The struggle

Front matter

e

STRUGGLE

C.

Preface

THE author has not attempted to conform to the plot of the conventional novelist, but to tell the story of the real burden under which the American people are staggering. The writer has made the forms of the conven tional novelist give away to the real purpose of this work. No work has any claim upon the public unless there is a purpose in sending it forth. The intention of the writer has been to disclose the real disease in Organized Society of the American Republic in this the twentieth century. The life of Grace Shelton as told in this story is a reality in thousands of the homes in this land. If the work arrests the attention of the public to the real condi tions as told in this story, the author will feel amply compensated for his efforts.

Ck., February, 1905.

Contents

CHAPTEE PAGE

I. The Hope of a Patriot . . . .11

II. On the Way to Rocktite . . . . 17

Chapter I The Hope Of A Patriot

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, is located in a beautiful country— in the blue grass section that has become world famed. It was its natural beauty that attracted the attention of Henry Clay when he removed from the "slashes" of Virginia hunting a new home where he could better his conditions in life. It was here in this beautiful garden of modern Eden that he settled and began his great career that made him one of the trio of America 's greatest statesmen. It was here that he struggled in his young manhood, amid ad verse circumstances and conditions, to satisfy an honorable ambition. It was here in a new country that he met encouragement among strangers— it was here that he developed that life wherein he measured arms with Calhoun and Webster. It was here in this beautiful garden of nature, after a life spent in the service of his country, that he stood and said to a great people filled with patriotism, love of country and the flag and devotion to their great leader and hero: "I came among you without money, friends or kindred. "What I am, you have made me. I may have not ac complished much in life. I may have not made history. I may have served my coun try poorly— another might have done better had he been given my place and the oppor tunities that you have given to me, but I have done my best. I may have erred. I may have made mistakes, for it is human to err and divine to forgive. But, fellow citizens, my course is ended. I have lived with you ; I have suffered defeat with you ; and I have en joyed victory with you. We have contended for what we thought was for the best interest for the entire American people— the Constitu tion and the Flag, the Union under the Con stitution. And to save the Union, the Union under the Constitution, not a Union consoli dated into an Empire, but a Union constitut-

THE HOPE OF A PATRIOT

ing a federal government composed of sover eign states, as your leader and trusted serv ant, has been the chief aim of my life and my ambition. To this cause I have consecrated my life, for in our system, if properly con strued and properly preserved, is the only hope of justice in organized society among men. To preserve this system, I have advo cated every reasonable measure of compro mise, given an ear to every legitimate conten tion of others— for I have given to others the same credit for honest motives that I myself would ask. The Eepublic of the Fathers thus far has undergone many trials and tribula tions ; but many issues have been solved and many questions have been settled. What the future has in store no man can tell, no prophet can foresee, no philosopher can unravel. The spirit of liberty struggling up through the centuries and fighting against the fates of all times, found in the Anglo-Saxon race a home, and for over two thousand years the spirit o'f liberty and justice has been inspiring the An glo-Saxon race to free the world— moved by this inspiration they contested with and drove back from the Ehine the tax gatherers of

Borne and the armies of conquest of the Caesars— moved by the same force, they outmarshaled on every field of carnage the knighthood of the ancient Celts. Inspired by the same undying thirst for liberty when they took up their habitation on the British Isles, they fought against the conquering Northmen and their despotism, and when conquered in battle they kept up the fight in every forum to the end that the school of popular rights which they represented has clashed with the school of nobility, royalty and special privi leges of the Norman House for nearly two thousand years in England. And when they saw that their principles of justice and popu lar government could never rule in England, in their entirety, moved by the truth, the be lievers in these principles fled to these shores where they could found a government resting upon the consent of the governed, and where justice would rule among men and every man under its system could have a chance in life 's race. Their convictions became a part of their lives, a part of their very existence, and the comers to this continent— those who fled from the oppressions of the old world, pro-

THE HOPE OF A PATRIOT

duced a people that baptized the Atlantic coast of this continent in the best blood that the world has ever produced, that these prin ciples might be established among men and this Republic founded. And it stands today, my countrymen, as the only beacon light, the only star of hope to the oppressed millions of every clime.

"No man can tell what the history of the future will be. We know what the history of the past among the governments of earth has been. We know how men, guided by selfish ness and greed, have used the power of gov ernment to oppress the masses and concen trate the wealth earned by the many into the hands of the few. We know how corrupt laws and*corrupt rulers have been used to rob the many for the few, in the nations of the past. We know by the truths of history, how im morality and dishonesty have caused the decay and destruction of the nations of the earth. God forbid that this should be the case with this Republic!— may our people profit by the history of the ages gone and the mistakes of the peoples of other times, and may justice, truth, honor and patriotism be the chart of our future generations to guide the Old Ship of State of this glorious Repub lic and may she live on through the centuries giving forth hope to the oppressed millions everywhere, until justice shall rule among men. May no issue stagger her and may no problems be too complex for her sons through the coming ages to solve according to the chart of truth and justice.

