get you sixteen, and may be eighteen 
 hundred, on your place ; then you can pay off the old mort 
 gage and have something left." 
 
 " My farm is worth near four thousand dollars !" 
 
 " Yes, if you could get it !" 
 
 " What s the reason I can t get somewhere near what 
 it s worth ? 
 
 "When so many are being transferred at about the 
 face of the mortgage, what would be the need of a buyer 
 paying more ? You see, money is so blamed scarce that 
 men can t get it to meet obligations. That brings every 
 thing right down to bed-rock." 
 
 Then there is no way of obtaining money except by 
 borrowing at high rates of interest ? Grain does n t really 
 bring as much as it costs to raise it." 
 
 That s about the only show for money, and grain 
 brings no more, because the demand is light; there s too 
 much of it raised."
 
 Papa WeVe Got Home.
 
 FORWARD. 
 
 M . 
 
 77 
 
 CHAPTKR IX. 
 
 THK !,. \\VVKR. 
 
 ( )\\ can there be !(>(> jinu-li wheat raised, 
 when the price of flour remains so high 
 and so many in the large cities lack 
 bread ?" said ( Jrafton. 
 
 "Oh, well, I m not going to get into a 
 discussion with you on. -political economv. 
 I know well enough that, morally speak 
 ing, something is out of joint, but I m no 
 reformer. My ..business i is to make a 
 living and something over, and whatever 
 - passes current in a business way is good 
 enough for me ; I can t change the 
 general run of things, if I was to die for 
 it. So I Ve pretty/ much concluded to 
 let em slide, and if business in general 
 IS run on a wrong basis, why I m not to blame for it." 
 11 Who is to blame?" 
 
 " Oh, everybody, I reckon ; and as what is every 
 body s business is nobody s business,- nobody feels 
 specially concerned." 
 u Now, Mr. James," said the farmer, "you are a prac 
 tical man, a shrewd man, and a lawyer, aird have often, no 
 doubt, considered the fact that those who produce the wealth 
 of the world get but a small share of it ; that, in fact, as 
 things go, the man who honestly spends his life in produc 
 ing the real wealth of the world stan-ds- no chance of 
 retaining in his own hands more than a very small share of 
 what is rightfully his. Schemes and plans of one sort and 
 another, mostly under the protection -of law, take from him 
 here a slice and there a portion, until he : is only allowed to 
 retain, after all exchanges are made,- barely enough to live 
 upon ; and, as you know, while the original producer of all 
 values, the laborer, is, by means of invention and 
 improvement, annually producing more- and more of the 
 good things of life, the amount taken from *ach producer is
 
 78 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 increasing in a far greater ratio. Now what I want to ask 
 you is not whether you think all this morally right for 
 you agree that it cannot be but whether you think there 
 is absolutely no remedy ?" 
 
 " That s a mighty big question!" 
 
 " Yes, I know it, but I want to know what you think ?" 
 
 "Well, if the present manner of doing the business of 
 the world is wrong, there ought to be a remedy, had n t 
 there?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " Well, I am an optimist ; I believe in the final triumph 
 of right?" 
 
 " Then you do not believe there can be a wrong with 
 out a remedy ? M 
 
 " See here, Grafton, it occurs to me that you are getting 
 me into an argument, after all!" 
 
 " Oh, well, it s yet early and you have no other cus 
 tomer just now, and as you are a man of affairs and a keen 
 business man, I would just like to know what you think on 
 this question ?" said Mr. Grafton. 
 
 " Question : why are you pulling the whole cook-shop 
 on me ; capital and labor, God and mammon ?" 
 
 "No; I simply ask you whether, in your judgment, 
 there is any remedy for a condition of affairs which you 
 acknowledge does not square with equal and exact justice 
 to man?" 
 
 " Well, Grafton, I can tell you this that, there is not 
 the slightest chance in God s world for any improvement 
 until what we call the upper classes get woke up and move 
 in this matter. Mankind is moved from above. Mental 
 force and improvement operates from above, downward. 
 It don t go the other way. I expect you look on the laborer 
 and producer as practically enslaved, and, in a certain 
 sense, he is ; for whoever is in a position where the profits 
 of his labor are taken from him, is the slave of the parties 
 who get the benefit of his labors. Really, that is the 
 essence of slavery; to have the profits of your labor
 
 LOOKING I OR\VARD. 79 
 
 taken from you without your being able to help yourself. 
 Suppose that we admit that the producer of all values, the 
 laborer, is a slave; new I just want to tell you that, since 
 the beginning of the world, slaves never have freed them 
 selves, and they never will. There is only one instance 
 where they are said to have done it, and the evidence on 
 that is all ex pan c; it s just their account of it. The He 
 brews got away from Pharoah and the Egyptians, borrowed 
 all their jewelry, stole right and left, and decamped run 
 away. I don t know much about that case ; they say God 
 helped them ; sent them dry shod through the Red Sea, and 
 drowned the Egyptians who pursued. I don t know much 
 about that, but if God actually performed miracles and set 
 aside the laws of nature for their benefit, that s all right; 
 they had to win ; but it is safe to say that no other set of 
 toilers will free themselves until more miracles are per 
 formed ; I m not looking for anything of that sort, and I 
 don t believe you are. You ve read history, you know how 
 that runs ; there s no instance to the contrary ; slaves, 
 toilers, laborers, have never freed themselves, where it was 
 to the interest of the masters to retain their hold. The 
 French Revolution is the only instance where the lower 
 classes ever got the upper hand, and that was only an 
 insurrection ; it was soon put down, and they gladly wel 
 comed an Emperor who used the whole French nation as a 
 plaything. Now, Grafton, I expect you ve an idea that the 
 working people of the country, because they have a majority 
 in numbers and the right to vote, are going to free them 
 selves from the exactions of capital. Well, now, they 11 
 never do it, and yet I don t say that they ought n t to." 
 
 " You haven t answered my question yet," said Grafton; 
 you admit the wrong; is there a remedy?" 
 
 "Why I told you that I thought that finally there 
 \\ r ould be!" 
 
 "Well, what is it?" 
 
 u Why, of course I can only give you my opinion ; I am 
 sure, though, that the laborer can never lift himself; that
 
 8O I.OOKINC, FORWARD. 
 
 some power exterior to himself must do it, if it is ever done. * 
 
 " Is there any power that will do it ?" 
 
 " Yes, I think there is. Public opinion, the general 
 average judgment of society, is such a power; it really gov 
 erns us, and if I mistake not, this power is being exerted in 
 the direction of a change, but it proceeds entirely from what 
 are sometimes called the upper classes, the thinkers, the 
 educators. What the laborer himself thinks exerts no 
 appreciable influence upon the mass of society. As long r.s 
 the preachers tell the people that the powers that be are 
 ordained of ( lod ; that they must not resist evil and that 
 they must bear all things, hoping for a reward in another 
 world, there 11 be no change in present methods. The 
 churches form the great bulwark of the present system, and 
 for the most part they pay a good deal of attention to the 
 heaviest-paying pews. But these questions, although as 
 old as man, are comparatively new to the mass of thinkers 
 in this country; still, I think I can see a change taking 
 place." 
 
 u Now, I have answered your question ; what are you 
 going to do about the mortgage? 
 
 " It seems that there is no other course open to me 
 except to make a new one, said the farmer. 
 
 " No, that s all. It will take a few days to get the 
 business fixed up, and you j ust sign an application for a 
 loan now, and you and your wife come up in about a week 
 and make out the mortgage, and I will have everything all 
 straight. I will try and get you eighteen hundred on it. 
 I know the place well, and can get the appraisers necessary, 
 right here in town. It is possible that I can t get but six 
 teen hundred on it, but you sign an application for eighteen^ 
 and I ll do the best I can for you." 
 
 "I need some money to-day, said the farmer, rather 
 regretfully ; and did not know but what I might borrow it. 
 
 " How much do you want ?" 
 
 u I ought to have fifty dollars. I brought up my wagon^, 
 and need to take some things back."
 
 l.()()KIN(, 1-okWARI). 8l 
 
 " Well, said the lawyer ; "you just .sign this applica 
 tion and I can get it for you." 
 
 "We will make out a note for the fifty dollars, on thirty 
 days, and I expect the discount will be about two dollars." 
 
 " Why, James, that will be at the rate of four per cent, 
 per month, and I only want it for a week, you know," said 
 Graf ton. 
 
 "Yes, 1 know ; but that s about the only way you ll 
 get the money ; that public opinion we were talking about 
 has n t had a great deal of effect on the loaning of money yet. * 
 
 Seeing that nothing else could be done, Mr. Grafton 
 signed the application, obcained the money and began mak 
 ing his little purchases, preparatory to leaving for home. 
 
 As the evening shadows began to appear, Mrs. Grafton 
 and Charlie began to look for the return of the absent our. 
 
 " I know he will come soon, Charlie ; he told us he 
 wouldn t be gone but one night," said Mrs. < rrafton. 
 
 Charlie was constantly running out to the "big road 
 to look, and no sooner did he return from one of these 
 expeditions than he was seized with a desire to go again. 
 " May be I could see him now, if I were there," he woiild say. 
 
 Mrs. Grafton could see Charlie, from the house, as he 
 stood at the roadside, looking anxiously into the distance) 
 and at last he seemed intent upon something : she called to 
 him : 
 
 Do you see him, Charlie ?" 
 
 " Somebody is coming," said he ; "I can t see if it is. 
 him." 
 
 Mrs. Grafton could resist no longer, and joined her 
 child at the roadside. A wagon was approaching, but the 
 fading light of the summer evening prevented them from 
 determining whether it was the one they looked for or not. 
 
 "Listen!" said the mother; "I believe that is our 
 wagon ; I can tell the rattle of its wheels." 
 
 Reassured by the sound, Mrs. Grafton took the hand 
 of her child, and together they approached the slowly^
 
 82 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 moving wagon. Mr. Grafton saw them coming, and called 
 out pleasantly: kl Couldn t you wait an y longer? 
 
 "Oh, mamma! it s him," said Charlie; "let s run;" and 
 tugging at his mother s hand, he actually induced her to 
 run the few steps which intervened between them and the 
 returning husband and father. 
 
 The wagon was stopped, and although it was but a 
 short distance to the house, both climbed up into the rough 
 wagon beside the driver. 
 
 " Why, Emily," said Mr. Grafton, as he placed his arm 
 around her, u I believe you are glad to see me !" 
 
 "Oh," said she, "you men know nothing of the lone 
 some, weary times that come so often to a woman on a farm. 
 So many women spend their lives in waiting, hoping, trust 
 ing! Work is their only relief." 
 
 "Ah ! yon are downhearted again ; you have health and 
 the love of your family ; j ust think of our Mary ; perhaps 
 she will be famous some day, who knows ! there is n t such 
 another girl in the world for us." 
 
 The horses had now drawn the wagon in front of the 
 little stable, and come to a halt. Charlie clambered out and 
 called to his father : 
 
 " Papa, we Ve got home !" 
 
 But the occupants of the wagon for the moment showed 
 no disposition to alight. 
 
 It is a little remarkable that the tender passion, which 
 forms the staple of most works of fiction, appears to the 
 average reader as interesting onlv when it concerns the 
 loves of men and maids. The supposition that husbands 
 and wives may and do love each other, is of course admiss 
 ible in print, but strange as it may seem, when the lover s 
 tender wooings have resulted in matrimony, sentiment 
 seems to have received a most fatal wound in the house of 
 its friends, and the writer who should so far forget himself 
 and his readers as to devote space to the love of husband 
 and wife, would most surelv be considered as having viola 
 ted all the proprieties at once. And yet, who for a moment
 
 LOOK rv. FORWARD. 83 
 
 believes that the sincere affection of youth, strengthened by 
 confidence and trust, which has not been misplaced, is in 
 ferior to the vaporings of deceptive passion ? The man and 
 woman who have a common interest in a little grave upon 
 the wind-swept prairie, have, in that unutterable sorrow, a 
 bond far stronger than all the whispered nothings ever 
 uttered by man or listened to by maid.
 
 8 4 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 CHAl TKK X. 
 
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWKRS. 
 
 ICKKY Tones was in town 
 
 j i 
 
 and brought me out a letter 
 from Mary," said Mrs. Graf- 
 ton ; "you shall see it Avhen 
 you go in. She says that 
 Mrs. McFarland has sent her, 
 a few times, to take her place 
 as teacher of one of the 
 lower classes, among 
 the "day scholars," and 
 that she had begun to 
 feel as though she had 
 made one step toward a 
 somewhat better posi 
 tion, when some of the parents of the little girls complained 
 to Dr. McFarland that the} did not send their children to 
 the institute to be taught by a "hired girl" and that if a 
 change was not made they should take their daughters from 
 the school." 
 
 "Human nature has some awful mean streaks, hasn t 
 it?" said Mr. Grafton. "Now just think of our poor Mary 
 struggling against the social slights, which mean so much 
 to a young girl ; working hard in the kitchen, that she may 
 have an opportunity to do something more to her taste in 
 the future, and then, when the door appears to be opened, 
 only a trifle, to have those people so eager to close it again 
 in her face. It couldn t have been that they found any 
 fault with her teaching, for she was fully prepared to teach 
 a primary class long ago; and then, she has one of the 
 sweetest dispositions in the world, and her desire to teach 
 would have made her exert herself to please her little 
 scholars. The only reason was that some of the pupils 
 knew that Mary had been employed in the kitchen. But 
 that was enough. Life is a fight, even for a girl. Animals
 
 f 
 
 c
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 87 
 
 all join in keeping the underlings down, and human na 
 ture differs but little from brute nature. 
 
 "And so Mary was relieved of the responsibility of 
 teaching, 1 suppose?" 
 
 "Yes, Mrs. McFarland told Mary all about it, and 
 really seemed to feel badly for her: and she said, too, that 
 those people were very foolish, for, for the little girls, 
 Mary was a much better teacher than she would have been, 
 herself; that Mary had more patience with them and was 
 better adapted to teaching." 
 
 "The summer vacation is at hand, and Mary must 
 come home for a visit, at any rate," said Mr. Grafton. 
 
 Why. can we afford it, do you think?" 
 
 " No, indeed, we can t afford anything, but we must 
 have her come, whether we can or not. We have got to 
 give up the farm, sooner or later, and I am for cutting the 
 thing short. In fact, all we can do is to mortgage the 
 place for all we can get, sell oil stock and crops, and 
 
 "And what then?" said Mrs. Grafton. 
 
 " Qh, I don t know what, but that much is clear, for 
 we can t continue; to raise crops and sell them for less than 
 H costs to raise them. They were only talking of pay in u 
 ten cents a bushel for new oats up at Branchton, and it 
 will cost anybody eighteen to grow them, if all the items 
 of expense are counted up." 
 
 "All that may be true," said Mrs. < Jrafton, regretfully; 
 "but I can t bear the thoughts of giving up this farm, just 
 as the trees which we have planted begin to make it look 
 s> home-like and so pretty." 
 
 "Well, mother, we can t settle everything by sitting 
 bore in the wagon all night ; Charlie has almost got the 
 horses loose from the wagon; poor fellows, they are tired; 
 they are not used to the road, and thirty miles have in 
 them a great many steps." 
 
 A few days later found the Graftons in Branchton; 
 Mrs. Grafton came along to sign the mortgage, and Charlie, 
 because he could not be left. Driving up to a boarding-
 
 -88 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 house, or second-rate hotel, Mrs. Grafton was left, but 
 Charlie would go with his father to the stable, that he 
 might see as much of the town as possible. 
 
 Mr. James office was soon reached ; that gentleman 
 was in. 
 
 "Hello, Grafton," said he; "come back for another 
 lecture?" 
 
 " No, I came on other business, but I m always ready 
 to talk to a man from whom I can hope to gain any 
 information. <? 
 
 " Well, according to the best of my recollection, you 
 got me to talking pretty lively when you were here last; 
 fact is, I don t believe I ever spoke out quite so plain be 
 fore. But then, what I said is all true enough." 
 
 " You are surprised that you told the truth; is that it?" 
 said Grafton, laughing. 
 
 " Oh, well, it is n t usual for men to say just what they 
 think, you know. 
 
 "The men usually say what they don t think, eh?" 
 
 "At it again, I see," said the lawyer. " But then, you 
 know as well as any man that men generally are a set of 
 damned moral cowards. Plenty of fellows that will fight 
 .you at the drop of a hat, that don t dare vow an opinion 
 that has n t been approved by public sentiment. They say 
 that the voice of the people is the voice of God. Nonsense! 
 You can see that it hasn t been, through the most of the 
 world s history It chose Barabas, rather than Christ, 
 long ago, and has kept it up ever since; kept on killing its 
 Christs and elevating its Barabases. History is only a 
 record of wars, that the men most honored have always 
 been the greatest robbers and murderers. And that is 
 public opinion! That is what rules us now, and that is 
 the sort of stuff we are told is the Voice of God ! The truth 
 is, public opinion is made; it s manufactured, and it 
 always has been, and never was it more under the control 
 of the ruling power, than to-day. The great newspapers 
 of the country make public opinion; you know that, and
 
 LOOK INT, FORWARD. 89 
 
 you probably suspect that they advocate what they do for 
 pecuniary reasons, only you don t suspect it half hard 
 enough. It is all done for pay, in one way or other. Of 
 course there are slight exceptions to this, but they are not 
 worth noting. Now that s the way public opinion is made; 
 you know it and then to say that the voice of the major 
 ity, made in this way, is entitled to respect, is to., fun 113-;" 
 and the lawyer laughed with a hard, metallic sound. 
 
 11 Say, Grafton," said he; 1 don t know what makes 
 me talk so freely to you. unless it s because I know, or 
 think J do, your opinions and feel like shocking you. 
 Some influence appears to make me talk, anyhow." 
 
 "You say the public opinion is controlled by the 
 ,ruling power / said Grafton; and when I was here before 
 you told me, if I remember right, that the churches formed 
 the main support of the present order of things. 
 
 "Oh, well, you see there is a power behind that throne 
 greater than the throne itself. Mammon is the god that 
 is really worshipped. Not by all; some of the old-maid 
 members of the church are pure gold; they live right up 
 to preaching, but the most of em keep the Jesus that they 
 really worship right down in their breeches pocket, or they 
 wish that they had him there." 
 
 " Look here, James," said the farmer, warmly, you 
 are a little too fast and too bitter. You are allowing your 
 feelings against some deacon or other, to run awav with 
 your judgment and your memory. Now 1 am pretty con 
 fident that when we had our talk the other day that vou 
 admitted that there was a remedy for present economic 
 troubles, in public opinion, and that public opinion is 
 changing for the better; now you berate public opinion 
 tell how it is made and say that it is n t worth minding." 
 
 " I suppose you think you have me on the hip now. 
 said the lawyer, mockingly; "but it s the honest fact that 
 both views are right and both are entirely reconcilable. 
 In the laws of nature we see force everywhere triumphant; 
 there is no pity, no morality. The survival of the fittest
 
 90 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 is the rule. Cunning and strength succeed in the natural 
 world and in all the operations of nature, now, as they 
 always have. The pig that steals the most swill hecomes 
 the best hog and the progenitor of the future herd. The 
 plant that crowds other plants out of existence, occupies 
 the ground. Morally, all this appears to be wrong and 
 reprehensible to the last degree, but it is the way of the 
 world. Still, running through all the course of nature, 
 we can see that there has been an enormous advance. 
 The remains of prehistoric plants and animals, when com 
 pared with those which exist to-day, are only remarkable 
 for their si/e and hideousness. We see that, through the 
 untold myriads of years which have elapsed, that, although 
 selfishness and disregard of the rights of other organiza 
 tions have prevailed, to the utter exclusion of what we 
 regard as justice, still, some principle which is above and 
 beyond our grasp, has secured an advance. There has been 
 a steady upward movement. The world in which we live 
 has improved, and is improving. True, great periods of 
 time are necessary in order to note great advances, but 
 they have been made. The means used complete selfish 
 ness on the part of all organizations engaged in the strug 
 gle, and utter disregard of the question of right, judged by 
 the moral standard can only excite our aversion and 
 contempt, and yet we see that, through it all, there has 
 been in operation a power which has controlled every 
 thing and for good. There is something which man 
 has n t been able to measure, or weigh, or understand, and 
 that something includes a design which is being advanced, 
 and yet that advance is being secured by the use of what 
 must seem to us the most horrible and cruel means!" 
 
 "Well, now it is just so in mental advancement; in 
 the life of men. The most horrible things take place; 
 things which we cry out against, which we ought to cry 
 out against, and yet we see that these very things which 
 excite our horror or our disgust, finally are controlled for 
 the advancement of the race.
 
 LOOK INC, i-OR \V.\RP. 91 
 
 "The Jews crucified Christ: without th is there could 
 have been no Christian religion. It was necessary. Public 
 opinion sanctioned it. Public opinion brought it about; 
 and this very public opinion was wrong then, as for the 
 most part it always has been wrong, and yet it was a nec 
 essary agent in the transaction, although it was on the 
 wrong side. The power of public opinion induces change, 
 mostly from wrong motives, and should be withstood bv 
 the conscientious, and yet we cannot shut our eyes to the 
 fact that there is a power which we cannot control, which 
 is above and beyond the power of man to control, and this 
 power is pushing the race onward and upward through the 
 course of life." 
 
 "There! I haven t been talking but a few minutes, 
 only" taking out his watch "a few minutes, and yet 1 
 have given you a pretty good dose. 1 suppose you ve come 
 up on that mortgage business?" 
 
 "Say. Graf ton, you are a good listener!" 
 
 " I am always interested to hear a man talk, when he 
 is saying what he really believes. Yes, 1 came on the 
 mortgage bus hi 
 
 " Well, I couldn t get you but sixteen hundred on 
 your place." 
 
 " Well, I left that matter in your hands, entirely. 
 Really, I couldn t do otherwise." 
 
 "All right; 1 suppose your wife is here. I see you 
 have the baby with you. Well, you bring her around; we 
 will fix up the papers." 
 
 Grafton soon returned with his wife, she was intro 
 duced to the lawyer, signed her name mechanically and, 
 with Charlie, returned to the hotel. 
 
 "That makes it all snug, (Jrafton; I sha n t charge you 
 anything for the appraisers, although it s usual to do so. 
 I know they didn t have to go out to the farm, but it s 
 usual to charge, all the same. Now let s see beginning to 
 figure on the table there is the face of the note, that s 
 $1,600. Then out of that will come the old mortgage of
 
 92 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 $1,000, then there was $100 interest long past due, I ll 
 have to charge you two per cent, per month on that; 
 money is worth that now; it was due four months ago, 
 making $8. Then I ll have to charge you $25 for releasing 
 the old mortgage. Then the interest for one year in ad 
 vance, that at nine per cent, will be $144. Fixing up the 
 abstract of title will be $5 more. Then the note for $50 
 will make a total of $1,332. Take that from $1,600 and 
 we have $268. Run my figures over, Graf ton, and see if I 
 am right. 
 
 " I have/ said he; "if all the items have to go in, the 
 figuring is correct." 
 
 "All the items go in? Of course they do! I didn t 
 charge you for appraising, and that s usually quite an 
 item." 
 
 "The item of $25 for the release of the old mortgage 
 is all right, is it?" 
 
 "Of course!" 
 
 " Who gets that?" 
 
 " Why I arn the agent of the company, you know!" 
 
 " That s the usual charge, Grafton ; I have done this 
 business on the square and made no unusual charge." 
 
 " I expect that s true," said the farmer; "anybody in 
 your line would have done the same. Make out your check 
 for the money and we will close up the trade." 
 
 Taking his check, Grafton walked out of the office and 
 down the street where the farmers wagons bringing wheat 
 usually stood waiting for a buyer; curiosity induced him 
 to examine the quality of the wheat and hear the price 
 offered by the buyers. Among the sellers was an old 
 German farmer, who could speak but little English; his 
 wheat had among it traces of a worm which sometimes 
 fastens itself upon wheat in the open bins of the country, 
 where it has become wet. It is not of much damage to 
 wheat, as it can only attack that which has been softened. 
 A few grains in the German s load only h~d been affected, 
 and yet the buyer was expatiating loudly on the damage
 
 LOOKING l-OKWARD. 
 
 93 
 
 this particular load would do if placed in the elevator with 
 other wheat. He wouldn t have it in his elevator for $100. 
 He had a feed-mill, however, in connection with his other 
 husiness, and could grind the stuff for feed, and would 
 give twenty-five cents a bushel for it, the price of uood 
 wheat being sixty cents. 
 
 The old German seemed da/ed and hardly kne\v what 
 to do. As the buyer stepped away for a moment a friend 
 came up and said: "Two blocks away there is a man who 
 has a fanning mill; drive your wheat down then;; put it 
 through the fanning-mill; you can have my wagon to u-e 
 long enough for that; get a friend to drive it up here and 
 he can sell your wheat for sixty cents." 
 
 The German nodded and drove away. 
 
 A- Graf ton was leaving town some time after, he went 
 through the same street and happened along just as the 
 old German, having made the exchange of wagons and 
 sold his wheat, was now on his way home. 
 
 "Who bought your wheat?" said the buyer to the old 
 
 man
 
 94 BOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 "You did I" said he, in broken English, ; "we put it in 
 another wagon and cleaned it up and you gave sixty cents 
 for it." 
 
 The man was furious with rage. To "beat a granger 
 was great fun, but to have the "granger" succeed in getting 
 an advantage over him was so great a departure from the 
 usual way that he scarcely knew what to say. 
 
 As usual, however, when nothing else can be thought 
 of, oaths come handy to the average man, and these poured 
 forth. The old German smiled peacefully, and whipping up 
 his horse, was soon out of sight. 
 
 The Graftons had an acquaintance who lived a few 
 miles out of Branchton, 011 the road to Plainville, and as it 
 was now quite late in the afternoon they resolved to make 
 him a short visit and stay over night, going home in the 
 morning. 
 
 " Uncle Jabez Smith was a man of marked force of 
 character, who, although of genial manner and happy dis 
 position, still contrived to make whoever spent any time in 
 his company feel that he "had views" which he considered 
 important. The families had been acquainted in Ohio, so 
 when the Graftons drove up to the Smith homestead, the} 
 were warmly welcomed. " Uncle" Jabez and "Aunt" Sarah 
 both came out at once, and the old man, the better to show 
 his friendship and the warmth of his welcome, began at 
 once to unhitch the Grafton horses from the wagon. 
 
 "Get out, George !" said lie; "hain t seen }-e for a long 
 time. We can talk everything all over and back agi n." 
 
 Mrs. Grafton and Charlie soon followed Aunt Sarah 
 into the house, while the "men folks" looked at stock and 
 talked of crops and prospects iintil it was too dark to see, 
 when an adjournment was had to the house. 
 
 " What do you think of the Farmers Alliance that is 
 taking such a hold, Uncle Jabez ?" said Grafton. 
 
 u Why it ought to be a good thing, George, it ought to 
 be; the principles is all right, <r/they would live up to em. 
 But there it is; mebbe they will; and mebbe they won t.
 
 I.OOKINV, FORWARD. 95 
 
 To judge by what s past, the prospect ain t any too encour 
 aging. Smart and design! n men will set the whole caboodle 
 to quarrelin about some fool thing or other that reely is of 
 no importance at all. Likes as not the}- will all be a want- 
 in to cut each other s throats about the blame .southern nig 
 gers a votin when their own votes is contracted for, months 
 before election and the goods delivered regular. And the 
 fools don t know enough to know they are voted bv the 
 wire-pullers. Why r their own votes is always used against 
 their interests right along, and then for em to be afraid the 
 niggers votes ain t counted, is just too funny. And there 
 ain t one of em that dares to vote counter to what the law 
 yers of his party tells him is the straight tiling, and I don t 
 believe there is a single one of them jack-leg lawyers up to 
 town that can t go into an Alliance meetin or convention 
 and set em to fightin one another like all rip in one hour s 
 time. Now if it can be done, it stands to reason it will be. 
 manners has got a heap to learn, before they get down to 
 business. Then, see how jealous they be! Why, if a farmer 
 trets a nomernatioii for some office, his own neighbors will 
 say he is stuck up and like s not, not vote for him. Tlu-y 
 would rather vote for some lawyer or professional man that 
 can put on style." 
 
 " I know," said Grafton, "that has been the way, but 
 don t you think they will learn after a while to stand by 
 one another and let the political tricksters alone ? It is 
 only a short time since the Grange was first organized and 
 farmers began to think of working together. Of course, 
 they would be expected to make mistakes and failures at 
 first. Now, you know how it is with a young colt when it 
 first tries to stand. How many times it will throw itself 
 -down before it finally makes a success of it ! If you saw 
 this for the first time, and without previous instruction, you 
 would say: that thing can never stand on those pipe-stem 
 legs; and yet it does, because there is a natural force be 
 hind it. Now don t you think the necessities of the farmer 
 will finally induce him to stand, too ?"
 
 96 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 u Well, I dun know," said Uncle Jabez, doubtfully 
 "colts mostly does stand up after tryin a while, but farmers 
 and laborers never has yet." 
 
 " But in the first settlement of our country, our people 
 were all farmers, and they humbled the power of even Great 
 Britian and secured their independence. 
 
 "Oh shucks," said Uncle Jabez, "what d the farmers a 
 done without Patrick Henry, the Adamses, Jefferson, Dr. 
 Franklin, Hamilton, Morris, Paine, and the rest of the law 
 yers, and doctors, and preachers that furnished the brain 
 power of the whole thing ? Why, they never would have 
 made a declaration, let alone gaining their independence!" 
 
 " Well, but Uncle Jabez, don t you know there has been 
 a great advance in general education, said Grafton, un 
 willing to be thus summarily put dow r n, "and the farmer of 
 to-day is away ahead of the farmer of a hundred years ago! 
 
 "Well, now don t you fool yourself on that; the ad 
 vance has not been with the farmer, in fact the farmer has 
 almost stood still, and the other classes has all the fruits of 
 victory in their hands. It will be a heap easier for the big- 
 bugs to manage the crowd now, than it was before. Them 
 Revolutionary farmers would a been tolerable hard to 
 manage ; they had spunk and stamina and would a held out 
 for an idee. Now-a-days, what with the big newspapers and 
 all the lawyers and means of information in the hands of 
 the farmers opposers, it ll be just as easy to manage them 
 as can be. Why, what every man lives on is his thoughts,. 
 and when he isn t man enough to have thoughts he has 
 prejudices, and that s more powerful still, and what with the 
 rotten politics of our time and the Grand Army sentiment, 
 and hate of the other crowd, all completely in the hands of 
 the men that intend to keep the farmer in his place, or 
 worse, why he just ain t got no show; he ll stop where he 
 is until the powers that be want him to rise, and I hain t 
 seen no sign of it yet, have you?" 
 
 "I can t help but think," said Grafton, "that you fail 
 to give the rising spirit of independent thought enough
 
 LOOKIXC, FORWARD. 97 
 
 prominence. I know there is a change in the air." 
 
 " Independent thought !" snorted Uticle Jabez, "whose 
 got the independent thought ? Not the farmers ! They 
 don t dare say what they think ; fact is, the most of em 
 don t think, they just suck whatever some shiny coat sees 
 fit to give em. Why, if an average farmer happened to go 
 up to the county scat with an independent thought in his 
 head, a couple of them court-house hangers-on would make 
 him so ashamed of it in five minutes talk, that he d go 
 home, and the next day be usin the same arguments on his 
 neighbors, that the court-house fellers gave him. But say 
 it s time to go to bed, and we can t stay up all night a 
 talkinV 
 
 "I expect you miss your daughter, don t ye?" said 
 Uncle Jabe/ to Mrs. Grafton. 
 
 lv Yes, indeed ! I little thought I should miss her as 
 much as I have. Mary is a good girl, and wonderfully 
 thoughtful for one of her age. She was really more of a 
 companion to me than a daughter. But she is coming home 
 now in a few days for a visit, at any rate." 
 
 " I know you will enjoy that," said Aunt Sarah. U A 
 mother s relation to a daughter is wonderfully close. A 
 father seldom sympathizes fully with his son, but most 
 mothers do with their daughters." 
 
 It was now quite late, and as the desire to converse 
 began to wane, the Grafton s were shown to their room, and 
 sleep soon possessed the household. 
 
 Before the sun rose the following morning, the good 
 people were astir. Mrs. Grafton was assisting Aunt Sarah 
 in the preparation of the morning meal, and Uncle Jabcz 
 had made Mr. Grafton take an excursion to the "near field" 
 to see a wonderful crop of corn that he was raising, after a 
 new method. 
 
 Breakfast over, the friends separated with mutual 
 ejaculations of "come over often, now! and ( \von come over! * 
 and "see t you do, now !"
 
 9 8 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 As the Graftons drove slowly along, they began to talk 
 of their situation. They must now leave the farm. There 
 "was no longer any hope of retaining it. Mrs. Grafton was 
 depressed at the thought, but strange as it may seem, Mr. 
 Grafton felt relieved. He surely could earn a living, and 
 the farm had been such a struggle to hold, and the living it 
 had afforded him lacked all the advantages which he told 
 himself his family ought to enjoy. Surely, they would not 
 in future fare worse than they had in past! 
 
 About noon, they began to approach their home. As 
 they came in sight of neighbor Jones house, which they 
 would pass on their way, some one came down the path to 
 the road, as though she would speak with them. 
 
 " Whv, that can t be Mrs. Tones!" said Airs. Grafton. 
 
 J I / 
 
 " I wonder who it is ?" 
 
 " Maybe," said her husband, "it s the school miss. 
 
 Charlie had been asleep in the bottom of the wagon for 
 some time, but as they began to near home he had awakened, 
 and now at the thought of seeing some one he knew, he had 
 roused himself and was looking eagerly at the approaching 
 figure. As she came nearer the sunbonnet was thrown 
 parti} back from the face, and at the same instant Charlie 
 screamed excitedly : 
 
 " It s my sister ! it s my sister !" 
 
 "It is Mary! said both the parents at once. The 
 ready tears came at once to Mrs. Grafton s eyes ; for the 
 moment she was completely overcome. Charlie had clam 
 bered out of the wagon, his sister held him in her arms and 
 covered his face with kisses ; her face was wreathed with 
 smiles, she laughed excitedly, and all the time the tears 
 were freely flowing down her cheeks. 
 
 Mr. Grafton, alone, retained any semblance of self- 
 possessioii. 
 
 " Why, Mary ! said he ; "how came you here?"
 
 KINV, FORWARD. 101 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 MARY AT HOMK. 
 
 A CATION was announced one week 
 sooner than we had been expecting," 
 said Mary, "and I wanted to give you 
 a surprise, so I came at once. I had 
 carefully saved the money you left 
 me, mother, to pay my fare. I came 
 to Plainville yesterday. Neighbor 
 Jones was in town and I came with 
 him. Oh, dear! I am so glad to see 
 you, and you look so natural and so 
 good !" 
 
 And how Charlie has grown ! My! 
 but you will be a big boy soon, and 
 then you won t love me as you do 
 now." 
 
 Charlie was very certain that such a result of growth 
 was not to be thought of; while Mary climbed into the farm 
 wagon and was most affectionately welcomed by both father 
 and mother, and as they slowly proceeded on the homeward 
 way, questions were asked and answered without number, 
 and mutual expressions of joy at meeting were, again and 
 again, exchanged. 
 
 The parents looked with wonder and admiration upon 
 their daughter. To them she seemed like a dream. Was 
 this the child that but the other day had been delivered into 
 their keeping, whose very beginning had been with them, 
 whose childish prattle still lingered in their ears ? Could 
 it be ? Were the} not dreaming? Their child, so well- 
 remembered, was a chubby little flaxen-haired midget, with 
 childish ways. This was a woman, whose abundant brown 
 hair and soulful ha/el eyes were accompanied by that inde 
 finable something which gave evidence of a mind of high 
 resolve within.
 
 IO2 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 Yes, Mary had come, their daughter was with them 
 now, but for the first time there came over them a realiz 
 ation of the truth of the fatherhood of God : that each soul 
 bears first relation to the great First Cause, that all alike 
 are afloat upon an unknown sea and that existence, fate, 
 destiny and the experiences of life, which make or mar our 
 futures, come to each soul in silence and alone. Form what 
 relationship \ve may, the /within us must walk alone ! 
 
 They were soon at home. Mrs. Grafton busied herself 
 with the preparations for the noonday meal. Pleasure 
 beamed in her every look and motion. They were again 
 united ; this was their first reunion ; how happy they were ! 
 how Mary had improved ! ah, well ! she was now eighteen ; 
 it was to be expected that she would have changed some 
 what ; but she had not expected quite so great a transform 
 ation in so short a time. And that glorious creature was 
 his daughter ! Why, how strange it seemed. How happy 
 she was ! Ah ! the good God had been kind to her ! she 
 thought. 
 
 Mary and Charlie, hand in hand, ran from place to 
 place to look at all the well-remembered pets. Would old 
 Shep know her ? Indeed, he did ! How the trees had 
 grown, and even the garden must be visited and the chick 
 ens called and fed. Seated about the table once more, they 
 could scarcely eat. Thoughts too sacred for utterance filled 
 their minds, and but for Charlie s prattle, conversation
 
 LOOK I NT, FORWARD. 103 
 
 would have been stilled for very excess of joy. The first 
 questions had been asked and answered ; the deeper 
 thoughts were struggling within. 
 
 Dinner over, Mr. Grafton sat a while, but he could not 
 talk freely as he had been wont to do. His eyes followed 
 his wife and daughter as they performed the ever-recurring 
 tasks of the household, and his mind reverted to the story 
 of the ancient, condemned to spend his time in constantly 
 rolling up the hill a stone, which as constantly rolled down 
 again. Women did have a hard time of it ! Of that he was 
 convinced. How faithful and unselfish most of them were ! 
 If beloved and happy in their homes, they always were! 
 Were they not ? Could he think of any who were not ? 
 And before him passed in review, one from another, the 
 various households of his acquaintance. He could recall no 
 exception to the rule. This was not true of men. No! 
 Men were not thus controlled ; with them the home, with its 
 joys and sorrows, was but an incident of life. To the true 
 womanly woman, it was life itself. 
 
 Rousing himself from his reverie, he went out, aim 
 lessly at first ; the day was a broken one and now far spent, 
 but not many steps had been taken before work was pre 
 sented which needed to be done, and this led to more. 
 Shortly he found himself busily employed and interested in 
 the completion of what had long been neglected. But the 
 ever busy mind would not be still. The work of the farm : 
 was not that, too, a rolling up the hill of a stone which by 
 all the forces of nature was forced again to the bottom ? 
 No ! the scene was changed, the hills were not the same, 
 the landscape varied from hour to hour ; the summer s sun 
 and the winter s cold, the bursting bud and the falling leaf, 
 secured an indefinite variety. The kaleidescope might be 
 old and worn, but the views were never quite the same. 
 
 The four walls of a kitchen ah ! there was little color 
 ing there ! The same stew-pan and coffee-pot constantly in 
 view, until, perchance, worn and defaced, they succumb to
 
 104 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 the inevitable ! And then well, others were brought to 
 share the same fate. 
 
 Ah ! women did need to be loved and cherished ! That 
 was the contract ! This was the promise on the part of her 
 master ! Master ? Yes, man was the master, and the life 
 of the wife was at his mercy. 
 
 Should this be so ? Was it just ? 
 
 He could not tell. Women were not happy, though, 
 who looked down upon their husbands. Indeed, did they 
 aot desire to look up to them ? Was ever woman truly 
 mated who did not fully esteem and reverence her mate ? 
 To despise him, was to inflict untold horrors upon the future 
 of the soul confided to her care. That was sure. 
 
 The loved wife and mother was the happiest individual 
 of the whole human race. Yes, that was true ; she found 
 liberty in love and happiness in duty, and yet, for it all she 
 was dependent upon another. This had been the unvarying 
 history of the race. Happy marriage had but few condi 
 tions, but those conditions must most inflexibly be met. 
 
 The unmarried were not to be considered ; unmarried 
 men and women were alike in their social and natural rights. 
 All this was quite apart from the question of marriage, the 
 creation of homes and the uplifting of the race. Every 
 -child possessed the right to be well-born. If not well-born 
 it was defrauded. 
 
 Whatever defrauded the future child of its birth-right 
 was most inexpressibly wicked, and would most surely be 
 revenged ! Could anything worse be conceived ? 
 
 And what of Mary s future ? She was now a woman ; 
 so far the direction of her life had been in the hands of her 
 parents. She would yet be guided by them. What should 
 they do ? 
 
 Poverty never seemed so crushing in its weight before. 
 The prayer of Agur came up before him. Give me not 
 poverty, "lest I be poor and steal, and take the name of my 
 God in vain !"
 
 IXX>KIN<, FORWARD. 105 
 
 Yes, one felt like questioning the fortune that denied 
 him the right to "provide things needful" for his family. 
 And now was the time ; Mary s destiny would soon be fixed 
 for life and those- who might come after her? Ah! how 
 far-reaching the responsibility of life! Did the dear (*<>. . 
 load man with such a responsibility and then deny him 
 power to act in accordance with the dictates of his reason 
 and his judgment ? Was there a God ? And where did he 
 dwell ? And what were the evidences of his existence ? 
 Did not all the operations of nature proceed without regard 
 to man, and was he not the mere sport of circumstance, a 
 leaf from the tree of lite, afloat upon the ocean of existence 
 for a brief moment, soon to sink into the depths of unknown 
 and unknowable nothingness that bourne from whence no 
 traveler returns ? 
 
 How soon does the wisest reach the limit of his knowl 
 edge ! Faith and Hope buoy him up, but what are faith 
 and hope which do not rest upon knowledge ? 
 
 Grafton had been busy with his thoughts, as he worked 
 in the garden, and had not noticed the approaching foot 
 steps of his daughter, who now stood beside him. 
 
 "Father! 1 said she, "why do you stay out here- J " 
 
 " Why, daughter, don t you know that men must work 
 and women must weep ?" 
 
 u ( )h, yes ; but not always ; life is n t all working and 
 weeping. We Ye been having a happy time in the house. 
 Charlie and I have been playing pranks, and mother 
 laughed like a girl at our folly, and we want you to come in." 
 
 " It is nearly time now," said he, "to do the evening 
 chores ; it will soon be night." 
 
 11 Well, we will all help, won t we, Charlie ?" 
 
 Looking up from his task, Mr. Grafton saw that his 
 wife and little son were near at hand, coming from the house. 
 
 " We could n t let Mary get away from us," said the 
 mother, with an evident attempt at gaiety ; "she has been 
 bringing back the old times in the house, and the children 
 have had such a romp !"
 
 106 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 " Yes, and mother played, too," said Charlie. 
 
 " Becoming young again, are you, Emily ?" 
 
 " Well, George," said she, "we never had an eighteen- 
 year-old daughter come home to visit us, before. And do 
 you know, I m almost afraid of her, she makes me think so 
 much of your sister, Ellen, as she was at Mary s age. Two 
 or three times I have called her Ellen, and I m afraid I Ve 
 lost the little Mary that used to cling to my apron." 
 
 "Ah, mother !" said Mary, putting her arm about her 
 mother s waist, "you haven t lost your daughter s love. 
 Come father, throw down that old hoe and let us go and 
 feed the stock and see the pigs eat their corn, as we used 
 to do!" 
 
