"Where are Nell and Harry?" asked Austin when he could get his breath.

"Nell is caring for Mrs. Blaine's children, and Harry is riding Mr. Smith's lead horse," promptly explained Doyle.

"Papa found places for all of us, and we like it better than staying at home alone. It is so lonely without you, Austin. Now we can all come back home again," and Amy's eyes were filled with tears as she looked into her beloved brother's face.

"Well, do not cry now, Sister, for I am at home and to stay. I will not leave you any more. Let us all get on out home and begin housekeeping again," Austin said bruskly to cover his feelings. Tears were on his cheeks, and a choke in his throat as he looked at the little motherless children so joyful to see him. He looked up with a new feeling of responsibility to G.o.d, whom he believed was pleased to have him again take the children.

In the next two hours the children tried to tell him all that had happened in his absence, while he listened half abstractedly, trying to plan the course he should take. He could not set up housekeeping permanently without his father's consent and support, but he felt certain that his father meant to do his part. Before the day was done, he had etablished himself in the little house by the side of the road, and had the three children with him.

"I hear that Austin is home, Nellie," said Mr. Blaine an evening or two later, after he had returned from town.

"Mr. Blaine, is that true? I want to go home right away. I want to see him!

I must see him! Are you sure he is home?" and the little face looked up into his tremulously.

"I see I have made a mistake. Mrs. Blaine will be after me for making her nurse-girl dissatisfied," laughed Mr. Blaine.

"I have to see him!" and the child began to cry.

"There, there, don't cry, Nellie. I will be going over that way one of these days and will take you over," soothed the man.

"I can't wait a day or two. I want to see him now. I'll walk home in the morning, I will. I have to see Austin." Nellie had dried her tears instantly at the thought of being put off a few days. Her black eyes were snapping.

"Well, we shall see about it in the morning," and the man pa.s.sed into the kitchen to wash in preparation for supper.

Nellie's fears were high that Mrs. Blaine might object to letting her go and demand that she remain longer, for she was really needed; but so determined and defiant was she that she would have gladly undertaken the walk across the prairies to her home rather than remain away from her brother.

But Mrs. Blaine understood how Nellie felt, and let her go, and Nell rode with Mr. Blaine, who pa.s.sed by the Hill home on his way to town. His children's little nurse fairly flew up the path into the house and, bouncing in, sprang into Austin's arms. She sobbed out her joy on his shoulder. Dear little Nell! Austin loved the others, but already he had seen in Nell something of the same devotion to duty and to the younger children that had filled his own heart. Home would mean little to him without her.

Before the week was out Harry had heard and came home to be with Austin. He had them all together again. Home had a new meaning to all of them now.

Austin wept with joy at their present happiness and with pity for their past neglect This was his work, his place in life. He would stay at home now through rough and smooth sailing. They should not be left alone again as they had been. Many were the vows he made in those first few days after his home-coming.

His father had received him kindly, with no reference to his hasty departure nor the cause of it. He seemed satisfied that Austin should take the reins of home government again, and did not openly oppose him in any way, neither did he lend him a.s.sistance nor encouragement. Will came over to see his brother, but they had so little in common that he did not remain very long.

Austin found his days filled with active service. He had little time for reverie; but at night when all was quiet, he lay and mused and planned. He was now almost sixteen. He marveled at his undertaking the care of the children as he did when he was but thirteen. The responsibility looked greater to him now than then. He had thought only of their physical comfort then, now he began to consider their spiritual training also. Would he be able to lead them to Christ? What ought he to do first? He looked back over the months since his mother's death and saw that G.o.d had led him all the way, and he reached out to his heavenly Father now for guidance and grace.

He remembered his promise to Brother Bennet, and even at their first meal had bidden the children to stop while he asked G.o.d's blessing on the food.

The children had looked at him curiously. It had been a little difficult to bow and thank G.o.d at the first meal after his father was with them. Henry Hill was not a reverent man, and while he had not openly opposed his son in this pious act, he had gone ahead as if no blessing were being asked. And always since he had ignored completely the fact that Austin said grace at meals. The children waited without prompting for him to finish his prayer.

To establish the family altar had been even more difficult, yet he had found time to read and pray with the children. They lent themselves to his ways, for they were glad to have him with them again. But the new order of things in the house proved in time to be very vexing to Henry Hill. Every word and act of his G.o.dly son was a stab in his conscience, and as he had no thought of turning to G.o.d, he hated accordingly the one who caused his uneasiness. Wilbur laughed at Austin for his queer ways, as he called them, and scoffed and mocked, yet down in his heart respected him. He would not have had his brother different.

