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1 (J I I li I In . Vll-&l IV Vl If IBLlA J; DONALDSON, JR.. Copyright, UCB. by , Charles W. Book hO CHAPTER V. VaX VTBTXST PV THE EXPECTCD BOBBKW. , ONALD v CONALD80N. JR. , was bora May 2. 188L He waa the healthiest and alto srether tbe finest child that ever came into the world, the moat de sired, the beat lored, '-And whimsical nature exacted the amallcat possible orice of pain for him, . Yet nermlt me to reconsider that Statement In the light of a better phi losopby.- There are those who say that la adversity one need not about for the wakening of tbe gods nor in tbe day of superabundance dread It; tb.t noth ing comes which la not earned. It may - be that a young mother reaped no more than tbe Just reward of consistent right IlTlng from, her earliest girlhood, how ever that may be, the fact remains that all things went Incredibly well Behold Dorothy, as pretty aa ever ani not a day older, tripping about tbe bouse with a song " behold tbe boy, healthy as a young lion and roaring. when be roared, for his own good ' bleasureand hot for any 11L Hackett prophesied great things of Dim. Deuering inai nis expioiia wouw some day necessitate a revised edition of our "Psychic Facts." a work that was then complete except for the last section, which Hackett wished to en title "The Real Facts' despite the imputation upon the accuracy of the preceding portions. ' As to bis hopes, of young Donald my partner; spoke only once In the pres ence of the boy's parents. "You'd bare thought I had accused him of being cross eyed." said he to me In describing the Incident, and . there after we discussed the subject strictly in private. Our book eventually xwent to- the printer,, but Hackett never saV It In a binding. Be waa atricken with an m oess which rusbed. on to a fatal Iter ; ruination In such baste that it seemed all over In a day. and t waa standing by tbe grave of my oldest friend. After ward I could hardly bear to look at the book upon which we had labored to- - gether. I left everything to otbera. It bad t small success and waa soon for gotten, though recent events have led tbe publiBhtrs to print some thousands : of copies from the old plates. The work la full of unfounded belief and equally . unfounded, doubt. J am proud only ot the former, which was mostly Hack . ett's. A natural, " honest. , seemingly baseless belief is probably founded up , on the knowledge of the ages and tlx : soul's sympathy with Infinite wisdom, but your doubt Is likely to be youi own. and yoa should be tbe more mod est In the expression of It Pardon this digression about "Psy- chle , Facta." .The psychic fact wltb which this present record prindpalij concerns Itself is Donald Donaldson 3tn and from this point onward 1 aball , stick closely to him. . I have given a view ot hla parents because that was absolutely necessary to an understand - lng of his nature and of the events in - which ha took part I shall now very - briefly sketch bis youth, which was unmarked by any Incident out of tbe ordinary. He was ft healthy baby and a sturdy, active schoolboy when the years had brought him onward to that stage of life. Mentally be was too quick to re quire diligence. Tbe tasks in the Tun bridge schools were easy for him. and he led his classes without effort. It tiust be remembered, however, that no other pupil bad ' equally good home training, His mother was a teacher, both by nature and by Instruction. He might have advanced more rapidly, on der her care alone, but the public school Is a part of our creed in Tunbridge! If any school in the town had not been a good place for Donald, we should not have v taken him; awayv ? We sha bav made the schrol bctv-r. f f "While upon this subject f w'iliqi quote a curious remark that 1 once beard a little girl make to another in Don's ' bearing and somewhat In tbe way of a ; taunt: , '. ;- i:. n -'--- - "Don Donaldson always know What the teacher's going to ask: him. He guesses It before recitation and bunta " It up In bia book." I questioned the little girl, but could not learn that she bad any basis, for ber belief except Donald's proficiency In his studies and a vague tradition that be "could guess things." It was Impossible to discover any specific in stance worth mentioning. - In tbe sports of boys he was very successful, but any boy will be so who grows up ahead of his years. From the time when he reached school age he was al ways growing more rapidly in height and weight than the aTernge. More over, he played with tremendous ener gy and concentration. He was fond of rough games, but neither suffered inju ry nor inSkted it Indeed he presently tean to te known as "lucky," and if I were to select one attribute of Lis wL'ch never deserted tira an J seemed always to make its la-rrcfSon upon his S I won: Vs c I r . It i in- , t "..