* * My countrymen, my course is run. Father Time has bid me halt and lay aside the duties here among men, to soon take up the duties in another sphere, in another realm among those who have gone before and we trust are rest ing in that land where all law is justice and all ties are love. My countrymen, I bid you adieu/'

Chapter II On The Way To Rocktite

LEXINGTON, that still beautiful city, stands planted in a modern garden of Eden, where a people reside through whose veins the blood of the Revolutionary Fathers courses, and in the midst of this beau tiful garden of Eden stands a monument of their ideal and their idol— of their leader and their hero, inspiring this noble people to con secrate their lives to the Flag and the Consti tution, and to civic justice and civic righteous ness—the immortal Clay still lives in the hearts of his people as well as in bronze.

As you move out from Lexington over the Louisville & Nashville system, nature seems to inspire you with the spirit of patriotism. On every side and in every direction as far as the vision of the eye can run, nature seems to respond and to declare in unmistakable terms that the just God intended that a great and free people should here reside and enjoy the blessings of liberty and justice, and the fruits of their own labor.

As you are whirled on from station to sta tion, the vision of the eye sees nothing but prosperity and the homes of a happy and con tented people— a people living steadfast in reverence for the Creator and the faith re vealed to man,— as you go whirling on, in every hamlet, every village and every road side station, the spires of the temples of wor ship point heavenward ; and the school houses stand guard as the sentinels to conscientious and intelligent citizenship.

As you pass on you are whirled through towns and cities where stand the temples of justice, whither comes an honest and intelli gent citizenship to submit to arbitration all its rights in their sacred precincts. As you are whirled on through this beautiful country wherein reigns the twentieth century civiliza tion, you are ready to ask, could the heart of man wish for more? For on every side are the ripening fields, the lowing herds and pa latial homes, temples of worship, temples of justice and institutions of learning— all of

ON THE WAY TO ROCKTITE

the three great forces that go to constitute a great civilization— prosperity and a happy people are in evidence everywhere. And at every depot, every hamlet and every village, the beautiful, queenly women of this unchal lenged civilization are passing to and fro in entering and passing from your palace cars. And as you pass through the green fields where the blue grass covers Mother Earth, everywhere the lowing herds are replenishing nature's demands from the waving fields as far as the vision of eye can run.

The palace car in which you are whirled through space at sixty miles an hour is the product of the twentieth century civilization, possessing more of the conveniences and com forts of life than the mansion of the king of the thirteenth century. The conductor, the flagman, the brakeman, and even the porter of this palatial home, as it whirls through space, are indisputable evidences of a great civilization— a happy, prosperous and con tented people.

On and on you are whirled until the vision of the eye tells you you are passing from the blue grass region that has made "The Old

Kentucky Home" world famed and an in spiration to her sons and daughters wherever found. On and on you go until Mother Earth is no longer covered with the waving blue grass fields and you realize you are entering the region where grows the "weed" that the "red man" loved so dearly— you are now in the tobacco section of * ' Old Kentucky. ' ' You are nearing Rocktite, and as you are whirled on, the porter passes through your palatial car and makes the usual announcement, ' 'Next station is Rocktite ; change cars for all points except Louisville." For a few moments as you pass on, you see a littlo village just ahead of you— there is nothing visible to the eye except the usual little depot at a cross-road station, a small frame church and a litttle square frame school house; but as you are whirled on to the station and as the porter calls out, "All out for Rocktite!" your eyes behold, standing in a beautiful grove with beautiful lawns and yards leading out from it toward the station, a palatial mansion that tells the story that it is a home of refinement, culture and intelligence— a home that is the product of the civilization of the Cavaliers

ON THE WAY TO ROCKTITE

who settled Virginia and the Carolinas. It is evident from the surroundings that the pro prietor and the ruler is an ''uncrowned king" and rules his domain with a spirit of love and gentility. It is the home of Col. John Shelton, whose ancestors were at the framing of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, and fought the British at King's Mountain and at Alamance. His grandfather removed from the "Old North State" and settled in "Old Kentucky," and for three generations his family has been one of influence and a factor in the civic affairs of the common wealth.

