Part 22 (1/2)

Among those who were sitting on the porch were Mr. and Mrs. Bates. They had always been very friendly with the Hernes and lived only about two miles distant from them.

A little later in the evening the croquet players and those who had been strolling about the grounds were coming towards the house, just as Mr.

Bates was relating to Mr. and Mrs. Herne what to him had been a very trying experience. Mr. Bates always called Mr. Herne Charles. He said:

”Charles, I don't know that I would have been here to-night if it had not been for my wife.”

”Why, how is that?” said Mr. Herne.

Mr. Bates replied: ”Well, I will tell you. This morning, Weeks' boy was playing with my boy in the barn. There were a number of sacks of barley and wheat on the floor. The boys got to scuffling, one boy trying to throw the other down. At last my boy got Weeks' boy down and gave him a blow and ran out of the barn with Weeks' boy after him. They both ran out into the orchard and then over the fence to Page's barn. Now, when Weeks' boy ran after my lad he left the barn door open. There was no one about the barn at the time the boys left. My man and I were at the further end of the ranch fixing the line fence. When we came up at noon we found the barn door open and that fine four-year-old colt of mine and a lot of hogs were all in the barn eating grain. They had torn every sack open and had eaten more than half of it. The colt had eaten so much as to make him bloat. When I saw it all I felt so mad I had to use some hot words. When I went to the house I told my wife about it. At first she seemed put out, but when she saw how wrathy I was she tried to cool me down. I asked where the boy was, and she said, 'Weeks' boy was here and asked for our boy to go to his place to play and have dinner. They said they were going to get Page's boy to play with them.' I felt so worried about the colt and so mad at the boys I could not eat my dinner.

I told my wife I did not feel like coming here to-night, and when I said that I saw I had made matters worse, so I went out to the barn and worked over the colt some more. When the boy came home I had him tell me all about it. I told him if he or any boy with him ever left the barn door open again he would not want to sit down for a week.”

Just here Mrs. Bates said to Mrs. Herne: ”Henry does take such things so hard. It seems as if he can never get over it.”

Mr. Bates spoke up a little louder and said: ”Such thoughtless, careless doings as that are enough to make any one lose his temper. Why, I came very near losing the colt, besides the damage the hogs did to the grain.”

Mrs. Herne said: ”Mr. Bates, I must tell you what an experience Stella had yesterday, and see if you don't think she had something to disturb her.”

Mr. Bates said: ”Would like to hear it; misery always loves company.”

So Mrs. Herne commenced telling about the bottle of ink falling into Stella's lap. Just as she commenced to relate the incident Penloe came on the porch with Mrs. French, and they took a seat near Mrs. Herne.

About two minutes later Prof. French and Stella joined the group, and before Mrs. Herne had got to that part of the story where she asks Stella, ”What is the matter?” and Stella laughed and said: ”I got some new figures on my wedding dress, don't you think they are pretty?” about all the guests were now grouped about Mrs. Herne. They were either sitting on the wide porch or standing near by. When Mrs. Herne had finished, Mr. Bates said in a comical kind of way: ”If that had been my wedding dress, I would have felt so mad that I would feel like throwing the youngster out of the window and swearing a blue streak.”

Turning to Stella, he said: ”I have got no such control over myself as you have. I wish I had.”

Mrs. French said: ”Stella, how could you take it so cheerfully? Why, if that had been my wedding dress, I would have felt too mad to speak; in fact, I don't know just what I would do.”

Pretty Miss Grace Nettleton, a young lady full of fun and always the life of any party, laughingly said: ”As I intend to be an old maid, no bottle of ink will ever fall on my wedding dress, but if such a thing should happen I would feel like going to bed and having a good cry.”

Several other ladies remarked: ”I don't see how Stella could have been so peaceful and pleasant. I know I never could.”

Miss Baker, the school teacher, who had many trying pupils, remarked to Mrs. French: ”I wish I could control myself like Stella; how easy I could govern the scholars.”

Penloe said: ”Did any of you ever hear the story of Shuka?”

Several answered: ”No.”

Mrs. French said: ”Do tell it, Penloe.”

”Yes,” said Mrs. Herne, ”we all would like to hear it.” The company became very attentive while Penloe related the following story with telling effect:

”There was a great sage called Vyasa.[3] This Vyasa was the writer of the Vedanta philosophy, a holy man. His father had tried to become a very perfect man and failed; his grandfather tried and failed; his great-grandfather tried and failed; he himself did not succeed perfectly, but his son Shuka was born perfect. He taught this son, and after teaching him himself, he sent him to the court of King Janaka. He was a great king and was called Videha. Videha means 'outside the body.' Although a king, he had entirely forgotten that he had a body; he was a spirit all the time. The boy was sent to be taught by him. The king knew that Vyasa's son was coming to him to learn, so he made certain arrangements beforehand, and when the boy presented himself at the gates of the palace, the guards took no notice of him whatsoever.

They only gave him a place to sit, and he sat there for three days and nights, n.o.body speaking to him, n.o.body asking who he was or whence he was. He was the son of this great sage, his father was honored by the whole country, and he himself was a most respectable person; yet the low vulgar guards of the palace would take no notice of him.

[Footnote 3: Karma Yoga, Vivekananda.]

”After that, suddenly, the ministers of the king and all the high officials came there and received him with the greatest honors. They took him in and showed him into splendid rooms, gave him the most fragrant baths and wonderful dresses, and for eight days they kept him there in all kinds of luxury. That face did not change; he was the same in the midst of this luxury as at the door. Then he was brought before the king. The king was on his throne, music was playing, and dancing and other amus.e.m.e.nts going on. The king gave him a cup of milk, full to the brim, and asked him to go round the hall seven times without spilling a drop. The boy took the cup and proceeded in the midst of this music and the beautiful faces. Seven times he went round, and not a drop was spilled. The boy's mind could not be attracted by anything in the world unless he allowed it. And when he brought the cup to the king, the king said to him: 'What your father has taught you and what you have learned yourself, I only repeat; you have known the truth. Go home.'”

When Penloe had finished Mrs. Herne said: ”Thank you, Penloe, that is very good, for it brings out the idea so well.”

Mrs. French said: ”Is not that very fine, Penloe? I never heard that thought expressed before. It is new to me.”