 Willing hands made light the evening work, and when 
 done, all gathered upon the porch and in the fading light> 
 discussed the family hopes and fears. 
 
 Mrs. McFarland had intimated to Mary that some 
 changes would be made in the arrangement of classes at the 
 Institute, during the vacation, and that she might be en 
 abled to offer a position as teacher of some of the under 
 classes for the ensuing year. This would release her from 
 work in the kitchen and allow her to continue her studies 
 in some of the higher branches. The lady was disposed to 
 be very "thrift} " in the arrangement, however, and had not 
 hesitated to convey the impression to Mary that she ought 
 to thank her stars for the opportunity of becoming a teacher > 
 and that she must not think of receiving pay for her services. 
 
 " If this is done," said Mary, "and I am engaged^ 
 Madame Emory, who has been receiving $40 per month, 
 will be discharged, and I am so sorry for her, as she needs 
 the position and the pay." 
 
 " Perhaps," said Mr. Grafton, "if she is discharged she 
 can obtain another situation, for it seems to me you ought 
 to continue at the Institute." 
 
 "But how can I get clothing to wear?" said Mary. 
 " I Ve worn threadbare my little stock, and I could not have 
 gotten through the last year if Mrs. McFarland had not
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 given me a nice dress of hers that, was spoiled for her in 
 the making." 
 
 " It seems to me," said Mr. Graf ton, "that there is an 
 opportunity for you at the Institute that you must avail 
 yourself of, and as opportunities come so seldom, that you 
 must write and toll Mrs. McFarland that you accept; as 
 for the clothing, we will sell the last cow, if need be, to get 
 it. At present, this will not be necessary." 
 
 Mrs. Grafton joined in the opinion that this was the 
 course that met her approval, although she dreaded to 
 allow Mary again to leave her. 
 
 "But what will you do? Must you leave the farm?" 
 said Mary, mournfully. 
 
 " Yes. " said Mr. Grafton, with determination, "we 
 shall be obliged soon to give it up, and I think that we 
 will not remain longer upon it than next spring. I can, 
 by closing out what we have here, get enough to start us in 
 a very small way upon a claim in the western part of the 
 state. Perhaps I may be able to make a new farm that 
 will be valuable at some time in the future. We shall get 
 on in some fashion, never fear." 
 
 "I did n t know, said Mary, "until I went away, how 
 terribly hard women can be toward eacli -other. They 
 seem to acknowledge among themselves, that they occupy 
 an interior position and so when they have a semblance of 
 authority over others, they tyranni/e. Mrs. McFarland 
 meant to be just, and yet she was terribly hard and cruel 
 to the kitchen girls and chamber maids, of whom there 
 were three or four. She did not seem to think that they 
 had any rights or privileges and all her little power ap 
 peared to be put forth to crush any aspirations which they 
 might have. Young girls, even if of foreign birth and 
 ignorant, have hopes and expectations, and yet, so far as 
 could be judged by her actions, Mrs. McFarland did not 
 acknowledge their right to think of anything higher than 
 peeling potatoes or washing dishes. There must be truth 
 in the Bible account of the subordinate position assigned
 
 io8 LOOKING 
 
 to women, for they seemed to recogni/e it themselves. 
 Cursed themselves, they endeavor quite generally to keep 
 from rising, those whom they consider as occupying a 
 lower position." 
 
 " Life is a riddle at best," said Mr. Grafton, "and yet 
 there is nothing more sure than that injustice perpetuates 
 itself. Slaves made the meanest over-seers." After a 
 moment s silence, he said: 
 
 "I think, now that you are here, Alary, to keep your 
 mother company for the summer, that as soon as we art- 
 through with the harvest, I will go on a prospecting tour 
 and see what can be done in the way of finding a new 
 location, and when that is determined on. will make tin: 
 change, while we yet have a few dollars to help ourselves 
 with. For if we remain where we are until spring. \vc 
 shall come out spring poor. and unable to make any 
 change whatever. 
 
 Affairs at the Grafton homestead moved gently along. 
 Mary was both guest and member of the family. Mother 
 and daughter were constantly together, and the mutual 
 exchange of confidence was uninterrupted. Together they 
 performed the tasks of the day, and together they received 
 the occasional calls and congratulations of well-wishers. 
 
 At a church "festival" which the Graftons attended at 
 Plainville, shortly after Mary s arrival home, Mr. Ellery, 
 the minister, was the first to congratulate Mrs. Grafton 
 upon having so charming a daughter. 
 
 "I thought," said he, "that she would improve her 
 opportunities, and it is apparent that she has done so. 
 She will make a grand woman if the promise of her youth 
 is kept." 
 
 Mr. Busteed, who was present, had overheard the 
 eulogies of the preacher, and shortly after, finding him 
 separated from the Graftons, took him to task for the 
 expression of his views. 
 
 " Don t you know," said he, "that Grafton is financially 
 busted ; that he has got to leave his farm ; that he is mort-
 
 LOOK IXC, KORWARI). 109 
 
 gaged <>ut, and that, it s all brought about by his extrava 
 gant management, sending that girl ofl to an expensive 
 school, and the like." 
 
 "Well, Mr. 1 usteed." said the preacher, <|iiite decid 
 edly, "if he had not >ent her, he would have failed in the 
 most important duty that will probably come to him while 
 he lives." 
 
 " P>ut isn t a man s first duty to care for li is family 
 and provide for their wants. 
 
 " Yes. but you ought to know that it is written that 
 man shall not live by bread alone. Life, Mr. Bus teed, is 
 a problem, a preparation for something to come, or. it is a 
 riddle that no man can read. Now, this being the main 
 business of a true life. tin; enlargement of the powers of 
 the mind, of the soul, is absolutely the only way to make 
 that preparation: to increase the future capital. 
 
 " Why. Mr. Kllery, you talk like a free-thinker! I 
 thought you preached Christ and free Salvation?" 
 
 So 1 do! so I do!" said he, with a twinkle of the eye. 
 " I .ut 1 want Christ to have something that s worth saving 
 for 1 i is trouble." 
 
 Mr. Bustccd was not very well versed in theology, or, 
 indeed, in anything hut the getting of money, and he 
 moved away from the preacher with a vague idea that 
 Mr. Kllery was becoming radical, or in some way departing 
 from the orthodox standards. 
 
 Mr. Bustced was a church member for much the same 
 reason a- that which induced him to insure his property. 
 Having paid the premium and placed the policies in his 
 safe, the matter was dismissed from his mind. Somebody 
 cl<e was carrying his risks and he did not propose to 
 trouble himself further in relation to the matter. In 
 religion, "Jesus paid it all" came very near expressing his 
 creed. To be sure, a man ought not to be guilty of "out 
 breaking" sin, but men, in his opinion, are very fallible 
 creatures. In total depravity he firmly believed, man 
 was bad by nature; entirely so, and as he couldn t make
 
 HO LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 himself better if he tried, he "let out the job," as he, him 
 self, expressed it, and in his view, his duty consisted only 
 in occasionally interviewing his Agent, who had the whole 
 matter in charge. As for himself, being "diligent in busi 
 ness" was the duty which, in hie: opinion, overshadowed 
 all others. Thus equipped and prepared, he was able, not 
 only to deal harshly with those who came into his power, 
 but to justify himself with what he termed "religion/ 1 and 
 woe to the luckless wight who failed not only in paying 
 notes, but in "believing," as well; for such, the world had 
 no room. 
 
 Mr. Busteed did not fail to note that at the festival^ 
 Mary Grafton was the observed of all observers. Mary 
 had always been a favorite, but to the general favor with 
 which she had been received was now added somewhat of 
 curiosity in viewing the girl who was struggling, not for 
 social recognition, dress and the triumphs of so-called 
 society, but rather for education and intellectual advance 
 ment. Easily, she was the queen of the evening, and to 
 Busteed the fact was an enigma. He could not solve it. 
 She wasn t as pretty as doll-faced Jenny Harris, and her 
 dress was plain; jewelry, she had none; her people were 
 poor, with prospects of future poverty in store. 
 
 Moving uneasily away, Busteed came in contact with 
 Grafton, slightly irritated, why, he knew not; he would 
 have passed without speaking, but this he could not well 
 do without appearing to offer rudeness to an old acquaint 
 ance. He did not want to do that. 
 
 "Well, Grafton," said he, "they tell me that you are 
 going to leave your farm?" 
 
 "Yes, that is my intention; in fact I shall be obliged 
 to do so." 
 
 "Obliged? Why, you will go of your own free will, 
 won t you?" 
 
 "No! circumstances will compel me." 
 
 " Well, you are responsible for the circumstances, aint 
 you?"
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. Ill 
 
 V 
 
 "The reason why I shall leave the farm," said Grai tmi, 
 "is because I can not raise money enough, by cropping, to 
 pav interest on money at a high rate of interest, at the 
 low prices of my products, and between these t\v<> the nec 
 essity arises. These two items tell the whole story." 
 
 "Well. (Jrafton, farming must he profitable generally, 
 or so many would not remain in the business. Halt our 
 people in this country are farmers, and it must be that 
 they are satisfied or they would quit a business that did n t 
 pay . 
 
 "You. forget, Busteed, that opportunity is lacking for 
 general change. It can t ho done! Look at the reports in 
 the papers of the horrible conditions of the coal-miners in 
 many places. You say, if they don t like their business 
 Met them quit; but they can t. Men do not easily change 
 the habits of a life ! Thousands of women and girls are 
 stitching their liyes away for a few cents a day. You say, 
 if their work doesn t suit, let them quit . But it is im 
 possible. Men and women, in the mass, are bound by 
 their surroundings. The peons of Mexico might emigrate 
 -and the factory operatives might stop their wasting toil, 
 if it were possible, but in the mass, and in general, it is 
 not. Conditions are made for most men. and most men 
 are dissatisfied, in part at least, but environment is too 
 powerful to allow radical change. Men who know that 
 they are in the trying-pan, fear the fire." 
 
 "Then, according to your view, most folks are being 
 friend for their fat?" 
 
 "Substantially, that s true! 
 
 "Well, who s a doing the frying?" said Bustecd. rather 
 hotly. 
 
 m 
 
 "I will answer yon as Horace (ireeley did an inquirer 
 a good many years ago, when he told his questioner that 
 the great difference between the wealthy and prosperous 
 and the poor and impoverisht-d. \vas brought about by the 
 fact that one class paid interest on money and the other 
 received it.
 
 112 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 "Well, if interest is such a power, why shouldn t men 
 save, and shortly they could begin to loan?" 
 
 " We were talking about people at large, the general 
 public, not special cases. Now, if everybody undertook 
 loaning, who would they loan to?" 
 
 " Oh, shucks," said Busteed, with a disgusted air; "let 
 every fellow look out for himself and do the best he can, 
 that s my plan." 
 
 "Yes," said Graf ton, "that s the way they do in hell!" 
 
 Both men had, by this time, become somewhat heated 
 by their controversy, and realizing that the place was not 
 suitable to a discussion, they separated, each somewhat 
 disgusted with the other. 
 
 The festival soon came to an end. Not so, with its 
 consequences. 
 
 Mr. Busteed felt somewhat aggrieved at what he con 
 sidered the rather lax views of Mr. Ellery, and openly 
 questioned whether it might not be time to make a change 
 in the pastorate. Indeed, he did not hesitate to charge 
 the good man with advocating unsound views upon the 
 "atonement," and, said he, that is a mighty important 
 matter, and we can t afford to allow any bod}- to preach 
 unsound doctrine, when it won t cost any more to have 
 the matter straight." 
 
 Thus bad begun, while worse remained behind. 
 Within a day or two, Mr. Grafton heard it reported that 
 he and Busteed had "almost fit" at the festival ; that Bus 
 teed had said that he would fry the fat out of Grafton, and 
 that Grafton had told Busteed to go to hell.
 
 I.OOKIXC, FORWARD. 
 
 CIIA I TKU VI I. 
 
 MR. HI-LHRV IN TRorHLK. 
 
 ()T only was all Plainville very much 
 interested in the questions which appeared 
 to have arisen at the festival, but the sur 
 rounding country, as well, took them up. 
 No person could be found who was not 
 ready to express an opinion or back it up, if 
 need be, with arguments more or less weighty. 
 The controversy very soon took the shape which 
 might have been seen from the first, and the two 
 sides, which are necessary to a quarrel of any 
 sort, resolved themselves into those who attacked 
 and those who defended Mr. Ellery. 
 Busteed led the attack ; Mr. Ellery had previously 
 shown signs of independence, but at the festival he had 
 openly opposed him, and as he furnished the larger share of 
 the preacher s support, this, in his opinion, was rank in 
 gratitude and deserved fitting punishment. The officers 
 and more prominent members of the church sympathized 
 with Mr. Ellery, but felt called upon by the exigencies of 
 the situation to act with Busteed, and Mr. Ellen- shortly 
 found himself in the queer position of one who was openly 
 defended, with one or two exceptions only, by those outside 
 of his flock. All treated him with deference and no one 
 attempted argument with him, but wherever two or three 
 were gathered together the matter in dispute was sure to be 
 introduced and discussed, generally with much heat and 
 feeling. Gradually, too, the subject under discussion, as is 
 often the case, underwent change as discussion proceeded. 
 Busteed had charged Mr. Ellery with giving utterance to 
 unsound doctrine and proposed his dismissal upon that 
 ground, although it was very generally felt that his real 
 reason was the fact that Mr. EHlery was disposed to free 
 himself from the rather irksome control exercised by Bus 
 teed over the affairs of the church. This had been the
 
 Il6 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 original cause, but in the discussions which followed it was 
 shown that the preacher had taken sides with Grafton and 
 against Busteed. That he had upheld the idea that the 
 fanner and his family were entitled to the good things of 
 life and society, as well as those who only absorbed what 
 others had created. He had thus become, in the eyes of the 
 farmers, their champion. Discussion proceeded upon the 
 new base and would have shortly left Mr. Ellery entirely 
 out of the question, had not something occurred which again 
 made him a prominent figure. 
 
 Mr. Ellery possessed a very modest turn-out, in the 
 shape of a horse and buggy. The horse was fat and sleek, 
 but somewhat the worse for many years of wear ; still the 
 preacher and his wife contrived to extract a deal of comfort 
 from the possession of these means of locomotion. 
 
 One morning, while the controversy was at its height 
 when Mr. Ellery went to the stable to feed his horse, he 
 was horrified to find that some miscreant had entered the 
 stable during the previous night and sheared the old horse s 
 mane and the hair from his tail completely and smoothly. 
 In addition, the wretch had, with white paint, traced on the 
 sides of the poor beast, broad strips of white, evidentlv in. 
 tended to represent ribs; about his eyes an enormous pair 
 of spectacles had been painted in white, by the same villain 
 ous hand. 
 
 The result was appalling! Deeply injured as he was, 
 Mr. Ellery could not forbear laughing ac the odd expression 
 produced in the looks of the poor beast by the spectacles. 
 For the moment he was almost stunned by the sense of 
 personal injury involved in the indignity thus thrust upon 
 him ; the next instant he hurried into the house to acquaint 
 his wife with the new phase which the argument against 
 him had taken. 
 
 Mrs. Ellery could see nothing to laugh at in the 
 mournful condition of the poor beast, and at once set to work 
 to see if the paint would rub off. But it had u been done in 
 oil, though evidently not by one of the old masters. They
 
 * 
 
 * 
 
 MR. ELLERY,
 
 LOOKTM; F<>KW M:I>. 1 19 
 
 could not remove the paint, and as anything which would 
 remove it would probably remove the hair also, they were at 
 a standstill regarding further procedure. 
 
 After breakfast the parson went over to "Uncle " Bill 
 Weldon s blacksmith shop. Uncle Bill had shod the horse 
 from time to time, and, like most blacksmiths, having picked 
 up a knowledge of many things useful to the keepers of 
 horses, Mr. Ellery had gradually come to consider him the 
 proper person to consult whenever anything ailed his 
 horse. Something ailed him now that was clear. He 
 went for advice : 
 
 "Mr. Weldon," said he, "I want you to go over and 
 see my horse ! " 
 
 " Sartin, sartin," said Uncle Bill ; "what pears to be 
 the matter with him ? " 
 
 On the way the preacher related the whole shameful 
 story. 
 
 "That s John Busteed!" said the blacksmith; "I ve 
 heard him poke fun at the old hoss, and I remember some 
 time ago of his making spectacles with chalk over an old 
 horse s eyes. Them specs vvas soon rubbed off, but the idee 
 is the same, and there ain t another one in the place that 
 would have thought of harming your horse, but him. He s 
 the feller." 
 
 After viewing the horse, Weldon prevailed upon Mr. 
 Bllery to turn him over to his care. 
 
 "I ll scrape off what I can," said he, "with a right 
 sharp knife and then I ll go over him careful with benzine, 
 and I can clean him off, I guess, quite natural ; the mane 
 and tail, however, is cleaned off quite on-natural. It ll take 
 some time, and lots of it, to fix them. 
 
 Weldon was one of Mr. Ellery s partisans ; and the 
 opportunity of showing up the miserable character of "the 
 opposition was altogether too good a one to be allowed to 
 pass unimproved. Before the morning had passed, and 
 while Mr. Weldon was engaged in scraping the paint from 
 the horse s sides, most male inhabitants of the village had
 
 I2O LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 viewed the animal and expressed an opinion as to the author 
 of the deed. None thought the elder Busteed privy to the 
 transaction, but all felt that the insult to the worthy owner, 
 which insult each partisan took home to himself, had been 
 the result of the objections raised by Busteed to Mr. Ellery. 
 
 "The idee is," said one, rather more intemperate in his 
 speech than the rest, " that no body has a right to do any 
 thing or say any thing contrary to the wishes of the fellows 
 with money. Old Busteed and the fellows that work with 
 him fix money matters around here pretty much as they 
 like, and now he s trying to say what the preacher shall 
 think. Must be something he s afraid of, for just as soon 
 as Mr. Ellery had but a word of encouragement for Grafton s 
 idees, Busteed is determined to get rid of him." 
 
 The shearing of the parson s horse aroused a depth of 
 feeling among all classes of people in the vicinity almost 
 unprecedented, and discussions involving the rights of 
 thought and property and the control which one man might 
 rightfully exercise over another were every where .rife. 
 
 It so happened at the time of these occurrences that the 
 Farmers Alliance was being organized in the vicinity of 
 Plainville, and to the questions which had taken their rise, 
 as the reader has seen, in the discussions between Messrs. 
 Grafton, Ellery and Busteed, were added the general subject 
 of the relations of capital and labor, as exemplified by the 
 Alliance and the right of the producer of wealth to an 
 equitable share of his own production. 
 
 Feeling ran high ; no one escaped, and a disposition 
 was manifested to question much which had heretofore 
 passed without challenge. 
 
 Mr. Grafton made his trip into the western part of the 
 state, as he had announced. Instead of going, as he had 
 intended, by wagon, upon reflection he had changed his 
 plan and taken the cars. A few days sojourn in a western 
 county was sufficient. It was apparent that all the difficult 
 ies which surrounded the farmer in the vicinity of Plainville 
 were in full force, or would soon come into play in the
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 121 
 
 \vestern counties, and that to these difficulties would be 
 added a greater uncertainty in cropping, which he did not 
 care to test. "Uncle Sam s" desirable farms were all taken 
 in Kansas; that was sure! 
 
 He had fully made up his mind to leave the farm before 
 he was compelled to do so, and while the opportunity for 
 disposing of his equities yet remained. 
 
 Being in Plainville one day he thought he would ask 
 Mr. Busteed if he could tell him how he could make the 
 change. He did not expect much help from Busteed, but 
 as he was familiar with all the business transactions of the 
 vicinity, it occurred to him that some hint of advantage 
 might possibly be obtained. 
 
 Enquiring for Mr. Busteed, he was told that he was in 
 his office. Entering, he found Mr. Busteed, in company 
 with a farmer with whom lie was well acquainted. 
 
 " I don t want to intrude, 1 said Grafton, politely, "but 
 I just called to ask if you could put me onto a way of trad 
 ing my farm ? " 
 
 " No intrusion, Grafton, sit down!" said Busteed, quite 
 pleasantly ; " I would do anything I could for you, in reason, 
 though I don t expect you would give me credit for it, if I 
 did. Fact is, Grafton, yon are not disposed to give me any 
 show for my life. I expect one of these days the Farmers 
 Alliance will order me before it for trial. I understand that 
 you are a prominent member, and I would n t be surprised 
 to have you turn up as one of the judges to try my case " 
 and the money-loaner laughed as though he had said some 
 thing quite witty. 
 
 "You seem to think you ought to be tried," said Grafton. 
 
 " Oh, come now ! don t be so sharp ! don t you see how 
 good-natured I am ? I believe in ever) r body having a fair 
 show, and then if they don t take advantage of their oppor 
 tunities, why I don t know what more can be done ; people 
 can t be like little birds and have their victuals just pushed 
 down their throats. Some of you folks that talk so much 
 of the government doing this and that, appear to want the
 
 122 LOOKING POBWAJ8D. 
 
 government to feed those who won t hunt worms ; now I am 
 satisfied to hunt for my worms ! " 
 
 " That may be all right for you," said Grafton, " but 
 how do you suppose it suits the worms you catch ?" 
 
 " Can t seem to please you at all to-day," said Busteed, 
 "and I am sure I don t know of any chance to trade your 
 farm, just now. Might be a chance this fall, if there is any 
 immigration comes in, and we raise a good crop. I should 
 just like to know now, Grafton, why we can t get along? I 
 am sure I have the kindest feelings in the world for you, 
 and yet you seem to think I am a horrible kind of a man. 
 What s the reason ? " 
 
 " Oh, you enlarge on the feeling. Men who think as 
 you do are too common to consider horrible, but the differ 
 ence in mode of thought between your class of men and the 
 class of men being rapidly created by the Alliance, is 
 radical. Now we believe that no man should possess pro. 
 perty or have anything which he did not either earn or 
 recive in exchange for soma valuable consideration, or as a 
 free gift." 
 
 u Why, I believe that ! You can t shut me out on such 
 a rule as that ! Fact is, that is a rule of law, as I under 
 stand it." 
 
 " Well, now," said Grafton, " let us test this rule. A 
 man buys lottery tickets in, let us suppose, an honestly- 
 conducted lottery ; the drawing takes place and he draws a 
 blank ; now for the money that he had paid for his ticket 
 did he receive a valuable consideration was the exchange 
 between the buyer of the ticket and the seller, an equitable 
 one that should be upheld by the law? " 
 
 " By no means !" said Busteed, very cheerfully; "the 
 man who bought the ticket is swindled, because his chance 
 of gain is so remote the law very properly steps in and 
 prevents lotteries, as opposed to public policy, even if hon 
 estly conducted, on the ground that the general public 
 must necessarily lose large amounts of its money, with no 
 return. The lottery company gets the money of the public,
 
 LOOKING FOKWAKI). 123 
 
 without retuming a valuable consideration. The law holds 
 that the thousandth part of a chance to win is no chance at 
 all, and prevents the swindle, because the company fails to 
 return the valuable consideration which must be given to 
 constitute an equitable exchange. Oh, I am solid on that ! 
 Prove no consideration and you can knock any contract 
 cold." 
 
 " Seven-eighths of our farmers are living on mortgaged 
 farms," said Grafton ; " the mortgage is made to secure the 
 return of the money borrowed; interest is paid in addition. 
 Now, you know that under present circumstances, the givers 
 of these mortgages have no more chance of paying off their 
 mortgages than the holders of lottery tickets have of draw 
 ing fortunes. A few may be able to pay and a few may 
 draw prizes, but generally speaking, it will be impossible, 
 and you money-loaners know it. Now let us see how it 
 works in actual practice. There is Charles Hagley, a 
 steady, hard-working man, with a small family, who has 
 been in debt and struggling along for four years. *He has 
 had to have money, and has paid your bank the highest 
 rates for it ; in order to get money, he has sometimes paid 
 large premiums, in addition to the interest. Then, he has 
 bought teams and machinery, often paying a premium 
 above cash price, in order to buy on time the only way 
 he could buy. He began farming with only a capital of a 
 few hundred dollars. He bought a quarter-section farm for 
 $1800, worked hard on it for four years, spent no idle time 
 and fooled away no money, except to your bank for interest. 
 At the end of the four years the place is sold for $3800, 
 owing to the advance in land caused by the big crops of 
 wheat raised those years. Charley pays up his notes and 
 finds he hasn t puite as much left, after four years hard 
 work, as he began with. And further, he has kept a book- 
 account which shows that he has paid in premiums and for 
 interest, for the use of money, between twenty-two and 
 
 * Actual record of a case, and literally true.
 
 124 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 twenty-three hundred dollars in four years. At the end of 
 the time he is cleaned out and turned adrift ; now, what has 
 he got for the more than two thousand dollars of interest 
 which he has paid ? The machine has taken from him 
 this money, the result of his toil ; what did it return him as 
 an equivalent ? Did he really get anything ? 
 
 "Why, he must have thought he was getting some 
 thing, or he would n t have paid the money ! " 
 
 " Of course he was fooled," said Grafton, "but it s clear 
 now that he really got nothing. He might as well have 
 played against a faro bank. Charley s money is gone from 
 him; your bank has got the most of it; what s the con 
 sideration you gave him, and where is it ? Charley s case 
 is a little more pronounced than a good many others, be 
 cause he went through the flint-mill so quick, and we all 
 know the facts, but if we figure right down close, we find 
 that most farmers are on the same road and certain to land 
 in the same net. The fact is, in all these transactions there 
 has been no equitable consideration returned for the huge 
 amounts they have paid as interest and, as you say, if an 
 equitable consideration is lacking, the business is in the 
 nature of a fraud. It is a skin game. We have become so 
 familiar, however, with this way of doing business, and it 
 has been practiced so long, that we can not blame the parties 
 who fail to see the wrongfulness of it. People are led by 
 their interest until they are completely blinded. Society is 
 to blame, the church is to blame, but no individual, no set 
 of individuals, no class of men, can be charged with this 
 wrong. And yet the law upholds it. Society would hold 
 up its hands in holy horror if the law-makers should protect 
 and enforce the demands of card-gamblers, and yet the re 
 sults of their demands would be no worse for the victims 
 than is the case under the present system. True, it is quite 
 respectable to be on the winning side, in this game ; the 
 churches uphold it, but that really shows nothing. I sup 
 pose that there is no form of injustice between man and 
 man worse than chattel slavery, but that was upheld by the
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 125 
 
 churches, and those who would abolish it were denied all 
 social recognition, not so very long ago. So you see, Mr. 
 Busleed, that there is a radical difference between our ideas 
 of right and wrong, to start out with. Now, I suppose you 
 would not say that a man ought always to have all he earns? 
 
 "Why," said Busteed, "if a man was always to get all 
 he earned, how could it pay any man to hire another? " 
 
 "That s not the point at all! never mind that bridge 
 until you come to it; the question is : ought a man to have 
 all he earns ? I say, yes. You say no, 1 and seek for a 
 plan to take from him some portion of his earnings. That 
 is the spirit which resulted in slavery. You propose to toll 
 .his earnings bv some financial arrangement; it makes no 
 difference how it is accomplished, if you take from him the 
 profits of his labor, you enslave him. 
 
 It is not probable that Mr. Busteed had ever given 
 serious consideration to the thoughts presented by Grafton 
 before, but as he happened to be in good humor, he had 
 determined to remain on good terms with Grafton in any 
 event so he curbed, for the moment, any feeling of resent 
 ment he may have felt, saying: 
 
 "Well, it s plain we don t look at things alike, biit our 
 interests in the long run ought to be the same. Whatever 
 is for the best interests of the community ought to please 
 us both." 
 
 "Oh, yes, said Grafton, "the only question is as to 
 what is really for the best interests of people generally! " 
 
 As Grafton came out of the office he saw gathered a 
 knot of men eagerly discussing something which they 
 apparently regarded as quite important. As he was pass 
 ing, Weldon, who made one of the gathering, called to him: 
 
 " Say, George, look here ! " 
 
 "What is it?" said he. 
 
 " Why it is this," said Weldon; " I have got a clue, so 
 that I know positively that John Busteed sheared and 
 painted the preacher s horse, and I thought I d get your 
 idea of what we d ought to do about it."
 
 126 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 " What s your clue ? " 
 
 " Well, let me tell you, John was seen to drive out of 
 town in his buggy, and he threw, when he thought no one 
 was looking, an old paint can and brush over the bank into 
 the creek ; it did n t happen to strike the water, and some 
 boys who were there brought it in. The paint left in tho 
 can matches that on the horse ; it is not exactly white." 
 
 "Well," said Grafton, "it looks as though you had him 
 there!" 
 
 " Why, of course ; but what had we better do ? " 
 
 " Well what s wanted is, first, to make the parson s loss 
 good. I should say that if half a dozen should go to old 
 man Busteed and put the case right at him, that he would 
 get the preacher another horse."
 
 LOO KING FO R \V A R D . 
 
 129 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 CAUK AND COUNSEL. 
 
 INCK the events recorded in the last chap 
 ter a year has passed. 
 
 Mr. Ellery was yet in Plainville. The 
 clumsy effort made to disgrace him pro 
 duced the opposite effect from 
 what had been intended, and 
 made every well-disposed in 
 habitant of the town his friend: 
 and even Mr. Busteed, after the disclo 
 sures implicating his son had been made 
 public, was prevented from advocating 
 his removal by the feeling, that for the 
 present at least, his opposition must cease. 
 
 As Graf ton had proposed, u self-appointed commit let- 
 waited upon Mr. Busteed and told him plainly that in 
 their opinion he ought to get tho preacher another horse, 
 (^uite a stormy scene ensued, in which Busteed denied and 
 scouted the evidence which they presented, but finally 
 agreed to send Mr. Kllery s horse to one of his farms, at a 
 distance, and to lend him another until such time as the 
 ill-usd beast should be fit to be seen in public. The change 
 had been made by the committee at once, and although a 
 year had passed, no thought of the old horse s return was 
 expressed. 
 
 Mary was again at home, albeit the home had been 
 removed, ( hanged somewhat she was, with added charms 
 of mind and person, and with it all an increase of that air 
 of rapt abandonment of self to high living and thinking 
 which so seldom comes to the young and lovely, but when 
 given to comely form and winning ways, the world is 
 assured that nature has set her seal upon a masterpiece 
 whose living and breathing soul shall carry with it a les- 
 of sweetness and of light.
 
 130 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 Grafton had struggled along as best he could. Since 
 the time of the second mortgage he had only looked for 
 ward to being able to make some arrangement by which 
 he might be able to receive for the farm some reasonable 
 portion of what he considered its value, over the amount 
 of the mortgage. 
 
 The knowledge that they were about to be obliged to 
 leave their home weighed heavily upon Mrs. Grafton. 
 She had been much attached to the farm; it was her home; 
 withdrawn from the world, here she felt at ease. To lose 
 the home was to be obliged again to begin an unequal 
 struggle. If they left the farm, life in town or village was 
 a necessity, and with this she had been familiar in other 
 years. Grafton cared little for appearances or for the 
 thoughts of others; self-centered, he depended upon his 
 own opinion of himself: if his own conduct met the rather 
 critical examination which he gave it, it mattered little to 
 him what others might think. With his wife it was 
 different. More sensitive naturally, she had also been 
 more exposed to social slights, which, although consisting 
 only of a shrug of the shoulders, a drawing away of the 
 skirts or a cool " looking over," has for the sensitive and 
 shrinking woman, more terror than rough words and blows 
 to men of nerve. 
 
 During the past year she had brooded upon the 
 change which she felt must come. The fear of coming 
 want, which is the motive-power of much of the world s 
 activity, which impels the hardy mariner to brave the 
 danger of the seas, which nerves the arm of the mechanic 
 and speeds the steps of the ploughman upon the windy 
 plain, is also weighing upon the mind of the lonely 
 woman in the farm-house kitchen, as she wearily makes 
 her accustomed rounds. 
 
 Mrs. Grafton s health, never robust, began gradually 
 to fail. She had reached that age when the powers of life 
 begin to wane. Depressed in mind by the necessities of 
 their position, fearful of the future, her heart sank within.
 
 LOOK INC, FOR WAR i>. 
 
 her ;is she contemplated the coming on of age which in 
 hrr mind s eye was accompanied by deprivation and pov 
 erty. Mary hud Keen to her hoth daughter and companion, 
 and upon the lofty spirit of her child she hud gradually 
 c<iiie to lean. For the future their lives were separated ; 
 she would not have it otherwise: it must he so! Mary 
 must advance! how she kne\v not : hut it was clear to her 
 woman s intuitive thought, that for Mary there wu~. there 
 must he. a future which should take hold upon those 
 higher and ennobling iields which her life hud failed to 
 reach. She gloried in that looking forward which she felt 
 she could not share and on which she could exert no fur 
 ther influence. Struggle ugainM the feeling as she would, 
 the thought impressed itself upon her, more and more, 
 that her work in life was done. Her little son clung to 
 her us though, to his child-like and simple vision had 
 been revealed the loss of that gentle spirit to whom he hud 
 never gone for love and sympathy in his childish troubles 
 without receiving that comfort and consolation which, to 
 a child, is like to nothing short of the everlasting Arm 
 of the Father. Her hu-bund strove to awaken anew the 
 thoughts and hopes of younger and happier days. To his 
 caresses she returned u mild and languid recognition, but 
 the, work and the struggles of life had worn upon her 
 physical frame; failing health left its impress upon her, 
 and melancholy seemed to mark her for its own. As her 
 family gathered about her, each intent upon her happiness, 
 she exerted herself to appear pleased at every attention 
 and satisfied with their presence; but they could not rouse 
 her from the mental condition which physical weakness 
 had fastened upon her. When Mary sat by her side; and 
 held her hand she seemed supremely content, and at such 
 times was manifested that wonderful and mysterious pro 
 cess by which there seems to take place a transfusion of 
 spirit. With Mary s bund in hers, they were one again ; 
 one spirit possessed them! One thought animated them ! 
 The mother lived anew in her daughter. What she had
 
 132 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 ilared in the bright dreams <>f youth, hor child should 
 realize! In her weakness, time and physical sense fled 
 away, and the windows of the soul were opened. The uni 
 verse was an open book before her, peace held her in its 
 embrace and the white-winged angels of glorious thought 
 ascended and descended before her eyes. 
 
 But these moments of exaltation were but temporary; 
 pain called her back, and then it was that no touch was 
 like Mary s, no soothing word like the murmured tones of 
 her whom the gentle invalid curiously began to regard as 
 her other and perfected self! 
 
 The family gradually began to see that in the gentle 
 and unasserting mother, had existed almost unknown and 
 unnoticed, an ambition and a hope of social success and 
 these pleasant surroundings which so largely make up a 
 woman s world, which had continued to live and exert 
 their influence, to be at las t rudely dispelled by the loss of 
 home and, in her eves, all possible means of accomplishing 
 the secret desire of her heart. 
 
 To ( irafton it was in the nature of a revelation; for 
 himself he had not eared for wealth or the refinement of 
 dress or fashion. That his wife had in her weakness be 
 trayed the well-concealed hopes of her life for a well- 
 appointed and generous household, now shattered and 
 destroyed by their loss of their home, which it was clear 
 she had thought might afford at least the stepping-stone 
 to the realization of her hopes, was occasion for surprise 
 and self-reproach. Had he done all he could? Might he 
 not have been able to obtain for her, what it now seemed 
 she so much desired? But as he carefully scanned the 
 record of the past, he could not see that in aught he had 
 failed: he had clone what he could; if another could have 
 done more it would be another who should be judged, and 
 not himself. 
 
 For the most of the year which was now past, he had 
 continued to work the farm, but his wife s failing health 
 and his own discouragement had prevented his being very
 
 LOOKINC, FORWARD. 133 
 
 successful in its conduct. Towards tin- close of the vear 
 he had been ahle to exchange his claim upon tin- farm for 
 a small house with a few acres of land, in the outskirts of 
 the village of Plain ville; and after selling a portion of Ins 
 stock, had removed his family to the new home, wheie 
 Mary liad found them on her return trom her second year 
 in Topeka. As a teacher she had hern eminently -in 
 fill, and during- the latter half of the year had heen receiv 
 ing a moderate compensation for her services. At the 
 close she had hrcn given a handsome present hy the Mc- 
 Farlands. tlie Institute being now in a llourishing condi 
 tion; and had received an urgent request to return at au 
 increased salary for another year. And this had heen hei 
 intention previous to her visit liome. Her mother s 
 condition, however, forhade; she could not leave her: nor 
 did she desire to do so. The education which she had 
 received at home and in which she had schooled herself, 
 included her own advancement only as a means to an end. 
 She desired to know, and to lift herself, that >he might be 
 ahle to assist in some way in the great work of life. How 
 this was to he accomplished and in what way she should 
 he ahle to serve, she had felt that she was yet too voting to 
 determine. The lesson. >o seldom learned, that happiness 
 is not lira sped hy self-seeking, she had instinctively 
 grasped. She had not. learned it. It came to her from a 
 child, and the earliest and most grateful recollection of 
 her youth had heen that of denying herself for the dear 
 mother who now followed with wistful eyes her every step 
 and motion. To he ahle to minister to her comfort was 
 her chief. M pleasure. Of duty an 1 the requirements of 
 natural or religious law. she did not think. Love conquers 
 all, and is the law of that true life which is to he! 
 
 Since it hecame plain that he was to lose his home, 
 
 I 
 
 (I raft on had given much thought to the cause which had 
 involved himself and neighbors in what appeared to them 
 an almost universal ruin. Many were losing their homes, 
 and all were finding their means of subsistence gradually
 
 134 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 slipping away from tlu-ir control. His previous reading 
 had enabled him to mentally grasp the principles and 
 causes which he saw in operation around him, and he be 
 gan an inquiry which, when he had reached a conclusion, 
 ended only in a resolve to do what he could to make 
 known certain evils and their causes, as the best and only 
 means within his reach toward remedying the conditions 
 which he felt sure were destroying the happiness of the 
 great middle class, to which he belonged. 
 
 Among other means of information, he sought the 
 opinion of those in authority, as to the causes and means 
 to be employed in remedying the; evils which all fair- 
 minded men began to acknowledge as existing. With 
 Senator Plumb he had a very slight acquaintance, but as 
 he was a public servant, he felt that duty required him to 
 answer questions of great public moment, when called 
 upon for his opinion. Accordingly he wrote the senator^ 
 asking him for his opinion as to the course which the 
 farmers and people of Kansas should pursue. He received 
 the following letter:* 
 
 UNITED STATES SENATE, WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 GEORGE GRAFTON, Esq., Plainville Kansas. 
 
 Dear Sir: J have before me your favor of the . 
 ********* 
 
 While I have given very much thought to the question 
 you suggest, I can not go into it very deeply in the space 
 of an ordinary letter, and in fact I would not undertake, 
 even if I had ample time, to formulate a remedy for the 
 present condition of things. No remedy can be devised 
 which will bring relief to everybody. At the very best, a, 
 considerable number of those who are heavily mortgaged 
 must succumb. It is difficult to apportion the responsi 
 bility for the trouble. The contraction of the currency, 
 which has been going on for the last three or four years 
 especially, is responsible for part of it. This has had to 
 do with the decline in values of farm products, notably, in 
 cattle; but the farmers themselves have powerfully con- 
 
 * The original letter, written by the late Senator Plumb, is in tke author s 
 possession.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 135 
 
 tributed to the decline in the prices of farm products by 
 their plan of raising only those things which were designed 
 for a market away from home, and by the reliance upon 
 outside sources for the things which they could have pro 
 duced, and many of which they did produce, at home. 
 
 Very few Kansas farmers raise their own bread, still 
 fewer provide themselves with meat or fruit, while the 
 seeds, the soap and a great number of minor things, which, 
 twenty-five years ago, were all produced at home, are now 
 universally supplied from outside. The result is that the 
 farmer not only is wholly dependent on outside markets 
 for what he sells and also for what he buys, but he pays 
 for the outward and inward transportation of articles 
 which he ought to produce at home and on which he now 
 pays a tax to the railroads and the middle-men, which 
 greatly diminishes his own profits and, in most cases, in 
 fact, eats into his own capital. The effect upon the price 
 of what he raises is still worse because, as he insists on 
 selling everything at Kansas City, Chicago and other 
 distant markets, he puts the question of price more fully 
 under the control of those who purchase at those points. 
 To all these things have been added high taxes, some 
 extravagance in living, and in fact a general departure 
 from those minor economies which have been the charac 
 teristic and the necessity, in fact, of the business of farm 
 ing. It is impossible to go into this matter in detail with 
 the time at hand, but you will readily see the objective of 
 my statement. As I have before stated, no remedy can 
 produce immediate effect. There miist be, I think, a 
 complete reversal of the practices of which I have spoken. 
 There must be a greater diversification of industry upon 
 the farm. It is not going to be possible much longer to 
 ship grain to Liverpool, or to any point outside the lulled 
 States. The further it is shipped, the greater tax the 
 farmer pays for his transportation, but there is still a 
 more conclusive reason why the foreign market cannot he 
 the reliance of the Kansas farmer. The wheat of India is 
 already crowding us out of the Liverpool market. Large 
 areas of virgin soil have been brought under cultivation 
 in Africa and elsewhere, the product of which will come 
 in competition with the wheat, corn and pork of the Uni 
 ted States, and I am quite sure that within five years India 
 wheat will be selling in New York. The farmer, therefore
 
 136 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 must raise those things which lie can sell at home, the 
 butter, eggs, cheese, fruit, vegetables, and so on, and above 
 all things, he must live as nearly within himself as pos 
 sible; that is to say, off of the productions of his own soil, 
 and thereby keep as nearly as possible out of that line of 
 production which compels him to submit to the exactions of 
 railroads and middle-men, and makes him depend upon the 
 varying fortunes of speculation for market and for prices. 
 I have written the foregoing somewhat hastily and no 
 doubt crudely, but I hope there is enough in it to put you 
 on inquiry if you have not already given the subject 
 thought, and I shall be glad to hear what you have to say 
 n reply. I am, very truly yours, P. B. PLUMB. 
 
 Grafton received the senator s letter with another, at 
 Plainville, and took them from the office just as he had 
 vainly endeavored to sell a few bushels of potatoes which he 
 had taken to the stores for sale. He had taken only five 
 bushels of extra fine ones, and a few pounds of butter, with 
 quite a large basket of eggs. 
 
 Mr. Baker would take the eggs ; he could ship them to 
 Kansas City if Grafton would take goods from his shelves 
 in payment at eight cents per dozen. He really did not 
 care for them and only took them as an accommodation to 
 his customers. His only profit was in the goods for which 
 the}* were to be exchanged. Butter he could not ship at 
 any jDrice, as most of the villagers made their own ; he did 
 buy a little at from five to eight cents, but at present he was 
 overstocked and would be glad to take four cents per pound 
 from any one who would take all he had. Busteed, who 
 happened into the store, bought a bushel of the potatoes, 
 paying twenty-five cents for them, saying that, although he 
 had plenty in his garden he would rather buy a bushel than 
 to dig them himself or hunt up any one else to do it for him. 
 
