The Place Beyond the Winds by Harriet T. (Harriet Theresa) Comstock
page 5 of 351 (01%)
page 5 of 351 (01%)
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wrenching a livelihood from the water. This capacity for tilling the soil
instead of gambling in fish had made of Glenn, and a few other men, the real aristocracy of the place. Nathaniel's grandfather, with his wife and fifteen children, had been the first white settlers of Kenmore. So eager had the Indians been to have this first Glenn among them that it is said they offered him any amount of land he chose to select, and Glenn had taken only so much as would insure him a decent farm and prospects. This act of restraint had further endeared him to the natives, and no regret was ever known to follow the advent of the estimable gentleman. The present Glenn never boasted; he had no need to; the plain statement of fact was enough to secure his elevated position from mean attack. Nathaniel had taught himself to read and write--a most unusual thing--and naturally he was proud of that. He was proud of his stern, bleak religion that left no doubt in his own mind of his perfect interpretation of divine will. He was proud of his handsome wife--twenty years younger than himself. Inwardly he was proud of that, within himself, which had been capable of securing Theodora where other men had failed. Theodora had caused him great disappointment, but Nathaniel was a just man and he could not exactly see that his disappointment was due to any deliberate or malicious act of Theodora's; it was only when his wife showed weak tendencies toward making light of the matter that he hardened his heart. In the face of his great desire and his modest aspirations--Theodora had borne for him (that was the only way he looked at it) five children--all girls, when she very well knew a son was the one thing, in the way of offspring, that he had expected or wanted. The first child was as dark as a little Indian, "so dark," explained |
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