MHfirna ■■ hi 11 nn 1 m i—nti 1 'wmin1
I THE SEARCH I
By Grace Livingston Hill- -Lutz
Copyright, 1919, by J. B. Llpplncott Company
were? doing for them. It made
camp life and hardships seem less
dreary.
It was great to pet back to his
little mother find put his big arms
around her again. She seemed
so small. Had she shrunken since
he left her or was he grown so
mfieh huskier with the out of
door life Both, perhaps, and he
looked at her sorrowfully. She
was so little and quiet and brave
to be.ar life all alone. If he only
could get back and get to suc
ceeding in life so that he might
make some brightness for her.
She had borne so much, and she
ought not' to have looked so old
and worn at her age! For a
brief instant again his heart was
almost bitter, and he wondered
what God meant by giving his
good little mother so much
trouble. Was there a God when
such things could be? He re
solved to do something about
finding out this very day.
It was pleasant to help his
mother about the kitchen, saving
her as she had not been saved
since he left, telling her about
the camp, and listening to her
tearful admiration of him. She
could scarcely take her eyes frofti
him, he seemed so tall and big
and handsome in his uniform; he
appeared so much older and more
manly that her heart yearned for
her boy who seemed to be slip
ping away from her. It was so
heavenly blessed to sit down be
side him and sew on a button
and mend a torn spot in his flan
nel shirt and have him pat her
shoulder now and then content
edly.
Then with pride she sent him
down to the store for something
nice for dinner, and watched him
through the window with a smile,
the tears running down her
cheeks. How tall and straight
he walked! How like his father
when she first knew him! She
hoped the neighbors all were
looking out and would see him.
Her boy! Her soldier boy! And
he must go away from her, per
haps to die!
But—he was here today! She
would not think of the rest. She
would rejoice now in his pres
come to speak to him so impul
sively?
‘‘I understand, exactly, of
course,” said the minister with
growing eagerness. “Could you
come in now for five or 10 min
utes? I’ll turn hack with you
and you can stp on your way, or
we can talk as we go. Were
you thinking of uniting with the
church? We have our commun
ion the first Sunday of next
month. I should be very glad if
you could arrange. We have a
number of yfoung people coming
in now. I’d like to see,you come
with them. The church is a good
safe place to be. It was es
tablished by God. It is a school
in which to learn of Him. It
is-”
“But I’m pot what you would
call a Christian!” protested
Cameron. “I don’t even know
that I believe in the Bible. I
don’t know what your church be
lieves. I don’t have a very def
inite idea what any church be
lieves. I would be a'hypocrite
to stand up and join a church
when I wasn’t sure there was a
God.”
“My dear young fellow!” said
the minister affectionately, “Not
at all! Not at all! The church
is the place for young people to
come when they have doubts. It
ip a shelter, and a growing place.
Just trust yourself to God and
come in among His people and
your doubts will vanish. Don t.
worry about doubts. Many^peo
ple have doubts. Just let them
alone and put yourself in the
right way and you will forget
them. I should be glad to talk
with you further. I would like
to see you come into communion
with God’s people. If you want
to find God you should come
where He has promised to be. It
is a great thing to ha /e a fine
young fellow like you, and a sol
dier, array himself on the side of
God. I would like to see you
stand up on the right side before
you go out to meet danger and
perhaps death.”
A friend who understood her,
Vnd whom she could understand.
/.tat was what she had always
Wanted and what she had never
.fluitc had with any of her young
associates. Oner or two had ap
proached to that, but always
there had been a point at which
they had fallen short. That she
thould make this man her friend
whose letter crackled in her
pocket, in that intimate sense of
the word, did not occur to her
'even now'. lie was somehow set
apart for service in her mind;
and as such she had chosen him
to be her special knight, she to
be the lady to whom he might
look for encouragement—whose
honor he was going forth to de
fend. It was a misty dreamy
ideal of a thought. Somehow she
W'ould. not have picked out any
other of her boy friends to be a
knight for her. They were too
flippant, Too careless and light
hearted. The very way in which
they lighted their multitudinous
cigarets and flipped the match .