Chapter III The Home Of The Sheltons

ALONG driveway paved with sea shells shipped from the Atlantic coast and overshadowed with large elm trees, leads from the station at Rocktite up to Sum mer Hill, the home of the Sheltons. The beautiful yards at Summer Hill, as is usual in this section, include many acres. These acres are laid out in a beautiful system, walk ways and driveways leading in every direc tion. They are covered with beautiful shade trees and flower yards and beautiful vines entwining around the gigantic oaks and elms can be seen everywhere. It is a home in fact. Receding back from Summer Hill lies a fertile and beautiful farm of some several hundred acres. It is not covered with the blue grass, but the "weed" and the waving wheat fields can be seen everywhere. Summer Hill is not in the blue grass region of "Old Kentucky,"

THE HOME OF THE 8HELTON8

but in that section where the "weed" and the golden wheat fields grow.

Col. Shelton inherited the farm from his father, who in turn inherited it as a part of his father's estate— it is a part of Maj. Tom Shelton 's original estate, who removed from the "Old North State" and was among the first settlers of this section.

The Sheltons for generations have been in comfortable circumstances, among the "well to do," but not rich. They have been an in dustrious family, and have endeavored by honest efforts to accumulate enough of the material things of life to enjoy some of its comforts as well as the necessities of life ; but they have never been a family who by ques tionable methods have endeavored to get the earnings of others ; and have never belonged to that class of society that is commonly called "profligate."

Maj. Shelton, Col. John's father, was a member of the Legislature for several terms, and then represented his district in Congress for three terms ; but he always lived upon his farm and looked to "Mother Earth" for the support of his family. He believed in a civilization wherein every man should labor for an honest living, and he reared up his son, John, with the same ideas as to life and the standard of right. Col. John himself has always been more or less active in politics, and for several terms represented his county in the Legislature, and obtained his title of Colonel by being a member of the State troops.

But his beautiful farm has been the pride of his life. To beautify its acres has been one of the chief ambitions of his life. His pros perous farm, his beautiful home and his lov ing, happy and cultured family, have been the objects to which he has consecrated his life.

Mrs. Shelton was a Miss Langston, whose grandfather removed from Virginia about the time that Col. Shelton 's grandfather removed from North Carolina. Her ancestors were of the " first families of Virginia." The Sheltons and Langstons had known each other's families for three generations, and when Col. John and Miss Langston were united in the holy bonds of matrimony they were not the only ones who were happy— the entire

THE HOME OF THE SHELTONS

Shelton and Langston families were pleased beyond expression. And the home life of Col. Shelton and his beautiful wife, through all the trials that naturally and incidentally come to the matrimonial state, has been beautiful— not one jar has ever marred those beautiful relations— their home life has been in keep ing with their beautiful home, in which they have lived— all that nature could ask.

As the fruits of their married life there have been born four beautiful girl children, Hattie and Marie, two beautiful twin daugh ters; Ruth and Grace. These four beautiful girls have been the angels of Col. and Mrs. Shel ton's life— Summer Hill was always the home for all the prominent guests who visited the village of Eocktite. It was the home of the ministers of all denominations — Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopalian, too, if one chanced to come that way— the Sheltons were Presbyterians. Col. Shel ton and his beautiful wife delighted in making all comers to Summer Hill feel that they were at home; they loved their friends, and the house party was a frequent occasion at Summer Hill. When the girls grew up and be came old enough to attend the academy at Bocktite, they were the little belles of the school, modest, courteous and gentle, for they had the training of Mrs. Shelton, their queenly mother; and during the school sea sons at Bocktite, these little queens invited their school friends to spend the Saturdays frequently with them at Summer Hill, and Col. and Mrs. Shelton enjoyed the guests of their little queenly daughters as much as the girls did themselves ; they always took delight in returning and being children for awhile with these little queens. The Colonel was the ideal hero of the fair little ones, for he was a man of majestic appearance, tall, erect, firm in his manly step and bearing, brave and de termined, yet as tender and sympathetic as a child — the ideal citizen of the great civiliza tion in which he lived. When Hattie and Marie reached the age to be sent to a board ing school, they were all prepared, for they had good preceptors at the academy at Bock tite ; and Col. and Mrs. Shelton placed them in one of the best boarding schools of Baltimore,

THE HOME OF THE 8HELTON8

where they remained until their education was completed ; and when they were finishing their last year, Ruth and Grace were sent to Philadelphia, where their education was com pleted in one of the leading boarding schools of the old Quaker City. Hattie and Marie, returning home, were the belles of the com munity, and always said that they would not marry— that no conquering hero could bow at their shrine until Ruth and Grace had completed their education, so all four could pour out their lives of devotion in the home at Summer Hill to a noble mother and father. True to their determination, Hattie and Marie kept the home at Summer Hill a place of joy to Col. and Mrs. Shelton and all who chanced to be the guests of their hospitality ; and when two years had passed away, Ruth and Grace returned from the old Quaker City, ready to join the happy home at Summer Hill. It was an ideal home— a patriotic, brave, hon est father; industrious and a "good pro vider" for his family; a saintly and devoted mother, four cultured, gentle and queenly daughters, all devoted to each other, happy and contented with their surroundings and conditions— these are the homes that make a nation great— invincible and indestructible.