CHAPTER 15

THE BATTLE OF TWO WILLS

There were many changes to be made in the Hill household before it could be running smoothly. The children's wardrobe was low, their father being a careless buyer and the girls being inexperienced in making and mending garments. Austin had antic.i.p.ated this state of affairs when he had so carefully saved his own wages till he should come home. It was not long till his little h.o.a.rd was gone. He had also had to buy a number of things for the house to make it comfortable and at all homelike.

Henry Hill had a most comfortable feeling to know that there was some one at home who was responsible for the children, so he took many opportunities to be away. In fact he felt better away with some of his friends than when at home with Austin. It is not a pleasant thing for any father to feel that the serious eyes of his own son rest upon him in disapproval and reproof.

Every sight of the boy made him feel uncomfortable and as if he did not come up to what was expected of him. Austin was not a fellow to speak out his reproofs, but he thought them and his eyes told what his heart was saying. Every week found him and his parent farther and farther apart--if possible.

Austin expected no sympathy and asked for none from either his brother or father in the way he was taking. He perhaps went to the opposite extreme and was so indifferent to what they thought that it had the effect of antagonizing them. It is at least a fact that there was no feeling of sympathy nor cooperation between them, and that antagonism grew until it was almost open warfare between him and his father. He felt such a repugnance toward his father and a hatred of the way he was taking that it continually showed out in his att.i.tude toward him. In later years Austin could understand, but now he was doing only what he believed necessary to protect his own soul from the discouraging influence.

Partly because he always liked to shirk responsibility, and partly because he and Austin had so few thoughts and feelings in common, the father stayed away from home more all the time. To this Austin was not averse, for it gave him more time with the children.

While Austin had been gone so long, his father had been in the habit of inviting in men like himself, and they had often played cards and drank till far into the night. Frequently the wee small hours of morning had found them still busy with their cards and bottles. When Austin came home, he could hardly endure to have a thing like this happen with the little children in the house. He had no right to forbid his father, but he did let him know how he felt about it. The result had been that the father felt most uncomfortable to have his a.s.sociates gather at his home any longer.

Austin usually retired early with the children, and his father became aware of this. He had missed his social evenings with his friends, and wished to have them again, so he had invited three of the "boys" to come rather late, after all the children were in bed, and spend an evening together. It happened that Austin had gone out that evening and did not get back till late. When he came in, he was much surprized to find the four men occupying the kitchen-table with their cards. They had also in some way obtained drink.

With a quick searching glance at the table to see if there were signs of gambling, Austin went upstairs without a word. But so strong was his influence and disapproval that it killed all the interest, and the men all left.

Mr. Hill sat alone, after they had gone, with the same feeling he used to have when his father had caught him doing something mean. He rankled at the thought of this boy setting himself up as judge. He thought he ought to be the master of his own house. He did not reason that Austin had said nothing, that he was only battling with the boy's thoughts. That night he determined that Austin should learn to keep his place. It was preposterous, he thought, that he could not entertain his friends as he pleased.

Austin's feelings after he had reached his room were as serious and positive as his father's, but he took an entirely different view of the whole matter. The question with him was how he should put a stop to such carousing in the house. He wanted to bring up the children in right paths, and how could that be done if they had to be thrown into such influence? It would be a matter of only a short while till Harry would be old enough to begin enjoying these evil a.s.sociates. So while his father was contemplating how he should show Austin his place, Austin was wondering how he should be able to get to his father's deceived heart something of what his duty was.

"You thought yourself pretty smart last night," he said to Austin the next morning in his surliest voice.

"I was not spying, but was only out to prayer-meeting and came in a little late," answered the boy.

"Looks like a man ought to have a right to entertain his friends in his own house without being ordered about by a boy," continued the man in a growling manner.

"n.o.body was ordering you about, so far as I know. I am sure I said nothing," Austin replied.

Now was his time, Austin thought, to explain himself. "I do think it is no example for you to set before the children to have such a crowd in," he said.

Here the conversation stopped for the time, but the feeling of antagonism only grew by the encounter.

Mr. Hill had promised to support the family; but Austin, when he had gotten everything to going smoothly, saw no reason why he should not work also, rather than stay at home all the time. With his help morning and evening it was not difficult for the girls, now fourteen and twelve years old, to do the work nicely.