 Four bushels of potatoes remained in the wagon ; ex 
 changing the eggs for groceries which Grafton thought 
 might be useful and taking the butter for which there was 
 no sale, he slowly drove back to his home. Putting his 
 horses in the stable he sat down to read the senator s letter. 
 That he was disgusted, our readers will readily believe.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 137 
 
 Having read it once through, he again read it, this 
 time carefully and critically. 
 
 "At the very best a very considerable number must 
 succumb ! " 
 
 Yes, most farmers would. 
 
 " Farmers had contributed to the result by raising only 
 those things designed for markets away from home/ 
 
 But what could they sell at home ? 
 
 11 Very few Kansas farmers raise their own bread, meat 
 and fruit." 
 
 What did the senator mean ? Most raised all. 
 
 The farmer insists on selling ever} thing at Kansas 
 City, Chicago and other distant markets." 
 
 But where else could he sell the beef, pork and grain, 
 which was all he could sell at all ? 
 
 No remedy but to cease producing the only things 
 which could be sold, cease patronizing railroads, and "live 
 within himself? >J 
 
 Opening the other letter, it proved to be from the editor 
 of a widely-circulated journal whose writings he had often 
 admired. It was as follows : 
 
 CHICAGO, Iu.., - 
 MR. GRAFT-ON. 
 
 My /)< (ir Sir: I thank you for the kindly and frater 
 nal tone of your letter and I am pleased to be brought in 
 personal relations with one so entirely in earnest as yourself. 
 
 I believe with you that the farmers are destined to boss 
 things ultimately ; but before that happy time arrives we 
 must turn a lot of mountains upside down. I never appre 
 ciated the magnitude of the task that confronts us as fully 
 as I do to-day. The monopoly foe has as yet only wiggled 
 its little finger, comparatively speaking. It has not begun 
 to show forth its tremendous resources, for there has been 
 no call for them. It is on top, and has the people by the 
 neck. Just wait until demos begins to get turbulent and 
 you will see monopoly s mailed hand come forth. We fel 
 lows w r ho are on the watch-towers and see these things can, 
 however, by no means seek a quiet place and wait for the
 
 138 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 Storm to roll by. Our capacity to apprehend the work and 
 peril only truly comes to us when we are enlisted for the 
 war, and could not escape our duty, if we would. We can 
 see all the toil and danger that is before, but our mission 
 has possessed us, and even the thought of shirking becomes 
 impossible. We must march right along at the head of the 
 column until we keel over for good, and our persistence in 
 doing will be the same, whether we close our eyes in victory 
 or defeat, and know our fate before-hand. Yours very truly, 
 
 LF.STKK C. H
 
 o 
 Q
 
 LOOK INC, FORWARD. 
 
 141 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 MKKKTY l (>i: THK T<>! I.KIv S. 
 
 S (irafton finished reading Hubbard s 
 letter it dropped from his hand. 
 What a radical difference, thought 
 he, is there in men ! With the sen 
 ator, common men were mere pawn^ 
 upon the chess-board of life, to lo 
 used and then forgotten. They 
 could " succumb/ what ever that 
 might mean. What did he intend 
 it to mean ? Why, simply, that 
 they might drop out of sight as 
 mere inconvenient and disagreeable 
 reminders of practices, customs and 
 laws which he knew to be wrong, but which he had no 
 stomach to oppose. Absorbed in his ambitious schemes, he 
 had no time to waste upon former friends who had become 
 mere under-dogs in the fight of life. U A very considerable 
 number must succumb." But Hubbard s letter was a breezy 
 call to the conflict. The good fight must be fought ! Giant 
 wrong must be opposed ! Men would assert themselves ; 
 cowards might succumb, if they would ! As for himself, he 
 knew which side he would take ; whether w r inning or losing, 
 he would do what he could ! 
 
 But the next instant his thought reverted to his own 
 condition and to that of his family. How hopeless it was ! 
 The wife of his youth in a decline, with no prospect of 
 improvement. His children deprived of those opportunities 
 which he had always intended should be theirs. Poverty, 
 disease and probable death at his door, and he as helpless 
 as an infant in the presence of these enemies. For the 
 moment desperation seized him ! Thoughts of suicide 
 crossed his mind! No, that would not do. That would 
 simply be an abandonment of his family to their fate and a 
 desertion of his post. Fate had placed him where he was.
 
 142 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 He had always endeavored, in the changes of life, to do 
 what seemed at the time for the best. And this was the 
 result ! 
 
 Half crazed, the man staggered to his feet ; scarcely 
 knowing what he did, he walked aimlessly down the street, 
 a tumult of emotions raging within him. He had gone but 
 a little way when, raising his eyes, he saw Mr. Kllery 
 approaching ; he would have avoided him if it had been 
 possible, without seeming rudeness, to do it. The next in 
 stant they met. 
 
 " You look troubled, friend Grafton," said the preacher. 
 
 " Well, I am troubled, and so it s quite likely that I 
 show it." 
 
 " I dislike very much to enquire into the cause of your 
 trouble, Mr. Grafton. but can I assist you in any way? " 
 
 " Oh, I presume not ; my trouble is too deep for imme 
 diate help from any source. My wife is seriously ill, and, 
 in the presence of increasing poverty, my complete helpless 
 ness almost maddens me," said Grafton, as he looked despe 
 rately away and across the fields. 
 
 Mr. Ellery scarcely knew what to reply ; he appeared 
 sympathetically troubled, but for the moment made no 
 answer, and Grafton continued : " The worst of it is, I can 
 trace not only my own financial condition, but that of most 
 of our farmers to the doings of men and operation of laws 
 which it is possible to change, which ought to be changed ! 
 I see the deviltry of man so plainly in all this, that it raises 
 my ire." 
 
 " But do you think you can change the conditions 
 which surround you?" asked the preacher. 
 
 " Personally, I am powerless, but if I can induce others 
 to act with me, something may be done. In short, I believe 
 that the farmers of this state can help themselves ; and self- 
 help is the only help which is of value." 
 
 "Let us sit down," said Mr. Ellery; "I have no par 
 ticular business on hand just now and possibly we may both 
 gain something by talking these things over ;" and, stepping
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 143 
 
 one side to a convenient place, he sat down, and Grafton was 
 practically forced to do the same. 
 
 44 1 understand, said the preacher, "that most of the 
 fanners have joined the Alliance and that you are a promi 
 nent member. I don t believe I understand just what the} 
 intend to do. I can see that conditions are not favorable to 
 the farmers, but just how to remedy the trouble is not clear 
 to my mind, and he turned enquiringly toward the farmer. 
 
 u Well," said Grafton, " it is plain that debt and the 
 payment of interest, both public and private, is at the bottom 
 of all the trouble. From my reading of history I can see 
 that this has always been the cause of the downfall of na 
 tions and peoples, and has universally resulted in the 
 poverty and misery of the producing classes, and until 
 something is now done to change the causes in operation, 
 the effects will continue. The amount paid as interest on 
 money in this state is far in excess of the value of all the 
 people have to sell, after the expenses of living are deducted. 
 The excess is great ; in fact there is really no surplus if the 
 people are decently cared for and the children educated, 
 while the payments of interest run high up into the millions. 
 So you see the subtance of the people is being absorbed and 
 the average farmer is constantly encroaching upon his cap 
 ital. The end is sure, although it may be somewhat delayed. 
 Even in the case of the railroads, of which many of our 
 farmers grievously complain, any one who will examine 
 into the matter can easily see that it is the heavy interest 
 charge on bonds and watered stock that prevents the reduc 
 tion of fares and freights. Then, too, the interest to be 
 obtained on bonds and watered stock is the reason for the 
 creation for this class of investments. Usury is at the 
 bottom of it all. You know what the Bible has to say of 
 that, and that the result must be ruinous." 
 
 " But do you really think that the taking of interest on 
 money is to blame for the present condition of the farmers?" 
 said Mr. Ellery.
 
 144 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 " Why, there can be no doubt of its being one of the 
 greatest canses," said Grafton ; "just go back to the fifth 
 chapter of Nehemiah, and the first thirteen verses of that 
 chapter give us a perfect picture of the doings of the present. 
 The loaning of money upon usury and you will note that 
 one per cent., or the hundredth part, was usury then the 
 taking of mortgages, foreclosures, evictions, and the misery 
 of the people is pictured as plainly as the difference in forms 
 of language used will allow. The prophet cursed it then, 
 and if we had a decent prophet, he would curse it now." 
 
 Mr. Ellery moved rather uneasily in his seat, but said 
 nothing, and Grafton went on : 
 
 " Now let me show you how it is with the farmers, not 
 only in this state, but throughout the Union : 
 
 "A friend of mine, an old Kansan, but born and reared 
 in the Keystone State, visited the home of his boyhood, in 
 Pennsylvania, last summer. Meeting a former play-mate, 
 now a wealty man and proprietor of half the little town, he 
 said to him : 
 
 " You are in the banking and loaning business, you 
 tell me ; what rates do you obtain for money here ? 
 
 " Well, said the capitalist, we loan money at low 
 rates ; I have known of much money being loaned at four 
 per cent. fact is, I have loaned at that, myself, when every 
 thing was all right. 
 
 " But, said the Kansan, why don t you come out to 
 Kansas, where you could get two or three times as much 
 interest ? Our farmers in - - county pay a nominal rate 
 of eight to ten per cent., but when commissions and prem 
 iums are all footed up, it is often from twelve to sixteen that 
 they really pay. 
 
 " Relating this to me, the Kansan said : k My friend 
 would make no answer, but instead said, take a ride with 
 me this afternoon, I want to show you my new fast stepper 
 and we will take a spin out among the farms.
 
 LOOK INC, FORWARD. 145 
 
 " Iii due time my old school-mate drove up to the house 
 where I was stopping, in a splendid rig with a horse 
 which even Bonner might admire. Seating myself beside 
 him, we were soon among the highly-cultivated fields of 
 - county. Driving along the ridge road, he stopped 
 for a moment that we might admire the scenery. Spread 
 out in the sunlight, below and upon our right was a glorious 
 sight, an intervale farm, in the highest state of cultivation. 
 Clean-kept fields, divided by straight lines of well-built 
 stone walls, some of them being whitewashed, that, by the 
 contrast of green fields and white fences, the beauty of the 
 scene might be enhanced. Blooded cattle of beautiful pro 
 portions cropped the rich grass in one of the enclosures. 
 A well-built mansion, embowered in trees and shrubbery, 
 was upon one side and near by, the bank barn , built of 
 stone in the most substantial manner, added its solidity and 
 air of stability and prosperity to the view. 
 
 u< There! said my school-mate, ain t that a pretty 
 sight ; can you beat that in Kansas ? 
 
 " I was obliged to confess that we could not. But, said 
 I, who owns this farm ? 
 
 " This morning, said he, I did not answer your ques 
 tion, and I have brought you out here to emphasize what I 
 
 say. You remember Jim - , son of old - , 
 
 the big farmer of by-gone years ? " 
 
 " I nodded, and he went on : l Well, Jim married 
 Nancy - , a fine, buxom girl, and his father gave him 
 this farm as his patrimony and started him out in life. 
 They seemed to be as happy as larks for a time ; finally 
 Nancy fell sick, and there was a year or two of poor crops. 
 Jim got behind, 1 and came to me for a loan, and, to make a 
 long story short, I let him have $1,000, twenty-three years 
 ago, at four per cent. This amount was afterwards added 
 to at the same rate and, to cut the story short, I 11 just tell 
 you that now, after twenty-three years of a struggle, Jim 
 and Nancy are out in Chatauqua county, Kansas, with a 
 houseful of children, trying to make a new start. I own
 
 146 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 the farm ; Jim just left it abandoned it I did not foreclose 
 on him but he just couldn t pay, and had to go/ 
 
 " Now, you see the reason why I don t care to go to 
 Kansas to loan money at higher rates, I can get the land at 
 four per cent., but I don t want it, it won t pay the cost of 
 the farmer s living in any decent fashion and four per cent, 
 beside, and there are no better farms in America than these. 
 I own more of them I wish I did n t and so I surely don t 
 want Kansas mortgages. It is a dead sure thing at the 
 rates you mention, but I have my notions and don t care to 
 invest. 
 
 " Now you see how it is with us : it is impossible for 
 the average farmer to succeed in business who desires to 
 obtain the advantages and refinements of life in the Nine 
 teenth century for his family. Now, as a matter of fact, 
 there never has been any profit, taking a series of years 
 together, in the business of Western farming, except in the 
 rise in value of land, but that has now reached its limit. 
 So, Senator Plumb is right as to the fact, shameful though 
 it is. I forgot to tell you that I have just received a letter 
 from Senator Plumb, in which he says that large numbers 
 of farmers must succumb under present conditions. 
 
 "Well," said Mr. Ellery^ "if he is right and there is 
 no hope, why do you continue the struggle? 
 
 " Suppose I give it up, what then? And what of others? 
 What of my children ? What of the community ? Con 
 sidering these things, I have made up my mind to resist. 
 Just think of it ! Busteed told me the other day, substan 
 tially, that I lived too extravagantly, that my daughter, 
 whom I have hoped to educate, should work out that is, 
 become a servant to some one like himself, probably. Of 
 course she must work, as she always has ; but that my 
 child should become the servant of a class of people who are 
 unscrupulous enough to seize upon the little earnings of 
 the poor, is enough to raise the devil in me. Just think of 
 it : we, that is, the lower classes, are to study economy, 
 we are to live 011 what we can not sell, and spend our lives.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 147 
 
 groveling for dollars. Too many of us ape the rich, we are 
 told; we are too finely attired ; a piano or an organ is found 
 in too many of our homes. We should wear homespun ; 
 our hard-worked wives and mothers should have yet other 
 burdens added to their labors. Music and the refinements of 
 society are not for us. The Nineteenth century is not for 
 us, we are to live in the Eighteenth ; our daughters are to 
 be brought up to household service the service of the rich. 
 The rich have absorbed the wealth created by us, and now 
 we are to fall down and worship them ! I tell you, Mr. 
 Ellery, I 11 never do it ! Never !! Never !!! " 
 
 During the delivery of this, Grafton had become some 
 what excited, and Mr. Ellery hardly knew what answer to 
 make, if any. He finally managed to ask : 
 
 " But, Mr. Grafton, what can be done? 
 
 " When ever our people become thoroughly aroused 
 and are ready to help themselves, help can be obtained. 
 We can get it from the only place it can possibly come 
 from ourselves. Most of our people have been looking to 
 the general government for relief. Well, now, no help will 
 ever come from that source until we do something for our 
 selves here in our own state; and we can do much. The 
 power of corrupt politicians and corrupt voters in the great 
 cities can be, and will be, used against us to such an extent 
 that our success in obtaining possession of the general 
 government is, at the very best, a long way off. In the 
 Western states we can rule, when ever we get together ; and 
 finally, after much wrangling, we are going to do that. 
 Then, we can help ourselves by the passage of State laws. 
 We can stop the machine that is dragging us to death. 
 If we are successful in this State, other states will follow 
 our example, and then Congress and the President will hear 
 us; then they will be willing to listen to our complaint; 
 now, our enemies have their ears, and in fact control them. 
 So long as we are willing to allow them to fleece us, they 
 will, in one way or another, keep that control of the general
 
 148 LOOKING VORWARI). 
 
 government which enables them, under our present laws, to 
 continue their trade of blood-sucking. 1 
 
 " You speak very strongly of these matters ; I suppose, 
 though, you have studied the subject and given it more 
 thought than I have," said Mr. Ellery. 
 
 " I have given it a good deal of thought, and yet I have 
 no new plan, no patent scheme for saving the country; my 
 only plan is simply this : A return to the juster laws and 
 purer practices of our fathers. When I was a boy in Ohio, 
 my father lived on a farm in what was then considered a new 
 country. People were poor all about us, it is true, but they 
 all had their homes, there were then no mortgaged farms, 
 debts were comparatively few, and people lived without that 
 terrible load of care and anxiety which comes from debt and 
 the payment of interest money. And people were not only 
 comparatively happy, but they were in the line of mental 
 advancement ; in fact, those early days were prolific in the 
 production of men of resource and character. These were 
 precisely the surroundings which produced such men as 
 Washington, Jackson, William Henry Harrison, Clay, 
 Douglas, Lincoln, and all the rest of the band of patriots 
 who made America what it was up to the time when our 
 late War \vas made the excuse for loading every thing and 
 every body with debt. As soon as our people became bur 
 dened with that, the energies of the common people from 
 whom our saviours have come in the past, and from whom 
 they are to come in the future have been directed to this 
 miserable weight and clog of debt. Now it is impossible to 
 produce men; the people are engaged in producing dollars. 
 Debt makes slaves and cowards ; always has and always 
 will. Not only is the material improvement of our people 
 put a stop to, but mentally they must be debased if present 
 laws and customs are to continue." 
 
 " Well, but Mr. Grafton, does not what is called the 
 land question cut quite a figure here? In the days you 
 speak of land was comparatively free ; does not this tell the 
 story ? " said Mr. Ellery.
 
 LOOK i\<; KORW \RI>. 149 
 
 "Of course that has much to do with the matter, there 
 can be no doubl of that: hut men lose their homes almoflt 
 
 entirely through the operation of monetary laws and cus 
 tom-. Mr. Kllery. < io hack to the fifth chapter of NYhe- 
 iniah and you will see that loan, mortgage and usury came 
 first, then, the loss of the land and home. It has always 
 heen so. in every age. No people, no nation, ever lost its 
 homes in any other way. peaceably. And next to the 
 family, a home belonging to the family is the most im 
 portant thin^ in the creation of strong, intelligent, re 
 sourceful men and women, in all the world. Now, if we 
 can get rid of debt in the future and make it possihle for 
 families to own homes which can not he taken from them, 
 unless they wish to sell them outright, \ve shall come hack 
 to the conditions which surrounded the people in the 
 earlier and better days of the American repuhlic 
 
 "That sounds very well. Mr. (Jrafton. hut do vou 
 think it possible ? " 
 
 Certainly it is possible: any tiling is possible to 
 men who are willing to do and dare. In this case we shall 
 only be required to take away by law certain special privi 
 leges enjoyed by the dealers in money, and the tiling is 
 done. That s all. The power of State law is sufficient to 
 do that, and if we have in our State government a set of 
 men possessing half the spirit which animated the Conti 
 nental Congress, it would be done, and quickly, too. Hut 
 if we have not this spirit, if we are too fearful and cow- 
 ardlv. then the people now controlling our government are 
 right in their treatment of us. for we are despicable crea 
 tures and less than men, fit only for that slavery which 
 waits for us not far in the future." 
 
 "Hut, Mr. C.rafton. you speak of Staie laws, what 
 laws would you have ? 
 
 " \Yell, the first thing necessary would be a stay law, 
 putting a stop, say for two years, to the foreclosure of real 
 estate mortgages and the payment of interest upon them " 
 
 " Would that be just?"
 
 150 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 Certainly; the security would remain; the debt 
 would not be repudiated. It would simply give the holder 
 time to make the best use of property in his hands. 
 
 " But wouldn t the courts hold that this would be 
 unconstitutional, as interfering with contracts? 
 
 " Courts hold their sessions in pursuance of and under 
 the direction of law. Otherwise they have no force. Let 
 the Legislature pass laws directing the methods of fore 
 closure 1o be practiced in the courts. A practical and 
 constitutional stay can, in this way, be secured, which will 
 afford relief. But, anyhow, the public good is the supreme 
 law, or should be. Laws should be made to protect the 
 majority of the people, not to allow a few to rob them. 
 No doubt our State government of the future will have 
 occasion for resolution, courage and "sand, but with the 
 right kind of men in the Legislature all we need can be 
 obtained. 
 
 "Well, what next? 
 
 " Then abolish all laws for the collection of voluntary 
 debts to be incurred in the future. If possible, put this 
 in the State constitution, then it will be out of the reach 
 of the courts. That is the proper place for it; properly, a 
 constitution is simply a bill of rights. If there are no 
 laws for the collection of voluntary debts, debt-making 
 will not be encouraged and the debt-makers will soon dis 
 cover that more money must be put in circulation, so that 
 all deals can be settled at the time by the payment of cash. 
 That will convert them, nothing else ever will. This 
 legislation will do away with seven-eighths of our court 
 expenses and three-quarters of our lawyers. No doubt, the 
 lawyers would fight any thing tending to relieve the people 
 from the burdens which they impose and the privileges 
 they assert. 
 
 " The third step would be one which will allow the 
 people to get away from the control of the money-loaners. 
 Liberty is what we are after. All our measures look to the 
 abolition of special privilege; special privilege of the fund
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 holder; special privilege of the creditor; special privileges 
 of the lawyers; special privileges of the money-managers. 
 Abolish these and make every family secure in its home, 
 and Society will he rejuvenated, reformed, Christianized, 
 saved! Then we will have the conditions prevailing in 
 this country in its infancy, when men were free. At the 
 present time we have in this State probably a thousand 
 different kinds of warrants. The State issues them, so do 
 the counties, the municipalities and the school-districts; 
 and each of these issues them upon different funds. All 
 bear interest, and most of them are at a discount. The 
 people lose the discount and pay the interest, and the 
 money-shavers gain both and lock up the warra nts, which 
 might serve as a medium of exchange. Now, suppose that 
 in lieu of all these different kinds of warrants the State 
 issues only one kind, made receivable for taxes anywhere 
 in the State, bearing no interest, and engraved in the high 
 est style of the art, in sums of 25 cents, 50 cents, $1, $2, 
 $5 and $10. These warrants to be issued by the State 
 Treasurer to each county, municipality and district, in 
 amount equal to its tax-levy, properly certified to him. 
 The State Auditor s office to be made a clearing-house foi 
 the settlement of balances between said counties, munici 
 palities and districts. Under these circumstances, war 
 rants hearing no intei est and made receivable for taxes 
 anywhere in the State, would circulate anywhere in the 
 State at par, as they did in our Colonial days. Then, pub 
 lic improvements, for which the State is suffering, can be 
 constructed, paid for in warrants, and every idle man in 
 the State set at work. It can be easily shown that such 
 warrants have, in the past, and will, in the future, circu 
 late freely, and at par. In that event it will be easy to 
 obtain what legal-tender money we may need for the pay 
 ment of interest, everybody will be employed and real 
 prosperity will be assured. 
 
 " I must say," said Mr. Ellery, " that you interest me 
 greatly. If these things can be done, they ought to be
 
 152 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 done, and if they ought to be done they can be, if people 
 are sufficiently awakened and aroused. But is that all?" 
 
 " The fourth step should be one making occupied 
 homes, up to a certain moderate valuation, free from all 
 taxation and from seizure and sale for debt contracted after 
 the passage of the law. But, Mr. Ellery, [ must return 
 home. I left there a while ago, scarcely knowing where I 
 was going. Now I must go; I will leave you, however, a 
 copy of a constitutional amendment which I think favor 
 ably of; you can look it over at your leisure. You will 
 see, if you investigate the subject, that its provisions do 
 not apply to the great properties in the State, nor to the 
 business portions of the cities, to mines or other natural 
 opportunities not available as homes for the people. It is 
 only for the benefit of those owning and occupying homes. 
 At present it would not affect ten per cent, in value, of the 
 property of the State. There is plenty of property, now 
 escaping taxation, to bear all the expenses of government. 
 I am convinced that the passage of this amendment would 
 so increase the demand for land to be converted into free 
 homes, that even land monopolists, finding ready sale for 
 land, which now they cannot dispose of, would be led to 
 favor it. Then, too, they would know that increased tax 
 ation upon unoccupied land held for speculation, which 
 would result from the exemption of homes, must finally 
 make future land speculation uproductive and unprofitable- 
 This would induce them to sell, so that altogether all 
 classes would find the amendment drawn in their interest. 
 Shall be glad of your criticism upon it. We shall be glad 
 to have you call on us, Mr. Ellery; now I must go. 
 Handing the preacher a printed slip, he walked away in 
 the direction of his home.* 
 
 *The printed slip given Mr. Ellery read as follows : 
 
 PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. 
 
 SECTION 1. Real estate, or land, and all usual improvements, to the value 
 
 of a sum not to exceed dollars held, used and 
 
 occupied in good faith as a homestead by any usual and private family the head 
 of which family shall be a citizen of the United States and the State of Kansas, is
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 153 
 
 hereby forever exempted from all taxation of every kind and character in this 
 State. Provided, that all lands and natural opportunities used or needeil fm- 
 public use or business, as certain limited and restricted areas in towns and 
 cities, all mines, forests, waterfalls, or other natural opportunities not available 
 for cultivation or as dwelling places be and the same are hereby expressly ex 
 empted from the provisions of this article. 
 
 SECTION 1. The right of every family described in Section One of this 
 article to the exclusive possession of a homestead, held, used and occupied as 
 
 described in said Section One and valued at a sum not exceeding 
 
 dollars shall not be abridged or denied by reason of any 
 
 contract, agreement, mortgage or other instrument or promise whatsoever, verbal 
 or written, made or executed by the possessors of said homestead after this 
 article shall have been adopted in proper form by the people of this State. 
 
 SECTION 3. The Legislature shall have power to enact all laws necessary 
 to carry into effect the due intent and meaning of the provisions of this article.
 
 154 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 SORROW. 
 
 EAVING Mr. Ellery by the roadside, 
 who still remained seated, engaged in 
 reading the constitutional amendment 
 given him, Grafton returned to the 
 house. As he opened the door, Mary 
 was sitting at the sewing-table, some 
 unfinished work was upon her lap, her 
 head was resting upon the table in front, 
 while Charlie stood at her side. As her 
 father entered, she raised her head and 
 began to wipe her eyes with her hand 
 kerchief; evidently she had been weeping. 
 " Is mother worse to-day?" said Grafton. 
 "Oh, I don t know that she is any 
 
 worse, but it is plain that she is no better," said the daugh 
 ter, as the tears began again to flow ; " she is sleeping now ; 
 the doctor was here a little while ago, but he says it s of no 
 use for him to come; that she doesn t need medicine." 
 
 " When will mamma be well?" said Charlie; "it s so 
 still in the house, and sister can t play with me, and she s 
 been crying, and I don t want my mother sick," and the 
 little fellow began to snivel, while Mary was endeavoring to 
 calm herself, that she might the more readily comfort the 
 child. 
 
 Grafton did not answer. Sitting down, he rested his 
 elbows upon his knees, and with his head in his hands, 
 he abandoned himself to the gloomiest reflections. 
 
 Brushing away the tears, Mary began tidying up the 
 room ; bringing a pail of water from the pump, she bathed 
 her swollen eyes, and proceeded to arrange for the evening 
 meal. 
 
 Heedless of what was going on around him, Grafton 
 still continued in the characteristic attitude of despair which 
 he had assumed. His thoughts ran back to the days of his
 
 R
 
 I,ooKIN(; FORWARD. 
 
 157 
 
 youth. In the bright dreams of the future, which came to 
 him then, he could detect no likeness to the sober realities 
 of the life he had lived. Was life only a struggle, to end in 
 nothing? Was hope only an AJ/V//.V Inhuuis to lure US on? 
 Was man born to be cheated, or to cheat himself with vain 
 hopes and idle illusions ? One way there was, out of the 
 darkness. The ideal held up before the mind of the true 
 man was a perfect one ; it took hold on higher things. 
 A spark from the Infinite Light possessed him. It was im 
 possible that he should be content with sordid and imperfect 
 things. Sordid and imperfect men might be content. Hu 
 man hogs might increase in fatness and grunt with satis 
 faction in their styes, but the life which should endure took 
 no note of swill. To increase in knowledge one must be 
 dissatisfied with ignorance. Intelligent discontent was the 
 origin of all mental progress. Mind was necessary to a 
 man, and the mind which grew must be fed. To a hog, 
 swill was the chief concern. But the hog soon came- to an end. 
 
 " Father," said Mary "sup 
 per is ready ! " 
 
 Grafton roused himself from 
 his reverie and, mechanically, 
 the family gathered around 
 the table. 
 
 " Mother is sleeping yet, 
 and I thought it best not to 
 wake her," said the daughter. 
 
 I really do not care for 
 any thing to eat, but I sup 
 pose it is best to go through 
 the motions at about the reg 
 ular time/ said Grafton. 
 " Charlie wants his supper, 
 don t you boy ? " 
 
 Charlie made no audible 
 reply. His mouth was full, 
 and he contented himself with
 
 158 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 replying by a nod of the head and a look of the eyes, quite 
 readily understood. 
 
 (Iraftoii and his daughter ate but little; occasionally a 
 furtive glance was exchanged, but very little was said. 
 The mind of each was burdened by sorrowful thoughts of 
 the wife and mother. What of her future ? Would she 
 recover and be to them as she had been ? Was her mind to 
 continue to wander ? Had they, in fact, already lost the 
 gentle soul whose smile and quiet word of approval out 
 weighed che plaudits of all beside ? They could not tell ! 
 Hope struggled with despair. Uncertainty weighed upon 
 their minds and left them in the control of that cankering 
 care which corrodes and rusts every material treasure pos 
 sessed by man. 
 
 The dishes had been cleared away. Mar}- was busy 
 with her needle, and still the invalid slept. Grafton sat 
 reading by the evening lamp, when a knock was heard at 
 the door. Mary opened, and Mr. and Mrs. Ellery were seen 
 standing without. A most cordial invitation to enter from 
 both father and daughter being given, the}- were soon seated 
 in the one " living room " of the little cottage. 
 
 Mrs. Ellery s first enquiry was for the invalid, and as 
 Mary replied, explaining as well as she could her symptoms 
 and the condition of her mind, Mr. Ellery engaged Grafton 
 in conversation, remarking that he had long intended and 
 wished to call, but confessed that he scarcely knew what 
 to say. His desire was to comfort and console, but, said he 
 " Mr. Grafton, you must take the will for the deed! " 
 
 "There is so much," said Grafton, "that passes all 
 understanding ! " 
 
 " One can understand that trials and troubles ma} 7 
 bring a final reward in some cases, but how is it with my 
 poor wife ? Is her life, which was always so careful and con 
 scientious, now to end in a mere blank ? Is it to be a strug 
 gle, ending in nothing? " 
 
 Even at the worst, my friend, said the preacher, " you 
 must remember your children are to live. You can not say
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 159 
 
 that your lives arc without fruit, which gives no promise for 
 the future!" 
 
 "Ah, well!" said Grafton, "that simply carries tilt- 
 struggle along. Another youth of promise may end in 
 defeat, as her s seems to have done." 
 
 "All roads, Mr. Grafton, lead to the end of the world; 
 and, considered without relation to what may take place be 
 yond, no transaction of this is fully explainable. Hut, with 
 a future existence in view, which shall be a continuation of 
 this, all is clear. Doubt is removed only by action. For 
 every man there is a duty. He cannot know all reasons 
 and understand all mysteries. Whatever appears to a man 
 to be truth, that must he follow or be condemned. But he 
 must follow! Conviction must be converted into conduct! 
 Action must result; and if action square with his highest 
 conception of truth, all will be well. Of one thing I would, 
 if I could, convince every man, and that is, that the Great 
 Power which controls the forces of nature is friendly and 
 favorable to man." 
 
 While Mr. Ellery continued talking, the ladies ad 
 journed to the little bed-room which opened out of the room 
 in which they sat. Mrs. Grafton was now awake; she knew 
 Mrs. Ellery, and spoke pleasantly to her. 
 
 " Where is Charlie ? " said she. 
 
 " 1 put him to bed long ago, mother, said Mary. 
 
 %> He was crying, a while ago, I heard him just as 1 
 went to sleep, and he wanted me. Poor dear ! I fear he will 
 do without me soon; Mary, you will not leave him, will you?" 
 
 "Ah, mother! said Mary, "you must not talk of leav 
 ing us! If you would only think so, you could recover and 
 bring happiness to us all ! " 
 
 " Do you not think,, said Mrs. Ellery, "that it is your 
 duty to try to get well ? " 
 
 " No; I have struggled all my life, I have done what I 
 could, I am tired and weary. Rest ! Rest ! ! I must rest ! 
 
 Mary was unwearied in her attentions, and Mrs. Ellery 
 assisted her as well as she could, but the invalid relapsed
 
 160 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 into a somnolent condition, but half awake, and answered 
 their further enquiries with only a monosyllable now and 
 then. After a short interval Mrs. Ellery rose and, with her 
 husband, took leave of the sorrowing household. 
 
 " Grafton," said Mr. Kllery, as he took his hand in 
 parting, " if there is anything I can assist you in, you will 
 let me know, won t you? " 
 
 Ivife at the Grafton cottage had lost its charm. Charlie 
 was fretful and querulous at times, apparently without cause. 
 He wanted this or that until he got it and was contented 
 with nothing long. Sister must help him find the ball 
 which he had lost, or assist in his game of marbles ; and, 
 unwearied as she was in his behalf, when not attending 
 upon her mother s wants or engaged in the daily round of 
 household cares which now absorbed much of her time, yet 
 it seemed impossible for him to be the contented, happy 
 child of the past. That his mother was ill was occasion for 
 sorrow with him, when in her presence, but, grown familiar 
 with her absence from the kitchen, where her waking hours 
 had mostly been spent, he soon forgot it all, or so it seemed; 
 and yet he was unhappy ; why, he could not tell. 
 
 Whoever has seen a fretful, crying infant, in its over 
 tasked and discouraged mother s arms, taken from her who 
 should have been its chief joy and source of comfort, by the 
 possessor of even-tempered vigorous health, and seen the 
 quivering lip, the fretful sob and the injured air of the child 
 quickly disappear and give place to the happy smile and 
 exultant crow, can well believe that little mortals, at least, 
 are dependent upon the mental states of those with whom 
 they are associated. And are we not taught by the occur 
 rences of our every-day life, that children of a larger growth 
 and maturer years are also dependent upon those with whom 
 they come in contact for the color of their thoughts ? 
 
 Mrs. Grafton had gradually become weaker and still 
 weaker, as time passed on. She did not complain, but had 
 apparently abandoned all hope of relief at mortal hands. 
 At times her mind wandered, and the poor, tired, discour-
 
 FORWARD. l6l 
 
 aged woman became again, in thought, a little child. Again 
 she trod the joyous paths of youth, wandered beside the 
 running brook her childhood knew, and gathered the flowers 
 which, in imagination, she saw. Seated upon her bed, al 
 though heart-broken in their anguish, Grafton and his 
 daughter were forced to join in thought with her. 
 
 "Ah, there is such a beauty! Mary, help me to get it; 
 it is there near you ! " 
 
 "Here, mother, it is!" said Mary; and, although the 
 hand which touched her mother s contained no visible thing, 
 the want of the moment was filled. 
 
 " See ! is n t it lovely ! look at the beautiful colors ! 
 Ah, how nice to be here ! " 
 
 As the thin, wan face of the rapidly-aging woman was 
 lighted up by what should have been a smile, but which 
 only served to show the distraction of a mind diseased, bitter 
 tears filled the eyes of the beholders. But she saw them 
 not. Occupied with the conceit, her mind took no note of 
 things as they were, she only saw what her disordered brain 
 bade her observe. Suddenly, perhaps, the scene with her 
 would change and hysterical tears flow from unnatural eyes. 
 For the moment nothing could allay her fears. Then, as 
 suddenly as it came, the paroxysm would depart, to be fol 
 lowed by a new fancy which her family were called upon to 
 share. During these trying times there was no relief to the 
 anxious watchers. Her eyes constantly stared, with a 
 dreadful look, which did not change. Whether distressed 
 by fear or overcome with simulated joy, the eyes which so 
 long had shone with the mild radiance of approval and love, 
 now glared with a light from which reason had departed. 
 The joyless hours flew wearily by. Day was as night, and 
 night as day. Wearied at last, nature gave up the contest 
 and sleep came, to quell, for a time, the anxieties of the 
 family. 
 
 These terrible scenes left the afflicted soul each time 
 weaker than before. Succeeded as they were by seasons of 
 comparative rest and quiet, which yet brought no hope, no
 
 l62 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 ray of returning comfort to the invalid, she gradually sank 
 and came nearer and nearer to the end of the life to which 
 she did not cling and for which she had ceased to care. 
 
 The doctor came occasionally and talked learnedly of 
 anaemia and of hysterical conditions. He brought in con 
 sultation a brother physician from Branchton, who advised 
 that, upon the return of the paroxysms, large doses of opium 
 be administered, or if this should fail, that chloroform be 
 used to quiet the sufferer; but neither Grafton nor his 
 daughter would listen to this. They would not, and could 
 not hear to the thought of thus destroying sensation, in the 
 being they loved so well. 
 
 " She is not violent," said Mary, " and I will not do 
 otherwise than I know she would wish me to do. I know 
 she would not approve, and I cannot give my consent." 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Ellery, as well as other friends, were 
 constant in their efforts for the sufferer. But there was 
 little to be done, except to sit and watch at the bed-side of 
 her who was gradually fading away. Generally, she was 
 quiet and rational, and for the most part complained only of 
 weariness. Death, she longed for, and spoke only of it as a 
 relief. She would soon be at rest. The weakness of the 
 body had infected the mind ; she cared little for any thing. 
 Her life, she felt, had been lived. For herself, she no longer 
 participated in the thoughts of those about her. But, for 
 her child, the mother-heart within her still welled up with 
 entreaty and prayer for her boy: " God pit}* him ; he would 
 be so lonely without her! Calmly she spoke of her 
 rapidly-approaching death, and urged again and again that 
 Mary would remember the charge she left with her. 
 
 " He will need a mother, Mary," said she, " and you 
 must be one to him. 
 
 " You have been a good daughter, Mary ; you never 
 failed me ; I know you will not in this ; and your father, 
 Mary ; he will need your care ; our home has been happy ; 
 lie will miss me, and sorrow in silence. Be a true woman.
 
 LOOKINV, FORWARD. 163 
 
 Mary, and I feel that somewhere, and somehow, we shall all 
 be again united. Kiss me, daughter! " 
 
 With streaming eyes and heaving breast, the daughter 
 clasped the worn and wasted form of the dear mother to her 
 heart. 
 
 Again and again was this repeated, and still sh< 
 inained with them. Nature still refused to loose the silver 
 cord. As she gradually became weaker the paroxysms were 
 also less and less violent. Often had (irafton and his 
 daughter prayed with tearful earnestness that she might be 
 permitted to die, if die she must, in peace, with all her pow 
 ers of mind unimpaired and in possession, at the last, of 
 all those faculties which had so endeared her to them. 
 
 The turn of the tide came at last. The violence of her 
 disease had finally expended its force. Though so worn 
 and wasted as to bring the bitterest tears to the eyes of her 
 husband, who so well remembered the light-hearted and 
 beautiful girl, who, years before, had trustingly given her 
 hand to him, she yet was sane. The eyes which looked 
 lovingly into his, were the same which had answered to his 
 glance through all the years of their pilgrimage. 
 
 Hope suddenly filled his heart. She would now recover! 
 Life had still a charm for him. In the twinkling of an eye 
 his thought had taken in the prospect of future years. He 
 would slave for her, if need be; she should not be denied 
 the advantages which he felt so lovely and gentle a soul had 
 earned of right. For her he would dare any and all things. 
 How precious she seemed! And, as he bent over her, their 
 lips met in an ecstacy of love. 
 
 u George/ said she, feebly, " I am going to leave you ! 
 You have been a good husband to me you never deceived 
 me you you always loved me ( lod bless and keep you. 
 
 He would have interrupted her with gentle remon 
 strance, but suddenly the unwelcome truth was forced upon 
 his mind, struck his new-found j 03- ruthlessly to earth, aiid 
 pressed the chalice of bitter despair to his lips.
 
 164 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 u Call Mary ! " feebly said the dying woman. 
 
 Mary had gone but a moment ; she was in the adjoin 
 ing room. Grafton hurriedly called her; she came at once. 
 iThe mother looked lovingly at her ; essayed to lift her hand 
 for a last farewell ; the light of life departed from her eyes, 
 the dear head fell wearily, and she was dead.
 
 LOOKING KOI:\\ AKI>. 
 
 CHA I TKK XVI. 
 
 GRIEF. 
 
 ORDS cannot portray tin- agony 
 and distress which overwhelmed 
 the minds of George Graft on and 
 his daughter at the loss ol" wife 
 and mother. The thought of her 
 death had been terrible; it was a 
 spectre which of late had been a con 
 stant guest at their home, but the 
 realization of the \\-orst, left them with 
 nothing to oppose, save the blackness 
 of darkness which now shrouded their 
 
 every thought. The spectre ot coming evil is still a spectre ; 
 it mav be escaped; it is not fully comprehended, and, like a 
 terrible dream, its influence may be shaken off, in part, by 
 the resolute; but bereavement and the ruthlessness of death 
 strike the afflicted with a chilling force, against which no 
 resolution of the mind or argument of the intellect can avail. 
 The ancient Persians worshipped fire as a symbol of 
 deity. Taken from, it does not decrease. It apparently 
 destroys all things, and yet is, itself, never consumed. 
 Capable of infinite division, its character never changes, and 
 while it may be transplanted to the uttermost parts, yet it 
 ceases and determines if a suitable dwelling place be not 
 provided. And may it not be, indeed, a type and sign of 
 the Infinite Light? But from mortal man ever goes up the 
 cry, when from the altar of his affections the fire of life has 
 departed: "Whence? and Whither?" 
 
 Where, now, is the ruddy gleam which s<> lately cheered 
 the heart and delighted the sense ? The fire that has gone 
 out; where is it ? 
 
 Gradually they begin to feel that duty to the living 
 required them to cease useless repining, and an effort was 
 made to assume again the duties and responsibilities of life; 
 and this was made the more necessary by Charlie s youthful
 
 1 66 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 insensibility and lack of comprehension. As the form of 
 his mother had been lowered in to her grave he. for the first 
 time apparently, fully realized his loss and appeared over 
 whelmed at what to him seemed the heartlessness of utter 
 abandonment. His cry: " Don t let my mother be put in 
 the ground," had brought tears to the eyes of the most 
 careless and indifferent looker-on. 
 
 Standing at the grave, George Grafton supported the 
 form of his (laughter and held the hand of his boy. 
 He stood erect, no sound escaping his lips; tears streamed 
 from his eyes and coursed down his face, and although his 
 vision took in the occurrences about him, he yet was occu 
 pied with the thought, which at that trying moment was 
 turned into conviction: " We shall meet again! " 
 
 The burial had occurred just at set of sun, and as 
 Grafton stood at the grave-side, his little family elinging 
 to him in an agony of grief, the spirit of the man sustained 
 him: looking up, for the moment he was comforted, just 
 as the rays of the departing sun struggled from behind the 
 cloud which here obscured its brightness. And as its last 
 beams shone full upon him, conviction was borne in upon 
 him and fashioned itself in the thought: " My love, you 
 are not lost! " 
 
 But the exaltation of the moment soon departed. 
 At the poor little home everv thin a brought his loss to 
 
 i O 
 
 mind and stirred the grief which filled his heart. Days 
 followed in which he abandoned himself to the luxury of 
 grief. 
 
 But now the time had come when he must bestir him 
 self and provide for the wants of his children. Charlie s 
 boyish fancies and easy forgetfulness had been a source of 
 trial to both father and daughter. He soon wished to be 
 amused, and his active little muscles ached at thought of 
 further inaction. That he should so soon be able to laugh 
 struck them with wonder and ama/ement, as something 
 almost akin to sacrilege. But nature always triumphs! 
 Little by little they began to see that the healthy activity
 
 LOOKING, FORWARD. l6/ 
 
 of the l>ov called them from tin- selfish indulgence in a 
 sorrow which could not save and which if further indulged 
 would dishonor the wishes of her whom they mourned. 
 Sorrowfully the thread of life was taken up, and work 
 again begun. 
 