Chapter IV

ALL of the girls are at home from school. They have been raised with proper environments. They have had that education that makes the ideal American woman— educated minds, educated hearts and educated souls. The type of woman that has been the saving power of every nation— that has stood the test of self-government for any length of time in history — for true woman is the saving power of all nations, just as the heartless, vain, unprincipled women have been the first signs of decay in other civiliza tions. Woman is the true index of the civili zation in which she lives. The haughty, vain, scheming, designing woman is the product of a civilization without homes, without true wives and true mothers, and such a civiliza tion is in a state of decay, and in the end must go. Loving, kind, refined, cultured woman— the woman who loves home, father, husband and children, is a product of a civilization of true homes, churches and patriotism, and such a civilization is anchored steadfast in godliness and love of country and can with stand the erosive and eating powers of cor ruption, working out its destiny for good wherever it rules.

During the seasons at Summer Hill, the guests were frequent— it was "open house." The "chums" of the girls at the boarding schools were frequent visitors, and frequently some of the girls would leave to be the guests of their school friends. And, too, the resorts would be visited— not the ultra fashionable seaside, because Col. and Mrs. Shelton did not think these retreats were the proper places for the girls to go, and to this opinion the girls readily assented— with them, their father's and mother's opinion was infallible. Did they not have the greatest father and the best mother on earth ? Why, of course. They had been raised right, and when a child is raised right, you know there can be no doubt on this point. "Love thy father and thy mother," and "obey," too, you know, and both of these

SOME HAPPY DAYS AT SUMMER HILL

injunctions were respected at Summer Hill. The girls always went to the respectable, quiet resorts— where good and refined people, not the "giddy and gay," spent their vaca tions, and Mrs. Shelton always went with them, and the Colonel would always arrange to spend as much as a week at a time now and then with them.

While at the "Springs," Hattie and Marie were belles— they were at the marriageable age, you know. They had passed the "school days." They had finished the period in the "boarding school." They had made their formal debut into society— and we all know what that means— that acceptable suitors will be duly considered, and finally either accepted or rejected. But while at the ' ' Springs ' ' Hattie and Marie met two * ' good catches. ' ' They were young men who had been college mates —Thomas Kinston, who was the only child of a wealthy rice and sugar planter of Lou isiana, and John Winston, who was the only child of a wealthy cotton planter of Alabama. Tom and John had attended Yale College to gether—had been roommates while in college, and their affection for each other was beautiful— only such as true men would have for each other. They had returned home to take charge of their fathers' interests— one in Louisiana and the other in Alabama, and some day to become heirs of the fine estates of their fathers. In the sections where they lived, they were considered the best "catches" for the girls. The girls of the community vied with each other for their attentions, and it is useless to say that the mothers who had mar riageable daughters did the usual planning to have their daughters make favorable im pressions upon ''Tom" and "John," but it was readily seen by all at the "Springs," when Tom and John met Hattie and Marie, that the meeting was mutually agreeable, and that Tom's preference was for Hattie and John's for Marie. It was soon noticeable to all close observers that these friendships were developing into more than the mere summer season, and the mothers who had marriage able daughters, who were at the "Springs" for the purpose of meeting available oppor tunities, soon began to get jealous of Hattie and Marie and the two young gentlemen, and soon began to make the usual criticisms as to