-: 3 f.f. f Snrea Mysterin Now Associated1 ftttk Ms mm to fe Rite MM. d af f Wit , ' rMabttMbyaf ? ; By HOWARD FIELDING , bis bead Into a football scrimmage in s place where it will not encounter an other boy's fist or bis skull or bis feet and to keep on doing this all through season of the game, I shall laugh at yon. Yet It la well known that injuries are not equally distributed; that nei ther tbe strong nor the prudent es cape them; that the boy who doean't get hurt la tbe one who has tbe faculty. tbe natural gift the Instinctive guid ance, the luck. And the world ji a great football game, full of flying fists and feet So when 1 aay that Donald waa lucky I decline to be accused of superstition or of fatalism. That which all of us be lieve in, though, some of us affect to doubt it tbe thing called luck aa a per sonal asset la neither ordinary good Judgment nor the favor of heaven. It la the faculty of relying upon a deep seated, guiding power resident In tbe individual and nearly if not quite In fallible. ,' ' "-. This power Is not limited by the fineness of tbe physical senses. It will help you to dodge an invisible microbe Just as a more obvious instinct will help you to dodge a Snowball. ' It Is natural to step out of the snowball's path, but If you hesitate and try to reason about It you will get hit And the same thing la true of that mysteri ous force within yon which la absolute ly at one with nature In Donald there appeared a singular combination' of spontaneous Judgment and deliberate action. Aa a child he would respond to questions slowly and with caro. even when the expression of bis eyes showed that tbe correct answer had flashed through his mind Instantly. ' His greatest and most ob stinate fault waa aecretlveness. Though his nature waa very affectionate and his sympathy most tender. be lacked the natural tendency to confide bis troubles, bis joys or bis hopes to those he loved, even to bis mother. He had no slyness. He was at no pains to keep a aecret He simply said nothing sbout it and gave no sign of its ex istence. We were often grieved to find that be bad left us in Ignorance of some In cident of bla daily life, some act nei ther praiseworthy nor blamable or one perbapa Involving a moral question be yond the appreciation of bis years. When reproved for- sncn an omission. bla customary and, I believe, sincere-reply- would be: . -' , "why, it never occurred to me thst you didn't know" -: f , ? It waa frequently necessary to give him quite an elaborate explanation be fore be seemed to realize that we bad J bad no meana of knowing., , 4 , I l By all this I do not wish to give the Impression that he waa a markedly phenomenal boy. but it is important, of course, that I should point out all par ticulars In which be differed from the average. I have therefore-wltb great care selected these three peculiarities : He thought very quickly and spoke very slowly, He bad an: unconquerable babit of keeping hla own affairs to himself. He enjoyed remarkably good fortune. Including a notable immunity from ill ness and Injury. In which connection I may record tbe fact that be never had one of tbe so called diseases of child bood. . ' In other respects be waa the typical American boy. ; He played as much as possible and studied when , his con science or his elders compelled him to do so. " He had bis friendships and bia childish loves. - He romped gayly in the long summer evenings and com mitted clever and amusing mischief once In awhile, In regard to whiebjt think that even the recoudMg Itlgel always .waited- ler- Donald's confes sion an I never attempted to know tbe facts in advance of It At th age of sixteen be waa ready for college. : ' He was then six feet in height and weighed 170 pounds. He resembled both bis parents, but was generally called bla mother's boy, for he ' had her red gold hair and bright blue eyes. Hla father's nature lay the deeper in him. It came to the surface most plainly in momenta of excitement and at such times, even during his childhood, young Donald would exhibit the solemn superficial calm and ex treme precision of speech which had al ways characterised the "deacon" when in a high state of nervous tension. If he had during his youth such psychic experiences as are not the com mon lot of humanity, I was not able to observe them. A few vague hints of no more Importance than the school girl's remark which I have quoted would have been the best evidence that I could have adduced previous to the month of June In the year 1809. We were expecting him home from college ip a week or two when we were urprised by receiving this telegram: Last exam, today. Leave Immediately. You will ee me tomorrow. YTe knew that he had intended to lay Levouil class day nnd that the art-If y taseta'l Line, of wtlch be was a E.en,:.r, La a r, t c;is-a i s senn, re V.