This was a welcome decision to his father, and soon it was the old story, Austin working and giving all his wages to the support of the family, and his father helping only as was positively necessary.

It was not many weeks after Austin's return home (for changes came rapidly in this household) that the father had forsaken his job and was again wandering about, leaving the family on Austin. It was a serious outlook for the boy. No longer did he entertain the optimistic view of life that he had held in the beginning of his experiences. When he was fourteen, he felt as if he should be able to support the family like a man, now at sixteen he knew that he could never do that and keep them together in the home besides. It took too much of his time and ambition trying to train the children and direct their minds in the right channels. His father was drinking all he could obtain and that was liquor of a very bad kind. In all, the outlook was serious as the summer drew to a close. Just what the winter would bring for him and his charges he hardly knew.

He had followed the advice of Pastor Bennet and had sought out a congregation with whom he met in worship. He had pa.s.sed by the richer, finer church, and sought to find among the more humble congregations one that would be spiritual. Also he wanted to go where he could hope to take the children and have them look presentable. He hardly hoped to be able to dress them for a wealthy place. Every week showed Austin more clearly the battle that must be waged, not of fists or of tongues, but of wills, in the home. The children were growing older, and they, too, had lost for the father that feeling of reverence and respect which is right. They had been more than a year away from Austin's influence and restraint, and while they out of sheer thankfulness yielded themselves to him when he returned, yet as the weeks went by Austin saw that he should have a very big undertaking on his hands just to hold them in control. Besides this was his father's antagonism. The men did not quarrel, but cutting and sneering remarks, indifference to his wishes, and a general atmosphere of hostility prevailed in his father's presence, while Austin stood against all this determined to hold his points and if possible keep the home clean. Gradually Austin's influence in the home prevailed, and because of this, no doubt, his father was found more often away.

CHAPTER 16

SEEKING NEW PASTURE

When David roamed over the hills of Bethlehem feeding his father's sheep, he occasionally had to lead them into new pastures. He knew that sheep to thrive must feed on rich gra.s.ses and drink of living waters. When he sought out these feeding-places, he took into consideration the needs of the sheep, finding pasture where the young could feed as safely as those who were stronger.

G.o.d's people are compared to sheep and their pastors to shepherds, and the Word of G.o.d preached to them is compared to the good pastures. Austin found himself a lone sheep separated from his flock and away from his shepherd with the responsibility of seeking out his own pasture. But you may be certain that he asked the guidance and a.s.sistance of the Chief Shepherd.

"Seek out as soon as you can, Austin, a spiritual people and worship with them regularly," Pastor Bennet had said in his farewell counsel, and these words kept ringing in Austin's ears. To a boy of less timid nature this would not have been so great an undertaking, but to Austin it was a serious problem. In the first place his knowledge was limited. His religious experience had been bounded by life under the care of Pastor Bennet, and he did not realize the great difference between church and church. That some churches were richer than others he knew, and that some Christians were less humble than others he was also aware. He was certain that the people who attended the larger churches would dress too fine for him and his family, and he would feel neither welcome nor comfortable. He therefore must hope to find his pasture among the smaller and more humble congregations. Pastor Bennet had expressly advised that he find a spiritual people. Why were not all Christians spiritual? Were they not all serving the same G.o.d!

The first Sunday he went alone to seek out his place. There were two reasons for this, first that he could go in and out with less notice and also listen with less distraction, and the other reason was that the children were without suitable clothing to go with him. They wanted to go, but he put them off with a promise for the future. He had been making inquiry about a place to worship and had learned of an earnest, zealous people who worshiped in a small building on a side street. From what he had heard, he felt attracted to this place. It seemed to have a reputation for earnestness and spiritual advancement more than any other.

He entered among the other worshipers and took a seat well back, and watched to see how the service was conducted and to compare this congregation with the one he had left. The people came in quietly and seemed humble and sincere. He found himself entering into the spirit of the meeting. The Sunday-school was not large, but was interesting, and he thoroughly enjoyed it. When the minister rose to speak, he had a message that cheered the hearts of his hearers. Austin sat attentively listening, his serious eyes dwelling on the face of the speaker. Pastor Gray was soon attracted to the earnest young listener, and when the service closed, hurried back to grasp his hand and speak to him. Others of the members also made him welcome with pleasant greetings and hearty invitations to return and worship with them again. Austin left the house cheered and comforted, with thankfulness in his heart that so soon he had found a feeding-place.