 Mr. Kllery was among the first to call. He attempted 
 no word of consolation, hut the grasp of his hand and the 
 look of his eve told all that was worth the telling. 
 
 "As you know/ said he to Mary. " I am a member of 
 the school-board, and I have had a conference with mv 
 
 , 
 
 associates in which we have agreed to offer you a position 
 in the Plainville schools. Will you accept . " 
 
 As Mary hesitated, making for the moment no reply, 
 he continued: 
 
 u No doubt you feel at this time very little inclination 
 to engage in any occupation, but your own good sense will 
 tell you that employment of some kind is an absolute 
 necessity to your own mental well-being." 
 
 Your offer is most kindly made," said Mr. Graf ton. 
 " but I scarcely see how she could accept it, on account of 
 the difficulties in the way." 
 
 " I have thought of them," said Mr. Kllery, cheerfully, 
 " and think that all can be arranged satisfactorily. You, 
 my friend, are well fitted for some kinds of employment to 
 which you might turn your attention, provided you were 
 not tied to this little homestead. Mrs. Kllery and myself 
 have talked the matter over and she is anxious to have 
 Mary and Charlie make their home with us. We have no 
 children, and, as much of my time is employed in my 
 stud\\ or in the duties of my position, she is sometimes 
 lonely. Mary was always a favorite of hers, and would be 
 to her a most acceptable companion. The little fellow 
 could have a home with us, and go with his sister to school. 
 Of course, we are poor, and have little to give, but the 
 necessary expense of living would bo reduced for Mary and 
 the boy at our house. We have quite a large house, and 
 but two inhabitants."
 
 l68 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 I am very grateful to you for your offer/ said Graf- 
 ton, " but I fear that you may be drawing too heavily upon 
 your generosity and that you do not fully count the cost in 
 such a complete change as this must bring about in your 
 household." 
 
 " On the contrary," said Mr. Ellery, " my wife will 
 consider it a favor to herself. Being alone so much, she 
 fears she may become morbid and selfish, and looks for 
 ward to the arrangement with the greatest pleasure. She 
 has long looked upon Mary as a daughter and I feel sure 
 that if you will give the plan encouragement she will be 
 able to bring arguments to bear which will silence all 
 objections." 
 
 So far Mary had not spoken. Evidently her mind 
 was engaged in revolving the advantages and disadvantages 
 of the proposed plan. Both Mr Ellery and her father had 
 spoken, and now both looked to her for an expression of 
 opinion. 
 
 " I do not see how it can be," she said. " You would 
 have no home, father. I could not bear the thought of 
 thus completely breaking up what was once so happy a 
 home." 
 
 Tears came to her eyes, and for a moment she was 
 unable to proceed. Graf ton, himself, could not resist the 
 infection, and a silence fell on all, broken only by the ill- 
 concealed sobs, which Mary could not entirely suppress. 
 
 Mr. Ellery prudently withdrew, with the intention of 
 sending his wife to still further urge the matter 
 
 After Mr. Ellery had taken his leave, Mary gave way 
 to her feelings completely, while Grafton sat, with his 
 head resting in his hands, for the moment irresolute and 
 broken-hearted. The wild grief of his daughter, which 
 had now broken forth afresh at thought of the final break- 
 ing-up of the family, strangely affected him and completely 
 unmanned him. 
 
 " Oh, my mother! my mother! Why were you torn 
 from us? Why could I not have been taken instead?" she
 
 I.OOKINC, FORWARD. 
 
 169 
 
 wailed. Tear- and sobs and broken ejaculations followed 
 
 iradually she became calmer, and endeavored to 
 restrain herself. 
 
 Seeing that the violence of her grief had, for the time, 
 expended its force, (irafton took his hat and \ventout. 
 
 Charlie was engaged near the house Ln driving little 
 sticks into the ground, in the form of a circle. As his 
 father came out the door, he called to him : 
 
 "Say, pa, come and see my little corral!" 
 
 < Irafton walked slowly toward the hoy, saying, as he 
 drew near: "Yes, I see the corral, but where are your 
 cattle?" 
 
 " \Vliv. don t yon see them over there?" pointing, as 
 he spoke, to half a do/en queer-shaped pieces of corn-cob, 
 into which he had carefully stuck short splinters to repre 
 sent legs; shorter sticks, stuck into one end, representing 
 horns; at least, that was the explanation offered. One of 
 the "cattle," which Charlie said was "old Crumple," was 
 possessed of crooked little sticks, representing the old cow s 
 crooked and ungainly horns. 
 
 The ridiculous little " cattle " made 
 (Irafton laugh, before he knew it. 
 
 " How do you tell which end is the 
 head? said he. 
 
 " Oh, you just stick on the horns, 
 and that makes the head; the other 
 end is n t." 
 
 Graf ton laughed again, and, al 
 though he had made no sound, and his 
 laugh was only a larger smile, he in 
 stantly checked himself with a feeling 
 that he had done an unseemly thing. 
 " Come Charlie/ said he, " let us 
 go up to town and see what there may be in the post-office 
 for us ! " 
 
 The home of the Graf tons was, as has been stated, just 
 in the outskirts of the village of Plainville, and as it was
 
 ryo 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 only about a quarter of a mile to the post-office, the walk 
 was not unsuited to the little fellow s abilities. 
 
 As he walked along, the clear, bracing air and the 
 childish talk of his boy gradually produced their effect 
 upon the mind of the man, and although he replied to the 
 boy and kept up a desultory sort of a conversation with 
 him, his mind was really engaged in turning over the 
 proposition made by Mr. Ellery. and the conclusion which 
 he quickly reached, if, indeed, it had not been reached 
 before, was that, for Mary, the offer was exceptionally 
 advantageous. Mrs. Ellery was a cultivated woman of 
 equable temperament and a most charitable disposition, 
 and, although he had at first thought that the plan might 
 have been proposed solely as a sort of semi-charity to an 
 afflicted family, further reflection satisfied him that the 
 arrangement with a young woman of Mary s capabilities 
 and generous disposition might prove as much of a help to 
 the Ellerys as to her 
 self. 
 
 Arrived at the post- 
 office, he sat down to 
 read some letters which 
 were given him. Char 
 lie sat on a nail-keg by 
 his side, engaged in 
 noting the peculiari 
 ties of Mr. Baker s 
 various customers. 
 
 Grafton had been 
 one of the earliest or 
 ganizers among the 
 farmers, of the Alli 
 ance. Having taken 
 an active part, he had 
 gradually come to be 
 considered as one of 
 the fathers of the or- ^
 
 LOOK INC, FORWARD. 
 
 171 
 
 ganizatioD and had been elected by that body a> " lec 
 turer. " Holding thi< position. In- had been called upon to 
 deliver addresses at diHeivnt places, hut of late, on account 
 of his wife s illness and death, lie had not heen ahle t<> 
 leave home. Two of the letters were from places at a dis 
 tance, urging him to once more take up the work. 
 
 He had barely finished reading his letters and was 
 folding up the last one lie had read, when Mi-, (ireene. the 
 Mate president of the farmers organization, came hurriedly 
 into the store. 
 
 Hello, Grafton." said he; " I ve just come from your 
 lion- 
 
 * Why. so have I," said he. 
 
 Well. I missed you on the way, somehow. I suppose." 
 
 " When did you come in?" 
 
 " Why, just a little while ago, on the last train, and I 
 bolted right down to your house, which a hoy showed me. 
 Your daughter said she thought you were here, and so it 
 proved. Say. < Jrafton. I ve got some work for you," said he.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 BREAKING I P. 
 
 ELL, what is it ? " said Graf- 
 ton. 
 
 " Well, it is rather a long 
 story to tell all the whys 
 and wherefores, but to cut it 
 short, the executive board has come to 
 the conclusion to take a forward step 
 and make an organized effort to secure 
 what we have been l resolutingj about 
 so long. Resolutions cut no figure 
 whatever, except to draw the attention 
 and fix the thoughts of men upon a 
 
 definite method ; and, as a matter of fact, most resolutions 
 don t even do that. An average crowd is satisfied with 
 swelling periods and eloquent words, which may be only 
 used to deceive. Now we have come to the conclusion that 
 we have got through with the Whereases and P>e it re- 
 sol veds and have got to do something. Some of our men 
 want to resolute some more and are most afraid of doing 
 something, but the time never will come, I guess, when all 
 men can see exactly alike. Anyhow, the board has made 
 up its mind to go ahead with a definite plan. It is plain 
 that we can only get what we want by political action ; by 
 the election of men who will carry out our wishes, and the 
 next thing is to elect them. But first we must be agreed as 
 to what we want them to do when elected. The members 
 of the board, after a good deal of argument among them 
 selves, have come to an agreement upon a general plan very 
 near like that proposed in your address, which was published 
 in some of the papers, as you remember. The next thing 
 is to carry it out, and a resolution was passed which, in ef 
 fect, brought me here as a committee of one to induce you 
 to undertake a mission. You are to visit every County
 
 I 
 
 < 
 
 c 
 
 B. 

 
 I.ooKINC, FORWARD. 175 
 
 Alliance in the State, and as many sub-Alliances as possible, 
 deliver an address advocating the proposed plan of cam 
 paign, answer objections, and otherwise forward the work 
 the board has undertaken. The board will direct you from 
 time to time regarding minor matters and will see that yon 
 are paid for your services. There ! that s the whole story." 
 
 " Well, that is a mission, sure enough ! said Grafton. 
 How much time will be employed in all that ? " 
 
 " Oh, that s hard to tell. Yon have held the position 
 of State Lecturer, are \vell known and are just the man for 
 this special business. The board will engage you until the 
 annual meeting, and I make no question that you can then 
 be elected as State Lecturer again and kept constantly at 
 work. 1 
 
 " Well, Greene, that strikes me rather favorobly just at 
 this time ; fact is, I am undetermined what course to take. 
 Seems strange, though, that you should come just now. 
 
 " Oh no; nothing strange about that. I heard of your 
 recent affliction and thought that now you would be able to 
 leave home. I should have come to see you before if I 
 had n t known that it was impossible for you to leave." 
 
 41 There is more in this than you know, said Grafton. 
 " ( )nly to-day was an offer made which will place my child 
 ren in a comfortable home and make it possible for me to 
 leave them with a feeling of security and satisfaction. 1 
 
 " These so-called co-incidents are semetimes wonderful 
 as mere happenings/ said Greene. u But somehow I ve an 
 idea that affairs move on a regular plan. Each man only 
 sees one act in the play, and can t make head or tail to it ; 
 he only reads one chapter in the story and thinks the villiau 
 is having too good a time of it, and that the good men and 
 women are not sufficiently appreciated, but my notion is 
 that when we are able to read the book clear through we ll 
 see that things are managed for us." 
 
 41 Come home with me and we will talk this matter of 
 the mission over, 1 said Grafton. "You can t go back until 
 to-morrow, any way."
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 u Charlie," said Graftoii, " you run on ahead and tell 
 sister that Mr. Greene is coming home with me! We will 
 be along directly." 
 
 When Grafton and his friend arrived at the cottage, 
 they were met by Charlie, who came out a little way to meet 
 them. 
 
 " Mrs. Ellery is in the house," said he. u She came to 
 see sister." 
 
 " I ll not go in just yet," said Mr. Greene. u Charlie 
 will show me his pig first. I see you have some pigs; which 
 one is yours ? " 
 
 Charlie led the way to the pig-pen, anxious to show- 
 Mr. Greene which one he called his, tell him what its name 
 was and describe its peculiarities. 
 
 Grafton went at once iuto the house. 
 As he entered, Mrs. Ellery and Mary were 
 sitting close together ; Mrs. Ellery had her 
 arm around Mary, who was actually smil 
 ing, although her eyes bore 
 evidence of recent tears. 
 
 " I came right down as 
 soon as Mr. Ellery came 
 home and told me that he 
 had been here," said Mrs. 
 Ellery, speaking to Grafton, 
 "and I am so glad I did. I 
 can sympathize with Mary, 
 " perfectly ; my mother died 
 when I was quite young 
 
 and, although it is now years ago, it seems but yesterday to 
 me. Mary has promised to come up in the morning to see 
 me, and we can then arrange all the particulars of her 
 coming to us, that is, if you don t object, Mr. Grafton." 
 
 " You don t know how grateful T am to you, Mrs. Ellery, 
 for the offer made," said Grafton, warmly, " but I can t help 
 feeling some misgivings in relation to the matter/
 
 LOOKINV, FORWARD. 177 
 
 " Yes, of course I should expect it, but \ve can put it in 
 this way : Mary can have a place in the schools as long as 
 she pleases, no doubt ; everybody loves her, and she will 
 then be self-supporting. She can board with us and keep 
 Charlie with her. Should this arrangement come to an end, 
 another can be made, never fear. But I want her near me. 
 Here, everything brings her loss constantly to mind, and it 
 would unfit her for the place which I believe she will yet fill." 
 
 As Grafton made no immediate reply, Mrs. Ellery 
 bustled about in a kindly, motherly fashion, putting on "her 
 things, 1 as she prepared to go. 
 
 " Put on your sun-bonnet, Mary, and go a piece with 
 me/ said she. 
 
 As the ladies stepped out the door, Grafton rose, went 
 into the little kitchen and begun to build a fire in the stove, 
 that it might be ready for Mary, when she returned, to use 
 in getting supper. While he was busy at this, Charlie came 
 in, leading Mr. Greene by the hand, busily engaged, mean 
 time, in giving that gentleman a full account, not only of 
 the pigs, but also of other matters in which he was interested. 
 
 M-iry soon returned and busied herself with the prepa 
 ration of the evening meal. Mr. Greene was interested in a 
 book, and comfortably seated in the living room," while 
 < Jrafton still remained in the kitchen. Softly closing the 
 door between the rooms, Grafton said to his daughter: 
 
 " It seems to me, Mary, that it will be just the thing 
 for you, at this time, at any rate, to take up with the offer 
 of the Ellerys." 
 
 For the moment she made no reply ; indeed, she felt 
 that she could scarcely trust herself to speak, and kept 
 busily at work ; presently she said : 
 
 " Everything seems to point to the arrangement as the 
 best that can be made." 
 
 Well, then," said he, "we will understand that you 
 undertake the school. I will sell off our little stock of mov 
 able property and can let you have some money, which you
 
 LOOKING FORWARD 
 
 \vill need. If worst conies to worst, we can at least come 
 back here. 
 
 Graftoii rejoined his friend in the other room, and be 
 fore the evening was over it was arranged between them 
 that within two weeks he should report to Mr. Greene, as 
 the president of the executive board, for duty. 
 
 The next morning Mr. Greene took his departure, well 
 pleased in having secured the active co-operation of the one 
 man whom he thought full}- capable of conducting the w^ork 
 undertaken by the organization of which he was the head. 
 
 Having made up his mind, Graftoii was not the man to 
 long delay in the execution of his plans, but actively set to 
 work to make the necessary preparations for carrying into 
 effect the plan in view. As soon as breakfast was over and 
 his guest had departed, he went at once to see parties whom 
 he thought might buy the property he was now anxious to 
 sell. 
 
 After Mary had finished her morning work she put on 
 a neatly-fitting black dress, combed her luxuriant brown 
 hair with even more than her usual care and, taking Charlie 
 by the hand, set out for the promised call on Mrs. Ellery. 
 As she locked the door of the little cottage and turned away 
 from its silent and melancholy walls, it was with difficulty 
 at first that she could proceed. Thoughts of the past, now 
 gone forever, came over her with great and most depressing 
 force. But she was young and healthful, the morning air 
 was invigorating, and as Charlie, with the thoughtless 
 gaiety of youth, kept up a cheerful and enlivening conver 
 sation, in which she was forced to join, she had not gone far 
 until she found her spirits rise and much of that dread 
 weight depart, which so long had pressed, with crushing 
 heaviness, upon her heart. On the way, she met a number 
 of her acquaintances, all of whom greeted her with interest 
 and plain evidence of good-will in their countenances. This 
 could not fail of its effect. The human heart is hungry for 
 sympathy, and without it the half of life is lost.
 
 
 MRS. ELLERY,
 
 I.OMKINC, FORWARD. 
 
 179 
 
 "Uncle Bill" he stopped for ;i moment : "( ioo<l 
 morning, Mr. Weldon," said she. 
 
 " I 0.111 awful glad to see yon looking so \\vll this morn 
 ing," said he. " I believe yon are getting prettier all the 
 time ! " 
 
 Alary blushed, and, with some slight confusion, said : 
 u Now, Mr. Welden, you really are a flatterer. I did t think 
 it of yon ! " 
 
 " Oh, well," said he, "I am an old man and half the 
 time I have a sneaking notion that I m an old fool, but there 
 is no flattery in that/
 
 l8o LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 As Mary continued her walk the old man turned to 
 look after her, saying to himself as he did so, " She is a 
 pretty woman, that s a fact." Going into his house, which 
 was near by, he told his wife: "That girl of Grafton s is 
 going to make some man s heart ache * fore long or I miss 
 my guess." 
 
 Arrived at the Ellery s, Mar}- and Charlie were in the 
 midst of a pleasant chat as Mrs. Kllery, having seen them 
 coming, appeared at the door and drawing Mary s arm 
 within her own, ushered her at once into the sitting-room. 
 
 It contained a stranger. A tall, broad-shouldered 
 young man of light complexion and expressive face was 
 engaged in conversation with Mr. Ellery. 
 
 " Mr. Maitland," said Mrs. Ellery, " this is my young 
 friend, Mary Grafton ; she was not aware that any one was 
 present or, I dare say, she would not have come in. 
 
 Mr. Maitland rose with easy grace and politely acknowl 
 edged the introduction. 
 
 " Mr. Maitland is the son of my old townsman and 
 college class-mate," said Mr. Ellery, "who has just arrived 
 this morning, rather unexpectedly. He is on a pleasure 
 trip, at present, and happened in, as we say. I don t know 
 of anybody, George, that could give me more pleasure by a 
 visit than yourself; unless, indeed, it should be your father 
 himself." 
 
 Mrs. Ellery had, by this time, removed Mary s hat. 
 The morning walk and the unexpected meeting with a cul 
 tivated stranger had caused the native rose to flush upon 
 her cheek and dispel the pallor which, of late, had prevented 
 its appearance. Mr. Ellerv wondered that he had not no 
 ticed before, that she was really a beautiful woman. He had 
 thought her an interesting and intelligent girl, pretty, per 
 haps ; but now his eyes were opened and he was surprised. 
 
 The look of the stranger clearly showed that he, too, 
 was impressed. He was a gentleman, he did not stare, but 
 his occasional glances betrayed the feeling of interest and 
 admiration, which he could not conceal.
 
 LOOK I NT, FORWARD. 
 
 181 
 
 Mr. Hllery s conversation inul Mrs. Kllery s officious 
 pleasantries prevented any feeling of embarrassment on 
 Mary s part, while Charlie, unnoticed by all, sat bolt upright 
 on one of Mrs. Ellery s " stuffed chairs " and looked at first 
 one then another. Evidently he didn t understand the 
 situation.
 
 l82 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE STRANGER. 
 
 R. MAITLAND was the only son and heii 
 of a wealthy Massachusetts manufacturer, 
 who had been the early friend and class 
 mate at college of Mr. Ellery. At gradu 
 ation the paths of the two had separated, 
 Maitland entering business with his fa 
 ther, while Ellery began the study of 
 divinity at Andover. After his gradua 
 tion at Andover he had been settled for 
 some years in Massachusetts, and the 
 friends had kept up an intimacy, which, 
 upon Mr. Ellery s return to the West had been interrupted, 
 and with the exception of the very rare visits of Mr. Ellery 
 to the old Massachusetts home, had now almost ceased. 
 The younger Maitland was also an alumnus of the same 
 college at which his father had passed what he now looked 
 backward to, as four of his happiest years. At his gradu 
 ation he was entirely undetermined regarding the course 
 of life which he should adopt. He was a generous-hearted 
 youth who, having never been obliged to exert himself, on 
 account of his father s growing wealth, had so far pursued 
 the even tenor of his way without meeting with opposition 
 sufficient to determine what his real character might yet 
 prove to be. Possessed of a stalwart frame, he was also 
 indebted to nature for an equable temper and cheery good 
 sense. That he was an optimist, looking upon the brighter 
 side of life, was a matter of course. 
 
 Although the elder Maitland had left his son free to 
 choose the manner of life he would lead, his own high sense 
 of fealty to the race had induced him, after due reflection, 
 to take up the study of divinity with the intention of finally 
 entering the ministry. And this had been accomplished, 
 and at the time of his visit he had finished his studies and 
 been licensed as a preacher, although he had never been
 
 < 
 
 T3
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 185 
 
 settled as a pastor. During the progress of his studies at 
 Andover doubts had arisen in his mind regarding the doc 
 trines there taught, and he had become somewhat unsettled 
 in his views. Seixing upon this as a favorable opportunity, 
 he had resolved to spend some time in travel before he be 
 gan the work of his life, regarding which he now felt some 
 misgivings. 
 
 This, then, was the man whom we have now introduced 
 to our readers. He had never been in the West, and Kansas 
 and her people were alike new and strange to him. 
 
 After a little time spent in general conversation, Mrs. 
 Ellery said : 
 
 u Mr. Maitland, will you please excuse us ; here in the 
 West we are our own servants, you know, and therefore not 
 entirely the mistresses of our own time; no doubt Mr. Ellery 
 will now have some one who can fully sympathize with him." 
 
 No sooner had the ladies got away from the sound of 
 the voices of the two gentlemen, now busily engaged in 
 telling and hearing news from " old Amherst," than Mary 
 said : 
 
 " Now, Mrs. Ellery, what made you take me into that 
 room ? " 
 
 " Why, my dear, Mr. Maitland had just said that the 
 people of the West whom he had seen did not impress him 
 very favorably, and I was anxious to show him that we 
 really had some nice people residing here, and from his 
 manner I fancy that he will now acknowledge that he was 
 too swift in his judgment." 
 
 Mary blushed : it was a new experience to her, and for 
 the moment the thought that she had been paraded as a 
 specimen was rather unpleasant. And this must have ap 
 peared upon her face, for Mrs. Ellery continued : 
 
 u You poor little innocent, don t take it so seriously to 
 heart. You made a good appearance. It was plain to all 
 that you were ignorant of his presence when I ushered you 
 in. If any one is to blame of course it must be myself, but 
 I can t say that I feel that I have sinned. I think, how-
 
 i86 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 ever, that most women take delight in bringing together 
 eligible young people." 
 
 The flush upon Mary s face gradually disappeared as 
 she said : 
 
 " Don t deceive yourself; Mr. Maitland is a gentleman 
 of wealth and position, and would only feel amusement at 
 the mention of my 4 eligibility. 
 
 " Don t deceive yourself, my dear," said Mrs. Ellery ; 
 u I know something of society and of the people whom 
 Mr. Maitland has been accustomed to meet, and I am of a 
 very different opinion ; still, we will not discuss the matter 
 further, now, at any rate, as I must proceed to get my din 
 ner. No matter how nice and refined men may be, I never 
 found one yet that didn t like a good dinner." 
 
 Charlie, long ago, had taken himself out into the yard, 
 where, just now, he was trying to minister to the wants of 
 a distracted old hen. The hen, with her little brood about 
 her, had been tied to a stake that she might not wander. 
 Anxiety for the welfare of her downy flock had, however, 
 taken away the little judgment her foolish head contained, 
 and much fluttering had hopelessly involved her. She lay 
 upon her side, the string many times about her, and pre 
 venting further motion. Charlie was unable to extricate 
 her, and called loudly : " Oh, Mary, come ! The poor biddy 
 can t get up ! "
 
 LOOKING FOKWAKI-). 187 
 
 Mary ran out the hack dour and soon had poor biddy 
 upon her feet, with all her brood about her. Giving Charlie 
 a love pat upon the cheek, she charged him not to k get into 
 mischief, and was back again in a moment. Mrs. Kllery 
 had noted the- occurrence from the window, and when Marx- 
 appeared she said : 
 
 What a dear little mother you are, to be sure ! 
 
 For a moment Mary did not understand, and Mrs. 
 Ellery explained : 
 
 Just to see how Charlie depended upon you, and how 
 you managed both him and the poor old hen." 
 
 " Why shouldn t I?" said she. 
 
 " To be sure," said she, ll it seems easy and natural to 
 you." 
 
 Mrs. Ellery did not offer further explanation, but she 
 could not but wonder at what appeared to her as the won 
 derful adaptability of the young woman beside her. 
 Of generous temper and naturally elevated thought, well- 
 read for her years, she yet was most capable and efficient in 
 the ordinary walks and work of life. In whatever position 
 placed, she yet seemed easily to lead. 
 
 As they proceeded with the work of the kitchen, the 
 proposed change was fully discussed, and it was determined 
 that when Mr. Grafton had completed his preparations, that 
 Mary and Charlie should take up their residence with the 
 Elle rys. - 
 
 Having assisted Mrs. Ellery up to the time when she 
 was nearly ready to place her dinner upon the table, not 
 withstanding the entreaties of Mrs. Ellery to stay to dinner, 
 she took Charlie by the hand and soon was at home. 
 
 Ushered in to dinner soon after, Mr. Maitland at once 
 inquired for Miss Grafton. 
 
 " Oh, - said Mrs. Ellery, u she would not stay. I knew 
 she wouldn t, although, of course, I tried to induce her/ 
 
 " She is quite pretty/ said he.
 
 l88 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 " So, then, you have changed your opinion, said Mrs. 
 Ellery, playfully ; " only a little while ago you were saying 
 that Western people did not impress you favorably." 
 
 " Of course," said he, "I spoke hastily, and really 
 without much opportunity to form an opinion. 
 
 "I think, George, said Mr. Ellery, "that we under 
 stand, in part, at least, why you have spoken as you have. 
 I know that was my impression on first coming to the West. 
 People in Massachusetts pay far more attention to dress 
 and appearances than here, and the average dress and man 
 ner of the men of a Western town, in the eyes of a resident 
 of an Eastern city, appear very careless and hurried, while 
 occasionally a prominent and worthy citizen is actually 
 slovenly in both dress and manner. This does not arise 
 from intentional disrespect for the forms of good-breeding, 
 but is simply owing to the newness of the country and its 
 consequent freedom from social mannerisms. Men readily 
 run back to first principles ; our own frontiersmen, thrown 
 into contact with Indians, dress like Indians and act like 
 them. Send a dozen college boys on a " camping-out" tour, 
 and they very readily and naturally drop many customs 
 which are quite indispensible at home. And so it has been 
 with us of the West. We have followed the custom of the 
 country, but you will find as much, if not more, sterling 
 character and native ability among Western people as 
 among the better-dressed and more dissembling citizens of 
 the East. This, however, is being rapidly changed, and in 
 our larger towns you will find great efforts made in keeping 
 up appearances, which, after all, are very deceitful." 
 
 " No doubt that is true, said Mr. Maitland, " but you 
 haven t told me anything about this Miss Graftoii yet." 
 
 " No, I haven t; I shall be obliged to turn you over to 
 Mrs. Ellery for full information, although I can say that 
 she is a rather remarkable young person." 
 
 " We will call upon Mary to-morrow, or in a day or 
 two, if you wish," said Mrs. Ellery, secretly overjoyed at 
 the turn affairs had taken.
 
 LOOK INC, FORWARD. 
 
 189 
 
 4 Why, yes," said he, "if we- can do so properly, A nd 
 without violating the proprieties. I should be pleased to 
 do so."
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 him 
 
 C H A P T K R X I X . 
 
 THK STUDKNT AM) THK KARMKK. 
 
 R. MAITLAND seemed won 
 derfully attracted by Kansas 
 scenery and people. The clear 
 sunny days, the lightness of the 
 air, with the consequent slight 
 ly-increased respiration and 
 natural invigoration, had for 
 as they have for all, when first they 
 come under these subtile influences, a 
 nameless charm and fascination not 
 easily resisted. 
 
 s 
 
 The people, too, were to him a con 
 stant study. While some there were who strove to appear 
 what they were not, for the most part there was an absence 
 of that miserable spirit of dissimulation and pretence which, 
 in larger or smaller measure, appears inseparably connected 
 with the advancement of cultivated and refining influences. 
 With most there was a hearty naturalness which had for 
 him, as it has for all, an attraction which he felt no disposi 
 tion to resist. 
 
 Aided by the natural and womanly tact of .Mrs. Kllery, 
 within the first week of his residence in Plainville he had 
 several times met Mary Grafton. Her fresh, young face 
 had first attracted him, but as he came to know her better, 
 this was temporarily forgotten in his growing wonder at the 
 grasp of mind betrayed in casual conversation. Where had 
 she learned the thoughts expressed ? Although the cottage 
 contained a good many books, for a cottage, still to him the 
 collection, exposed as it was in the little u living-room," was 
 insignificant and wholly incapable of revealing the mystery. 
 Who had taught her to think ? Was she self-taught ? 
 And where did thought originate ? Could one think only 
 the thoughts of others? .Or, in the evolution of interior 
 consciousness, did this comparatively untaught woman
 
 9 
 
 r
 
 LOOK IXC, FORWARD. 193 
 
 originate for herself the clear opinions which she so modest 
 ly expressed? Or did thought "come" to people from an 
 exterior source, a supersensory realm whose very existence 
 was unknown to those favored by its ministrations ? But 
 who could answer ? To the deepest questioning of his miiul 
 no answer had ever been returned. Would answer ever 
 come ? Could it be possible that the intense desire of man 
 to know would, in some far-off sphere, be finally and full} 
 satisfied ; or, distressing thought did man but grope- in 
 darkness, forever reaching blindly toward an ideal impos 
 sible of attainment ? 
 
 To Maitland, Mary ( rrafton was an enigma he could 
 not solve. She seemed possessed of a two-fold nature. 
 Seen at her home and in the homely performance of the 
 duties devolving upon her as daughter and sister, she was 
 most charmingly natural and helpful. Her very look, as 
 she sought her father s pleasure or answered the childish 
 questioning of her little brother was to Maitland an inspir 
 ation and a lesson in that divine sympathy which enfolds 
 the world with the radiance of heaven. Engaged, however, 
 in serious conversation, the elevation of her thought and the 
 calm superiority of her manner, utterly lacking in self- 
 consciousness, evinced the power of an intellect which com 
 pelled his respect, although he could not agree with its 
 conclusions. She certainly differed from the young ladies 
 of his acquaintance. 
 
 The little household was an open book to all who came, 
 and the very poverty of its surroundings compelled a pub- 
 licit} to which Maitland had heretofore been a stranger. 
 The little "living-room" with the "lean-to kitchen and 
 two tiny bed-rooms made up the establishment. One room 
 served all the various purposes of parlor, dining-room and 
 library ; between this and the kitchen the door was generally 
 open, and thus was for the first time presented to the visitor 
 an opportunity to study a manner of life to which he now 
 paid close attention. Here were people without what he 
 had been taught to regard as the comforts and refinements
 
 194 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 of life, who yet were happy in each other. Without scho 
 lastic attainments, here was an attractive personage who yet 
 was capable of the most elevated thought. 
 
 Plainly, he was becoming interested, and Mrs. Ellery 
 was correspondingly happy. The visit, which at first was 
 intended only as a stay of a day or two, on the way to Cali 
 fornia, gradually lengthened, without apparent intention on 
 the part of the young preacher of bringing it to a close. 
 
 Mr. Hllery s horse and buggy were often seen standing 
 at the cottage door. Mrs. Ellery, somehow, had so much to 
 say to Mary concerning the removal, that frequent trips were 
 necessary, and as the duty of entertaing Mr. Maitland had 
 in part fallen on her, she contrived to be accompanied by 
 him on divers and sundry occasions, which the neighbors 
 remarked, became more and more frequent as time passed on- 
 
 Mr. Maitland had met Mr. Grafton a number of times, 
 but between the two no intimate acquaintance seemed pos 
 sible; in fact, a serious constraint had early developed. 
 The business which Grafton intended undertaking was 
 often discussed in the hearing of the young man and com 
 ments varying with the feelings and sentiments of the 
 speaker were expressed, so that he had come to believe that, 
 as Grafton s mission was that of an agitator, intended to 
 affect political action, it was, no matter how honest the 
 intention, rather shadowy in its nature. He did not think 
 it exactly disreputable, but his education and previous train 
 ing inclined him to think it exceedingly questionable in 
 character. 
 
 In his view, the fortunes of all were in their own hands, 
 and for people to rebel against what he regarded as the de 
 crees of fate or the orderings of Providence, was simply to 
 find fault with themselves in endeavoring to foist the blame 
 of results upon laws or customs, when whatever of ill had 
 resulted was entirely owing to personal shortcoming. 
 In consonance with this, the only way to remedy whatever 
 of ill there was in life was for each to bring himself into 
 right relations with his surroundings. And this was to b e
 
 L<>OKIN<; K(>H\VARI). 195 
 
 effected mainly by each securing for himself a personal 
 righteousness of character which would insure to all the 
 highest development of which each was capable, and what 
 ever measure of worldly success was intended tor the 
 individual. The American form of government was a> 
 nearly perfect as it was possible for human eflort to con 
 struct, and fault-finding with that was almost -acrilegiou- 
 in character. Thus armed, he considered that (Irafton, in 
 undertaking radical change, was rushing in where angels 
 might well feel the need of caution in their movements. 
 
 The two men, thus differently constituted, had. in con 
 versation, drifted upon the topics in which Grafton wa 
 
 deeply interested. Each felt satisfied that he had found 
 out how the other stood, and like mental combatants gen- 
 erallv. each bad underrated the position of the other. 
 
 l>ut they could scarcely refrain from argument. 
 
 One day when Maitland was at Grafton s little place, 
 the younger man determining to "have it out" with the 
 elder, said: " 1 don t think I understand, Mr. Grafton, the 
 position vou occupy. Farmers, from the nature of their 
 occupation, have always suffered some privations, though 
 certain Iv fewer now than ever before; but then, they have 
 many advantages over the dwellers in cities. Cultivators 
 of farms have been happy and contented in the past. 
 Years ago the New England farmer was thought to occupy 
 a most favored position: bow is it that I find, now-a-days, 
 BO many who are dissatisfied and discontented? Are they 
 not largely to blame for this, themselves?" 
 
 " Would you advise a man to cultivate contentment 
 who sees all he holds clear in life slipping away from him?" 
 said Grafton. 
 
 " By no means," returned the other: but do not men 
 have as good, or even a better chance, to hold their own 
 now than in the past ?" 
 
 " In the revolutionary days/ said Grafton, " I suppose 
 you will admit that the people of Boston might very easily
 
 196 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 have borne the exactions of the stamp act and the tax on 
 tea, if so minded?" 
 
 " Doubtless, that is true," said Maitland. 
 
 " People in those days were not suffering for the 
 means of living. History shows us that, so far as ordinary 
 affairs were concerned, King George s taxation did not 
 bear heavily upon them. It was the principle involved 
 that roused their ire. The burden they bore was largely a 
 mental one. Libert}- was what they desired." 
 
 " I presume you are right in that," said Maitland. 
 
 " Well, Mr. Maitland, do you think they ought to have 
 submitted ?" 
 
 " I have always been taught that our fathers were 
 right in what they did then." 
 
 " Mr. Maitland," said Graf ton, " you know very well 
 that the true man and the true nation must advance. 
 This is the law of life. To cease to advance, is to begin to 
 decline. The common school, the habit of reading, the 
 telegraph, the amazing spread of intelligence and the ad 
 vance of invention are all pushing the race forward. In 
 telligent people cannot remain at rest mentally. As with 
 our revolutionary ancestors, so it is to-day; we, too, desire 
 liberty and an opportunity to advance. 
 
 " Every intelligent man desires for himself and his 
 family some part in the activities and privileges of the 
 present and the hopes of the future. For the future oppor 
 tunities of his children he will fight, if need be. In bring 
 ing children into the world he has assumed responsibility 
 for their future well-being. No true man can think com 
 placently of their existence as mere beasts of burden. 
 Surrounded by the wonders of the Nineteenth century, it 
 is impossible that those who create the wealth of to-day 
 should be satisfied to be continually defrauded. It was 
 not that the people who threw overboard the tea and over 
 turned the statue of George III. were reduced to poverty, 
 but rather that, having determined to be free, they recog 
 nized the fact that between themselves and their oppressors
 
 I.OOKINV, FORWARD. 197 
 
 i here was an irrepressible conflict impending which could 
 only be prevented by the renunciation on the part of the 
 governing power of unjust taxation. 
 
 " So it is to-day wo complain of unjust la\vs and un 
 just taxation, a> our fathers did; like them. we SIM; where 
 it all must end, and like them, wo pe revive i:iat between 
 ourselves, who represent the producers of wealth, and tliose 
 whose desire is simply to absorb without creating, a con 
 flict is impending which Avill never Ix^ settled until each 
 man is free to retain within his own hands the fruits of 
 his own labor now he is not. In a hundred ways Ins 
 little earnings are taken from him by indirect- and crooked 
 methods, made justifiable by law. And these impositions 
 are constantly increasing: even now it is practically im 
 possible for the ordinary fanner who would give his family 
 any of the advantages and refinements of modern life, who 
 wishes them to take part in the hopes and advancements 
 of the future, to keep out of debt, and when once in debt 
 bis financial ruin is assured. So, seeing what the future 
 has in store for us and our families, we have determined 
 to resist." 
 
 " l>ut do you think thai your condition can be com 
 pared to that of the revolutionary fathers?" 
 
 Yes: except ill this, that our causes of complaint are 
 far greater than theirs. Then, too, the British ministry. 
 their government, of which thev com plained.- was not 
 farther from them than are the monopoli/ing forces which 
 control our national government from our Western farm 
 ers to-day. V\ e are unrepresented in th-- councils of th<>-<- 
 who reallv control the hundred form- of robbery of which 
 we complain." 
 
 " Well. Mr. <i ration, what do you propose to do about 
 it? You tell me that the people are unable to Control the 
 general government. I ><> they intend to rebel /" 
 
 " If they are ever successful in obtaining relief they 
 must rebel, though armed force is not necessary; they can 
 proceed entirdv within the law. They have the ballot.
 
 198 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 Heretofore, in all the history of the world, advance has 
 come through blood. But it came. Nothing could prevent 
 it when the time was ripe, for the forces of nature and the 
 purposes of God in the creation of man were, and now are, 
 behind the forward movement. All the forces of nature 
 are concerned in uplifting the race, the great mass of 
 mankind, from the plane of the savage to higher and yet 
 higher conditions. Of course, the comfortable classes and 
 those possessed of privilege have always opposed; they 
 have always imagined that they represented civilization 
 and enlightenment; they have despised the innovators 
 who have always arisen from what they term " the lower 
 classes." " Throw down your arms and disperse, you rag 
 amuffins!" said Captain Pitcairn at Lexington to the 
 poorly-clad American farmers. 
 
 " In the past, unjust governments, and consequent 
 economic conditions, could not be changed except by 
 armed rebellion. Now they can. Universal manhood 
 suffrage is a new thing in the world, and by means of it 
 the people who create wealth will be able to manage it. 
 But the change will come in some manner. To suppose 
 that it will not is to think that the progress of the race 
 can be stayed. Only the ignorant rich think that. Every 
 body else knows that the clock of destiny marks the time 
 of another step in advance. Of course, 1 know very well 
 that we are despised and derided by the men we oppose. 
 That makes no difference to us. We are upheld by knowl 
 edge that our cause is just. That is sufficient for us." 
 
 " But I do not understand, 1 said Maitland, "just how 
 you would proceed to bring about these changes. You tell 
 me of the difficulty of obtaining possession of the govern 
 ment, and yet you speak of the ballot as the only weapon 
 you would employ! 
 
 "Usury, Mr. Maitland; usury has been the cause of 
 the downfall of all the nations of the past. You know 
 very well that at the time of the translation of the Bible, 
 in the days of King James, that the word usury meant
 
 I.MOKINC, l- ORWARI). 199 
 
 anv interest <m money. This is what is cursed from one 
 end of the hook to tlie other. And yet not one of vour 
 fashionable preacher- dare pivach against it. liead N.- 
 hemiah. v: 1-K>. for a detailed account of mortgage, usury, 
 foreclosure and eviction among the .lews. You know. too. 
 that one method, and only one. has ever heen u<ed in the 
 destruction of all the hurled nation- of antiquity. Sec how 
 it was in Rome: the rich loaned the poor moiiev and took 
 mortgages upon their homes, foreclosed and sei/ed them. 
 Then the nation perished. A very crafty way of making 
 slaves of former freemen ; hut it is sure. < )pen your eye-, 
 investigate, and you will see the same schemes already 
 well under way in America. Very little money circulates 
 without the payment of interest hy several parties on tin. 
 same dollar. It is horrowed from the hank, ie-deposited 
 and re-loaned, in some instance.-, many times. In this way 
 >everal husiness men often pay interest on the dollar in 
 the hands of the laborer. This is hlue ruin itself, if men 
 only had sense- enough to perceive it. Business and labor 
 arc -hackled to the banker s car. and yet men are taught 
 to regard this system, hy means of which every communitv 
 i- made to pay trihute on what the banker owes, as the 
 sum of human wisdom! And, strange as it may seem, the 
 average citi/en believes this lie and scorns the man whu 
 shows it up! 
 
 " In our Colonial days several of the colonies, notably 
 Virginia and North Carolina, issued scrip receivable for 
 taxe-. which allowed exchanges to be made without the 
 payment of usury. Jefferson says this scrip never depre 
 ciated a farthing in twenty years. When it was made to 
 bear interest it was locked up, when it did not, it circu 
 lated freely. Really, you will see, if you look carefully for 
 the evidence, that the prohibition of this scrip by English 
 law was a chief cause of our revolution. Now, English 
 influence, operating through our Wall street, is endeavor 
 ing to prevent the making of exchanges between man and 
 man unless tribute is paid many times over on every
 
 20O LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 dollar used as a tool of trade. This dimiiaishes trade, les 
 sens business, depreciates the value of property, throws 
 men out of employment and stops the wheels of commerce 
 Debt and the payment of interest constitute the main 
 reason for the increasing wealth of the rich and their 
 growing power over the lives of the poor. This is hateful 
 to us. Intelligent Americans cannot bear the feeling of 
 injustice which arises from this state of affairs and no 
 man ought to bear it! It is idle to talk of the comfortable 
 position of some subjected to these conditions. That cuts 
 no figure with men who desire to be free! We despise 
 those who only look for generous masters! Laws regard 
 ing the rate of interest are quickly nullified by the neces 
 sities of the borrower and the avarice of the lender, and 
 the only final and radical cure of the trouble which now 
 threatens our civilization is the abolition of debt. And 
 this is not only possible, but easily arrived at whenever 
 the people are sufficiently aroused to take an active part 
 in securing so desirable a reform. 
 