away gave impression that they
were going .to have the time of
their lives in this war. They
might have patriotism down at
the bottom of all this froth and
boasting, (oubtless they had ; but
there was so little seriousness
about them that one would never
think of them as knights, de
fenders of some great cause of
righteousness. Perhaps she was
all wrong. Perhaps it was only
her old baby fancy for the little
boy who could always “lick”
the other boys and save the girls
from trouble that prejudiced her
in his favor, but at least it was
pleasant and a great relief to
know that her impulsive letter
bad not been misunderstood.
me gins prauiea or uus one
•ml that who were “going over”
*oon, told of engagements and
marriages soon to occur; criti
cized the brides and grooms to
be; declared their undying opin
ions about what was fitting for
a war bride to wear; and wheth
er they would like to marry a
man who bad to go right into
war and might return minus an
arm or an eye. They discoursed
about the U-boats with a frothy
cheerfulness that made Ituth
shudder; and in the same breath
told what nice eyes a young cap
tain hail who bad recently visit
ed the town, and what perfectly
lovely uniforms he wore. They
argued with serious zeal wheth
er a girl should wear an olive
drab suit this year if she wanted
to look really smart.
They were the girls among
whom she had been brought up,
and Ruth was used to their froth,
but somehow today it bored her
beyond expression. She was
glad to make an excuse to get
itway and she drove her little car
around by the way of John Cam
eron’s homo hoping perhaps to
get a glimpse of his mother again,
llut the house had a shut up look
behind the vine that he had
trained, as if it nere lonely and
lying hack in a long wait till he
should come—or not come 1 A
pang went through her heart. For
the first time she thought what
it meant for a young life like that
to he silenced by cold steel. The
home empty! The mother alone!
His ambitions and hopes unful
filled! It came to her, too, that
if he were her knight he might
have to die for her—for his
cause! She shuddered and swept
the unpleasant thought away, hut
it had left its mark and would
return again.
I On the way hack she passed a
number of young soldiers home
on 24-hour leave from the nearby
Camps. They saluted most eag
erly, and she knew that any one
jgf them would have gladly occu
pied the vacant seat in her car,
hut she^vas not in the mood to
talk with them. She felt that
there was something to he
thought out and fixed in her
mind, some impression that life
hail for her that afternoon that
she did not want to lose in the
mild fritter of gay banter that
would he sure to follow if she
stopped and took home some o<
the hoys. So she bowed gracious
ly and swept by at a high speed
as if in a great hurry. The war!
The war! It was heating itself
into her brain again in much the
same way it had done on that
morning when the drafted men
went away, only now it had taken
on a more personal touch. She
kept seeing the lonely vineclad
house where that one soldier had
lived, and which he had left so
desolate. She-hept thinking how
BMuay *ii'*h homes and mothers
*
there must be in the land.
That evening when she was
free to go to her room she read
John Cameron’s letter again, and
then, feeling almost as if she
were childish in her haste, she
sat down and wrote an answer.
Somehow that second reading
made her feel his wish for. an an
swer. It seemed mute appeal
that she could not resist.
When John Cameron received
that letter and the accompanying
package he was lifted into the
seventh heaven for a little while,
lie forgot all his misgivings, he
even forgot Lieutenant Wain
wright who had but that day be
come a most formidable foe, hav
ing been transferred to Camer
on’s company, where he was li
able to be commanding officer in
absence of the captain, and where
fequent salutes would be inevita
ble. It had been a terrible blow
to Cameron. But now it sudden
ly seemed a small matter. Ho
put on his new sweater and
swelled around the way the other
boys did, letting them all admire
him. He examined the wonder
ful socks almost reverently, put
ting a large curious finger gent
ly on the red and blue stripes and
thrilling with the thought that
her fingers had plied the needles
in those many, many slitches to
make them, lie almost felt it
would be sacrilege to wear them,
and he laid them away most care
fully and locked them into the
box under his bed lest some oth
er fellow should admire and de
sire them to his loss. But with
the letter he walked away into
the woods as far as the bounds of
the camp would allow and read
mid reread it, rising at last troin
it as one refreshed from a com
forting meal after long fasting.