-.s !'.:- "-e j'i;;:ile.i u3 nr. 1 pave i' . t) o ' tv. i::s : r "Wby. there's no particular reason for. my coming," said be. "I merely felt like it; thafa all." v Then after a pause be added: -; "I wonder why the dickens I did come? r can't think, unless It waa be cause I wanted to see my very best girL"5V;;v.v:t"7rif::v';i,;1x Whereupon be put his arm across bis mother's shoulders and kissed ber tenderly upon the forehead and hair To all appearances Dorothy might in deed have been hla "very best girl" or perhapa bla alster. but aurely not his mother. ' She bad preserved her youtn ful looks to a degree that la beyond the credence of the reader, so that I shall not attempt .to state tbe truth about it When she wss thirty the Tunbrldge people spoke of her with wonder, and she looks younger now than she did then. ::-:r;:;- J-: Donaldson, upon the other band, bas aged greatly He Is a worrying man, I am afraid, and must always be so. Moreover, be received a peculiar In Jury some years ago. when an old fac tory building which we bought from the Strobel estate collapsed while a dozen of our workmen were Inspect ing it with a view to ascertaining Its needs. Donaldson was the first jo per ceive the peril, and It Is said that be sustained a mass of falling timbers lu tbe posture of Atlas long ' enough to permit several of bis companions to crawl out to aafety who would other wise have been shut In. A maze of tradition has grown up around this in cident but It really Involved nothing more than a very ready and brave use of great physical strength. Though be escaped broken bones or any .specific hurt to which the best of doctors could give a location or a name, he was never the same man afterward. , He began to stoop in the shoulders and to move more slowly, and upon bla forty-second birthday bia hair was as white as mine. '' He was morbidly sensitive about the change in his looks, 'though ho had come by it so honorably, and I have seen tesrs In his eyes when strangers have spoken of Dorothy aa his daugh ter. I think that he bad always held too high an idea of youth, it la a com mon fault and was exaggerated in him by hla love of Dorothy, who would not grow. eid She seemed to stand still while be waa dragged onward in the grin of time. This is the natural sor row of w.omen. but one which men are rarely called upon to bear. When Donald came borne that June day, his father" was busy about, aome matter of Immediate importance, - and so tbe boy and I walked down to the of fice, as we call It a separate building upon the other aide of the street from the factory. I was witness of a most affectionate greeting. Donaldson was very proud of his son. as he hau every reason to be, and the boy loved him heartily. Afterward Donald paid- bli respects to tbe office staff, especially te old Jim Runn. our cashier, and . nil crippled assistant, iim, ueaiy. some times called Tiny Tim, a youth who sal on a very blgb stool and kept tbe hand somest set of books In tbe state of New Jersey, L ,. , - I lost sight of Donald for a little while and subsequently discovered bin In my private office. Be waa sitting Jr. my chalri wltb h nead thrown back mnA h,- ,B.nt hnnri. ureMed hnm and bis clasped bands pressed hart across his eyes. I asked bim what was the matter, and be started up and be gan to walk around the room In a pe cullar, aimless fashion. "Uncle John." said be at last "every thing Is all right Isn't it T You're not worried or anxious?" "Anxious?" said 1. "Certainly not What should I be anxious about?" ' "I don't know," said be. with heslta tlon. "Perhaps I oughtn't to have ask ed you the question. . "Ask me whatever yon please, mj boy,! said I. . ' - v ' , .. . He resumed bis restless wanderini about the room, "I wish I knew what to do," be said at last "I feel very uneasy." "In regard to what?" I Inquired. "That'e Juat the point" be replied What js It all about? I don't know." . He bad a despondent and tormented air, and the eight of it carried me back a gooa manjyears to tne aay wnen i bad first seen his father. It waa lm- pogsfble to shake my mind free of this memqry.i The scene of long ago in Bertram's eating bouse recurred With startling vividness. . f p "f 'v?:&:v : ' :i. I was aware of a strange sensation that this waa something for which I bad been waiting a long expected oc currence. There came to me also an indescribable depression of spirit and a sense Of cbllt-;T:. "Do yoo mean" I began. But b begged me hastily not to ask him any thing, -i;-';.':. f 5 "This is ; a queer business,' Uncle John," said he. "I think I'm on the point Of getting myself into all kinds of a tangle, and 1 don't want to do It the very first day I'm borne. Please let me think it over." ( . ? ' "Speak when you are ready, Donald," aald L "It waa always a habit of yours." We were Interrupted by the advent of Dorothy, who had come down from the house in a pony phaeton. - She wore a sober gray gown, but it had the dain ty grace of all her raiment Dorothy never takes any pains to dress either young or old. Her clothes are fcr Dor- i othy. They would not suit anybody else, and they have nothing to do wit J years. Donald surveyed her with affection ate admiration. 