 " One-half of the trap into which the people of Kansas 
 have fallen is provided by Wall street in its control of 
 Congress, but the other side is furnished by the laws of 
 Kansas; and whenever the debt-cursed people of Kansas 
 get up spirit enough to hold their side level, then the jaws 
 will fail to come together and the machine will be out of 
 joint. 
 
 " Then congressmen will discover for the first time 
 that something must be done in our behalf, and they never 
 will move until this is done. Mark that! 
 
 " You propose, then, to nullify the laws of Congress, 
 do you?" 
 
 " No; that will not be necessary. We propose to pro 
 tect our own people by the passage of perfectly constitu 
 tional State laws." 
 
 " Please tell me what those laws may be?"
 
 LOOK INC, FORWARD. 2OI 
 
 " Of course, 1 can only outline them here; but I will 
 say that four measures enacted into law will bring about 
 the changes we desire. 
 
 " First Laws directing foreclosure and sale of mort 
 gaged real estate, by means of which a stay of proceedings 
 may be had. This will temporarily save our homes. 
 
 " Second A repeal of all laws for the collection of 
 voluntary debts to be incurred in the future. This will, 
 to a great extent, do away with debt, courts and lawyers, 
 and cause future business to be done for cash. 
 
 " Third A system of non-interest-bearing State war 
 rants issued to each county, municipality and school dis 
 trict, made returnable to office of State Auditor, and 
 receivable for taxes anywhere in the State. These warrants, 
 passing from hand to hand in the journey from the recip 
 ient to the State Auditor, will enable the people to make 
 many exchanges free from usury, and greatly assist in our 
 escape from the control of the dealers in money. 
 
 " Fourth A homestead exemption, by means of which 
 a homestead in the country or outside the business portion 
 of our towns and cities, valued at a sum not exceeding say, 
 $2,500, will be free from taxation and sale for debt con 
 tracted after the passage of the 1 iw. In the future, this 
 would absolutely protect the homes of the people. 
 
 "These are our abolition laws. They are for the 
 abolition of future debt. No repudiation of existing con 
 tracts is intended. In the future, then, business would be 
 mainly done for cash. Small credits would depend upon 
 the honor of the debtor, as is the case to a great extent 
 now; but the business of debt-making and the extortions 
 of usury would come to an end. These proposed laws 
 would abolish the special privileges given to the managers 
 of money, by means of which less than five per cent, of the 
 people are enabled to absorb the little earnings of the 
 laborer and impose upon him and his kind their luxurious 
 support."
 
 2Q2 1<>KIN<. 1K\\AR1>. 
 
 " It seem> to me," said Maithuid. " that in this way 
 you an- stirrint: up strife between those who should lie 
 t rionds. You invoke the assistance of law for the farmers 
 and against business men." 
 
 "Businessmen!" said Graftou, scornfully, now thor 
 oughly aroused ; " are managers of trusts, promoters of 
 fraudulent enterprises and absorbers of other men s goods 
 the only people to be called business men, and are they the 
 only people to have the protection of law? And even 
 though what you say were true, is it not clear that these so- 
 called business men have possessed themselves of the law- 
 making- power in the past? \Yheii was a law passed in our 
 And if one side is 1 be S] ecially favored, who is 
 most worthy of the protection of law : the producer of wealth, 
 or he who seeks to obtain by shrewdness and chicanery 
 what others have painfully toiled to grow ? But we do not 
 iiher shall be favored; we wish to and we will 
 rid ourselves of the legal impositions of the past. That s all. 
 ut do not be deceived, the new revolution is for the 
 abolition of debt. Old debts must be paid, but the law must 
 set it- .iust the formation of new ones. \Yhoe\er 
 
 sells property or loans money in the future, let him do it at 
 
 wn risk. The law should not guarantee his business 
 to be profitable any more than the State should make the 
 corn-field or the potato-patch of the fanner sure to yield a 
 certain number of bushels. Abolish debt, and pay cash in 
 
 y deal. The government can readily furnish the cur 
 rency to do this, and only refrains from it now at the bid 
 ding of those AY ho secure slaA*es by the creation of debt. 
 \Ye do not need neAv knvs so much as the repeal of those 
 conferring privilege. Take aAvay from the trade of the 
 money-grabber and debt-maker the poAver of the sheriff and 
 court, or else furnish to the farmer a /<w<- comifafns with 
 sufficient pOAA-er to secure the groAVth of corn for 365 da\ 
 the year, and a stated price at the end of that time from the 
 buyer, under penalty of loss of goods and confiscation of 
 property in case of failure.
 
 LOOK IN, I o|;\\ \i;i>. 203 
 
 " Law is now made to _^ive these very advantages to 
 the dealer in money. Tlu-si- constitute special privile 
 with them is created the slavery <>f" del>t. The law mm 
 guarantees the banker s business to be profitable, if he does 
 not go outside of it. What folly ! What injustice ! Look 
 all around you at the results. 
 
 44 Debt and the payment of" interest in our modern world 
 make the master and make the slave. This is the great 
 power which threatens humanity and which must be slain. 
 
 44 In the new abolition, the power of the .State govern 
 ment will be the lever which shall lift us from the slough 
 of despond. Local self-government is the distinctive feature 
 of our republic. But for this, the war of the rebellion would 
 have ended freedom upon this continent. A conquered 
 people were never before reduced to subjection without an 
 enormous standing army was continued as a guard, (iene- 
 ration after generation but added fuel to the flame. Poland 
 still threatens. After centuries of government by the sword, 
 Ireland still longs for revenge. If, at the close of our war, 
 the states of the South had been abolished and the country 
 held as conquered territory, as was proposed, a million of 
 men would still be in arms to keep it in subjection. Grown 
 familiar with the control of the general, military despotism 
 would soon have swallowed all. 
 
 4< But, with the power of the State in their hands, eleven 
 miniature republics, self-governed aiid self-respecting, at 
 once arose in the South and satisfied the natural demand of 
 freemen for self-control. Now a foreign war would show 
 them as loyal to the nation as the states of tin- North. 
 
 44 The State governments saved our form of government 
 in that crisis and will do it again in another. The}- form 
 the power which would prevent the successful sei/ure of the 
 national government by an ambitious tyrant. Their very 
 diversity of interests form an additional security. Each is 
 a miniature nation in embryo, full-formed and ready to be 
 born.
 
 2O4 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 " Kansas, under the guidance of men of nerve, such as 
 her early history knew ; men like Jim Lane and Ossawat- 
 tomie Brown, can and will take the lead in a new abolition 
 the abolition of debt. 
 
 " The great danger of the present is that reformers 
 may compromise the true principles of action. An increase 
 in the amount of money in circulation would relieve, for a 
 time, the over-burdened people ; but in a few years, if debt, 
 the cause of all our woes, is allowed to live and breed, the 
 earth will be covered with a swarming brood of paupers, 
 spawned from the hatcheries of usury. 
 
 " Debt is the cause and excuse of usury and usurers. 
 Kill the dragon which continually sows among men the 
 seeds of avarice, hate, crime, disease and death. Destroy at 
 one blow the source of inequality usury accursed of God 
 and all good men. Away with it, and man will be freed 
 from the yoke of bondage. To destroy usury, kill the beast 
 which daily, hourly and momently is bringing it forth from 
 its hated womb. Prevent the possibility of debt, and the 
 mother of usury is dead, and she, alone, who can bring it 
 forth will be no more." 
 
 Grafton had now become thoroughly aroused. He 
 walked back and forth in the little cottage, and his eyes 
 blazed with the fire of his emotions. All this was some 
 thing new to Maitland ; he had no co mprehension of the 
 causes leading to Graftoii s intensity of feeling, and realiz 
 ing that under the circumstances he was poorly prepared 
 for argument with such a man, he withdrew with the bes t 
 grace at his command.
 
 I.ooK IN . KomVAKl). 305 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THK NKW ilo.MK. 
 
 AYIN< < completed his arrange 
 ments Grafton made preparations 
 to move his children with their 
 individual belongings to their 
 new home. Mary wished to defer 
 the matter till after Mr. Maitland 
 had taken his leave, but her 
 father would not listen to the 
 thought of her remaining in 
 the cottage after his departure. 
 She knew that when once her father had made up his mind 
 that it would be useless to argue the matter, and, accordingly, 
 with heavy heart and many silent tears, Mary locked the 
 door of the little home, where her mother had breathed her 
 last. Somehow it seemed to her that here she was nearer 
 her mother than elsewhere, and reason as she might about 
 the matter, she could not but feel that in leaving the cottage 
 she was removing herself farther away from the silent 
 influences still proceeding from the dearest heart that had 
 ever fluttered for her in human breast. In the hurry and 
 bustle attending the change of residence Grafton had largely 
 concealed whatever of sorrow he may have felt. Just before 
 he was to start upon his journey, however, he called at Mr. 
 Ellery s house for the purpose of saying farewell to his 
 children. Mrs. Ellery was present, but very considerately 
 withdrew. The time was short, and not much could be said; 
 indeed, he had purposely deferred the parting until but a 
 short time before the starting of the train upon which he 
 was to go. Taking Charlie upon his knee, he took a seat 
 near Mary. 
 
 . " Charlie," said he, " I have only one thing to tell you 
 in parting. It is this : be a good boy and remember what 
 your sister tells you."
 
 2O6 LOOKINVr FORWARD. 
 
 " Now Mary," said lie, u it isn t worth while for me to 
 leave commands for you, but this I hope you will remember: 
 Live your own life. Be true to your highest conception of 
 right, remembering that we have each become a law unto 
 ourselves. What to you seems just and true is binding 
 upon your soul, whether upon others or not. I shall see 
 you both frequently," said he, and kissing both fervently, 
 he was gone. 
 
 There had not been time for many tears or an exhibi 
 tion of deep feeling, and although both father and daughter 
 were deeply affected by the separation, still it had occurred 
 quietly and without excitement. Nor was it until her father 
 had gone and the full meaning of the breaking-up of the 
 family came over her that she realized that one of the turn 
 ing points of life had now been passed whether for good or 
 ill, was yet to be determined. 
 
 Retiring to her room she gave herself up for the time 
 to the most somber reflections. How full of sorrow the last 
 few years had been ! The loss of home and her mother s 
 untimely death again weighed heavily upon her mind. 
 How happy the home had been, now destroyed forever! For 
 the moment bitter thoughts filled her heart. The loss of 
 the home and the consequent shock, coming at a time of 
 delicate health, had killed her mother. But for the added 
 misery of poverty and waning fortune she would have rallied 
 and recovered. And what were the influences which had 
 brought all this about ? Having mado a stud}- of these, she 
 was fully convinced that the control of the markets and 
 finances of the country had so depressed the business of the 
 farmer as to cause the condition of affairs which had re 
 sulted in their financial ruin. And this, thought she, is the 
 work of men who claim the right thus to destroy homes and 
 happiness and slowly murder by means of the market ! 
 Freedom of contract, there was none. That all had an 
 equal chance in life was a delusion. If mere weight .of 
 money was thus to rule, the combination which secured the 
 larger sum controlled all. Far back in the history of the
 
 T,OOKIX<; FORWARD. 
 
 race brawn and the- power of muscle were the arbiters of fate. 
 All were equal each could use the strength he had but 
 the giant of the iron hand took to himself whatever pleased 
 his fancy, while petty cultivators of the ground could hide 
 when he walked abroad. 
 
 Thus was it now, except that instead of muscle, money 
 ruled, and cruelty and injustice were the results of the 
 reign of both. When a combination had been formed and 
 an agreement entered into by the controllers of the market 
 only to pay so much, the farmer was told: 
 
 " We do not compel you to sell to us at a stated price, "- 
 well knowing that a price had been fixed, beyond which he 
 could not go. 
 
 We do not compel you to ship your grain and stock 
 upon our railroads," say the magnates, well knowing that 
 the necessities of the producer force him to use the railway, 
 although half the value of his property be taken for its 
 carriage. 
 
 " If you do not like our charges, build you a railroad 
 to carry your stuff, or transport your carcass to the city," 
 say the sharpers who have possessed themselves of the lines 
 of communication. 
 
 u You are not compelled to borrow our money," say the 
 ministers of Mammon, well knowing that in modern society 
 there is but one thing which all must have in larger or 
 smaller quantities, and having secured a monopoly of its 
 management, they await the homage of all. 
 
 Thus ran her thoughts, and rebellion rose within her 
 breast. With flashing eye and quick-coming breath she 
 resolved, with her mother s fate before her, to do whatever 
 seemed possible to oppose giant and overpowering wrong. 
 If rebellion against tyranny was obedience to God, she 
 would be a rebel, whatever might betide. 
 
 It will not be supposed that affairs at Mr. Ellery s were 
 unnoticed by the people of Plainville. All the. actual hap- 
 pennings were duly reported, while mail}- events were
 
 208 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 discussed which it was thought might possibly occur. And 
 as all were at liberty to exercise their imagination regarding 
 the future, the faculty was given full pla}^ by much the 
 larger share of the villagers. 
 
 One morning Mr. Ellery found that his horse had cast 
 a shoe, which must surely be replaced. Leading the animal 
 over to Mr. Weldon s shop, the loss of the shoe was stated, 
 and the blacksmith at once set to work to remedy the diffi 
 culty. But although Mr. Hllery was employed in holding 
 the horse and Weldon in fitting the shoe, the minds of both 
 were comparatively unemployed. It is said that a certain 
 nnd unmentionable personage finds work for idle hands and 
 minds to do, and this wise old saw probably includes in its 
 operations the man of prayers and sermons as well as the 
 common and undevout. However this may be, the black 
 smith could not refrain from at once addressing himself to 
 the most interesting topic of conversation in all Plainville. 
 
 u Pretty nice kind of a man that s visitin you, ain t he ? 
 I believe he s a preacher, too ? " 
 
 " Yes ; Maitland is a fine young man of generous im 
 pulses, who, so far at least, has not been spoiled by getting 
 fastened in a groove of any kind. Most men run in a groove 
 or rut of their own, whether of business or habit of mind, 
 and judge everything by its relation to their particular line 
 of thought. This they imagine to be very straight to 
 others it appears crooked enough while but few are of 
 sufficient breadth of mind to see that there is good in all 
 and that none are perfect." 
 
 Well, he may be an awful nice man, but he ain t jest 
 the kind of a man I would pick out for Mary Grafton," said 
 the blacksmith, breaking at once into the topic which inter 
 ested him most. 
 
 " Well, I am not aware that anybody is picking him 
 out , said the preacher, rather coolly. 
 
 " Yes, I know ; but then you see folks doesn t have to 
 be knocked down with a hint before they take it. Now, 
 Mary was always a favorite with our Plainville people, and
 
 LOOK I NT, FORWARD. 209 
 
 they don t quite fancy bavin this Boston feller come out 
 here and carry off the sweetest flower in the whole garden. 
 It kinder sets them agin him, you know. 
 
 " Maitland isn t from Boston, and I don t know that he 
 has any idea of carrying off our flower. So Plainville peo 
 ple are altogether too fast." 
 
 " The blacksmith apparently paid no attention to the 
 cold water which Mr. Ellery seemed disposed to throw upon 
 the discussion, and continued: u Now, Mary always put me 
 in mind of one of them high-strung Kentucky mares that 
 we occasionally see ; pretty as a picture, high head, arched 
 neck , curved and pointed ears, big, clear-looking eyes, knows 
 everything, can do anything, and willing to do it, too, if you 
 only treat em right; but for all they are so bidable and 
 easy managed, and sweet-tempered, jest you go to beatin 
 and abusin one of that kind and see if something don t get 
 l>roke, right away quick. 
 
 " That s rather a rough simile," said the preacher, "but 
 I don t know but it is somewhere near the truth. 
 
 " Course it is near the truth ; it s right at it. Now, 
 Mary might go through life without anybody ever knowin 
 the spirit there is in that girl, if she wasn t mis-used. But 
 if she really was, she d know it, and I m inclined to think 
 you couldn t strike that steel without some sparks a-flyinV 
 
 " The great poet has said that " Hell hath no fury like 
 a woman scorned ," said Mr. Ellery; " though I rather think 
 that passage would be considered a good example of hyper 
 bole; an exaggeration of the truth! " 
 
 "Kind of high example, you think? Well, I don t 
 know; if I was that mean that I really did deserve to be 
 scorned by Mary Grafton, I d rather see the devil than have 
 her tell me what she thought of me." 
 
 The shoe was soon set, and Mr. Ellery was rather glad 
 to seize the opportunity to break off a conversation which it 
 occurred to him was becoming too personal in its nature. 
 
 The unexpected visit of Mr. Maitland to Kansas, the 
 interest shown bv him in Mary Grafton and the circum-
 
 210 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 stances which had conspired, by prior arrangement, to throw 
 them together at Mr. Ellery s, formed a topic which was 
 strangely interesting to all. Busteed had early interviewed 
 Air. Ellery regarding the reported wealth of the stranger> 
 and had queried whether it would be possible co induce him 
 to invest in Plainville property, or whether he could influ 
 ence the sending out of "cheap money" to his bank, which 
 could be re-loaned by him at heavier rates. 
 
 Mr. Ellery explained that Maitland was a student of 
 men and things, that he was dependent for a support upon 
 his father, who was a manufacturer of cotton in a Massa 
 chusetts town, and not a loaner of money. Busteed, how 
 ever, could not understand why he should be traveling over 
 the country, unless he was looking for a place to exercise 
 his calling as a preacher, or had an eye open to u the main 
 chance." That a man should travel merely with the idea of 
 studying nature and human nature, w#s something beyond 
 his comprehension. 
 
 People, generally, in the village with whom Maitland 
 had come in contact regarded him as a very companionable 
 sort of a man, and a very good kind of a man, indeed for a 
 preacher. Preachers, however, for the most part, were re 
 garded as lacking in those very indefinable qualities which 
 they summed up under the head of " manhood." Of course,, 
 they were well enough in their way ; but that, as a class 
 they w ere lacking in a very important element of character > 
 was quite generally conceded by implication and general 
 understanding. This general agreement was never obstru- 
 sively stated in words; still, the fact was apparent in the 
 daily life of the community. It was felt that in the services, 
 of the church and at "sociables," festivals and in the direc 
 tion of Sunday-schools and the like, that the preacher could 
 not be spared ; that was his place ; but in the real life and 
 business of the world, which employed six-sevenths of their 
 time and ninety-nine hundredths of their thoughts, he had 
 no place, whatever. In fact, it was felt that his advice upon 
 important matters, outside of his special department, was in.
 
 LOOK INC, FORWARD. 211 
 
 the nature of an impertinence not to. be endured. They 
 \\t-iv willing enough to listen to doctrines, embellished 
 with scriptural quotations, but they must not lie applied 
 to the lives of people now on earth, unless they lived at a 
 remote distance from the speaker and his hearers. It was 
 felt, rather than stated, that the preachers didn t dare tell 
 their congregations just what they thought of them and 
 their conduct in the daily husiness of life. The congre 
 gation on its part feeling the force of this and the lack of 
 moral courage which prompted it, could not fail to see that 
 the supreme quality in man, respected in all and hy all, 
 was very conspicuous hy reason of its ahsence in the 
 characters of a very large numher of those who were called 
 upon to declare the whole counsel of < iod. 
 
 That Maitland should remain in IMainville seemed to 
 the inhahitants of that village the most natural thing in 
 the world. Where wo^ild he find a nicer little village than 
 theirs, or where could he find a pleasanter place than the 
 house of Mr. Kllery for a visit, with its kind and motherly 
 hostess and most attractive occupant? That his visit 
 would have heen sooner concluded had he not met Mary, 
 was bcgi nnin<_ r to dawn upon Maitland s own comprehen 
 sion. Still, he was not aware that so deep an impression 
 had been made upon himself, as to the Hllerys appeared 
 manifest. He was interested in Miss (Irafton, he was 
 willing to acknowledge that to himself. and he thought 
 that if she could only abandon, what he was disposed to 
 regard as some very peculiar views, that she would then 
 be quite well-informed and mentally well-furnished. As it 
 was, the holding of these views so strenuously as she did, 
 made quite an unfavorable impression upon him. Mary, 
 upon her part, held much the same view of the character 
 of the young preacher. If he could only change his no 
 tions regarding economic matters and adopt what she 
 regarded as correct views, he would then he in position to 
 be of great service in the world. Each had endeavored to 
 convince the other of error, and in their frequent discus-
 
 212 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 sions the apparent advantage had nearly always been with 
 Marv, because she spoke of what she was familiar with, 
 Avhile Maitland, never having given special attention to 
 matters of that sort, was but poorly prepared for an argu 
 ment. 
 
 One day, after he had stated at some length his j>ecu- 
 liar opinions. Mary said: 
 
 You know, Mr. Maitland, that the law of heaven as 
 
 proclaimed to Adam and Eve. when thev were shut out 
 j. > 
 
 from Paradise, was the law of labor In the sweat of thy 
 face shalt thou eat bread. That, I take it. applies to all 
 mankind. All must labor or render acceptable service, 
 and the laws of nature enforce the command. Some, how 
 ever, escape; but no one ever escapes, or ever lias escaped, 
 without throwing the burden of the labor thus evaded 
 upon the shoulders of others. Now, in your own individual 
 case your father has saved you the- necessity of labor, so 
 far at least: but upon whom has the burden of your life 
 been placed, if not upon the operatives whom he employs? 
 The profits of their labor, which he has been enabled to 
 absorb, form the support upon which you depend. You 
 do not labor because an extra share has been imposed 
 upon them." 
 
 " What you say," said he, no doubt is true in a cer 
 tain sense, but you must remember that societv, with all 
 its vast gains and improvements, exists upon a basis which 
 the literal carrying out of your opinions would destroy. 
 All progress, all improvement in the future, depend upon 
 the further spread of a civilization which vou would make 
 impossible. If all labored, no time would be left for 
 thought and mental advance. Where all are equally poor, 
 in time all become equally ignorant; leisure to think and 
 plan is the very first step in the march of progress. Your 
 thought, allow me to say, is crude, in that it subordinates 
 the higher to the lower. Society has a right to exist, if it 
 stands for the final advancement, of mankind, as I believe 
 it does; and this being the case, whatever is absolutely
 
 LOOKINC, FORWARD. 213 
 
 essential t<> this advance must be defended against the 
 assaults of those who would only destroy without supply 
 ing anything but mere savagery and brutism to take its 
 place. 
 
 You have undertaken, Mr. Maiiland. as a preacher 
 t< take up your cross and follow Christ. Following Christ 
 J take to mean a service of the truth to follow wherever 
 it leads. The disciples had promised to follow Christ, and 
 so they did up to the iime of His arrest. Peter, especially, 
 had vehemently announced that he would follow though 
 all should forsake Him. hut when ho saw the Savior 
 apprehended and in the custody of the soldiers, he, too, 
 began to think of the rights of society, and when one of 
 the maids came into the outer court and saw him there, 
 she said: Ami thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee, but 
 he denied; .social forms. law and order. must be preserved 
 < ven though Christ died. Peter was willing to follow until 
 
 he came in contact with the law and the soldiers. You 
 
 i 
 
 are willing to follow the truth until yon come in contact 
 with tlie labor ijuestion, then you deny that simple truth 
 is to be followed, and take refuge in generalities and the 
 /igl.ts of society, which, when inquired into, seem to be 
 the right of the strong to impose themselves and their 
 improvements upon those weaker brethren who appear 
 unable to help themselves. The essence of all this is 
 simple selfishness, the very opposite of the spirit of true 
 Christianity and impossible of defense. Civilization will 
 t;ike care of itself. it will not perish; let us do right! 
 Surely, the self-styled upper classes have no right to exist 
 hy defrauding the poor and the weak." 
 
 " In the decision of any matter involving a question 
 of right and wrong," said Maitland, " we are obliged to 
 take into account the character of the people who make 
 answer. In a question of morals, moral men would make 
 one answer, immoral men another. This is a question of 
 right and wrong, and in seeking an answer we can do no 
 better than to foliovr the lead of the church. What it con-
 
 214 LOOK IXC, FORWARD. 
 
 dems, we may consider as against the better judgment of 
 mankind; what it allows, we are somewhat arrogant in 
 opposing." 
 
 " The church has so often been at fault," said Mary, 
 it seems scarcely necessary to call attention to its ex- 
 .treme fallibility, but I have at hand so marked an instance 
 of this, that please allow me to read. As the church has 
 often been opposed to the principles of human brotherhood 
 taught by Jesus, it is not at all strange to find it now upon 
 the side of the oppressor. 
 
 Taking a book from the table, she read as follows: 
 
 " It is less than two centuries since seven men, of the 
 highest standing, a majority of whom were reverend gen 
 tlemen, clergymen, as good and pious men as ever lived, 
 as exemplary in every relation of life as it was possible for 
 men to be, sat in so-called court of justice, each morning 
 whereof was opened with fervent prayer to the divine 
 source of all knowledge, grace and power, to direct the 
 actions of his servants as the judges of that court; and in 
 that court were arraigned, day after day, poor, miserable, 
 broken-down, superstitious women and children upon the 
 accusation that they had commerce with the devil and 
 used his power as a means of spite upon their neighbors, 
 and as one of the means of inflicting torture because 
 thereof the devil had empowered these poor creatures to 
 shoot common house pins from a distance into the flesh of 
 their neighbors children, by which they were greatly 
 afflicted. Being put to the bar to be tried, they were not 
 allowed counsel. The deluded creatures sometimes pleaded 
 guilty, and sometimes not guilty, but in either event* they 
 were found guilty and executed, and the pins \v r hich were 
 produced in evidence, can now be seen among the records 
 of that court, in the court-house of the county of Essex, 
 Massachusetts ! 
 
 "And beyond all this that court enforced, worse than 
 the tortures of the Inquisition, dreadful wrongs upon a 
 prisoner in order to accomplish his conviction. Giles 
 Corey was an old man, 80 years of age. He had a daugh 
 ter some 40 years of age, simple-minded, not able to earn 
 her own living, and a small farm, a piece of land and a 
 house thereon, which he hoped to leave to his daughter at
 
 LMOKINC, FORWARD. 215 
 
 liis tln-ii impending death, (iiles wa> accused of being a 
 wizard. His life liad been blameless in everything except 
 his supposed commerce with the devil. I pon c.v fmrtr 
 testimony lie was indicted for this too great intimacy with 
 the evil one and set to the bur to he tried tor his life. 
 
 " ( tiles knew that if he pleaded not guilty he was sure 
 to he convicted, and if lie pleaded guilty he would be sen 
 tenced to death, and in either case the farm would be 
 forfeited to the king. lUit it he did not plead at all such 
 was the law then he could not be tried at all, and his 
 property could not he forfeited to the king and taken from 
 his daughter. So (iiles stood mute, and put the court at 
 defiance. 
 
 "And then that court of pious clergymen resorted to a 
 method to make him plead which had not been in practice 
 in Kngland for L no years, and never here: and poor Giles 
 was taken and laid on the ground by the side of the court 
 house on his back, with the Hashing sun burning in his 
 eyes, and a -ingle cup of water from the ditch of the jail, 
 with a crust of bread, was given him once in twenty-four 
 hours, and weights were placed upon his body until at last 
 life was crushed out of him. but not the father s love for 
 his child. He died, but not until his parched tongue pro 
 truded from the old man s fevered mouth. It was thrust 
 back by the chief justice with his cane. The cherished 
 < laughter inherited." 
 
 "Isn t that frightful? And yet, Mr. Maitland, all 
 this was the doing of the very New Kngland church to 
 which you belong. You will tell me that this took place 
 in an ignorant age and yet your church policy and even 
 the creed itself was formed in those very ignorant times. 
 If the church was mistaken then in matters which involve 
 our common humanity, why may not it also have been 
 mistaken in other things? And if this be admitted, how 
 can it claim to be entitled to our reverence in matters of 
 belief which contradict our reason and the compassionate 
 dictates of our hearts when moved by the sorrows and 
 necessities of the poor and the unfortunate? How can the 
 judgment of men like those I have been reading of control
 
 2l6 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 our action, to-day? Oh, no, Mr. Maitland, the God within 
 is a far better instructor than those mouldy traditions of 
 the elders to which you now fly for light."
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 219 
 
 CHAPTER XX I. 
 
 GLIMPSES OK CHARACTER. 
 
 OPING for change, one may travel far, 
 only to find that he, himself, has not 
 been left behind. That perception 
 S which makes, for us, facts, opinions 
 and circumstances, has not been 
 educated or reformed by mere removal. 
 With Maitland the fight was on. 
 Added to the mental struggle, which, 
 beginning, with him, in doubt of certain 
 
 tenets of a religious faith, was now leading him to revu-xv 
 from the beginning the whole ground-work of the duty of 
 man, was the newer complication of an awakening love. 
 Neither birth or breeding nor the lack of them, can hide the 
 superior soul. It looks calmly forth from the eyes of man 
 or woman, in whatever station found, and without demand 
 ing, receives the homage of kindred spirits. Never before 
 had he been so toni by conflicting emotions ! Rights, du 
 ties, hopes and fears, took on new shapes, and new thoughts 
 arose. He found in Mary Grafton a something which IK- 
 could not define, an attraction which he could not under 
 stand, and as he queried with himself regarding it, he awoke 
 to the fact that disguise it as he might, the influence which 
 she exerted caused him ever to strive for that higher ex 
 pression of himself for which his own better moments 
 longed. There seemed in her presence a stimulation to 
 which heretofore he had been a stranger. That this was 
 true he could not deny, and yet how it came about he could 
 not comprehend. That a country girl, with but two years 
 experience of life away from her modest home, and those 
 years passed in a subordinate capacity; self-taught, the 
 pupil only of a father whose own education was limited, 
 should question the existence, off-hand, of the very things 
 he had begun, only after years of scrutiny, to doubt, amazed 
 him. And yet every manifestation of her thought was
 
 220 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 reverent and tended toward final good, to which she looked 
 forward with calm and perfect confidence. He could not 
 fail to love her for this. Did he love her for herself? 
 Deeply questioned, his heart returned but one reply. But, 
 as he thought, difficulties arose and arranged themselves i.u 
 threatening ranks. Their opinions seemed ever to jar; the 
 end desired was agreed upon, but the means to be used in 
 attainment divided them. Several times he had been upon 
 the point of declaring himself in sentimental terms, but as 
 if warned by an unknown power, she had kept him at bay. 
 Did she, in this manner, conceal a tender regard ? Win- 
 was it that with him she showed none of that tenderness 
 and depth of feeling manifested toward others ? Might it 
 be possible that she divined the shallowness and lack of 
 mental furnishing of which he sometimes accused himself ? 
 Could he win her love ? 
 
 Strange as he thought it, he was obliged to confess to 
 himself that he feared to make the attempt. He had never 
 detected in her manner anything which would encourage 
 him to make an avowal, and, although he told himself again 
 and again that a woman of spirit would quite naturally 
 demand to be won in bold and chivalrous fashion and would 
 shun the appearance of falling unresistingly into the arms 
 of any man; still he put off from day to day what he gradu 
 ally came to think must be done. And as this feeling 
 strengthened, he came more and more to see that her life 
 was the proper complement of his own. With her, he should 
 improve. There was that dissimilarity of character be 
 tween them which, united, would form a perfect whole. 
 Each could assist the other, and if he could awake for him 
 self that slumbering tenderness which he knew existed in 
 her ; ah, that would be happiness, indeed ! Still, strive as 
 he would, and did, to find opportunity for the expression of 
 the tender passion, she was ever, apparently, on guard, and 
 with clear, wide-open eyes and collected manner, made it 
 impossible for him to speak, except in the plainest terms 
 and without assistance from her.
 
 LOOK INC. I ORWAKl). 221 
 
 What was to be clone? He was ashamed of-himself, of 
 me length of his visit, of his laek of courage ; and fairly 
 ashamed, too, of the shame he felt, and began to wonder 
 whether his friends, the Ellerys, might not be ashamed of 
 him, alsc. 
 
 Several times he had planned to speak to Mary upon 
 the subject nearest his heart, but each time something had 
 occurred to prevent. At last, nerved by desperation, he 
 gave out that on the morrow he would take his departure 
 for California. As yet, he had never been able to declare 
 himself, but realizing that indecision itself had already- 
 reached its climax, he resolved to tempt his fate as became, 
 what he had come to think of himself, a very sheepish 
 sort of man. 
 
 That evening, finding himself alone in the parlor with 
 Marv, the latter made some excuse to depart and had al 
 ready nearly reached the door when he found tongue to say : 
 
 " Wait a moment, Miss (Irafton; I really have sonu-- 
 thing to say to you ! " 
 
 Mary had by this time reached the door, and stood 
 expectantly waiting, with one hand upon the door-knob. 
 
 You must have seen that my regard for yon is some 
 thing more than the ordinary respect which a gentleman 
 may have for a lady, said he, coming towards her. 
 
 Releasing her hold upon the door, Mary immediately 
 seated herself upon a chair, and waving her hand towards 
 another, Maitland was forced to do the same. 
 
 " In short," said he, " I wish to make an avowal. I 
 have long loved you at least it seems a long time and 
 although you have never given me an encouraging look, I 
 can but hope that you will now look encouragingly upon 
 me. Will you marry me ? 
 
 For the moment her eyes sought the floor, and Mait- 
 land continued : 
 
 " You don t know how sincere I am in this matter 
 you can t know that and yet my hopes are bound up in
 
 222 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 your answer. I have never met anyone whom I could so 
 completely love and reverence as I do you. And 
 
 " Mr. Maitland, * said Mary, " you certainly have hon 
 ored me by your proposal and I thank you for the preference 
 shown, but your own good sense will, upon second thought, 
 show you plainly that in this you have made a mistake. 
 You have been in exile, almost, for some time past, and 
 being thrown much in my company of late, you have been 
 moved to make an avowal. I must say firmly and plainly 
 that what you ask can not be. I have certain duties to my 
 father and little brother which I can not relinquish, and 
 even though 
 
 Maitland would have interrupted her, but she continued; 
 
 " Please hear me through, because this is a subject 
 which must not be re-opened, even though these objections 
 could be removed, although I do not think it possible, still 
 there are other and even more insurmountable ones which 
 would prevent. Consider the difference in our lives : how 
 unlike they are and have been, and must be in the future." 
 
 "Miss Grafton, said he, "perhaps I have been too 
 rash in speaking so soon as I have, although I have charged 
 myself with cowardice in not speaking before, still you will 
 not utterly refuse me. I am an honorable man ; no person 
 can say aught against my character ; and I love you ! If I 
 am not positively disagreeable to you, don t cast me off; 
 give me leave to, hope. I am going to California to-morrow. 
 I ma}- not remain there long. Only say that your refusal 
 is not absolute and final ! " 
 
 " I prefer," said she, speaking very slowly and with 
 evident feeling, " not to discuss this matter further. What 
 I have said is my final answer. We have been very good 
 friends and I hope our friendship will not be interrupted." 
 
 Just at this juncture, Mrs. Ellery, not suspecting that 
 she was interrupting, came into the room and made an 
 inquiry regarding Mr Maitland s departure, which being 
 answered, she, probably suspecting from the appearance of
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 223 
 
 the young folks" that matters of moment were under 
 discussion, immediately retired. 
 
 " My father writes me," said Mary, " that he is having 
 most encouraging success wherever he goes. All seem to 
 approve the plans which he and I have so much at heart, 
 and I do hope, Mr. Maitland, that you will see, when you 
 have examined into it, that he is as fully doing, what you 
 preachers are wont to call l the Lord s work/ and that he is 
 as thoroughly devoted to the welfare of his fellow-men as 
 any knight or martyr of old, could be or ever was. My fa 
 ther is a grand man, a true man ; his moral courage is 
 sublime; and, although poor and almost unknown, I would 
 rather share his lot and fate, whatever it may be, than wear 
 a coronet to which I was not entitled, or live upon the 
 wealth for which others toiled and spent days and nights of 
 grievious sorrow. 
 
 Mary s eyes filled with tears, but her voice did not 
 falter, as she continued: Myself and little brother are all 
 that is left to my father ; we form the tie which binds him 
 to life. He is not demonstrative, but a truer heart never 
 beat. For us he would sacrifice, has sacrificed, ease and 
 comfort, and I will never forsake him or follow any course 
 which might cause him to feel that in his old age he was 
 neglected or forsaken. He has plans which are far-reaching, 
 and from their success we hope for much good. These 
 plans and the hopes which they have inspired, have taken 
 complete possession of him, and in the work which he has 
 undertaken he is wholly enlisted with an earnest desire to 
 benefit his fellows. What higher motive, Mr. Maitland, 
 can actuate the human soul ? "
 
 224 
 
 LOOKFNC FORWARD. 
 
 CHAPTER XX Ti. 
 
 I LAINVII.LK 
 
 
 AITLAND departed rather sor 
 rowfully and with evident regret. 
 Somehow, the man had under 
 gone a change and a troubled 
 look had settled upon his face as 
 he bade farewell to the friends he 
 had made. Mary gave him no 
 opportunity for the private inter 
 
 view which he had inwardly hoped to secure. More grave 
 and reserved than usual, she still quite cordially took his 
 hand in parting, while he found opportunity to say : 
 "May I write?" 
 
 " Certainly," said she, " I shall be pleased to hear from 
 you, wherever you go." 
 
 * But will you answer ? " 
 " Yes ; I surely could not refuse." 
 
 That was all ; the train moved. off, and Mr. and Mrs. 
 Ellery and Mar} , who were at the depot to see him off, 
 slowly retraced their steps toward their home. The house 
 appeared lonesome and forsaken as they approached. 
 Entering, the} removed their wraps and sat down. They 
 looked at one another for a moment in silence. 
 
 u Really, it seems almost like a funeral," said Mr. El 
 lery, glancing, as he spoke, at Mary. 
 
 Mary made no reply, but hastily gathering up her shawl 
 and bonnet, went at once to her room. When she had 
 gone, Mr. Ellery said : Did George offer himself do you 
 think?" 
 
 " I think he did," said Mrs. Ellery, quite cautiously, 
 " but I am not sure. Evidently there was something which 
 occurred to change the current of feeling between them. 
 They both took great pleasure in the conversations which 
 they were constantly holding whenever opportunity offered,
 
 UNCLE BILL WELDON
 
 I.OOKINV, FORWARD. 227 
 
 almost to the last. I think, however, that I interrupted 
 conversation of a peculiar kind yesterday. Afterward, both 
 were quite shy and reserved. 
 
 " Well," said Mr. Ellery, "it is something with which 
 we have no right to interfere." 
 
 " Oh no," 1 said she, " not for the world ! They nnist be 
 free to act for themselves. I did think, though, that they 
 were made for each other." 
 
 Gradually, affairs took on their wonted and rather 
 monotonous appearance in Plainville. Mary went daily to 
 her classes, accompanied by Charlie, who was one of her 
 pupils ; and the village gradually came to forget the fine- 
 looking young preacher who had been for a time the center 
 of attraction and the subject of conversation. 
 
 Mr. Grafton was heard of from week to week as he 
 pursued his work, and tidings came that he and the other 
 11 lecturers " who had been dispatched on the same errand 
 were meeting with great success in the work of inducing 
 united action on the part of the farmers organizations. 
 The effort thus made had for its end the adoption of u the 
 demands " by the farmers, to which they were to commit 
 themselves. Political animosities, with them, took on so 
 great a virulence, that it was impossible to advocate the 
 claims of one part\ without securing the hatred and lasting 
 dislike of all opposing factions, and the attempt was made 
 to inculate a course of action within the limits of all political 
 parties, and no favoritism was to be shown to either or any. 
 
 Bright and early one morning, Tom Jones drew up in 
 front of Weldon s blacksmith shop; a plow was in the lum 
 ber wagon. Coming to a halt in front of the open door, he 
 turned half way round upon the rough board seat, and 
 putting one foot over the side of the wagon-box, rested it 
 upon the front wheel. Weldon came to the door, and plac 
 ing one smutty hand high up on its side, saluted the farmer 
 with : " Hello, Tom ! what are you settin up there fer ? " 
 
 u Can you fix my plow, to-day ? Got to have it right off.
 
 228 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 "Why, what s your sweat? 7 said Weldon, coming 
 forward. 
 
 " Oh, I m busy; got to have it. 
 
 " Busy, are ye ?" said Weldon, as he pulled the plow 
 around, that he might see what was needed. u Busy, eh ; 
 well, does it do ye any good to be busy ? " 
 
 " Don t know as it does, but then I keep pegging away. * 
 
 " Why, you are bout like the man I heard of yester 
 day ; you see, he had the salt rheum and a Waterbury 
 watch, and when he was n t scratching, he was winding that 
 watch ; he always kept busy; I don t know, though, as he 
 got much ahead." 
 
 44 Well," said Jones, laughing. " I d as soon scratch and 
 wind a Waterbury as to run around the country talkin poli 
 tics, as some of em do." 
 
 u I tell you what s the matter with you, Tom. You 
 don t pay enough attention to politics to know when you are 
 being hurt. Here, help me drag this plow in," and suiting 
 the action to the word, the blacksmith began tugging at 
 the plow. 
 
 The plow was soon inside the little shop, Uncle Bill 
 began to put on coal and blow up the fire, while Jones, with 
 monkey-wrench in hand, began to take the plow apart. 
 
 " What do you hear from Grafton ? said Jones. 
 
 Oh, George is all right; everybody is falling in with 
 the scheme, pears like. You see, they are coming the non- 
 partizan dodge: don t say anything about politics; and so 
 they have organized and gone around to all the candidates, 
 and most of em has promised to support the demands ; they 
 all want farmers votes, you know." 
 
 " I don t believe I ve paid enough attention to know 
 just what the scheme is," said Jones. 
 
 " Well, there is the demands, as they call em ; you 
 know them ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes ; I ve heard George talk on them things by 
 the hour. I always kinder liked George, too, but I never 
 hnd much idea how hz was going to make em work."
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 229 
 
 " \Yell, I been tellin ye, they have organized and got 
 all the candidates to promise to help make the demands into 
 law. The thing has gone on, till now opposition has about 
 caved in Democrats and republicans, both, are going to 
 support." 
 
 " \Yell," said Jones, " a Stay-law would be a good thing 
 and I guess all right, but no law to collect debts would be 
 pretty tough on lenders, and borrowers, too, I m afraid." 
 
 " It ought to be ! I wish it was so hard on em as to 
 knock the business cold, first clatter. Yon never knew a 
 man to get into the hands of the two-per-centers, but what 
 they had his hide finally, did ye? " 
 
 " Well, they are a bad set, that s a fact." 
 
 " Money manages everything, don t it?" said Weldon. 
 Can t anything stand np against the power of money, can 
 it?" 
 
 u Guess not." 
 
 " Well, if money is the boss, the fellows with money 
 are masters, ain t they ? And the fellows without, have to 
 mind their p s and q s, and sing small, generally, don t they?" 
 
 u Pretty much so." 
 
 u Well, don t yon see that it s the law and the court 
 that gives money all this power? Money-loaners could n t 
 take a trick without the law to back em, could they ? It 
 takes your vote and my vote to make law, and in that way 
 we put a whip into the hands of lawyers and money-loaners 
 to lash us into poverty with. Law makes debt, and debt 
 makes interest, and we sweat to pay it, and they grow fat a 
 takin it. That s what they live on : our labor turned into 
 interest money by law. If there was no law to collect there 
 would be no debts, or next to none. Say, Tom, we re the 
 damned st fools in the business ; we hist such hogs as B as- 
 teed onto our backs, and then ain t satisfied without giving 
 them the law as a whip to make us work. If it wa n t for 
 law we d have no debt and have no interest to pay, and a 
 
 would be found to do business for cash. It is the cause
 
 230 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 of inequality among us, and any fellow ought to see that it s 
 not right/ 
 
 u Oh, you are a little fast there ; the law applies to 
 everybody; it will help me collect my debt, just as well as 
 it will, Busteed." 
 
 u How many debts have you collected by law in the 
 last year? " 
 "None!" 
 