It was on the way back to his
barracks that night, walking
slowly under the starlight, not
desiring to be back until the last
minute before night taps because
he did not wish to break the
wonderful evening he had spent
with her, that he resolved to try
to get leave the next Saturday
and go home to thank her.
Hack'in the barracks with the
others he fairly scintillated with
wit anti kept his comrades in
roars of laughter until the officer
of the night suppressed them
summarily. Hut long after the
others were asleep he lay think
ing of her, and listening to the
singing of his soul as he watched
a star that twinkled with a
friendly gleam through a crack
in the roof above his cot. Once
again there came the thought of
God, and a feeling of gratitude
for this lovely friendship in his
life. If he knew where God was
lie would like to thank Him.
Lying so and looking up to the
star he breathed from his heart
a wordless thanksgiving.
The next night he wrote and
told her he was coming, and
asked permission to call and
thank her face to face. Then he
fairly haunted the post office at
mail time the rest of the week
hoping for an answer. He had
not written his. mother about his
coming, for he meant not to go
this week if there came no word
from Ruth. Besides, it would be
nice to surprise his mother. Then
there was some doubt about his
getting a pass anyway, and so
between the two anxieties he was
kept busy up to the last min
ute. But Friday evening he got
his pass, and in the last mail
came a special delivery from
Ruth, just a brief note saying
fihe had been away from home
wheri his letter arrived, but she
would be delighted to see him
on Sunday afternoon as he had
suggested.
He felt like a boy let loose
from school as he brushed up his
uniform and polished his big
army shoes while his less fortu
nate companions kidded him
about the girl he was going to
see. lie denied their thrusts joy
ously, in his heart repudiating
any such personalities, yet some
how it was pleasant. He luul
never realized how pleasant it
w.t 'Id be to have a girl and be
going to see her—such a girl!
Of course, she was not for him—
! not with that possessiveness. Hut
she was a friend, a real friend,
and he would not let anything
spoil the pleasure of that!
He had not thought anything
in his army experience could be
so exciting as that first ride
back home again. Somehow the
deference paid to his uniform
got into his blood and made him
feel that people all along the line
really did care for what the boys
lie walked briskly down the
street past the houses that had
been familiar all his'life, meet
ing people who had never been \
wont to notice him before; and
they smiled upon him from afar
now, greeted him with enthusi
asm, and turned to look after him
as he passed on. It gave him a
curious feeling to have so much
attention from people who had
never known him before. It made
him feel strangely small, yet
filled with a great pride and pa
triotism for the country that was
his, and the government which
he now represented to them all.
He was something more to them
now than just one of the boys
aboijt town who had grown up
among them. He was a soldier
of the United States. He had
given his life for the cause of
righteousness. The bitterness he
might have felt at their former
ignoring of him, was all swal
lowed up in their genuine and
hearty friendliness.
He met the white-haired minis
ter, kindly and dignified, who
paused to ask him how he liked
camp life and to commend him
as a sldier; and looking in his
strong gentle face John Cameron
remembered his resolve.
He flashed a keen look at the
gracious countenance and made
up his mind to speak:
“I'd like to ask you a ques
tion, Dr. Tliurlow. It’s been
bothering me quite a little ever
since this matter of going away
to fight has been in my mind.
Is there any way that a man—
that I can find God? That is, if
there is a God. I’ve never
thought much about it before,
but life down there in camp
makes a lot of things seem dif
ferent, and I’ve been wondering.
I’m not sure what 1 believe. Is
there anyway I can find out?”
A pleasant gleam of surprise
and delight thrilled into the
deep blue eyes of the min
ister. It was startling. It
almost embarrassed him for a
moment, it was so unexpected to
have a soldier ask a question
about God. It was almost morti
fying that he had never thought
it worth while to take the initi
ative on that question with the
young man.
“Why, certainly!” he said
heartily. “Of course, of course.
I’m very glad to know you are
interested in those things.
Could’t you come in to my study
and talk with me. 1 think I
could help you. I’m sure I
could.”