5Iy incredible mother!" said be. drawing ber close to him and looking dawn Into ber face. Tl;eu I saw the tears come suJenly ' to Lis eves. He drew a quick, dec? I rpt'.i r i-.-.l f . 1 t'.ar; 'y erect f that : if Itj;- t -.'a i:i ! i , 'i n ;. 1 bones r . "Did I hurt you, little mother?! aald be." "Well, by tbe aame token, nobody else ever shall." . "To what do we owe the bonor of this' vlsltr I asked Dorothy, and she replied that ahe bad come to take my nephew, Carletoo Archer, across to the town of Sol way, where our other fac tory: waa situated.; Archer waa an able, energetic and ambitious young man who had been brought into my service about two years before to be Donaldson's aasistant and lighten bis burdens. He lived at my bouse and waa tbe leading spirit In all our recre ations. He waa blessed with unfailing activity of mind and body..: He could both work and play at the same time Often be haa come to me at midnight with business plana that be ? bad thought out during tbe evening, au evening devoted to ceaseless gayety of the somewhat childish sort In which be found bis chief delight and relaxa tlon. He waa au enthusiast for the gentler forma of athletics, sucb as wo men may Indulge in, and aa a result of his efforta there were tennla court upon our lawn and golf links on tbe south slope of the bill, After Dorothy and Carl had ridden Away. In the phaeton Donald remained with me until luncheon time, when be and his father and I walked up to tbe bouse together. Tbe boy was not quite himself, ns any one could see, and I was consumed with curiosity to know what lay on bis mind, but experience taught me to ignore the subject Donald spent the afternoon with bia mother, who returned from Solway, which was only a matter of five miles distant' In time for luncheon. In the evening be disappeared, and I found "Be eartfvV th$ cried. - bim about 0 o'clock sitting ! on tbe steps of tbe office. I don't know bow I happened vto, go down there and should be inclined to Include It among tbe mysteries of the affair. . "Uncle John," said be when I sat down beside bim, "you told m that I could ; ask you ; whatever .. I pleased Will you tell me whether you are aur rounded by thoroughly trustworthy people in your business?" . This was a rather startling question. nd I answered It with another: "Do you know anything to the con trary?" , "No." he replied. "If I did. I'd tell you, of course. I don't know anything, but 1 feel a lot! Is Mr. Bunn a good man?" I replied that old Jim Bunn bad been wth me for thirty years and might be ranked upon so long as . he lasted. which couldn't be very long, poor fel low, since bis health was so bad.. He then asked me a similar question In regard to every other person holding a position of any consequence In the company, even including bia own fa ther, though of course it .was not i query in this case, but a naive and boy ish expression of confidence. I an swered soberly for them all that they were good men and true and even en tered into aome explanation of my method of Judging men .,: . - Donald seemed rather discouraged than cheered,, -:;! f-lf "It must be something else," said be. "You have a feeling' that all's' not right here," said I. "Ia that why yon came home so suddenly?"' -rr ' "Yes, sir,";he replied, and then, "with. hesitation: "Do you believe there's anything queer about me? ;': I've al waya had an Impression that you thought I 'wasn't quite quite right There have been aome stories about me." ' ' ' . i ' - ; , "Both your parents," said I, "pos sessed a power which I once thought myself competent to define snd ex plain, but I have grown more modest" , "Once possessed ltf be echoed, with What I might 'call Joyful animation. "Then if a something a person can get rid of. outgrow? You don't always have to have it?" 1 "1 think you know more about the subject than I do," waa my answer, "and if yoo don't now you will some day." "I'd like to have you tell me about my father and mother and tbe things that they did." said he. "but I mustn't you, because I tried to get It out cf them long ago, and they didn't want me to know." I applauded this view, and so we fpoke of other subjects as 'we walked tome together. to eh coxtixted.) 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The Kinston Free Press (Kinston, N.C.)
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March 17, 1903, edition 1
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