 " How many in the last five years ? " 
 "None! " 
 
 " How many since you Ve lived in Plainville ? " 
 " Well, I guess just about the same number. 
 " Don t yon see, Tom, that you fool yourself when you 
 think that thing was made for you; course you might use 
 it, but you d better not. Now suppose we had no law at all, 
 and we say among ourselves : let every fellow take what he 
 can and hold it as well as he may ; strength is to be the 
 rule. Now we are all equal ; we can use our strength. I 
 suppose that s the way it was before men made laws. Well, 
 now everybody is free; the law of strength applies to all 
 alike, but you know how it would be, how it always was 
 under such circumstances ; a few strong men would own 
 everything and the rest of us could play hide. 1 
 
 " Well, now, in these days, money and law play the 
 same part that strength does among the savages. The fel 
 low that has the most money and the most law, knocks the 
 persimmons. I want the laws fixed so that no fellow can 
 use his strength or his money on me, and, honest Injun, 
 now Tom, he ain t got no real Bible right to do it ! " 
 
 " vSuppose you go back home, and you turn your sheep 
 and hogs into the horse lot and you tell your horses, as you 
 turn them in, too, that every fellow is free to tramp toes all 
 he likes. When the horses got at it, the sheep and pigs 
 wouldn t have much show, would they? 
 Jones grinned, but said nothing. 
 
 " W T ell, the sheep and pigs have about as much use for 
 the law you give the horses as the average debtor has for
 
 -o 
 
 s 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 II
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 233 
 
 the law for collecting ordinary debts. They would have too 
 much sense to say your law of train pin;; was just, because 
 you give em leave to tramp, too." 
 
 ki I don t know but you are right/ said the farmer. 
 
 "Why, I know I am! I didn t use to think much 
 about these things, but I tell you, Tom, I don t want no law 
 to help me get the better of some fellow in my business, and 
 I don t think much of the fellow who does. You can bet 
 your life he thinks he is a horse in the sheep-yard, and 
 wants to step on somebody. Now, I ve come to think it s 
 time to stop allowing the meanest men we ve got in the 
 community to climb, rough-shod, onto any poor devil they 
 can get their hoofs on. Laws should be made to protect the 
 weak, not to impose on em. Now, if we can get the de 
 mands made into law, the big fellows will quit stepping on 
 the little ones. Then, business will be done for cash, debts 
 will be gradually knocked out, interest will stop, and when 
 a poor family has a home over their heads, no interest-sucker 
 can turn em into the road. Then the money-grabbers will 
 have to buy property and go to work, or hire labor. Did 
 you ever think, Tom, Avhat would- happen if everybody but 
 the money-devils and their tools, the lawyers, should take it 
 into their heads to leave the country, for good ? Supposing 
 all the workers should git; then, Mister Money-Loaner 
 would have to go to work, wouldn t he? Would n t make 
 much difference how much money he had, would it? 
 Could n t eat it, could he? Couldn t wear it, and so he d 
 have to dig in and raise crops and weave cloth, and make 
 himself useful, generally. Now, he don t have to. Money 
 is really no value in supporting life, when the worker isn t 
 around. But the worker can be imposed on, with money: 
 but it takes the law to do it, though ! Then, the money- 
 monger goes around, stepping on folks, and he walks high ; 
 you hear me ! and the little fellows has to squat. And 
 then, to think of the little fellows being pleased up with the 
 idea that it s all right because, maybe, they can walk high,
 
 234 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 themselves, some day, and find some other little feller to 
 step on ! " 
 
 Although the blacksmith had been busy with his 
 tongue, u between, heats," his hands were fully employed, 
 and under his vigorous strokes the necessary repairs upon 
 the plow began to take shape. " Get that sledge, Tom, and 
 give me a few licks," said he, as he made ready to pull a 
 bar of iron from the fire ; " don t stand there, like yer had 
 
 no sense 
 
 u 
 
 You keep your clack going so that it s a wonder I ve 
 got even a head left! " said Jones. 
 
 " Well, ain t I been a working, too ? I ve let you 
 know that I can talk and work, too. Now, there s that idea 
 of a free home : no tax and no freeze-out mortgage possible," 
 continued Weldon. 
 
 " I thought that was a fool idea, when I first heard of it, 
 but I tell you it s all right! Some years ago I was black 
 smith on one of the smaller Indian reservations ; poor kind 
 of critters they was, but they called em civilized ; they got 
 nothing from the government but the land, and that couldn t 
 be taken from em. They had a government to protect em, 
 them Indians had. Well, they could root hog or die. Most 
 of em did ii t root any more than they had to, but, Lord 
 bless you ! they all had a plenty and some of the thrifty 
 ones was a getting rich. One thing sure, if we had that 
 chance, there would be no such thing as absolute poverty ; 
 everybody could make a living that wanted to. Enough to 
 eat and enough to wear, and a roof over your head would be 
 sure to every mother s son of us. Now, don t you forget it, 
 there s lots of white folks would be glad of just such a 
 chance. Them Indians didn t pay any taxes, and their 
 lands could n t be taken from em. If they had been any 
 thing like decent people they might have had almost any 
 thing they could get their eyes on ; but as it was, it kept 
 even such critters as them in comfort. Now, you see, Tom, 
 if everybody had such a chance as that, steppin on poor 
 men would come to an end, and finally, after it had been in
 
 FORWARD. 235 
 
 operation long enough, our free home amendment would 
 give every family an opportunity to have just that. Well, 
 not everybody would want it, but enough would take up 
 with it so that it would thin out the labor market and raise 
 wages ; then, when wages raised, the fellows who got higher 
 wages could spend more and prices would rise and every 
 thing be put on a better footing, and bless the Lord ! 
 we d get out from under the feet of money-grabbers. No 
 harm would be done to a soul, and only the legal privilege 
 the strong now have of imposing upon the weak, would be 
 taken away. Nothing so very bad about that, sure ! 
 
 Jones did not reply ; evidently he was revolving in his 
 mind the propositions advanced by Weldon, who, as a par 
 ticular and personal fritnd of Grafton s, had become quite 
 pronounced as a local advocate of the propositions included 
 in " the demands." Although the blacksmith was hard at 
 work upon the plow with his hands, mentally, he was 
 strongly engaged in the efforts to "convert" Jones, watching 
 him narrowly to see how he took what was said to him. 
 
 Tom Jones was an honer,t, but not very acute, sort of 
 man; he always voted the republican ticket, had little to 
 say and no one was able to tell whether he really knew 
 much or not. Weldon called himself a democrat, and thus 
 came quite naturally into opposition to Jones. Judging 
 from his look and actions that he was making an impres 
 sion, the blacksmith began again : 
 
 * Now, you know, Tom, the big question of the future, 
 is the labor question ; the fight between capital and labor. 
 That s got to be settled, some way. It s a big thing, and 
 it s liable to tear everything all up, unless some kind of a 
 settlement is made fore long. Now, I ve no new plan to 
 save the world ; I just want to go back to first principles, to 
 the Declaration of Independence. We read there that gov 
 ernments ought to exist to secure to men their individual 
 rights ; that s the only good reason for government. Now, 
 let our government do that thing, that is, give men these 
 natural rights, and there will be no trouble. Then, every 
 fellow will have a chance, and the big horses can t step on 
 him. Now, the adoption of k the demands will do that. 
 They will say, when put into the State constitution, to 
 the rich and powerful : Keep your hands off the poor
 
 236 
 
 LOOK INC, FORWARD. 
 
 people; stop imposing upon em; give em a chance. 
 Now, that s all any reasonable, self-respecting poor man 
 wants ; he don t want the property of the rich, but he s 
 perfectly sick of the constant and continual, and never- 
 nding, robber}- of the poor by the rich. Fact is, our great 
 rich people are made powerful in just one way, and only 
 one way they steal from the poor and from those who are 
 now unable to help themselves. Course, it s done according 
 to law, in indirect and concealed ways. But it s done ! 
 Fact is, that s the only way it can be done. All wealth is 
 created by labor, and the man who creates no wealth has 
 got to steal, if he gets rich. Adopt the demands, and the 
 labor question will settle itself, because each individual will 
 be protected in his rights, just as old Tom Jefferson intended 
 when he wrote the Declaration. I m a democrat, but I be 
 lieve in that kind of protection, and I am in favor of aboli 
 tion, too. I want to abolish white slavery, and I want to do 
 it by simply following out the lines laid down in that good, 
 old democratic document, the Declaration of Independence, 
 by securing to each man his rights, and taking from the 
 rich and powerful the power to impose upon him. That s 
 all, but it s enough. 
 
 By this time the repairs on the plow had been com 
 pleted; the blacksmith assisted in putting it in the wagon, 
 but even after this had been done, he still stood near ; both 
 arms resting on the edge of the wagon-box, as though loth 
 to have Jones leave him, although the latter had climbed 
 into his wagon and, with lines in hand, was ready to go. 
 
 " Tom," said the blacksmith, " I think we ought to 
 help in this business, don t you ?" But Jones would not 
 declare himself, only saying, as he drove away : " I ll see, 
 I ll see."
 
 3
 
 l.OOKINC. IVOR WARD. 239 
 
 CH A I T KR XXII 1. 
 
 THK CONFLICT OF INTKRKSTS. 
 
 HE election which followed in November, 
 resulted in a tremendous majority for the 
 plan of campaign as promulgated by the 
 farmers in their demands. Here and there, 
 attempts were made to "count out " candi 
 dates who had been prominent in espous 
 ing what, by this time, was seen to be th t- 
 cati.se of the whole people, but these attempts were quickly 
 frustrated, for it began to be clear that unless the farmers 
 were at least moderately prosperous, that it would be impos 
 sible for either merchants, lawyers or doctors, or even 
 bankers, to live among them, since they all depended upon 
 them, either directly or indirectly; and it was remembered 
 that, in the past, the time in which the farmers were pros 
 perous had always been the time of prosperity to all, 
 including the professional classes. 
 
 But after the furore of the election had subsided, and 
 men began to coolly survey the field and to think of the 
 measures to be employed, a very natural difference of 
 opinion regarding the proposed plans began to be mani 
 fested. And these differences, .slight at first, and easily 
 reconcilable, were magnified by the press, so that when the 
 time of meeting of the State Legislature had arrived, a 
 heated controversy in the newspapers being kept up in the 
 meantime, two plainly discernible factions had ranged 
 themselves in opposing ranks. 
 
 On the part of one it was said that while it was plain 
 that something radical was needed, and the advisibility of 
 some sort of a stay law was conceded, still the abolition of 
 the collection of debts by law was furiously opposed, and an 
 attempt was made to show that this would involve the utter 
 prostration of business and take from the poor and industri 
 ous man the power of obtaining credit, with which he might 
 be able to accumulate a competency. It was noticed that
 
 240 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 i 
 
 the advocates of this view, although they spoke only of the 
 poor man and the evils which would fall upon his head by 
 the action of the proposed legislation, consisted almost 
 entirely of lawyers and men who were interested, either 
 directly or indirectly, in loaning money ; still, they spoke 
 earnestly and eloquently for the poor man, and wished, so 
 they said, to see him secure in all his rights and privileges 
 which the proposed legislation would plainly curtail. 
 
 The other side stoutly maintained that debt was the 
 great evil, the cause of untold misery and vastly superior to 
 intoxicating drink as a cause of poverty and crime, and they 
 quoted from statistics at great length, which, so they said, 
 showed that in a general way crime was committed in direct 
 proportion to the misery, ignorance and poverty of the peo 
 ple. That the ability to get into debt was an imaginary 
 advantage, and an actual and positive disadvantage to every 
 honest man. " Pay as you go," said they, "is the philoso 
 pher s stone which turns all to gold ! " They showed that, 
 by actual experience, short credits would not be interfered 
 with, as they were made upon the honor of the debtor at 
 the time, and would so continue. They also showed that, 
 while under laws then existing, it might be possible for a 
 man in comfortable circumstances to adopt for himself the 
 plan of cash payments, the organization of society under the 
 plan of universal debt, made it nearly impossible for the 
 man already in the meshes of circumstances to do this ; and, 
 said they, if society, generally, is involved and depressed by 
 the operation of laws and customs, indirectly all must suffer, 
 and in the long run the general public ; prosperity and 
 happiness will be gradually reduced to a lower and still 
 lower level. 
 
 During the two months which elapsed between the 
 election and the meeting of the legislature, if one had judged 
 the temper of the public mind by reading the partisan and 
 political newspapers published in the State, he would cer 
 tainly have concluded that discord and confusion reigned. 
 Two things, however, operated to prevent the minds of the
 
 UOOKINC. FORWARD. 24! 
 
 farmers from being diverted to any great extent from the 
 originally-expressed purposes of the campaign. The great 
 est, of course, was the thorough discussion of the questions 
 at stake among the farmers, which had preceded the election, 
 their organization holding solidly to their original demands 
 and very generally refusing all overtures of compromise in 
 the very moderate measures upon which they had at first 
 agreed. It began once more to be seen, as has been the 
 case throughout the history of the world, that, although 
 tillers of the soil are usually very slow to accept changes in 
 ;heir manner of thought, still, when they have once thor 
 oughly made up their minds, they are not easily diverted 
 from the execution of their plans. 
 
 The other reason was, that the opposition, which had 
 apparently been lost sight of at the time of the election, 
 could not quite conceal the fact that they were now endea 
 voring to prevent the success of the people s cause by the 
 policy of dividing what they had failed to conquer, when 
 united. Tne character and known interests of the advocates 
 wlio were industriously seeking to create divisions, appeared 
 too plainly upon the surface for effectual concealment. 
 
 Although feeling ran high, and a subdued excitement 
 had taken possession of the whole body of citizens, the great 
 and distinguishing excellence of the American people, 
 accustomed as they are to decide questions in a public capa 
 city, became manifest to all. No disturbance of any moment 
 took place and the greatest good nature prevailed in all 
 public assemblies, upon the part of the participants. 
 
 Although the partisan press still kept up its weekly 
 fusilade, it began to be noticed that the public deliverances 
 of the farmers organizations at their meetings and in the 
 papers championing their cause, showed no material change- 
 in sentiment or expression. Replying to the compromisers, 
 they showed most conclusively that any attempt to change 
 their plans by substituting a plan for the purchase of homes 
 by the creation of debts would inevitably result in delivering 
 the home-purchaser into the hands of the dealers in money:
 
 242 U3OKING FORWARD. 
 
 that the buyer of land under the proposed plan, in case he 
 failed to pay in full, would be subjected to the pains and 
 penalties of a suit at law, to obtain from the party of 
 whom he had "bought, the money he had advanced, and 
 that it was far better for a man to be entirely free from 
 debt, with some money in the bank, than to be the holder 
 of land which somebody else really owned. It was ack 
 nowledged by them that in any radical change some hard 
 ships would inevitably have to be endured, but that the 
 entire freedom from debt and consequent deliverance of a 
 people from its galling chains, and the domination which 
 it necessarily imposed, was a cause which fully justified 
 any effort which might be made to escape what was clearly 
 seen as the great evil of the time. 
 
 Thus matters stood at the time of the inauguration of 
 the new State administration, and a general feeling of 
 expectancy, not unmixed with alarm, on the part of so- 
 called conservative* citizens, held possession of the public 
 mind. 
 
 The inauguration of Governor Brown took place, as 
 usual, in the capitol at Topeka, and was attended by 
 nothing unusual beyond the deep feeling of anxiety, which 
 appeared to take -possession of the masses of people, that 
 crowded the Hall of Representatives almost to the point 
 of suffocation. 
 
 As the Governor-elect came forward to take the oath 
 of office, he was seen to.be a stout, well-built man of open 
 countenance and ruddy complexion, some fifty years of 
 age, who, though somewhat agitated by the weighty 
 responsibilities of the hour, was 3 r et master of himself and 
 of the situation in which he was placed by the suffrages of 
 the electors of Kansas. The ceremony having been quickly- 
 concluded, he stepped to the front and, producing a roll of 
 manuscript, began the reading of his inaugural address, as 
 follows : 
 
 " Fellow Citizens of Kansas: Impressed, as I am at 
 this hour, with the solejnn and weighty responsibilities of
 
 LOOKINV, FORWARD. 243 
 
 my present position, I should not do justice to you, nor to 
 myself, if 1 failed to acknowledge, in a fitting and suitable 
 manner, my dependence OD the Supremo Arbiter of events. 
 
 Appealing to Him and to that innate sense of justice 
 which inhabits the breasts of honest men, the people 
 whom I represent, in an official capacity have declared 
 their unalterable opposition to anything which may 
 militate airainst the truest interests of the whole people of 
 the State of Kansas. The interest of no class of citi/en> 
 even though that class should represent a majority of its 
 people, should be fostered or advanced, if thereby the just 
 rights of any citizen be, by such action, imperiled or put 
 in jeopardy. The history of the past has fully proved the 
 power of majorities to work great injustice in the dealings 
 with the few, and the fear has been expressed that, in the 
 accession to power in this State of the present administra 
 tion, that measures might be adopted which would prove 
 both injurious and unjust to the rights and privileges of 
 some. 
 
 " Fellow Citi/ens of the Senate and House of Repre 
 sentatives : Under these circumstances it will be right 
 and proper for us to declare, in the most solemn manner, 
 our determination to be guided in the legislation which 
 may be effected by what the good ( hancellor Kent has 
 described as those fit and just rules of conduct which the 
 Creator has prescribed to man as a dependent and social 
 being, and which are to be ascertained by the deductions 
 of right reasoning . Let us also remember that, in the 
 words of one of the greatest American lawyers that upon 
 entering into society for the purpose of having their natu 
 ral rights secured and protected or properly redressed, the 
 few do not give up or surrender any portion of their price 
 less heritage in any government constituted as it should 
 be." Let it be our duty, and pleasure as well, to secure 
 to all, so far as we may be able, those inalienable rights to 
 life, liberty and property, upon which depend our modern 
 social life and business existence."
 
 244 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 As the Governor began the reading of his message,, 
 the immense assemblage stood in silence and with most 
 intense expectancy written upon their countenances. 
 Gradually, the strained and anxious look gave way as his 
 hearers, glancing into the faces of those about them, read 
 the expressions of approval and satisfaction which began 
 to be manifested there. Continuing, he took up, one after 
 another, the questions which had so agitated the minds of 
 the people of the State, and each in turn was so fairly and 
 moderately stated and treated, that when he had concluded, 
 the applause was most generous and unstinted. 
 
 The assemblage slowly dispersed, and the people com 
 posing it chatted pleasantly among themselves as they 
 made their way out of the building; the general expres 
 sion among the Topeka people being that the address was 
 very good, indeed, for a " granger," and evinced some care 
 in its preparation and altogether was somewhat satisfac 
 tory, being plainly intended to reassure those who had 
 feared destruction to the monied interests from the elec 
 tion of a plain farmer upon a platform which had asserted 
 some of the useful platitudes on " the rights of labor". 
 
 Among the country people present, as visitors and 
 members of the legislature, the address was regarded as 
 "just the thing". One of the members-elect, who had 
 collected a little knot of fellow legislators around him in 
 one of the corridors, declared to his interested listeners 
 that, Tom Brown was just as big a man as there was on 
 the platform, for all the chief-justice and his gold-bowed 
 spectacles. Talk about your education and polish! 
 Mother-wit and natural good sense beats everything else, 
 time a man gets to be forty years old." 
 
 " Then," said he, " men fall out and fight because they 
 don t understand each other. One side means one thing 
 by the use of a set of words, and the other fellows mean 
 something else, and here they are at cross-purposes before 
 they know it, when, if they only fully understood each 
 other, there was n t so much difference in em, after all."
 
 LOOKING; FORWARD. 24 s 
 
 " Well, now," said another, "what yen say is all true 
 enough; folks don t understand each other, that s a fact: 
 and no doubt that is the cause of a great deal of trouble. 
 but 1 want you to understand that there is something 
 more than the dictionary between the two sides that s 
 going to lock horns in this legislature, before long. 
 
 That s all true enough, too," said the first; "hut 
 what I mean to say is that the honest men, the men who 
 mean to do right and are disposed to do the fair thing, 
 won t have much trouble in understanding each other, 
 once we get to work and talk things over. The trouble, 
 will come trom fellows that s hired to misrepresent and 
 delay, and rake up difficulties, and dig pits for the rest. 
 of us." 
 
 "That s so," broke in another, "and what makes the 
 outlook had is that these la-t fellows, who mean to make 
 trouble, are keen, bright men, who know the ropes and 
 have a way of controlling the men they run with. Turn a 
 lot of horses together, and there ll be one among em that, 
 the rest will follow anywhere. I)on t seem to make much 
 difference what kind of a horse it is: ten to one it s a 
 worthless old plug, but he can lead em, and it s just BO 
 with men: they ll follow after some scoundrel, and sure s 
 they do he ll get em into a bad hole." 
 
 " I tell you, Hill, said the first speaker. " there s where 
 the good of organization comes in. Now. if there is n< 
 organization like the old Alliance, for instance, a lot of 
 strange men thrown together for fifty days, as the legisla 
 ture is, would be hauled around by these black sheep 
 leaders, but when honest, well-intentioned men have an 
 organization controlled by established principles, thai sort 
 of work gets a black eye right where it ll do the most good, 
 flie organization acts the part of the fence around the 
 pasture where Hill s horses are running. The old plug 
 leaders is there and the crowd run after cm, but the fence 
 stops em from going very far. You see, the fence is put 
 up on established principles, in which the rights of men
 
 346 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 and property arc settled and the bounds staked out by a 
 force which the old plugs, men or horses, are bound to 
 respect. Now, you turn a lot of horses loose on the prairie 
 and the meanest horse you ve got will lead the whole 
 bunch clean off to his old stamping-ground. Then, you 
 see, they ain t no use to you nor to themselves, and ten to 
 one, some man s crop is a-sufferirig. The mischief is to 
 pay somewheres, you can bet your life. But now you just 
 turn them horses into a pasture with a good religious 
 fence, with plenty of barbs on the top wire, and the next 
 morning you know where they are. The horses ain t 
 changed none in disposition, the old plug leader is there, 
 but he ain t running the flesh off the bunch now; nor 
 getting them into some man s cornfield. I tell you, horses 
 ain t no good onless they re controlled by something they 
 respect, and loose men ain t no better than loose horses. 
 Principles, organization and government is good things 
 for both men and horses, but it s mighty important which 
 side of the fence your man or your horse gets to be."
 
 tt 
 
 o
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 245 
 
 Cli A 1 T E K XXIV. 
 
 DKSTINY. 
 
 H E session f the legislature 
 which followed was most exciting 
 and troublous. Action upon the 
 main propositions was deferred from 
 day to day. first by one and then an 
 other motion of delay. The minor 
 points of difference, which argument 
 had developed during and since the 
 canvass, were carefully kept alive and 
 division fomented by every device 
 
 know to the artful. So-called " great men," belonging to 
 both the democratic and republican parties, strayed casu 
 ally into Topeka and were " invited" to speak upon the 
 issue> of the day. I pon one point both were agreed, and 
 on that much was said by the eminent men of either party. 
 The sacredness of the right to have and hold property was 
 enlarged upon and argued at great and most convincing 
 length. After the speeelie-. these eminent leader > were 
 introduced, at different times, to the members of the 
 legislature belonging to theii respective parties; and with 
 those who gave promise of becoming leaders, much time 
 \vas spent in explaining the legal aspect of the proposed 
 legii-dation. Klattered by the attention of men of national 
 reputation, these began to waver in their adherence to the 
 irict letter of the " demands" ; the "demands 1 were well 
 enough, something must be done. but they were not in 
 favor, now that they properly understood the matter, of 
 anything which might savor of revolution. 
 
 Matters were still further complicated by the promises 
 made in the matter of the election of a senator. Upon 
 this question party lines were strictly drawn, and a heated 
 and acrimonious discussion had so embittered the factions
 
 250 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 that no agreement appeared possible among them upon 
 any question, whatever. 
 
 Thus the session wore slowly away and the fifty days, 
 for which the members received pay, at last expired, and 
 the "demands" were still unheeded. Although, at the 
 outset, a majority had favored them, this majority had 
 yielded to the powerful, and us it appeared, convincing 
 arguments of the visiting statesmen. However, a strong 
 and united minority still remained who vigorously advo 
 cated the original demands, but it was a minority. 
 
 The time for which members were paid having ex 
 pired, one after another left for home, but before an 
 adjournment was finally had, the democrats got together 
 and passed a set of caustic resolutions laying all the blame 
 of non-action in important matters upon the wicked and 
 monopolistic republicans. The republicans, not to be 
 outdone in this matter, with the assistance of a certain ex- 
 Senator, possessed of a vitriolic tongue and pen, also con 
 cocted " an address to the people," in which they recited 
 at length the doings of the wicked and whiskey-loving 
 democrats; charged them with the commission of every 
 crime in the calendar and credited them with a desire to 
 invent new ones that they might commit them, and upon 
 these degraded beings they rightfully placed, so they said, 
 the onus of the existing situation. 
 
 The minority also came out with what they termed, 
 "A Plain Statement," in which they showed the manner 
 in which the proposed legislation had been defeated. 
 
 After the adjournment, the newspapers throughout 
 the State which had originally opposed the demands, came 
 out simultaneous!} with a great shout of approval. Revo 
 lutionary and anarchistic doctrines had now received their 
 death wound, and would expire. People, said they, had at 
 last come to their senses and would no longer follow revo 
 lutionary and communistic leaders who aimed at the 
 destruction of society. The farmers, however, were ex 
 asperated and moody; their scheme had failed. At first,
 
 LOOKING VORWARD. 251 
 
 hut little was said: gradually they began, in public assem 
 blies, to formulate and express their opinion^ ami it was 
 noticed that a large share of their wrath was directed at 
 the political leaders and organizations that had so plainly 
 frustrated their efforts for relief, and as the feeling among 
 them that they had heen defrauded, grew and increased, 
 here and there throughout the State, unwarranted liherties 
 we iv taken with men who, as memhers of the legislative 
 hody, had failed to carry out ante-election promises. A 
 uuiuher were visited at the dead hour of night by com 
 mittees supplied with tar and feathers, which they, in a 
 most illegal manner, proceeded to apply. SOUK- were 
 taken hy masked men and stripped and heaten until they 
 promised, if released, to undo the work which they had 
 done, when given an opportunity. As this proceeded, the 
 farmers organizations at once awoke and took most active 
 steps in opposition. Resolutions were passed expelling 
 any memher guilty of illegally taking part in demonstra 
 tions of a riotous character, and investigations were gel 
 on foot to discover the perpetrators of outrage, and the 
 result of these showed most conclusively that "bummers" 
 and hangers-on are in almost everv instance the curse of 
 either armies or organizations. And although the reign 
 of tar and feathers <|iiickly came to an end, discounte 
 nanced as it was by the better elements of the State, it is 
 yet doubtful whether salutary effects were not produced 
 by these overt acts of lawless citizens. Hut all agreed that 
 they should come to an end. 
 
 As the season advanced, and spring, witli the return 
 ing warmth of the benignant and all-creating sun, began 
 to cause the thoughts of the farmers to return to their 
 tield< again, the wrath of the agriculturists did not abate, 
 as had been the expectation of some. 
 
 Public meetings increased in size and favor, and many 
 declared that until matters of importance were settled they 
 did not care longer to cultivate land, merely that others 
 might reap the results of their toil. So great was tho
 
 252 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 excitement throughout the State that attention was at 
 tracted to Kansas, in all parts of the country, and the great 
 oity dailies contained standing "stare-heads," which called 
 attention to the situation in Kansas. As discussion pro 
 ceeded, a demand was gradually evolved that Governor 
 Brown summon the legislature in extra session to take 
 action which should fairly represent the sentiment of the 
 people of the State. In the excited state of public feeling, 
 business came, very largely, to an end; and among busi 
 ness men, who had previously opposed the "demands" as 
 revolutionary, the call for an extra session found favor, 
 it began to be plain to them that something radical must 
 really be done, as, without an earnest effort was made to 
 pacify the excited people, they began to fear social disorder 
 of the worst type. 
 
 The farmers held solidy to their original demands, 
 and many who had heretofore been only luke-warm in 
 their support, spoke in the most decided manner in favor 
 of even more radical measures. Propositions of compro 
 mise of one kind or another were made in almost every 
 prominent journal and, in short, the air was full of, what 
 appeared to be, a coming storm. 
 
 Mr. Grafton, as an official of the Alliance, was engaged 
 in delivering addresses to the farmers assemblies at various 
 places in the State, in which he counseled the greatest care 
 in obeying the laws and preserving the peace, as well as a 
 united front against compromise of any character. As he 
 was speaking at a gathering of farmers, near Atlanta, a 
 disturbance arose in the audience, caused by the interrup 
 tions of a drunken man, who wore the star of a detective. 
 Mr. Grafton bore pleasantly with the taunts of the creature, 
 who, from time to time, continued to apply himself to a 
 bottle with which he was supplied. Finally he became so 
 obstreperous, supported as he was by a little knot of men 
 who had come upon the grounds with him, that it was 
 impossible to proceed, and Mr. Grafton paused and said :
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 253 
 
 " Friends, it is impossible to proceed in this manner. 
 That man must be removed!" 
 
 " Come and do it yourself ! " said the now infuriated 
 man, with an oath. 
 
 As no preparations had been made to enforce order, 
 no one started to do the necessary work of removing the 
 <-reature, who now, losing all control of himself, began, in 
 the most obscene and profane manner, to scream with rage, 
 frightening the women and children, who in large num- 
 hers were present. Seeing that something must be done 
 at once, Graf ton went toward the man, followed by some 
 of the more resolute among the farmers. As he came 
 near, the man flourished a revolver and bade the crowd 
 defiance, but Grafton kept steadily on: 
 
 " You are a disturber of the peace and, as a citizen, I 
 arrest you !" said he; but before he could reach him. the 
 man fired, and Grafton dropped to the ground. 
 
 Immediately there was a scene of wild disorder; wo 
 men screamed, children began to cry, and men to curse 
 and swear and rush toward the point of disturbance. The 
 villain was quickly seized and disarmed, and a cry went 
 up of: 
 
 " Hang him! String him up! Kill the thief!" Reason 
 appeared to have completely disappeared and its place to 
 be taken by a wild, ungovernable fury, which converted 
 the gathering of peaceable and easy-going farmers into a 
 howling mob, for the moment ungovernable in its char 
 acter. A lariat rope was quickly taken from a pony 
 tethered near, and as quickly placed about the neck of the 
 miscreant, and he was hurried to a little distance from the 
 scene of his crime, where a suitable tree was standing. 
 
 Grafton lay upon the ground, where he had fallen. 
 Most of the men, crazed as they were with rage, were en 
 gaged in hurrying the murderer towards the fatal tree, 
 which already a young man had climbed and was making 
 signals that the end of the rope might be thrown to him. 
 As the wretch who had caused their fright was dragged
 
 254 BOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 away, the women gathered about the wounded man. A 
 lady sat upon the ground and, taking Graf ton s head in 
 her lap, directed the crowd to stand back. Tearing open 
 his shirt-front, a brother farmer exposed the fatal wound; 
 a small bullet hole in the left breast, with but a drop or 
 two of blood upon the surface told the story. He was 
 bleeding inwardly, and would soon be gone. He was yet 
 conscious, and as the death damp gathered upon his brow 
 he made feeble signs for water, and when his want was 
 supplied, he slowly and painfully said: 
 
 Don t let them hang him he was drunk!" 
 
 Meantime, although the rope was in place over a limb 
 of the tree which had been chosen, the crowd, revolting 
 from the idea of murder, had halted temporarily in its 
 work and sent some of their number to make sure whether 
 Grafton was really dead. Coming to where he lay, these, 
 seeing the wounded man with white face and exposed 
 wound, from which trickled now and then a drop of blood, 
 slowly sinking, without sign of life other than the sigh- 
 like respirations which grew more and more infrequent 
 from moment to moment, were seized with that intense 
 sympathy which the sight of blood, shed in a righteous 
 cause, is sure to bring to the most hardened and unthink 
 ing, and returning hurriedly, themselves seized the end of 
 the rope and began to pull upon it. Instantly, hands in 
 laid hold, and the wretch was dangling in the air. 
 
 Who, that is able to look back upon a checkered life, 
 can fail to acknowledge that he has been " led in a way he 
 knew not ?" The future ever appears capable of control, 
 but when it is past we are forced to the conclusion that we 
 are, and must remain, totally unconscious of the hidden 
 springs from whence come the motives which impel us to 
 the course we pursue. This man lives a fortunate life and 
 that one is pursued by the slings and arrows of outrageous 
 fortune. c And why? It is said that the one is wise in 
 choice and careful in council, and the other unwise and
 
 UOOKINC, FORWARD. 
 
 255 
 
 foolish in his ways, and Unit thus they, themselves, have 
 made the hods in which they lie? And who docs not 
 know that this, instead of being an answer, is but a beg 
 ging of the question? For who made the one wise and 
 the other foolish ? Themselves? And can a man make 
 himself do or be anything not provided for in the secret 
 recesses of his mental being, when, like the infant oak 
 within the acorn s germ, he first was fashioned as a 
 thought of*God? And shall the oak pride and praise ii-i-ii 
 that it is not a pine? 
 
 Than what they are, the oak and the pine could be 
 nothing less and nothing more.
 
 256 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THR ORPHANS. 
 
 R. KLLERY was sauntering down the 
 street upon a pleasant spring-like day, 
 when he met the station-agent, who was 
 also the only telegraph operator of the 
 town, who said : 
 
 " I have a telegram for Miss Grafton, 
 whieh you ought to know of. Her fa 
 ther has been killed." 
 
 The kind-hearted preacher was so 
 
 horrified and astonished by what he heard that for the mo 
 ment he could make no sound, and stared blankly at the 
 man. At last he found tongue to say : 
 
 How did it happen ? Where was he ? " 
 It was at a picnic near Atlanta, in Coles county; 
 somebody shot him and they hung the fellow up without 
 judge or jury. This I get from the wires that are sending 
 it all over the country. The telegram gives no particulars. 
 You better open it." 
 
 Taking the terrible missive in his hands, Mr. Bllery 
 opened the envelope and read : 
 
 ATLANTA, KANSAS, - . 
 
 To MARY GRAFTON, PLAINVILLE, KANSAS. 
 
 Your father was shot and killed near here yesterday. 
 Will come with (lie hody to-morrow. JAMES GREKNK. 
 
 Putting the paper in his pocket, Mr. Ellery went at 
 once to the house and without circumlocution told his wife 
 the sorrowful news. She, poor lady, with true womanly 
 sympathy exclaimed, as the tears filled her eyes : 
 
 " Oh ! Oh ! My poor Mary ! What will my dear girl 
 do ? What can she ? I shall fear to tell her. She was 
 bound up in her father s welfare, and day and night her 
 thoughts were with him." 
 
 " But you must tell her," said Mr. Ellery ; " and no 
 doubt, as it is known on the street, some one will tell her as
 
 LOO KIM, FORWARD. 259 
 
 she comes from school, if you do not. You must go to the 
 school-house and bring her home at once. 
 
 Hastily putting on her bonnet and shawl, Mrs. Kllery 
 started for the school-house. Conning over in her mine 1 
 the means she should use in managing the difficult and 
 most distressing errand upon which her unwilling feet were 
 carrying her. she was soon at the door, and although differ 
 ent plans had in turn presented themselves to her mind, 
 she had been unable to decide upon anything definitely. 
 Opening the door, she stepped at once inside ; resolved, at 
 last, that, having no plan, she would restrain her own 
 emotions and act with the best judgment furnished her by 
 the inspiration of the moment. As she entered the room, 
 Mary, with beaming face and animated manner, was engaged 
 in describing to a class of little ones taking their first voy. 
 age of geographical discovery the wonders of trie world we 
 inhabit. Interested, herself, in the subject she was endea 
 voring to portray, the children hung upon her words with 
 rapt attention. Still, for the moment, undetermined, Mrs. 
 Ellery sank into a seat and waited her opportunity. Nod 
 ding pleasantly to her, Mary continued her work. Sitting 
 there and noting the beautiful form and face, and the ease 
 with which she guided the minds of her little hearers, and 
 realizing the terrible shock and despair in store for her, 
 Mrs. Ellery could not refrain from feeling like a guilty 
 thing, in that she was preparing to destroy present happi 
 ness and plunge the poor girl into a sea of misery. 
 
 As ever with her, in moments of trouble, her thoughts 
 ascended to that " present help " upon which her mind had 
 come to lean. "God help her," thought she, "and may I 
 be enabled to render that service to a fellow creature to 
 which every consideration of love and duty impel me! M 
 
 Occupied with her anxious thoughts, the poor woman 
 for the moment forgot her determination, and as the ready 
 tears sprang to her eyes, half a sob escaped her. Hastily 
 wiping her eyes, she looked up to see if she had been ob 
 served. But the keen and observant glance of the young
 
 26O LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 teacher had already noted the trouble depicted upon her 
 countenance and, hastily dismissing her little class, came at 
 once to her side. 
 
 " Something troubles you, aunt," she said; "what is it? 
 Can I assist you?" 
 
 " Yes," said she, " there is trouble enough at our house. 
 You must dismiss your scholars, and go home with me ! " 
 
 " But school will soon be out; will not that answer?" 
 
 u No, dear; don t question me, but come at once! " 
 
 Dismissing her charges, who, with wondering faces 
 gathered about her, eager for the reason of the unusual 
 proceeding, she gave this one a pleasant word and the next 
 a pat upon the cheek as she prepared to close the door. 
 
 " Children," said Mrs. Ellery, "you must all run home 
 and not trouble Miss Mary now, as I wish to talk to her. 
 Charlie, you must go right along with us! " 
 
 Taking the arm of her friend as they set out, Mary 
 said: "What is it, aunt; has anything happened to Mr. 
 Ellery ? " 
 
 " Yes," said the other, inwardly seeking pardon for the 
 deception; u Mr. Ellery is in deep trouble at the house; 
 don t ask me further until we get there ! " 
 
 As they passed through the principal streets of the 
 little village, the sympathetic and sorrowful faces of the 
 people they met, struck poor Mary with a deep and indefin 
 able dread. Setting out with the idea that duty was calling 
 upon her to minister to the sorrows of others, somehow the 
 feeling grew that she was principally concerned. What 
 could it be ? Had anything happened to her father ? And 
 instantly the thought formed itself in her mind that all was, 
 well with him. In whatever situation placed, he had done 
 his duty and quietly and bravely met whatever of good or 
 ill had been given him as his portion. The spirit within 
 had sustained him. Her spirit should sustain her, and 
 whatever burden of sorrow or care might be placed upon her 
 shoulders, she would accept and bear it as became so true a 
 man.
 
 GEORGE GRAFTON,
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 263 
 
 How wonderful are the daily evidences of mind upon 
 mind ! Fix your thought intently upon another and, if not 
 attracted by something going on about him, he turns to you 
 as the needle to the pole, to discover the source of the un 
 explained attraction. And does this end with life? And if 
 the soul still lives, why may it not continue to exert a power 
 which does not depend upon the sight, touch or hearing of 
 that physical body which has, alone, decayed? 
 
 Walking along the street, the unseen influences 
 emanating from the people she met and who will hasten to 
 bar his thoughts against the hallowed influences which ma\ 
 come from those "angels which do always behold the face of 
 My Father? " had convinced the mind of the devoted girl 
 that upon her head was shortly to fall a crushing blow, and 
 as truly pointed her thoughts in the true direction. 
 
 Her resolution was taken ; she would meet wha 
 came, with fortitude. That, for the moment, the spirit of 
 her father was with her, she felt, rather than knew ; and 
 who shall deny J 
 
 Coming to the house, Mrs. HI 1 cry directed their steps 
 to the front door, contrary to the usual custom of the family 
 This, of itself, was a revelation to Mary ; she already knew 
 the worst. 
 
 As they entered, Mr. Ellery met them, and, opening the 
 parlor door, they all went in and sat down. Taking out his 
 handkerchief, Mr. Ellery began to wipe his eyes, while his 
 wife burst into tears; but Mary sat with rigid face, the only 
 sign of the communion within, the passionate workings oi 
 her clenched and bloodless hands. 
 
 As Mrs Ellery s feelings were now beyond control, the 
 preacher, also deeply affected by the play of emotion about 
 him, began in a hesitating and stammering fashion : 
 
 1 Prepare yourself, my dear for for the worst!" 
 
 " I am prepared," said she ; and as she spoke, so hoarse 
 and stnvnge was the sound of her voice that she wondered 
 if, indeed, it was her own. 
 
 " Your father, Mary," lie brokenly began, but she did 
 not wait for him to finish
 
 264 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 " I know it all," she said, "he is dead! Tell me the 
 particulars ! And may God call me to account if I fail to 
 remember the reason of the death of both my father and my 
 mother ! " 
 
 She could no longer remain in her chair, and rising, 
 stood pale and defiant, her hands twitching nervously, one 
 with the other. Upon the table she saw the crumpled bit of 
 yellow paper upon which was written the telegram. Taking 
 it in her hands, she read it calmly through. 
 
 " Where is Charlie? " said she : "he followed us through 
 the street." 
 
 Going to the window, she saw him just at the door, 
 playing with a dog belonging to a neighbor. Quick as a 
 flash, she was at the door and down the steps. Seizing him 
 by the hand, she hurried him within the house. Taking 
 him on her lap, " big boy " though he considered himself, 
 she kissed him again and again. 
 
 "Ah, you poor little 
 orphan," said she, 
 " they have killed our 
 father ! It might have 
 been expected ! We 
 might have known it 
 would be so! Now, 
 you are all that is left 
 to inc. 
 
 Boy-like, Charlie be 
 gan to cry, and the 
 natural womanly ten 
 derness, which for the 
 moment had been in 
 abeyance, asserted it 
 self, as with incoherent 
 sobbings and mingled 
 caresses, she fondled 
 the only remaining 
 member of her family.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 265 
 
 Gradually she became calm again. "And what must 
 we do now? 1 said she. 
 
 " Why, my child, you need do nothing. We will see 
 that the necessary preparations are made," said Mrs. Ellery, 
 who by this time could trust herself to speak. 
 
 "Ah ! I must ! I cannot be still. I should go mad to 
 sit and think. I will not again be so weak. Dear aunt, 
 you have been so kind to us and I know you will bear with 
 me now, but I must be employed at something. Please let 
 me help! There will be so much to do." 
 