“I haven’t much time,” said
Cameron shyly, half ashamed
now that he had opened his heart
to an almost .stranger. He was
not even his mother’s minister,
and he was a comparative new
come? in the town. How had he
uonn Cameron stood watcnmg
him as he talked.
“He’s a good old guy,” he
thought gravely, “but he doesn’t
get my point. He evidently be
lieves what he says, but I don’t
just see going blindfolded into a
church. However, there’s some
thing to what ,he says about go
ing where God is if I want to find
him.”
Out loud he merely said:
“I’ll think about it, Doctor,
and perhaps come in to see you
the next time I’m home.” Then
he excused himself and went on
to the store.
As he walked away he said to
himself:
“I wonder what Ruth Mac
donald would say if I asked her
the same question? I wonder if
she has thought about it? I
wonder if I’d ever have the nerve
to ask her?”
The next morning he sug
gested to his mother that they go
to Doctor Thurlow’s church to
gether. She would have very
much preferred going to her own
church with him^ but she knew
that he did not care for the min
ister and had never been very
friendly with the people, so she
pul aside her secret wish and
went with him. To tell the truth
she was very proud to go any
where with her handsome soldier
son, and one thing that made her
the more willing was that she re
membered that the Macdonalds
always went to the Presbyterian
church, and perhaps they would
be there today and Ruth would
see them. But she said not a
word of this to her boy.
John spent most of the time
with his mother. He went up to
college for an hour or so Satur
day evening, dropping in on his
fraternity for a few minutes and
realizing what true friends he
had among the fellows who were
left, though most of them were
gone. He walked about the fa
miliar rooms, looking at the new
pictures, photographs of his
friends in uniform. This one was
a lieutenant in officers’ training
camp. That one had gone with
the ambulance corps. Tom was
with the engineers, and Jimmie
and Sam had joined the tank ser
vice. Two of the fellows were in
France in the front ranks, anoth
er had enlisted in the marines,
it seemed that hardly any were
left, and of those three had been
turned down for some slight phy
sical defect, and were working
in munition factories and the
ship yard. Everything was
changed. The old playmates had
become men with earnest pur
poses., He did not stay long.
There was a restlessness about'it
all that pulled the strings of his
heart, and made him realize how
different everything was.
(To Be Continued Next Week)
Rebounding History.
From Life.
If we ever have Ford for president,
Ilt will he the second time a roush rldar
has held down the Job.
Delicious _
Hot-Day Lunch
Best lunch is two packages of
Little Sun-Maid Raisins and a
glass of milk.
Tastes good when you’re hungry.
Nourishes yet keeps you cool.
Raisin’s 75 per cent fruit sugar is
in practically predigested form, fur
nishing 1560 calories of energizing
nutriment per pound.
Doesn’t tax digestion so doesn’t
heat the blood, yet energizes almost
immediately.
Big men eat little lunches to con
serve their thinking power. Don’t
overeat and lag behind the leaders.
Get two packages of Little Sun
Maids now.
Little Sun-Maids
Between-Meal Raisins
| 5c Everywhere j
—in Little Red Packages f
Brief and Effective.
In- early (lays of Vermont, when
carriages were solemnized without
patting a license, one bitter midnight,
?!) degrees below zero, a couple called
:lie squire to the window. Shivering,
n his nightshirt, he asked:
“What in h—1 do you want?”
“We want to be married.”
“lie married r.nd be d—d,” and he
Hammed the window down.
This is probably the shortest wed
ling ceremony that coupled legal ac
iuracy with the religious prayer.—
from Off the Record.
Dish washing being- hateful, why
isn't it done by itinerants, like lawn
nowing?
/Affection before marriage is o{ten
nerdone, but after marriage it is
>ften rare.
—1
Oratory.
“You have never tried to shine as a
great orator?”
"No,” replied Senator Sorghum.
“My idea of a great orator is a man
who lias a vast audience" unanimously
with him at the meeting and then
loses every one who goes home and
remembers enougli of the speech to
think it over.”
YOU CAN WALK IN COMFORT 4
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Signal for Anvil Chorus.
“Pride goetli before ?. fall.”
“True. Which of the neighbors ar«
you going to knock now?”
111 ■ "■1
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101 fOl V*
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