SOME HAPPY DATS AT SUMMER HILL

Hattie's dress and to Marie's hat, and to Marie's figure and Hattie's voice and such other criticisms as only the mind of woman can conjecture. And when with the ladies, these kindly mothers, of no malignant inten tions, but with the usual jealousies that belong to their sex, began to feel that John and Tom were paying too much attention to Hattie and Marie and not enough to their daughters, who, in their opinion, were much more attractive; then they began to pick flaws, of course, as to Tom and John. Mrs. Jones could occasionally be heard to say ' ' she was certainly pleased that Mr. Kinston hadn't met her daughter, Sarah." "I would not have Sarah to meet him for anything." "I think his manners perfectly disgusting;" and Mrs. Johnson, who was seated near by, quickly agreed with Mrs. Jones. "You are correct, Mrs. Jones, I don't like Mr. Kinston, neither do I like that other fellow, Mr. Winston. I have given instructions to Elizabeth that she must not meet them. " " Yes, but, ' ' said Mrs. Jones, "I saw Elizabeth talking to Mr. Wins ton last evening." "Yes," said Mrs. John son, "but as soon as I discovered it, I told her that must be the last of it." Of course it had to be the last of it, as John was paying his undivided attention to Marie, and Tom was paying his to Hattie. Capt. John Bell, who had been a life-long friend of the Sheltons, and who resided near them at Summer Hill, was at the "Springs," too, and a man of keen observation, as the Captain was, saw that the relations developing between Hattie and Mr. Kinston and Marie and Mr. Winston were more than just summer season relations, and Mrs. Shelton, with the keen intuition of a woman, observed, too, that Marie was fasci nating to Mr. Winston, and that Hattie was taking hold of the heart of Mr. Kinston ; and when they returned from the "Springs" in the fall to Summer Hill, she did not make any inquiries of the girls as to their rela tions with Mr. Winston and Mr. Kinston, but she was satisfied that ere long the two class mates at Yale would visit Summer Hill. In this she was not to be disappointed.

Chapter V

AFTER Mrs. Shelton and the girls had returned home to Summer Hill, it was noticeable that Marie and Hattie watched the postoffice closely, and daily they received the letters that told the story of what the understanding was at the Springs between Hattie and Mr. Kinston and Marie and Mr. Winston. Each letter to Marie bore the post mark of Shellsboro, Ala., for that was the home of John; and each letter to Hattie had the imprint of Tatesboro, La. Of course, the letters were enclosed in beautiful envelopes selected with due care, and the very shape, form and style of the letters were evidences that they were not from "lady friends," but that the senders had a purpose that is never revealed to the outside world but always kept secret by the suitor when he is making his first advances to conquer one who is to be his companion in life. Hattie and Marie made no demonstration over the reception of the letters— they did not even tell Col. and Mrs. Shelton— for girls, you know, when they are corresponding with gentlemen friends just to correspond, love to tell it, but when they are corresponding with one that is dear to the heart — the longed-for one— the one that they hope some day to be the man that will be the ideal and the hero of life, always keep their feelings to themselves.

It is unnecessary to state that Mr. Kinston and Mr. Winston had a mutual understanding before they left the Springs that this corre spondence would take place, for each told the other that he had an understanding that such was to be the case. Mr. Winston had Marie's solemn promise that she would answer his letters and she had his solemn promise that he would visit Summer Hill.

Mr. Kinston, while strolling on the lawn at the Springs in the beautiful moonlight that quickened the soul to reveal its inner self to its affinity, secured the same solemn promise from Hattie that she would answer when he wrote, and that daily he should hear from her in the future, and that at Summer Hill they would soon meet again. Mrs. Shelton and Col. Shelton observed keenly these letters, with that interest that the dutiful father and mother always have in the future welfare of their daughters.

The postmaster at Rocktite observed, too, that letters came daily to Marie and Hattie — one bearing the imprint of Shellsboro, Ala., and one bearing the postmark of Tatesboro, La. It soon became the gossip of Rocktite that "the Shelton girls were engaged"— that "there would soon be a marriage at Summer Hill." Of course, this rumor soon became a part of the information and knowledge of all of the mothers, sisters and daughters of Rocktite, and of the community thereabout. Each mother and each daughter who were jealous of the Shelton girls had their views and their comments to make, even though they had never heard of either Mr. Winston or Mr. Kinston. And, of course, each and all of the girls in the community exchanged views as to the prospective marriages at Summer Hill, and with that innate jealousy that is inborn in every female, that makes the female sex so unkind and so ungenerous to each other, the usual unkind remarks were made— of course they knew nothing of Mr. Kinston and Mr. "Winston— they did not even know their names, but they had heard that Marie had a sweetheart in Alabama, and that Hattie had a lover in Louisana. It was not un usual to hear the comment from rival mothers and rival girls around Eocktite and Summer Hill that "I understand that Marie Shelton is to be married to a fellow in Alabama, and they are doing their best to leave the im pression that he is rich, but as a matter of fact they say everything his father has got is mortgaged;" and when the rival mothers and jealous girls were all exchanging visits, it was quite frequent to hear the comments, "I understand that Hattie Shelton is to be married to a fellow down in Louisiana. It is said that his father is well to do, but that they are very ordinary people." The com ments went the rounds of Eocktite and the surrounding community.