 " Why, Mary, you know I was thinking only of you, 
 said Mrs. Ellery, u and if it would please you better, do 
 what you think best ! " 
 
 " The short and simple annals of the poor," are, after 
 all, not so easily told. Human hopes and fears, with intelli 
 gent people, are much the same, in whatever walk or station 
 of life fate or fortune may place them. Hope beckons to all, 
 and allures us on. Pleased to the last, we greet with joy 
 the swift-coming days that bear us on to a fate hid behind 
 the curtain of the future, and that curtain the pall. Yet 
 does not hope desert us, but, like an angel of light, bears us 
 company upon the dreary road of life, and, with her sweet 
 whisperings of a life beyond, beguiles us still. Beguiles? 
 Ah ! And hath hope a partnership with guile ? Blessed 
 vision ! Art thou, too, a vain chimera of that imagination of 
 man which forever bewilders, but to deceive? 
 
 Perish the thought ! It cannot, must not, be ! Hope 
 is the evidence- of sanity ; the proof that we are. For whom 
 she hath utterly deserted and forsaken, has become a maniac, 
 and ceased to be. 
 
 Tossing upon her bed, now lost in dreams and now 
 staring with wide-open eyes into the dark, whose depth s 
 revealed no friendly face, Mary wore the night away. 
 Again she was a child, and felt her mother s hand resting 
 in peace upon her thoughtless head, and as she awoke and 
 felt her loss, an unutterable longing for death seized upon 
 her. Oh, that she could but. die and leave a world so full of
 
 266 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 trouble as this ! But the thought of Charlie recalled her. 
 Dear little fellow, she would live for him ! Again, in dreams, 
 her father s proud and kindly gaze was upon her, his face 
 was white as the light, care, there was none, and peace had 
 come. She woke with a start. Alas! there was nothing 
 real but sorrow and pain. 
 
 Slowly, the morning dawned, and day at last appeared. 
 A funeral day ! His funeral ! .But she would be brave ! 
 She would so live and act as to meet their approval! If they 
 knew? Did they know? Surely, what was so much de 
 sired must be true. No deep and holy longing of the soul 
 could fail in its mission. It would not return void to the 
 heart of love. 
 
 The contents of the telegram known, the idle popula 
 tion of the little village gathered at the station as the train 
 drew up. An elderly, kindly-faced man in a suit of gray, 
 was the only passenger to alight. Walking forward to the 
 express car he assisted the messenger in depositing upon 
 the platform the rough box containing the coffin. A few 
 hurried words with the station-agent, who came to the corner 
 of the platform and pointed to Mr. Ellery s house, and the 
 stranger walked rapidly towards the point to which he had 
 been directed. He had gone but a few steps, when ho met 
 Mr. Hllery, hastening to the train. 
 
 u You are Mr. Greene, I suppose? " said he. 
 
 " Yes," said the man, ik and you are Mr. Ellery ; I have 
 come upon a sorrowful errand. I was instrumental in in 
 ducing my friend, Grafton, to undertake the work in which 
 he lost his life, and now I am here to bury him." 
 
 A few words of consultation with friends who stood 
 near, a little time spent in arranging the preliminaries, and 
 the coffin was deposited in the parlor at the parsonage. 
 
 The funeral ceremonies were, as with the others, cold, 
 formal and silent. Many were in attendance, for the tragic 
 nature of his death attracted those to whom mere respect 
 would have appealed in vain.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 267 
 
 Mary and Charlie, with Mrs. Ellery, took their last 
 look in the parlor and alone. No one was near, and no one 
 knew the agony of that hour. Afterward, no sign was made. 
 Heavily veiled, the daughter of the murdered man betrayed 
 to the casual beholder no emotion, and thus the weary wait 
 ings and solemn pauses of the funeral went by, to her, un 
 heeded and uncontrolled. 
 
 After all was over, the family at the parsonage gathered 
 m the parlor and Mr. Greene related the particulars of the 
 death, paying the highest tribute possible to the courage 
 and devotion of him who had gone. Mary asked but few 
 questions ; she seemed to know it all. Charlie regarded all 
 tearfully, but to his sister his eyes returned and from her 
 he took the color of his thoughts ; indeed, he seemed to 
 receive his impressions as reflected from her. 
 
 Days came and went ; the nine days wonder of the 
 tragedy had ceased to attract; but from it, in part, proceeded 
 a still stronger determination to press to a decision the 
 questions which Grafton had propounded and for which the 
 public had come to believe he had sacrificed his life. Mon- 
 >ter petitions were circulated asking the Governor to con 
 vene the legislature. Immense meetings, fired with zeal, 
 were held at different places throughout the State, and 
 enthusiasm was at fever heat. Again, the partisan press of 
 the State acknowledged, by their plaintive tones, the truth: 
 that public opinion is the master of all ; and to it, perforce, 
 they bowed once more. 
 
 Finally, Governor Hrown issued his proclamation call 
 ing an "extra session."
 
 LOOKJNC, FORWARD. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 TIIK CONFLICT COXTIM KS. 
 
 the legislators began to gather 
 at Topeka, all thought was, for 
 the time, concentrated upon 
 the demands which had been 
 made by the farmers organiza 
 tions. Strong ground was 
 taken both for and against, and 
 it became evident that dilatory tac 
 tics would no longer avail. 
 
 The opposition based its claims 
 to support upon the assertion that the 
 proposed legislation would be an act 
 of bad faith and practical repudiation. 
 On the other hand, it was argued 
 that the political compact, which forms the foundation upon 
 which all just states and nations, and even civilization and 
 liberty itself, are placed, requires all legislation to be based 
 upon the general public good. 
 
 The State was simply the agent of the whole people, 
 and any intervention in the private affairs of her citizens 
 could only be allowed upon the supposition that thereby the 
 general good of all would be secured. Legislation, upon 
 any ground other than the general good, was tyrannical and 
 unjust. The State interfered in the dealings of citizens and 
 proceeded to the forcible collection of debts due from one to 
 another, not upon the ground of favoritism to the creditor, 
 but simply because it had been supposed and held that this 
 forcible interference had been for the general good, aifd if it 
 could be shown that such interference and assistance ren 
 dered to one party, was contrary to the best interests of the 
 general public, that, therefore, such legislation was opposed 
 to all the requirements of a just public policy and, therefore, 
 void, and the very ground upon which it was placed was not
 
 MARY GRAFTON 
 Plaiqville School Teacher.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 only unrepublican in theory and untenable in law, but 
 vicious, tyrannical, and unjust in its effects. 
 
 Previous to the meeting of the legislature, those who 
 had engaged to support the "demands" were called to 
 gether, that they might take counsel, one with the other. 
 These came from the ranks of all parties ; but as the pre 
 vious session had taught them that a closer union was an 
 absolute necessity, and that they could not succeed if they 
 allowed the claims of other organizations, the natural and 
 inevitable result was the formation of a new party, that 
 bound its members to support and defend the course marked 
 out. Having secured this closer organixation, the lower 
 house at once passed the bills, prepared at the previous 
 session. 
 
 The Senate refused to concur, and proposed amendment 
 after amendment, but the House remained immovable. 
 
 After much time spent in wrangling had passed, the 
 House, by a majority resolution, adjourned, and the mem 
 bers repaired to their homes, with the understanding that 
 their speaker should at once call them together, whenever 
 the Senate was ready to pass the original bills. The Senate 
 remained in session, and, issuing an address to the people, 
 in which the capitalistic side of the controversy was most 
 ably and cunningly stated, appeared to be preparing for a 
 long and arduous struggle. No sooner had the House of 
 Representatives adjourned than excitement among the peo 
 ple of the State became intense. Public meetings were 
 everywhere held, attended by vast crowds of people. 
 Eminent men upon both sides made the welkin ring with 
 their denunciations, and feeling rose quickly to fever heat. 
 
 Those who held to the justice and expediency of the 
 demands made originally by the farmers, dubbed their 
 opponents "Monopolists" and "Tories." The so-called 
 monopolists, however, sought to take high moral ground in 
 all their addresses, and spoke chiefly of the sacredness of 
 the rights of property, the inviolability of contracts, and
 
 272 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 descanted at great length upon " public honor," tk plighted 
 faith," and the rights of " investors." 
 
 The others, in making reply, denied any intention of 
 interfering with the rights of property, and demanded that 
 those who held bonds, notes and mortgages as property, 
 should not be placed in a position to impose upon those 
 interested in property of another kind. " It is," said they, 
 li a struggle between the holders of two classes of property ; 
 and the dealers in money, notes and mortgages refuse to be 
 satisfied unless they and their interests are placed in a pre 
 ferred position, where they are enabled to impose upon the 
 holders of productive property, while they, themselves, pro 
 duce nothing of value. 
 
 Thus the struggle went on and the excitement showed 
 no signs of abatement. In many places, riotous proceed 
 ings were indulged in, and a general feeling of unrest and 
 alarm began to take possession of the public mind. 
 
 Plain ville showed but little change. 
 
 "Uncle Bill" continued to hammer away in his little 
 shop and Mr. Ellery to deliver his weekly sermons. As 
 elsewhere, the people took sides, 
 and the questions which agitated 
 the public mind \vere discussed , 
 with great heat and earnestness. 
 As the people of the village were 
 close sympathy with the 
 
 in 
 
 farmers, depending entirely 
 
 upon them for whatever business 
 
 the town enjoyed, feeling was 
 
 almost altogether with them. 
 
 Upon rare occasions, those more 
 
 interested in what was going on 
 
 around them went to Branchville 
 
 to attend a "big speaking," when 
 
 some noted man held forth, upon one side or the other, in 
 
 the great controversy, but for the most part the place was 
 
 sleepy enough.
 
 LOOKING FORWARD* 273 
 
 Mary was often seen in company with Mrs Ellery, 
 upon the street or riding in the rather antiquated carriage, 
 which the preacher called his own. She had finished her 
 school, with only a week s intermission at the time of her 
 father s funeral, and now, during the summer vacation, was 
 very quietly engaged in assisting Mrs. Kllery, both in the 
 household and in the usual visiting and managing, con 
 sidered the duty of a pastor s wife. No Sunday-school 
 picnic was, or as it seemed. could be conducted to a suc 
 cessful end without her aid. Every one deferred to her, 
 ^md whatever she advised seemed to all concerned the 
 thing to do. In appearance she had changed but little; 
 mild, gentle and cheerful, a slightly-increased seriousness 
 rather added to the charm of manner with which kind 
 nature had invested her. That the trials of life have for 
 all who will heed, a useful and benificent end, was manifest 
 in her. 
 
 For without these, the wayward scholar in the school 
 of life remains forever ignorant of those sublime glimpses 
 into the depths which make the mind of man or woman 
 the kingdom it is destined, in riper natures, to become. 
 < liildren we are, and children we must remain, ever look 
 ing for the unfolding of that time when we shall be able to 
 read the riddle of our lives. 
 
 As may be surmised, an occasional letter had reached 
 Plainville, written by < Jeorgc Maitland. From California, 
 where lie had tarried during the winter, lie had passed to 
 Alaska, and his description of the great glacier and of the 
 wonders of this new terra incognita were eagerly read by 
 the little circle at the parsonage, (ienerally, his letters 
 had been addressed to Mr. Fllery; pails of these, however, 
 that gentleman, glancing hurriedly over the pages, had 
 failed to read to his ready listener-. A few had been 
 directed to Mary, and these and their very lively and 
 entertaining contents were most readily shared with her 
 friends. In one of these he had said that on his return to 
 his home in Massachusetts he should again call upon his
 
 274 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 friends in Kansas, but he had named no date, and his 
 immediate advent had not been expected. 
 
 That the people at the parsonage were surprised when, 
 one fine summer morning, he made his appearance and 
 claimed their hospitality, may very readily be imagined : 
 for everything, which has not become, by constant repiti- 
 tion, hackneyed and usual, is met by the natural mind 
 with wonder and amazement, more or less pronounced. 
 
 Maitland s absence from Kansas and her who had in 
 spired in his heart that genuine admiration of substantial 
 qualities, which is alone the sure ground of a lasting and 
 life-long love, had served but to increase his appreciation 
 and respect for what he had oome to regard as a perfect 
 character. It was evident to him that, so far, at least, he 
 had utterly failed to awaken in her that eminent regard for 
 himself which he had come to feel was a necessity to his 
 peace of mind and future success. 
 
 The thought of Mary, which in his mind s eye, had 
 taken shape as that of a beautiful vision, following him in 
 all his wanderings with a mild and seemingly heavenly 
 radiance, had assumed, for him, a perfect form and an 
 angelic significance. And yet, so wonderful is the power 
 of an absorbing love, that when he had felt the pressure of 
 her hand and looked into the liquid depths of her eyes, he 
 was convinced that the half had not been told or even 
 thought.
 
 The Effect Upon His Audience was Electrical/
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 277 
 
 C1I APTKR X X Y II. 
 
 THK \ K\V t MNVKRT. 
 
 HE subliiiK- poetry of tin- ]>;ist 
 sures us that "tin- Spirit moved 
 upon the face of the waters, for the 
 unfolding of all which has since- 
 appeared ; and upon the poetical 
 truth ol this, all men are agreed. Xo deed, 
 without a thought as it s father. In figu 
 rative and most expressive language we 
 are also told that "man lives only by every 
 word that proceedeth out of the mouth of 
 God The telegraphic instrument merely records the 
 messages given to it; it does not create them. Only 
 children think it. does. In like manner, the brain of man 
 is impressed by the thought which elsewhere takes its rise. 
 Man is not the creator. Only fools think he is. The 
 work of .creation is still in progress. 
 
 \ . :_~. 
 
 As in the days preceding the war of the rebellion, the 
 prevailing and controlling thought of men was directed 
 against an evil, so in the time of which I write, the thought 
 of the day was being moved to consider yd other evils. 
 The ferment of Democracy was leavening the public mind, 
 and although men still continued to hold out against its 
 power, that it was gradually leavening the whole lump, 
 could not be disputed. The Spirit was moving upon the 
 face ol the waters. 
 
 Maitland, too, had felt its power. His early conver 
 sations with Mary had put him upon a train of thought, at 
 that time, new to him. Previously, he had given the sub 
 jects which she brought up, no attention. He had been 
 reading of late, he said, and trusted that something had 
 been learned. Like new converts, too, he was full of zeal. 
 Something must be done !
 
 278 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 Mr Ellery had been giving Sunday evening " talks, 
 or lectures, in his church, upon subjects relating to the 
 questions of the time, and he invited the young preacher to 
 occupy his pulpit in this course of lectures on the first Sun 
 day after his arrival. His theme was The New Christ 
 ianity," by which he explained he meant the modern appli 
 cation of the precepts of the religion of Christ. 
 
 The church was crowded to hear the young man, notices 
 of the lecture having been given out in the morning, and 
 here his college training stood him in good stead. He was 
 what is called "a good speaker," with fine voice and com 
 manding presence, and although his enthusiastic advocacy 
 of what seemed to his audience to be very radical and social 
 istic sentiments, was listened to with the closest attention, 
 they evidently scarcely knew just what to think or say. 
 The abolition of competition and strife, and its replacement 
 by association and mutual assistance, they appeared to think 
 would be very fine in some future state of existence, but 
 scarce!}- possible in this. But when, near the close of his 
 address, summoning all his powers, he portrayed the results 
 of such a course of action as he declared the gospel demanded, 
 the effect upon his hearers was most marked. 
 
 c< By as much, said he "as man is above money, love 
 beyond strife, and duty higher than the promptings of sel 
 fish greed, let us, forgetting the things that are behind, 
 press forward in the race toward that goal, now in the imme 
 diate future, which has ever held the eyes of all the poets 
 and prophets of the past. If we bnt will it, the kingdom of 
 heaven is at hand." 
 
 Coming out of the little church, Mary could not refrain 
 from expressing the pleasure she felt in hearing what she 
 had vainly endeavored to formulate, so well expressed. 
 
 "You know, Mr. Maitland," said she, "that our Plain- 
 ville people had never heard you in public, and I am sure 
 they will be pleased with your address." 
 
 "And were you pleased ? " said he.
 
 *; loKWAKM). 279 
 
 Yes," said she, quite frankly, " I was more than 
 pleased. I was surprised." 
 
 "And may I ask why you were surprised?" said IK-. 
 
 " No, I don t think you should inquire too closely ; but 
 one thing does surprise me somewhat, and that is that you 
 should be able to give so fine a delineation of motives and 
 principles to which you almost refused assent only a few 
 months ago. 
 
 "As to that," said he, " I can only say that my attention 
 had not been particularly called to these matters up to the 
 time of my visit to Kansas." 
 
 Arrived at the parsonage, Mr. Ellery and his wife joined 
 in the warmest expressions of approval and endorsement. 
 
 4i I know now," said Mr. Ellery, "just what it seems to 
 11 R- you should do, George! " 
 
 "And what is it?" said he. 
 
 u Speaking upon the impulse of the moment, it appears 
 clear to me that you should devote yourself to the spread of 
 the ideas to which you have just given expression. You are 
 young, have abundant means and are not obliged to tie 
 yourself down to a stupid parish, or a set of stupid parish- 
 oners, and live in daily fear of saying something which they 
 may not be able to receive.. In your case and with your 
 means and abilities I should take Wendall Phillips as my 
 model and launch bravely forth as an agitator/ 1 
 
 " Something of this kind has already passed in my 
 thought," said Maitland, speaking slowly and with evident 
 hesitation, " and I presume that I could follow Phillips, at 
 least, afar off." 
 
 " You would be hated and subjected to abuse, no doubt, 
 said Mr. Ellery: ""but when once fully enlisted in your 
 work you would "be happier, far, than in any other walk of 
 life. People who know not of it, cannot understand the 
 enthusiasm for humanity which takes complete possession 
 <if the man who gives himself to the cause of human free 
 dom. His work /Htssfsscs him ; and even common men and 
 ordinary natures are touched as with a coal of fire from off
 
 280 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 the altar, by their advocacy of the imperiled rights of men. * 
 
 Mrs. Ellery added a few words, saying that she thought 
 Mr. Ellery right in what he had said, as he generally was. 
 
 "And what do you say, Mary ? " said Mr. Ellery 
 
 11 Of course," said she, "I am not competent to advise 
 Mr Maitland as to what he should do, but this I know : that 
 if I were he, nothing should prevent me from making my 
 self heard." 
 
 As Mary spoke, so firm and determined were the tones 
 and accent of her voice and so keen the flash of her eye, as 
 with unthinking force she expressed her thought, that Mrs. 
 Ellery, who sat near her, said, as she placed her arm about 
 her: u Oh, you dear little rebel! They d just have to hear you; 
 though I am sure they would wish. to. I know I should. 1 
 
 Mary blushed, as she said : " Why, aunt, did I speak 
 so strongly as that ? " 
 
 " Oh, no, dear! You said nothing out of the way ; but 
 you are so earnest and determined that I should not like to 
 undertake to thwart you. I know we all ought to be posi 
 tive and determined in a good cause." 
 
 1 If you will speak upon these topics," said Mr. Ellery, 
 " I can put you in communication with parties who will be 
 glad to make appointments for you. They will see that 
 your expenses are paid, and may possibly be able to give 
 you something beside; but it will be but little that they can 
 do for you in that line. Although the work would not be 
 remunerative, the experience would be valuable, and you 
 could, in this way, make trial of what, no doubt, would 
 prove an interesting experience." 
 
 Long after the ladies had retired, the two gentlemen 
 remained in earnest consultation upon the topics suggested 
 by the lecture. 
 
 41 This is a time of great change, an era of transition," 
 said Mr. Ellery; u the fountains of the great deep of thought 
 are broken up; one can scarcely say what may come now. 
 
 " I look," replied Maitland, upon the deep-seated un 
 rest, which has taken possession of the public mind, in this.
 
 LOOKINV. FORWARD. 28l 
 
 way : It is tin- old, old struck- tor larger liberty and grcater 
 freedoin, now, in these later years, taking on a new phase. 
 ( )nee, this aspiration of men took the shape of a demand for 
 religions freedom; that was the eoneeption in Luther s day ; 
 next, the thought of Washington s time was politieal liberty. 
 Largely, in both instanees, the impulse was the same. Moth 
 steps were necessary ; both were in the right direetion, and 
 both have been successfully taken. But, manifestly, all to 
 be gained for man was not then accomplished. Now, there 
 is another step just ahead, as important indeed, it seems t<> 
 be more so and that is, eeonomie liberty ; the freedom ot 
 the toiler from the exaetions of those who live in the sweat 
 of his faee. Of eonrse, we must acknowledge that this is a 
 new departure in the historv ol our storm-swept and sin- 
 en rsed world. Like Columbus, we sail boldly forward into 
 an untried sea. There are no precedents. Bnt the new the 
 ology, -that grander view of (rod s love and eare and of the 
 brotherhood of man, leads us on. The first, that is Lu 
 ther s eoneeption meant a free mind, free thought, free- 
 belief. The second meant a free country and a free vote. 
 Xow, we want free men and free women ; freedom from the 
 control and domination of our specially and legally favored 
 brothers and sisters. The right to life? Why, that really 
 means a right to a living, or it means nothing at all. It 
 means a right to the natural opportunities for obtaining one 
 by the exercise of one s own labor, free from tribute imposed 
 by anybody. Where did any man get ik the right " to pre 
 vent his brother from enjoying the free gifts of God to all ? 
 Liberty ? Why, that means freedom from the payment ot 
 tribute to those who unjustly demand it. How could a man 
 be free who wasn t? Why longer juggle with words? Tin- 
 right of all to f>it)-*nc happiness means the ability of all to 
 obtain it. If all cannot obtain it, because denied to natural 
 bounties, the right is denied. But we mean that in the near 
 future all shall be put in the possession of those rights 
 which it is a self-evident proposition, were originally given 
 to all bv the Creator. This is what we are after; that is
 
 282 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 the bed-rock fact in the whole business : the restoration of 
 all of the rights and privileges given them by God. And we 
 are going to obtain these rights by taking away the special 
 privileges of those who now, by means of these same special 
 privileges, are enabled to prevent, and do prevent, their 
 brothers and sisters from enjoying the favors of a common 
 Father. I suppose they will hire poor men to fight for 
 them, to fight to obtain their advantage over the common 
 herd ; holders of special privilege have always done so. 
 Sometimes, they have fought themselves. And what a 
 shame it is, Mr. Ellery, that in every country, the organized 
 church has always sided with power and opposed itself to 
 the rising demand for enlarged freedom ! But all this will 
 make no difference in the result. The upward progress of 
 the race cannot be stayed ; the power of God is behind it ; 
 and just as surely as the two former steps have been taken, 
 and successfully taken, so surely will the third be accom 
 plished. A world of trouble and loss may stand between us 
 and final success, but it will not prevent our ultimate vic 
 tory!" 
 
 " People will tell you, George, that you intend dividing 
 up the wealth of the rich among the poor, if you speak so 
 plainly." 
 
 u Yes, no doubt of it ; but it will be the stop thief cry 
 of the thief, in his effort to divert attention from himself. 
 The fact is, our effort is solely an endeavor to prevail on the 
 rich to stop their never-ending robbery of the poor. Just 
 that and nothing more. The truth is, we are willing that 
 they shall keep the proceeds of past robbery if they will 
 only stop stealing for the future. But this is the source of 
 all the present social unrest : the desire of the wealthy and 
 the strong to seize, under the name of rent, profit or interest, 
 some portion of the product of labor. The products of labor 
 must be had, or men will die. Now there are just three 
 ways, and only three, of obtaining them : to work for them ; 
 to receive them as a gift ; or to obtian them as the result o f
 
 I.OOKINV, FORWARD. 283 
 
 some form of fraud. 4 We must all work or steal, howsoe r 
 we name our stealing. 
 
 " You put it pretty strongly, said Mr Ellery. 
 
 " Oh, yes; maybe so; but not a> strongly ;i s the facts 
 will warrant. Why just look at it : all the great names in 
 the endless struggle for liberty ; our own declaration of 
 independence ; all the constitutions, state and national ; all 
 the national saviours and sages of the past; all the poets 
 and prophets of freedom, substantially agree in declaring 
 Lhat the end and aim of all just government among men is 
 the preservation and maintenance of the natural, inalienable 
 and imprescriptable rights of man. They agree that this is 
 the sole foundation of freedom among men; that these natu 
 ral, or God-given rights and privileges, cannot be rightful ly 
 abrogated or impaired in the smallest particular ; that eter 
 nal vigilance is the price of liberty. And yet in spite of all 
 this, and more which might be mentioned, the principal 
 business of the men of wealth and position among us, is in 
 the line of hedging in, abridging or denying, in one way or 
 another, these rights. In short, the business of the power 
 ful, and the aim of the laws which they cause to be enacted, 
 is to make it easy, through their control of land and ex 
 change, to steal from the poor the sacred rights of men. " 
 
 Why, I declare, George, you are getting radical." 
 
 " Yes, I hope so ; that is, that I am getting down to the 
 roots of the social difficulty. But do I not speak the truth?" 
 
 " Yes, of course you do ; but it is not usual for those 
 who think as you do to speak so plainly." 
 
 " No, I know it isn t, and right there is where trouble 
 begins; manv of us do not dare to speak the truth. Being 
 obliged to choose between God and Mammon, we shut our 
 eyes to the truth, or endeavor to. But the enormous wicked 
 ness of the present Mammonistic control of things, for which 
 we are all, in some st-nst-, to blame, cannot be much longer 
 hid. Look, for instance, at the ignorant and degraded 
 children of poverty in every town ! Men tell us that these 
 poor creatures have made themselves what they are ; that
 
 284 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 drunkenness and vice have made them poor. In the main 
 this is not true. Look at their surroundings ! Why, they 
 could n t be anything else ! Good men, well-meaning men, 
 but blinded by prejudice and preconceived opinion, have put 
 the cart before the horse. The facts will show that nine 
 times out of ten poverty has made them drunken and 
 vicious ; and poverty has been forced upon them by men 
 who make the material conditions which surround the com 
 mon herd. The average man don t make conditions. Con 
 ditions make him. And conditions are made for men when 
 their natural or God-given rights are taken from them by 
 means of the special privileges granted the few. Men tell 
 us that no special privilege is given when wealth is allowed 
 by law to do what poverty cannot, and I suppose some quite 
 respectable people really believe it. Why, they might as 
 well enact that strong men may do what weak ones shall 
 not! Bah ! what nonsense, and how easily men are deceived! 
 Conditions surrounding the average man make him what 
 he is ; he don t create himself. God has n t given up his 
 sovereignty ; the allegory of Genesis still applies. Any 
 man capable of thought can see that the Esquimaux, as an 
 instance, is the natural result of the conditions surrounding 
 him ; but he is no more the product of his surroundings 
 than are the squalid and vicious children of poverty the 
 inevitable result of the conditions forced upon them by legal 
 privileges in the hands of selfish men. Why God allows 
 these men to do as they are doing, is beyond me. But it is 
 evident in all the history of the past that He has allowed 
 wicked and selfish men to bring great misery upon their 
 fellows. It must needs be, I suppose, that offences come, 
 but woe unto them by whom they come." 
 
 " It is too true, the facts are with you/ said Mr. Ellery, 
 " although they may seem to oppose some of our theology. 
 But, George, you are dwelling too much upon the dark side 
 of things ; you forget, for the moment, that we are going to 
 change all this. We are going to make conditions, our 
 selves, and make them better; and it is one of the grandest
 
 \ Kit. 285 
 
 thoughts possible to mzm that in this way we shall b 
 workers with God in lifting men. Of course it will be dom- 
 by the use of ordinary and e very-day methods; by the pass 
 age of laws. The household exemption will finally give 
 every family that wishes it, a free home upon the soil- 
 This will settle for good the labor question. An opportunity 
 to employ one s self settles the matter of wages, and gradu 
 ally a refuge of this kind will be opened up for all. Then, 
 there need be no "unemployed". Then, the- laborer ean 
 aeeept or reject wages offered. He will be independent. 
 In short, lie will, in this way, secure his independence. 
 This will free him. Nothing else ever will. Most attract 
 ive and pleasant farm villages will then become possible, for 
 under the influence of homestead exemptions it will be un 
 profitable to hold large tracts of land. Holding small farm^ 
 with no great estates between, the farmers can be brought 
 closely together, their available lands in long narrow fields, 
 with common pasturage at a greater distance, as is now 
 practiced in some parts of the world. Thirty or forty intel 
 ligent families can, in this way, form an ideal community 
 By co-operation they could readily avail themselves of 
 machinery to lighten their labors; manufacturing could be 
 engaged in and yet each family own and manage its own 
 home. One library, lecture-room and amusement-hall, 
 gymnasium, etc., would answer for all. It would not then 
 be necessary for thirty or forty families to buy thirty or 
 forty copies of the same book. Association would work 
 wonders in many ways; the people would improve intellec 
 tually and physically, for in this way men and women would 
 be brought nearer to nature and to healthful and natural 
 ways. I tell you, George, that old myth of the wrestler, 
 Anteus, has a world of meaning in it. He could not be 
 conquered, for as often as he was thrown, coming in this 
 way in contact with mother earth, he received fresh acces 
 sions of strength, thus finally overcoming his opponent. 
 Hercules, detecting the source of his strength, held him up 
 in his arms and strangled him in the air, as runs the tale.
 
 286 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 So it is with nations and people. Divorced from the soil, 
 they begin to die. The cities would utterly perish in two 
 generations if not re-inforced from the country. The Eng 
 lish people, however, seem to realize this truth, for their 
 upper classes, (so called), keep up their country residences 
 and their fondness for rural sports. See how it was with 
 the Jewish people ; so long as that people obeyed the laws 
 of Moses and held to their little farms, they could not be 
 conquered, and more than that and better than that, they 
 were happy ; they were fulfilling the purpose for which, as 
 a nation, they came into existence. When they failed in 
 this, their nation was destroyed, just as all other nations 
 under the same circumstances have been, and will be. It is 
 curious to note, too, ho\v similar their history is to that of 
 all other nations on this one point ; luxury and wealth be 
 gan the trouble. Solomon s reign was magnificent. Vessels 
 of gold and vessels of silver, men-servants, maid-servants 
 and concubines increased in number, but the trend of affairs 
 was more and more away from the simple and natural life 
 of former years. Jerusalem became the desired place of 
 residence. Taxation was, of course, heavily increased. 
 This finally rested, as must always be the case, upon pro 
 ductive labor in Judea, upon the tiller of the soil. The 
 people became uneasy and restive. Probably they sold out 
 and moved to town, 1 as our farmers have done and are doing. 
 But public wealth and national glory grew amazingly. 
 Every Jew was proud of his country and of Solomon s 
 magnificence. And yet, while there was a great increase of 
 national wealth, private poverty began then and there to 
 exert its evil influence upon the national character. In a 
 very short time this was not worth preserving. At Solo 
 mon s death the common and ordinary people, who really 
 pay all the taxes, finally, complained bitterly of the tax 
 ation imposed. But Rehoboam, his son and successor, 
 refused to listen, saying, you know : My father chastised 
 you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 
 Well, that ended the play ; the ten tribes revolted, and the
 
 I.OOKINV, FORWARD. 287 
 
 kingdom of David c;>.im- to an end. Ard it came to an end 
 because the peoples lost their hold upon the soil, and be 
 cause the healthful and natural life of the free cultivator 
 had been made impossible. The same tiling has been re 
 peated in every one of the ruined nations of the past. ( )ur 
 own nation has already taken a good many steps in the 
 same direction, and our only safety lies in retracing these 
 steps and in getting back to the soil and to nature. 
 
 "The cities are so many plague-spots, and yet our mode 
 of life is such that everything is made to tend toward them. 
 The laws can easily change this current of things. Give 
 every man a free home in the country, and the current will 
 change itself. Of course, no one would be forced to live in 
 the country, but if we make country life easier, pleasantcr, 
 and all things considered more profitable, we shall be 
 able slowly to change the habits of society. And it is in 
 line with natural requirements. Did you ever think, George, 
 that the 4 life, liberty and pursuit of happiness of the 
 Declaration of Independence, and, in fact, all the natural 
 requirements of men upon the earth are included in Free 
 Land and Free Exchange, or exchange at cost ? Well, they 
 are. Give a family sufficient land for self-support, free from 
 all taxation, make it inalienable except by direct sale, and 
 then secure to them the right of free exchange without the 
 payment of any sort of tribute to anybody ; free them com 
 pletely from the claims of rent, profit and interest, and give 
 them public facilities for exchange at cost. Then, freedom 
 in these things and security in their results comprise all the 
 natural rights of man ; all other rights arc artificial and 
 conventional. And we must never forget that men cannot 
 be entirely free until they come into full possession of their 
 natural rights. And if not free, then not happy, because 
 not in line with the great destiny God has in store for man 
 and which is now being gradually unfolded before our eyes. 
 Now, if these things belong to man, naturally, if they are 
 natural rights coming from the Creator, and we must 
 acknowledge that they are, then we can clearly see that
 
 288 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 there can be no right adjustment, socially, no real and last 
 ing peace, until the} are fully restored to all men, and it 
 does seem to me that Grafton s four measures are exceed 
 ingly well adapted to bring them within the reach of all. 
 Kvery one of these measures is strictly in line with the 
 restoration to all of free land and free exchange, or exchange 
 at cost. In each case there is a refusal of special privilege 
 now enjoyed by the few. 
 
 First, the stay-laws give the mortgaged home-owner an 
 opportunity to save his home and prevent, for the time, his 
 being closed out at forced sale, in which case the creditor 
 would probably take undue advantage of the family in his 
 power. 
 
 Secondly, the abolition of all laws for the collection of 
 future, ordinary and voluntary debts would, in the main, 
 prevent the creation of such debts. They would not then 
 exist. In this way society will be freed, to a great extent, 
 from debt and the payment of interest. This is the great 
 sink-hole which now swallows up the produce of the laborer. 
 Let us close it up! It will then be cash or no trade 1 , as it 
 ought to be. Then, we should have more money in circula 
 tion, for the right sort of a demand, such as would then be 
 made, will bring it. Then, exchange would be largely freed 
 from the demands of the creditor, who now tolls every deal, 
 or he does not allow it to be made. 
 
 Thirdly, the issuance of State warrants. l>y the State 
 Treasurer, bearing no interest, to each school-district, 
 municipality and county, in amount equal to the tax levy: 
 these warrants to be made receivable for all taxes, any 
 where in the State; the State Auditor s office to be made a 
 clearing-house for the settlement of balances between 
 the various districts, municipalities and counties. This 
 would be another long step toward free exchange and would 
 powerfully aid in enabling people to make the ordinary 
 exchanges of the day, free from usury. 
 
 Fourthly, making the homestead free from the claims 
 of debt and taxation, thus creating a safe and secure retreat
 
 LOOKINC, FORWARD. 289 
 
 For every family, would. of itself, come near abolishing 
 involuntary poverty. In this way -ociety will lie brought 
 hack t< natural and healthful conditions. Now. affairs 
 with us are artificial and unnatural, and growing moi 
 every day. 
 
 "Oh, we must follow nature." said Maitland: "and 
 isn t it wonderful that when this i> done, all the good 
 things of life are showered upon the people who <>bev v 
 Of course, we are only on the threshhold. Reform in the 
 nation conies next: but its beginning in the State was the 
 propei-, and in fact, the only way. Many people ~eem to 
 me to have come near taking leave of their <en<e< in advo 
 cating practical communism in their divams of a complete 
 co-operative commonwealth. We must take men a- thev 
 are. and the facts of human nature cannot he hid. So long, 
 as no house is bit: enough for two average families, the co 
 operative commonwealth is only a dream, an ideal. It is 
 like the condition of sinlessness to which some of our 
 Methodist brethren, at times, fancy they have attained. 
 Tlie possibility of a CO-operative commonwealth, with godlv 
 men, is clear enough. But the probability of it among all 
 classes of very imperfect men and women is <juite another 
 matter: and in the co-operative commonwealth everything 
 would have to come in. They are going to get rid of com 
 petition, they tell us, and supply its place with emulation . 
 Surely, they ought to remember that this same emulation, 
 in a religious wav, has brought on some of the h erce-i 
 conflicts the world has ever seen. Society and social du 
 ties are pleasant in their way, but every man and every 
 woman should be able, at times, to escape from them 
 Otherwise these pleasant things become, by constant and 
 too close association, intolerably disagreeable. A meeting 
 of kindred spirits is one of the finest things in all thi- 
 world. But keep these same men together for a week, and 
 constraint and uneasiness would arise. In a month, if 
 they cannot escape from each other, they will be ready to 
 fight. Kven husband and wife cannot get along together^
 
 290 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 unless their interests are identical. They must be one 
 flesh . Well, the general public can hardly be one flesh, 
 nor are the varying interests of individuals identical. It 
 seems to me that there is a rule which settles all this. 
 Poor Grafton s wording of it was: " Public things to the piib- 
 lie; private affairs to the individtial. Whatever chiefly 
 concerns the individual life of man must be free from the 
 control of others. The home and the individual life of the 
 family must not come under public inspection or control." 
 
 " Look at the clock! " said Mr. Ellery, " we must go to 
 bed, or we shall not need to get up. 
 
 " Yes, that is so, though to tell the truth, I do not feel 
 like sleeping at present. Now, there is that thing of hav 
 ing no law for the collection of debts; a good many people 
 who never have occasion to collect a debt by law are, or 
 seem to be, fearful that a repeal of these laws may bring on 
 a regular social chaos, but it was just so with the samet 
 class of people at the time of the abolition of imprison men 
 for debt. Now, everybcxty knows that it would be a most 
 lamentable backward step to restore imprisonment for 
 ordinary debt; but, bless me, if it isn t after one o clock. 
 Well, good night!" 
 
 As stated in the last chapter, the State Senate still 
 remained in session. On the adjournment of the lower 
 house, efforts were made to bring influences to bear upon 
 the senators which should induce them to vote for the 
 passage of the bills already passed by the representatives. 
 Disturbances in various parts of the State and the angry 
 remonstrances of the people continued until the senators 
 began to fear that if they longer refused assent to the 
 action of the House, that civil discord of an aggravated 
 kind might be the result. So, upon the presentation of an 
 immense petition, signed by a majority of the voters in 
 the districts represented by certain senators, they signified 
 their intention of voting for the bills. This broke the 
 majority, and with the passage of a resolution which was
 
 i.< <>KIN<; FORWARD. 291 
 
 in the nature >i a protest . the missing repn-scntat i ves wen- 
 suininoned. concurrent action was had. and the hills were 
 passed and quickly signed hy the ( iovernor. So far. the 
 victory appeared complete: still, past experiences rendered 
 the victors somewhat wary and suspicious. The laws thus 
 passed provided, substantially, for the lour measures tir-t 
 brought forward hy (Jraiton. 
 
 (irat ton. "the agitator." was avenged. His plans had 
 been mainly adopted ; largely, perhaps, because his tragic 
 deatli had impressed upon the minds of an otherwise heed- 
 people the truths he taught. Fortunate man! the 
 struggles and sorro\vs of his life and the seeming failure of 
 hi> death had permitted him to he of service in the loni: 
 and toilsome, upward march of the ra< 
 
 According to tlie terms of the hill, all laws for the 
 collection of dehts contracted subsequent to the fourth dav 
 of July were abrogated and annulled. Henceforth, he who 
 hy tlie power of money secured an advantage over his 
 fellow-men could not claim the power of the courts as an 
 aid to his designs. Debt, said the agitators, that foe t<> 
 liberty and chief arm of tyranny. will now he eliminated 
 and destroyed. 
 
 (heat was the rejoicing among those who had from 
 the first seen the causes of inequality and injustice. This, 
 said they, is the first step in the grand march of freedom. 
 Tlie people have now turned their backs upon Pharaoh. 
 They will go out of bondage and possess the land. But 
 much remains to be done; the wilderness is yet to be 
 passed and Pharaoh will yet pursue. 
 
 The " glorious Fourth" was now close at hand, and 
 immediately upon the passage of the bills which had de 
 creed the new abolition, a celebration had been arranged 
 foi Branchville upon that day. and Maitland had been 
 engaged as one; of the speakers. Possessed of natural pow 
 er.- "fa high order, these had been aided and assisted by 
 an education which enabled him to grasp at a glance the 
 full significance of the mighty movement yet in its incip-
 
 292 
 
 LOO K I NO FO R W A K I ) . 
 
 iency. Entering into its spirit with all the ardor of youth 
 and the force of a thoroughly aroused purpose, he delivered 
 the address of the day. The man had come to himself and 
 into possession of powers till then unrevealed and unsus 
 pected. Heretofore, he had known no overmastering 
 incentive; reared in luxury, his every want supplied, the 
 man had not known himself. Now controlled by a gene 
 rous purpose, he threw himself, with all his force, into the 
 fray. 
 
 The effect upon his audience was electrical, as with 
 ringing voice and stalwart frame he paced the platform , 
 now picturing the beauty of that civilization which the 
 future should yet prepare, and now in thunder tones de 
 nouncing the wrong and injustice of the past. " Yet 1 
 warn you," said he; " that the battle is but begun. New 
 foes will rise and upon new fields our courage and our 
 valor must yet stand the test. Let us then, renewing our 
 vows, reconsecrate ourselves to the cause of human free 
 dom, conscious that the battle we wage is not alone for 
 those who stand with us to-day, but for all men and for all 
 time. 
 
 Coming down from the speaker s stand, hundreds 
 pressed forward to take him by the hand. But his eyes 
 sought out the little school-teacher and the expression he 
 read in her face outweighed the plaudits of all else beside. 
 Evidently, her opinion of his character and abilities was 
 subject to change.
 
 LOOK INC, FORWARD. 
 
 295 
 
 CH A 1T KR X X VIII. 
 
 NIIM l-:n IN THK IICD. 
 
 J\ KTER all, and as usual, it was the unexpected that 
 2Y happened. Governor Brown was sitting in his office 
 one day after the passage of "the abolition bills" 
 when Johil Brooks, a well-known business man ofTopcka, 
 entered and looked cautiously around, evidently for the 
 purpose of discovering who beside the Governor might be 
 present. Seeing no person, except the clerk or secretary, 
 whom he had passed in the outer office, he softly closed the 
 door of the inner or private office and said: "Governor, are 
 we entirely alone ? " 
 
 4 Yes sir," said the Governor. 
 
 Well, my business with you is private and confiden 
 tial in the extreme, and I shall ask yon to pledge yourself 
 not to divulge to a living soul what I have to say," and he 
 looked enquiring!} to the Governor. 
 
 " I should scarcely like to do that, said that official ; 
 "however, I will say this: I will not disclose the name of 
 my informant without his permission." 
 
 " Well, that s what I meant, of course. Now, because 
 of the fact that we are members of the same lodge, I am 
 bound to inform you of designs dangerous to you or your 
 peace of mind. I am, as you know, a republican and so far
 
 296 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 have been opposed to the measures proposed by your party,, 
 but we ve had disorder enough in this State. I m for peace I 
 The majority of the people have declared for what your 
 party calls the abolittion laws , and Pm content to have ? em 
 tried. Fact is, I ve half a notion of late that maybe they 
 are right. Business has been bad enough for a long time 
 back, God knows, and any honest effort to improve it ought 
 to have a show. Now, I went down, yesterday, to the Third 
 
 National, where I do 
 my banking business, 
 to make a deposit. 
 Well, I was late, and 
 the front door being 
 shut, I went around to 
 the side door, as I have 
 often done before. I 
 walked in as I usually 
 do, not inakmg a very 
 big racket, but gra 
 cious ! I might have 
 worn cow-hide boots and 
 stamped all the way, they 
 never d heard me. Old Col. 
 Gibson, president of the First 
 National, you know, was talking 
 right out in meetin in the direc 
 tors room, which is separated 
 from the outer room by a parti~ 
 tion running only part way to 
 the ceiling, so that I could hear 
 every word he said. The front 
 
 door being shut I reckon they thought they were alone. 
 There seemed to be a kind of meeting of the bankers of the 
 city in progress, and they had Judge Clark of the Supreme 
 Court, who is largely interested in the First National, in. 
 there with them, by the sound. Well, by thunder I did 
 what I never did before, I listened ; I played the Paul Pry
 
 M)(>KINC, FORWARD. 297 
 
 011 em. No\\, do you know, what I heard riled my dander, 
 and after I d got a part of it I stayed right there for Un 
 balance, expecting every minute that the watchman or jani 
 tor would come in at the back door and find me; and then I 
 made np my mind I d act as though I d just come in, and 
 stamp along the passage-way and call for the teller. I 
 was n t afraid of the other fellows, because they could n t get 
 out of the directors room into the passage-way, where I was % 
 without going into another room, and I knew that I could 
 have warning of their coining in that way. Well, damn my 
 soul if them fellows didn t lay plans to knock business and 
 everything else but their own perfesh of money-loaning, 
 into smithereens with the cussedest cheerfulness imagin 
 able." 
 
 "Well, what were their plans?" said the Governor^ 
 who by this time appeared greatly interested. 
 
 " Suppose I am rather long in coming to the point, but 
 the amount of it is this : they made an arrangement with 
 old Clark to issue an injunction, directed to the State Treas 
 urer enjoining him against issuing the State warrants called 
 for in what your people call the third demand. Gibson was 
 specially outrageous in his talk. He said: If the State 
 issues those warrants, as proposed, bearing no interest, 
 receivable anywhere in the State for taxes, engraved in good 
 style, in denominations like money, with a clearing-house 
 provided for in the State Auditor s office, they ll pass for 
 money; they ll circulate from hand to hand and take the 
 place of money in their journey from the district or muni 
 cipality paying them out of the State Auditor s office. Of 
 course we can refuse to receive them on deposit and can 
 quote them at a discount, but if they are made receivable for 
 taxes and no more are issued than the tax-roll calls for > 
 redemption is provided for every dollar and the discount 
 cannot, for obvious reasons, be very heavy. They will be 
 worth par to anybody who wants to pay taxes. Taxes be 
 ing payable, at the option of the tax-payer, every three
 
 298 
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 months, warrants will be in demand. No fiat money scheme 
 in this thing ; no dollar of it will be put out unless some 
 body has first furnished the State with a dollar s worth of 
 labor or material ; then the State agrees to take it up in 
 taxes and destroy it. Oh, they ll go ! Money is scarce and 
 people are crazy for something to effect exchanges with, and 
 you can bet they ll use em. The result will be that general 
 business will increase in amount, exchanges will be easier 
 
 made and everybody will be convinced the warrant scheme 
 is a good thing. Then they will issue more of em ; begin 
 public improvements, levy taxes and issue warrants to pay 
 for em ; every idle hobo will have a job and prices of pro 
 perty will rise, to some extent. Then, said he, they will 
 knock us out ; our hold on business and business men will 
 be destroyed. The scheme is feasible ; they can make it 
 work, and when they do, good bye to private banking. 
 This thing is only an entering wedge, and the amount of it
 
 T,OOKI\<; i-oKWARn. -299 
 
 is, our business is at stake and we must nip this tiling in 
 the bud, or not at all, for when the fools once find out that 
 they can get along without us we ll be like ( Hhello in the 
 play, our occupation will be gone. Another thing for von 
 gentlemen to notice just as you turn this corner; they pro 
 pose in this way to get a sort of circulating medium that 
 don t pay anybody any interest. Just put that in your pipe 
 and smoke it! You let the people get a taste of that kind 
 of thing and they will do us up in a rag, too quick. 1 
 
 "Somebody ventured to express a doubt about the war 
 rants being a success, but the old man pooh poohed him 
 down iu no time. Why don t you know. said he, in reply, 
 that there is a vast fund of information to be obtained from 
 the experience of the Mormons in Utah on this point? 
 They issued the scrip, not half so well provided for as this 
 is, and did all their business among themselves with it. 
 Thousands of them never saw any other money from year s 
 end to year s end, and it made em prosperous, too. People 
 have talked about the wonderful organizing capacity of 
 Hrigham Young and all that, but I can tell you that the 
 scrip which allowed very near free exchange was at the 
 bottom of their commercial success. They didn t borrow 
 any money, paid no interest, and whenever they wanted to 
 buy or sell there was no hindrance to the dicker, and the 
 profits of a trade they were able to keep. Just yon look up 
 the facts in Utah if you want to know about scrip and what 
 the freedom of exchange implies. Well, they made their 
 scrip so common that the National Hanking Association had 
 to take cognizance of it. Complaint was made that the 
 Mormons were emiting bills of credit, contrary to the United 
 States Constitution, and that they were liable for the ten 
 per cent, tax on a circulating medium, under United States 
 law, and the matter was taken, I think, into the United 
 States District Court for adjudication. Well, the Mormons 
 just changed the form of the scrip, making each piece 
 returnable to their treasury, where it was destroyed. It 
 wasn t a circulating medium then. Oh, they are smart, 
 them Mormons are !
 
 3OO I^OOKING FORWARD. 
 
 " Well, he talked on in that way, saying, substantially, 
 that business men did n t amount to anything, that every 
 one of em was in debt and under the control of the banks, 
 and that in the ordinary run of business, as now conducted, 
 they could be managed all right; but, said he, if this new 
 fangled scheme gets a start and to running the}- will get 
 out from under our control ; they ll get sassy and we can t 
 manage em. He did n t say just that, exactly, but that s 
 what he meant." 
 
 " But what did Judge Clark have to say ? " asked the 
 Governor. 
 
 " Well, he didn t say much, but he assented to what 
 was said by Gibson and the others. They appealed to him, 
 asking if there was n t some way in which the law could be 
 used to beat that measly crowd ; though who they could 
 mean by measly crowd but the majority of the people of 
 the State, I can t see. But the old Judge said he thought 
 he could fix em, and before I left he told em positively 
 that he would issue an injunction in time to prevent the 
 issuing of the warrants." 
 
 " But did you get away without being observed ? " 
 
 Yes, I did ; at first I had intended only to hear a little 
 and then steal back to the outer door, open it with a bang 
 and then walk heavily along the passage, as though just 
 coming in, but I had heard so much, and then, what I did 
 hear made me so mad that I concluded to slip out as I came 
 in and put off my deposit until another time. And this I 
 did ; the janitor was n t around ; he knew, I suppose, that a 
 meeting was in progress and so was in no hurry to go back, 
 and his neglect in leaving the side-door open when he came 
 out was what gave me my opportunity. I saw him in at 
 the corner drug-store as I came away. He didn t see me ; 
 nobody saw me so far as I know, and if they did it was no 
 thing uncommon for a depositor to be seen coming out that 
 door. So far, the secret is safe ; I know it and you know it, 
 and you are bound by the strongest ties not to give me 
 away."
 
 L<MKIN<; 
 
 301 
 
 " I wish you would come out squarely and tell it all to 
 everybody us you have to me," said the Governor. 
 
 "Oh, I COUld n t do that for the world. You see, they 
 would ruin my business, and then just look at my action in 
 playing the Paul Pry on cm; why, I never could hold up 
 my head in this town again if I was to do that!" 
 
 u That s so, I suppose," said the Governor, as he 
 thoughtfully scratched his head. "Anyhow," he added, 
 41 Mr. Brooks, I am a thousand times obliged to you for this 
 and I ll not disclose your name to a soul without your per 
 mission. And by the way, if yon get onto anything more 
 in the same line let me know and I ll find a way to reward 
 you; if I can t in one way, I will in another. 
 
 No sooner had Mr. Brooks taken his departure than 
 the Governor sent a messenger to the office of the Attorney- 
 General, the State Treasurer and the Auditor, asking their 
 immediate presence in his office. Upon their arrival the 
 whole story was related to them, Mr. Brooks name only 
 being with-held." 
 
 u It s a crisis, said the Governor; " what is best to be 
 done ? " 
 
 The Attorney-General couldn t think of anything 
 better than to let Judge Clark issue his injunction, the State 
 Treasurer to defy it, issuing the warrants according to law, 
 thus throwing the whole matter into the courts for decision. 
 
 The Treasurer demurred ; he couldn t think of standing 
 the brunt of the whole thing, and the Auditor seemed parti 
 cularly glad that it was n t his office which was to be in 
 volved in a controversy. Finally, after a few expressions 
 of opinion the four gentlemen sat and looked at each other, 
 for the moment in silence. 
 
 " This will never do," said Governor Brown ; " some 
 thing must l^e done ; I ve sworn to uphold the laws and 
 maintain them and I am going to do it, even though a law- 
 defier sits on the bench. One of the things I never could 
 understand is why the people should expect an unprincipled 
 and morally bankrupt attorney to immediately become an
 
 3O2 LOOKINC, FORWARD. 
 
 upright and incorruptible judge by the mere fact of ail 
 election at the polls. Going through the ballot-box doesn t 
 purify him. Usually the effect is the reverse of this. Com 
 monly, he must make pledges to certain monopolistic influ 
 ences before he can secure a nomination, even. He is the 
 same shyster, only given more power and made more 
 dangerous ; that s all. Now, suppose we move on his works 
 at once ; suppose, that as the chief magistrate of this State 
 I issue a warrant for his arrest, charge him with conspiracy 
 against the people of this State in attempting to nullify the 
 laws, and with malfeasance in office in bargaining away 
 decisions of his court ; publish the facts broadcast and 
 summon the legislature, forthwith, to try him and take 
 action in the emergency?" 
 
 Wouldn t that be somewhat revolutionary?" said 
 the Attorney-General. 
 
 " No, I think not; quite the reverse, indeed. It s an 
 appeal to the people. The people are the source of all 
 power. The laws are simply their will written down. 
 There is nothing sacred about law, unless it embodies that 
 will. Now, in this supposed instance, my action would be 
 in support of the people s laws attacked by a traitor. And 
 even suppose Judge Clark to be honest in his opinion, the 
 case is this: one man against the people of the State; a 
 man who sets himself deliberately to nullify the will of 
 the people. Are the people of a whole State to confess 
 their power to govern themselves taken away by an irre 
 sponsible shyster who, by common political methods, lias 
 been foisted by corrupt rings ters, who control party nomi 
 nations, into office to do the will of corporations? We 
 have a sample of the influence controlling Clark in that 
 meeting at the bank. Now, are we going to let those people 
 in that bank have more governmental power than all the 
 people of this State? And you will remember that this is 
 not the first time that Judge Clark has laid himself open 
 to suspicion. Is such a man as he to be the people s auto 
 cratic ruler? Is the right of self-government gone? I will
 
 LOOKIM. FORWARD. 303 
 
 not believe it! A.ny how, the people shall deride. If n> 
 sary, we -an rail an election. r have it done, and let tin; 
 people determine the whole matter for themselves. And 
 something of this kind must he done if the people are i, 
 rule, ( lark s will only be the first of a whole <Top of 
 injunctions unless this thin^ is nipped in the hud. < >ne 
 thing sure, we will find out, once for all. whether the voter-- 
 of this State have lost the right of self-government, or not. 
 \Ve will put the thing to the test." 
 
 " Well, that would be one way of settling the matter. 
 said the Auditor. " that would be the Swiss referendum in 
 practice, straight out and right ofl ." 
 
 "Can you think of a better?" the Governor asked. 
 But all agreed that it would he the only way to successfully 
 oppose the rule of Clark and his masters. 
 
 "Now. gentlemen. said Governor Brown, "not one 
 word of all this must get out. This is a State secret and I 
 shall hold each one of you personally responsible for its 
 -afe keeping. 1 have called you in consultation and in 
 confidence, and 1 shall ask you to respect that confidence 
 until I ad." 
 
 Governor Brown was as good as his word, and moved 
 with promptness. Judge ( lark was arrested, a detailed 
 aecount of the meeting at the hank, with the substance of 
 what was there said, given to the public press and tin- 
 legislature summoned to meet in extra session. 
 
 An immense sensation was the result. Nothing else 
 was talked of throughout the State. The participators in 
 the meeting at the bank wen/ convinced that some one of 
 their number had turned traitor and informer. Each wa- 
 suspicious of the other: distrust and dislike the natural 
 consequence, and all of them seemed willing that Judge 
 Clark should be the victim of the occasion, for the feeling 
 aroused by the publication of the facts was so great that it 
 was readily seen that a victim must he forthcoming. 
 Under these circumstances they began to talk: several 
 acknowledging that they were at the meeting and giving
 
 304 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 the names of all who were present. Newspaper interview 
 ers soon had a full list of names and a complete account 
 of all that was said and done at the now famous meeting; 
 to the immense relief of merchant John Brooks, as our 
 readers will readily helieve. Who had first told the Gov 
 ernor now seemed a matter of little importance, since all 
 had unburdened their minds upon the subject. 
 
 The political complexion of the legislature being 
 known and the necessity of a victim being apparent, Judge 
 Clark s title to a good degree of ignominy seemed secure. 
 
 In due time the legislature met. The fact that the 
 people of the State had long been suffering from " hard 
 times" and were exceedingly anxious to try anything 
 which promised relief and the further fact that they were 
 tired of turmoil would undoubtedly have induced the 
 legislature to sustain Governor Brown in the impeach 
 ment of Judge Clark, but the strong and unequivocal 
 statements of President Gibson of the First National, 
 which he could not deny, that the warrants would circulate 
 freely, allowing exchanges to be made ; that under these 
 circumstances, business would increase, employment be 
 found for all and people be enabled to escape in a measure 
 from the business control of the banks, made certain the 
 result. 
 
 The Governor was sustained and Judge Clark im 
 peached. In addition, the legislature provided for the 
 calling of an election at which a proposition should be 
 submitted for a yea and nay vote. The proposition being, 
 substantially: " Shall the laws passed by the legislature, 
 session of- , be sustained, and is the Governor author 
 ized, if need be, to employ military force in upholding the 
 decision of the people?" 
 
 But one answer was possible; tired of strife and now 
 earnestly hoping for a return of " good times/ a very large 
 majority voted yes/ Indeed, the decision was almost 
 unanimous for trial of the new laws. This broke the back 
 of the opposition, scarcely anyone openly opposing the
 
 LOOKINO FORWARD. 305 
 
 issuance of the warrants, it being plain that as they were 
 returnable to the State Auditor s office, there to be de 
 stroyed, that they could not be considered as bills of credit 
 prohibited by the United States Constitution. The ( Jov- 
 ernor being empowered to go to almost any length in 
 support, no other judge seemed anxiou- to tempt the fate 
 meted out to Judge Clark, and a general acquiescence in 
 the new legislation seemed to be ;U last secured. 
 
 Slowly business l.e-un to improve, and men of means 
 considered shrewd and "sharp" began very cautiouslv, 
 here and there, to buy land offered for sale at what were 
 considered "low figures." On account of the repeal of the 
 laws for the collection of debt, sales were invariably made 
 for cash or other property. Very soon, or as soon as it be 
 came apparent that men considered far-seeing in every 
 neighborhood were buying good farms, land began slowly 
 to rise in value. For years it had been impossible to sell 
 land at -any reasonable figure and much surprise was ex 
 pressed at the turn affairs had taken. The " stay-law 
 having ,uiven the holders of mortgaged property able to 
 make a satisfactory showing to the court, two years of 
 grace." they were not particularly anxious to sell, while 
 Kastern and foreign holders of mortgages on Kansas pro 
 perty hearing extravagant accounts of "repudiation legis 
 lation " in that State became correspondingly anxious to 
 >ecure their claims. " These people/ said they, " have put 
 us off for two years: now what is to hinder them from 
 putting us off again at the end of the two years"; and they 
 began to be afraid. The only way of securing themselves 
 absolutely against loss seemed to be the purchase of the 
 equity" held by the holder of the land. The holder of 
 the mortgage thus became the undisputed owner of the 
 properly mortgaged to him. Fear of future loss inducing 
 many to do this, good farms rose still higher in price as 
 the demand grew and increased. Strange as it seemed to 
 the people who had fought the legislation proposed by the 
 reformers, what Deemed to be a regular "real-estate boom"
 
 306 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 began to show its familiar features. Unlike previous 
 booms, however, all deals were settled on the spot. No 
 debts were left to " draw " interest and mar the profits of 
 transactions. Land was steadily rising in value and every 
 one who bought was able to figure out a profit. It did not 
 seem possible for anyone to lose in the buying and selling 
 which now became common, nor was there opportunity for 
 one to become largely indebted. The situation was, from 
 its very newness and extreme unlikeness to anything be 
 fore known, very peculiar. The oldest inhabitant could 
 remember nothing like it. One thing seemed clear: it 
 could n t last. Meantime an opportunity was offered the 
 farmers for which they had long waited: now they could 
 get out of debt. 
 
 At this stage of the rapidly-shifting business pano 
 rama, while improvement was the order of the day and 
 trade extremely brisk, the only lugubrious people to be 
 found were the followers of Henry George, who constantly 
 filled the ears of the few they were able to "buttonhole" 
 with doleful accounts of the ruin to come; " the land 
 holders were to be the new monopolists," they said; "all 
 that had been done was for the benefit of the land-holder." 
 But all they said had but little effect upon those who had 
 found land for years the most unprofitable thing they 
 could touch, and at the same time, anomolous condition 
 of affairs that it was, it had seemed impossible for a poor 
 man to hold his little homestead. The money-loaner and 
 the tax-gatherer seemed all the time just on the point of 
 taking it away from him. Land hadn t paid anyone for 
 its cultivation; there was no profit in that; it had been 
 absolutely unsalable; really it seemed to be worth nothing, 
 and yet it had been the hardest thing in the world to pre 
 vent foreclosure or sale for taxes. In short, the poor 
 home-owner had been suffering a perfect night-mare of 
 oppression. But this peculiar and unrighteous condition 
 of affairs was now coming to an end. Now, if he wanted 
 to sell his place and pay of the mortgage, he could do so ?
 
 LOOK-INN; FOR WARD. 307 
 
 and have something left. Indeed, it began to ho seen that 
 the rise in land values was a perfect god-send to the mort 
 gaged homo-owner. In no other way could he have go. 
 out of the grasp of the money-loaner. Now, lie who had a 
 mortgaged farm could, hy selling half, usually, pav hi< 
 debt, leaving half clear of incumhranee, which, under tin- 
 new law, could not he taken from him under any pretext 
 and, in addition, it was not taxahle. This was a clra-- 
 advantage; anybody could see that. A free home made 
 the family possessing it free. It was better than life in 
 tuirance; there were no premiums to pay and it could not 
 be taken from the family as long as any member remained 
 who needed it. Free homes made free men; no more fear 
 of the sheriff or the tax-gatherer. Coming want did not 
 scare them, nor the creditor make them afraid. 
 
 From appearances, a regular land boom had been 
 engineered, evidently by design; or. so it seemed. Among 
 the people who had opposed "the demands " the greatest 
 wonder was manifested Had " thai measly crowd " sense 
 enough to work such a scheme? And how curious to 
 them the working out of the plan! Previous land specu 
 lations had left everybody in debt. This one got people 
 out of debt and made it pract icallv impossible for them to 
 get in. Another thing was a great surprise to them: all 
 enquiry was for farms and rural homes which, under the 
 new law, would be free from taxation. k Town property " 
 did n t figure in real estate deals, as formerly. Public 
 attention was attracted away from the cities and to the 
 country. Meantime, business of every legitimate sort wa-= 
 pressed to the sky line; in fact, the large amounts oi 
 money sent into the State for the purchase of equities 
 made exchanges and the payment of debts easy. Undei 
 these circumstances no one could be found to say anything 
 against the abolition laws, and the strongest opposers freely 
 acknowledged that they had been mistaken. Hut shrewd 
 observers began to say: " If the people who have run this 
 deal, so far, were bright enough to do what they have done, 
 we may be sure they have something else on the string . 
 Better look a little out!"
 
 LOOKTNC! FORWATtD. 
 
 CH A PTRR X X IX. 
 
 A NKW DKAh. 
 
 UR story approaches its end. What 
 remains to be told must be hastily 
 sketched. 
 
 " The boom quickly came to an end. 
 Like all other and previous booms, it 
 left a large number of people, who had 
 prided themselves upon their shrewd 
 ness, heavily encumbered. Not with 
 debts, as had formerly been the case, but 
 with land. The eagerness of the mort 
 gage holders to secure their claims had 
 
 made a demand for farms, and demand had largely increased 
 price. Thus the speculative fever had taken its rise. See 
 ing that the price of land and farms continued slowly and 
 steadily to rise, all who could obtain money began very 
 cautiously to buy land. What was bought this week was 
 rated at a higher figure next. In every neighborhood cer 
 tain parties were said to have "made" large sums in buying 
 and selling land. This operated, as it has ever done, to 
 temporarily craze whole communities. Any resident of one 
 of the affected communities could easily prove to himself 
 that the then present conditions were not temporary, but 
 permanent. "Things were now just where they should 
 have been all along ; and, as a matter of fact, were simply 
 assuming their normal relations." Argument was lost on 
 him. " Look at the steady rise in prices !" 
 
 But when the mortgaged home-owners had been able, 
 by the rise in prices, to get out of debt, and in most in 
 stances still retain a somewhat smaller and less expensive 
 home, genuine and legitimate demand, for occupation and 
 use, backed by money, came to an end. The fever of specu 
 lation, however, did not at once abate, and large investments 
 of money continued to be made for a time. Suddenly a halt 
 was called and speculation stopped. Facts began now to be
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 311 
 
 fully reali/ed and investors slowly regained their senses. 
 It was all very clear, now. They had started the boom- 
 They had furnished the money, -a it limit interest, to run it 
 and make all the necessary exchanges, by means of which 
 most of the farmers were now free. They had given up 
 interest-bearing obligations and, in the aggregate, had in 
 addition furnished the owners of land with large amounts of 
 money. Fear had induced them to begin buying, and greed, 
 or the hope of gain, had urged them on in what all could 
 now see was a wild speculation. Now, they began to think 
 Income from the payment of interest money had largely 
 ceased. A large share of the people still had homes and 
 yet could not be taxed ; had, in fact, secured their indepen 
 dence. "Investors" and land speculators, however, held 
 large numbers of farms and great quantities of land, which, 
 on the subsidence of the speculative fever, remained unsal 
 able, and quoted prices began to recede. All this was tax 
 able. . This was a very important fact , the importance of 
 which began, now, to be fully appreciated. The prospect, 
 too, in the eyes of the large land-holders, seemed extraordi 
 narily good for a great increase in taxation. Under these 
 circumstances, a new terror took possession of them. They 
 were worse off than ever. Plainville had already built a 
 new bridge across the creek and paid for it in warrants 
 issued to her own citixens. Nobody seemed to feel that it 
 had really cost anything, and now they were talking of 
 building a flouring mill in the same way ; that is, by tax 
 ation. Other towns had done the same and the seemingly 
 unlucky investors in land already felt in their minds the 
 pangs of approaching loss. 
 
 The speculators thus self-entrapped made a great out 
 cry. True, however, to their never-failing duplicity, it was 
 not of their own woe that they spoke. As usual, u the poor 
 man " was the subject of all their conversation. "Credit 
 being destroyed by the most disgraceful legislation which 
 ever cumbered the statute-books of a civili/ed state, the poor 
 man was now deprived of the opportunity of obtaining a
 
 312 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 home ; this was the burden of their cry. What it really 
 meant was this ; their occupation of "drawing" interest and 
 clipping coupons had received a set-back, the first it had 
 ever known. Now, their power to sell land, or anything 
 else, "on payments" at an exorbitant price, "draw" interest 
 for a series of years, often in amounts greater than the value 
 of the property sold, and then on the appearance of the 
 usual panic, caused by the concerted withdrawal of loans 
 and credits, foreclose and seize the land, or other property, 
 to be " sold " to the next comer who could be induced to bet 
 against their control of the money market. That game had 
 come to an end. Hence the disturbance. 
 
 Poor people, for themselves, were not specially dis 
 mayed, for even those who had lost their farms were now 
 able to rent one for less than they had formerly paid in 
 interest, taxes and insurance. Rents fell with the price of 
 land. Business was good. Exchanges were freely made 
 and " trading " brisk. Any man could get work at, good 
 wages. Public improvements were everywhere projected, 
 warrants circulated freely from hand to hand, and as the 
 interest drain upon production had largely ceased, more 
 money circulated among the people than had been the case 
 for years. Even the poor man, who wished to do so, could 
 now save a little money. 
 
 Although a furious effort was made in the newspapers 
 to influence public sentiment against the new legislation, it 
 miserably failed. It was too plainly in the interest of 
 speculators and investors. Evidently they were the only 
 people dissatisfied. They had brought on the boom. If 
 caught in their own trap no one outside their ranks felt 
 specially responsible for the situation. And thus the matter 
 stood. 
 
 But the investors were energetic people and well sup 
 plied with brains. Something must be done ! If thrown 
 upon their own resources they could at least make shift to 
 rid themselves of the worst features of their present condi 
 tion. Even though the opportunity for profit had gone
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 313 
 
 glimmering, they could at least save themselves against loss. 
 So, after much talk and many conferences, which included 
 leading men throughout the State, what was called "A New 
 Deal " was published, as agreed upon. Substantially, the 
 scheme was as follows : The speculators were to divide 
 their offerings of land into small tracts suitable for homes, 
 of about $1500 valuation. Of farming land this would 
 cover, generally speaking, from 40 to 80 acres. These small 
 tracts were to be " rented " to suitable families making 
 application; the "rent" paid to be one-tenth of the valu 
 ation, annually for ten years. The owner of the land to 
 execute an approved bond to deed to the renter the tract 
 thus u rented " at any time upon the payment of the ten 
 annual installments ; the rent paid to be and remain a lien 
 upon the land. If a renter failed to pay his rent, the owner 
 of the land to be able to eject him during the month of 
 March following his failure to pay ; arbitration, and not a 
 suit at law, to determine the resulting damage to either 
 party. As no interest could be collected upon payments of 
 rent," at the earnest solicitation of the large land-holders 
 and for the purpose of further protecting "the renters, the 
 (Governor and most of the members of the legislature 
 promised to favor the passage of a law at the next session 
 exempting from taxation small homesteads "rented" under 
 the the terms of " The New Deal/ 
 
 The effect of this was wonderful. It being noised 
 abroad that every family possessed of a few hundred dollars 
 could, in Kansas under the new laws, in a few years be able 
 to acquire a sufficient portion of the earth s surface for self- 
 support, which could neither be taxed or taken away under 
 any circumstances, attracted to the State world-wide atten 
 tion. Even in foreign lands men and women were intensely 
 interested in this new step toward the enlarged and greater 
 freedom for oppressed humanity thus secured. A very 
 large immigration to the State was the immediate result. 
 All the immigrants brought more or less money, and, what 
 was of vastly greater importance, a new hope filled them
 
 314 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 with the spirit of endeavor. The conditions prevailing were 
 such that all were able at once to begin the production of 
 values. Added to the previous very general prosperity, all 
 this made Kansas and its people happy, indeed. Once more,, 
 the very name was an inspiration. Once more, Kansas led 
 in freedom s march ! Free Land and Free Exchange were 
 partially secured! 
 
 "The investors 11 were able to "rent" all their land 
 without trouble and so great was the desire to possess a free 
 home, and so hungry is humanity for land freed from the 
 demands of those who desire to eat bread in the sweat of 
 other men s faces that large numbers of dejected and almost 
 hopeless people heretofore considered " shiftless," lazy and 
 improvident in the extreme, submitted cheerfully to many 
 privations when once more able to hope in the future 
 opportunity of escaping from the control of other men. 
 Even the happy-go-lucky negro of slavery days would fight 
 like a devil for his freedom when once he had a clear oppor 
 tunity of obtaining it. 
 
 Of course it was recognized that benefits so far received 
 were, and could be, only partial and local in their effects ; 
 the conditions prevailing in the nation at large preventing 
 full success. And yet, those who were in possession of free 
 homes and had in some measure succeeded in freeing them 
 selves from the burdens formerly imposed upon production, 
 and exchange had, in these things, come near securing that 
 free access to nature s bounties which will finally enable the 
 poor and the weak to escape from the exactions of the rich 
 and the strong. 
 
 If the cities have favored positions and peculiar privi 
 leges let the people most benefitted pay for what they, only, 
 enjoy; if corporations and " property " demand "protection * 
 and an army, let them tax themselves for what they desire! 
 Let them stop stealing from the poor, and the poor will 
 never threaten or harm them have never done so, as a. 
 class, in all the history of the world! Fear is the sure sign 
 and evidence of wrong; men who fear the mob bear evidence
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 315 
 
 of having wronged it, as men who fear God usually have 
 good reason to do so. If wealth and power and position 
 demand "stronger government" let them pay for the bauble. 
 Decent men, not to speak of Christians, should be 
 ashamed of present methods, which in most crafty and 
 indirect manner tax production and exchange in such a way 
 as to force poverty unknowingly to pay for the luxuries of 
 the rich. 
 
 But the people of Kansas, for the most part, were now 
 able to live. They could no longer be starved into submis 
 sion. Meantime, and until national measures of relief 
 should come into play, they could, now that they were 
 partially free from rent, interest and taxes, take Senator 
 Plumb s advice, u live within themselves " and wait for the 
 opportunities of the future. 
 
 Some of the reforms effected were these : Taxes were 
 very much reduced and county government, in particular, 
 condensed to the merest skeleton of what it had been. 
 Township and municipal government took its place. The 
 New England town meeting the Swiss Initiative and 
 Referendum practically furnishing the model. People 
 governed themselves, as their grandfathers had clone, almost 
 without cost. The abolition of all laws for the collection of 
 debt had largely done away with courts, lawyers and court 
 expenses. In all ordinary cases of misunderstanding and 
 difficulty between citizens arbitration was made compulsory. 
 The rich and the contentious were unable, as formerly, to 
 terrorize the timid and the peacefully inclined with the 
 disaster of a suit at law. 
 
 A general uniform system of State education was 
 established, known locally as " the barefoot schoolboy law." 
 The State undertook the education of every child ; each 
 pupil drawing from the proceeds of State taxation the sum 
 often dollars per annum. This paid the total running ex 
 penses of most schools. Districts, towns and counties de 
 siring to do so could, of course, tax themselves additionally.
 
 316 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 Hopefulness ruled the hour. What the toiler earned, 
 he was able to keep and all looked forward with the greatest 
 confidence to that " good time " sure to come in the not 
 distant future. 
 
 During all this time Maitland had been incessantly 
 engaged. He was called for from every point of the com 
 pass, and, like the trusty soldier, was ever found in the 
 thickest of the fight. Several times the forces opposed had 
 seemingly been on the point of gaining a victory and thus 
 delaying the final and inevitable result, but each time his 
 splendid powers and matchless oratory had turned the tide. 
 Hopeful and buoyant, his speeches rang with good cheer 
 and that hope and confidence in final victory which encour 
 aged and inspired success. 
 
 At the time of which I write he was in Iowa, engaged 
 in the work which had employed all his powers since his 
 first effort at Branchville. 
 
 The following letter written by him at that time will 
 explain itself: 
 
 DES MOINKS, IOWA, - . 
 
 REV. MR. ELLERY. 
 
 My Dear Friend: As you are aware, we have gained a 
 great victory and have now secured for Iowa the legislation 
 which has resulted in so much good to Kansas. But we 
 have only just begun, and much remains to be done. Our 
 enemies taunt us with destroying credit and say that we 
 have made it impossible for private parties to obtain large 
 amounts of money for great and necessary works of public 
 utility. This is doubtless true, and from my standpoint is 
 not the least of our victories. Let us make it impossible! 
 For great works, the nation, the State, the county or the 
 municipality must in future take the place of private and 
 irresponsible corporations and companies. At present, many 
 of these are our masters. In a republic the people, in 
 theory, rule. Let us not rest until this theory has been 
 reduced to practice, for in no other way can we escape that 
 taxation without representation against v/hich our revolu 
 tionary fathers rebelled. The money power, the railroads
 
 I.OOKINC, FOKWAKM. 
 
 and the trusts, tax us freely ; we are without representation 
 on their boards. 
 
 Let us rebel ! 
 
 Uut I sat down to write for another purpose. I am 
 coining down to see you again. From what you write, I 
 hope to receive a different answer from Mary Grafton from 
 that given me, now some years ago. I felt terribly repulsed 
 at the time, but it was the answer I should have been given. 
 I ought to have known better. As sure as you live, though, 
 I think her influence has made a man of me. But I will 
 not bother you with the thoughts of a man in love. You 
 may expect me on Saturday the loth. 
 As ever, yours truly, 
 
 M AITI.AM). 
 
 ft:
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 T is now nearly ten years since 
 our readers were introduced to 
 the people of Plaiuville. Many 
 changes have taken place and 
 all our old friends show plainly 
 the passage of time. Mr. El- 
 lery had been, for some years, occu 
 pying the debatable ground between 
 middle life and old age. Now, the 
 matter had been decided for him, and 
 it was clear that he was no longer young. But age, with 
 him, while frosty, was yet kindly. To meet him was a 
 pleasure, to know him a benediction, and to be near him an 
 assurance of high thoughts and noble impulses. In the 
 troublous times through which they had passed he had 
 never failed to speak clearly and plainly upon the topics of 
 the day. All knew him to entertain the most radical 
 opinions, and yet his utterances had been tempered with so 
 great and plain a love for all, in every station of life, that 
 none dared take offense. 
 
 Mrs. Ellery, dear, kind, motherly soul, had changed 
 but little. Life, to her, was a pleasure. Long years before 
 she had learned the truth that self-seeking surely ends in 
 loss of that happiness for which all, without exception seek. 
 That our love can create happiness in others and that 
 its reflection upon ourselves is absolutely the only source 
 we have of true and lasting pleasure, she had mastered. 
 What wonder, then, that she was happy and beloved? With 
 no thought of self, she had devoted herself to the distressed 
 and forsaken. None appealed to her motherly heart in vain; 
 the sorrows of all were her sorrows, and in their joys she 
 rejoiced. Though pinched by " genteel poverty " herself, 
 she had opened wide her door and her heart to Mary Grafton 
 and the motherless boy, at the time of their greatest need.
 
 l.oOKINt, FORWARD. 32! 
 
 But she had been repaid by the love of children, more fond, 
 mayhap, than that of her own might have been. 
 
 Mary our Mary now a beautiful young woman of 
 twenty-five, still taught in the village school. She had 
 always been the pride of Plait iville, but since her father s 
 tragic death had been adopted as the daughter or sister of 
 every loyal resident. With a pleasant nod for all, she yi-t 
 maintained that calm equipoise of manner which betrayed 
 what she could not hide, the superior soul. How much of 
 Mr. Ellery s radical stand for truth was due to her influence. 
 could not be determined ; psychology and philosophy as yet 
 are but words used for the concealment of thoughts which 
 take hold upon the verities of life. Much remains for which 
 wc.rds afford no expression. 
 
 And she, herself, whence did she derive that superiority 
 which, without a word from her, impressed itself upon all? 
 The daughter of her father, were the hopes and aspirations, 
 which in him had been but as the shadow of power, recreated 
 in her to blossom and bloom with a fragrance and beauty 
 which compelled that of which he only dreamed ? 
 
 Or was her life her own, and is each vital spark but a 
 flame, whose source is the Eternal Light, which must needs 
 take character from the mortal body upon which it tempora 
 rily depends ? 
 
 Charlie was now a bright boy of twelve. His sister 
 had exercised over him, as she had promised, a mother s 
 care, and with such a mother and such a household as that 
 in which he found his home he could not be otherwise than 
 obedient and affectionate. 
 
 Plainville was "looking up" the} said, New buildings 
 were appearing on every hand and an era of thrift and sub 
 stantial improvement seemed setting in. No large and 
 pretentious brick and stone palaces, constructed with bor 
 rowed, capital and covered with mortgages, to pamper the 
 pride and eat and corrode the substance of the builders, 
 were attempted, but better yet, the modest dwellings of the 
 residents began to show, by here a coat of paint and there
 
 322 LOOKING FORWARD 
 
 an added room or a new "piazza," the solid and substantial 
 progress of a people, who, having learned the hatefulness of 
 borrowed finery, were resolved henceforth not to spend 
 money before they had it. 
 
 Upon the receipt of Maitland s letter, Mr. Ellery re 
 solved, like the true and loyal friend he was, to learn from 
 Mary the probable result of the suit, which he had written 
 he should again resume. Of course, Mrs Ellery was to be 
 the medium through whom the desired information might 
 be obtained. Reading the letter to her he said: 
 
 " Don t you think you ought to acquaint Mary with 
 the substance of this letter and learn from her George s 
 probable answer ? This would save them both some embar 
 rassment, and possibly, pain. 
 
 " Perhaps so," said she, " and yet I dislike to appear to 
 intrude. Affectionate and loving as she is, no one would 
 ever know the secrets of her heart unless she sa\v fit to 
 reveal them." 
 
 "True enough, but I know George, now, intimately. 
 I have been his confidant in this matter, you know. He 
 means just what he says, and it occurs to me that as his 
 friend I should make an effort to save him a possible refusal. 
 Aside from the claims of friendship, the gifts we have re 
 ceived from him, surely call for at least the effort to serve 
 him. And as we are not called upon to exert any influence 
 we may possess, but simply to find out the state of her mind, 
 it does seem that you ought to make the attempt." 
 
 " It does seem strange that we are obliged to ask her, 
 and that we have no idea what her answer may be, said 
 Mrs. Ellery; " and yet, when we think of her, as she is, we 
 know that she would sooner die than reveal by a look, a 
 feeling which she might wish to conceal." 
 
 At the next favorable opportunity, Mrs. Ellery said : 
 
 " Mary, Mr. Maitland will be here on Saturday ! " 
 
 "Will he? Well, now we shall hear the story of the 
 Iowa campaign. Wasn t that a grand speech at Fort
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 323 
 
 Dodge ? Even the Register could not refrain from words of 
 praise." 
 
 Yes, it was grand just to hear it read, but to have- 
 heard him deliver it must have been impressive, indeed. 
 But, Mar}*, he is coming to again ask you to marry him, 
 and both Mr. Ellery and myself are anxious to know 
 whether you have another refusal in store for him, or not." 
 
 Mary blushed, but her eyes were stead} , as she said : 
 
 " Has he requested you to ask for him ? " 
 
 " No, indeed, he has no idea of such a thing, but our 
 wish is to save you both possible annoyance and pain. 
 That is all. I am sure nothing would have induced me to 
 speak as I have if I did not know that you had once refused 
 him." 
 
 Mrs. Ellery said no more. She knew Mary too well to 
 add anything to what she had said. Mary was silent ; her 
 eyes sought the floor and only the clasping of her hands, 
 one with the other, revealed the emotion within. At last 
 she said, speaking very slowly : 
 
 " Mr. Maitland is a man whom I respect and admire. 
 Let him speak for himself." 
 
 That was all, and although Mrs. Ellery remained in 
 an expectant attitude, the subject was not again alluded to. 
 
 Speaking to Mr. Ellery of the matter afterward, she said: 
 
 " Mary is a wonderful woman; she treated the matter 
 as a queen might have done ; gracious and cordial though 
 she was, she yet reserved her thought. Of this, though, I 
 feel sure : George need not fear. 
 
 Saturday came at last, as looked-for-days have ever 
 done, and with it the expected arrival. Mr. Ellery was at 
 the depot and warmly greeted his friend. On the way to 
 the parsonage many hands were to be grasped and hearty 
 greetings exchanged, for Maitland had now become not 
 only a noted man but a general favorite. " Uncle Bill " 
 grasped his hand with a terrible squeeze, saying: 
 
 " God bless you, Mr. Maitland, for what you have done 
 and for what I believe you will vet do! "
 
 324 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 And as Maitland, for the moment engaged in conversa 
 tion half a dozen others, who gathered to speak a word of 
 welcome, he said, sot to voce, to Mr. Ellery : "I take back all 
 I once said to you agin him," indicating Maitland with an 
 inclination of the head; "he is a royal man, if he is a 
 preacher, and now I sha n t say a word agin his carrying off 
 our favorite. Poor Grafton, I hope his daughter will be 
 happy ! She is a splendid woman and the man that gets 
 her will have a treasure, sure." 
 
 Arrived at the parsonage, Mrs. Ellery kissed the 
 traveler as she would have greeted a son and appeared over 
 joyed to see him, but as Mary gave him her hand her usual 
 self-possession failed her, she blushed deeply and the tell 
 tale color overspread her face. Presently she recovered, 
 and the conversation became general regarding the Iowa 
 campaign and the wonderful success which had followed the 
 efforts of the "agitator," as now he was willing to be called. 
 
 Mr. Ellery was so much interested in the details, as 
 related by his friend, that he did not notice that Mrs. 
 Ellery had left the parlor where they sat. Casting his eye 
 toward the open door he saw his wife, who, standing where 
 she was only to be seen by him, stood, beckoning him to 
 follow her. Excusing himself as best he could, in a few 
 moments he, too, departed. 
 
 How it came about he never could tell, but no sooner 
 had the Ellerys left the room than Maitland, seating him 
 self by Mary s side, took her hand. She did not withdraw 
 it. Emboldened, he placed his arm around her and drew 
 her head upon his shoulder. The ready tears, her mother s 
 legacy, came into her eyes, but he kissed them away as he 
 clasped her to his heart. Whispered confidences and sweet 
 embraces followed in rapid succession. How long they 
 were thus employed neither knew, when Mrs. Ellery, with 
 much rattling of doors, returned to summon them to supper. 
 Rising to his feet, Mr. Maitland said : 
 
 "Aunt Ellery, allow me to present the future Mrs. 
 Maitland!"
 
 LOOKING FORWARD. 
 
 325 
 
 Mrs. Ellery could scarcely keep back the tears as she 
 pressed her foster-child to her heart. "Ah, children," said 
 she " you don t know how happy I am for you ! God bless 
 you both!" 
 
 But little remains to be told. At the time of the mar 
 riage, which occurred shortly after Maitland s return, the 
 elder Maitland, now advanced in years and thoroughly 
 proud of his gifted son, came to Plain ville, entreating his 
 old friend Ellery to return to Massachusetts with him, 
 offering to place him in comfort for the rest of his days. 
 But the old preacher would not listen to it. " I have put 
 on the harness," said he, " and I shall die at my post." 
 Not to be balked, however, the other, saying that he wished 
 to have the privilege of subscribing to the " cause," settled 
 $500 a year upon his old friend, which was regularly there 
 after paid. 
 
 John Busteed had been convicted of a crime and sent 
 enced to the penitentiary, but his father secured a pardon 
 for him and established him in business in Idaho, where 
 report says he is " doing better." 
 
 Charlie, although the little fellow scarcely knew what 
 to make of the turn affairs had taken, was completely 
 assured by his sister, who said : " You have n t lost any 
 body, have you, dear? You ve only gained a big brother," 
 (glancing shyly at Maitland), " and he is just as good as he 
 can be, too! "
 
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