Dorian

Dorian

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Title: Dorian
Author: Nephi Anderson
Release Date: June 22, 2004 [EBook #12684]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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DORIAN
By
Nephi Anderson
Author of "Added Upon," "Romance of A Missionary," etc.

"The Keys of the Holy Priesthood unlock the Door of Knowledge and
let you look into the Palace of Truth."
BRIGHAM YOUNG.

Salt Lake City, Utah

1921

Other books by Nephi Anderson.
"ADDED UPON"--A story of the past, the present, and the future
stages of existence.
"THE CASTLE BUILDER"--The scenes and incidents are from the
"Land of the Midnight Sun."
"PINEY RIDGE COTTAGE"--A love story of a Mormon country girl.
Illustrated.
"STORY OF CHESTER LAWRENCE"--Being the completed account
of one who played an important part in "Piney Ridge Cottage."
"A DAUGHTER OF THE NORTH"--A story of a Norwegian girl's
trials and triumphs. Illustrated.
"JOHN ST. JOHN"--The story of a young man who went through the
soul-trying scenes of Missouri and Illinois.
"ROMANCE OF A MISSIONARY"--A story of English life and
missionary experiences. Illustrated.
"MARCUS KING MORMON"--A story of early days in Utah.
"THE BOYS OF SPRINGTOWN"--A story about boys for boys and all
interested in boys. Illustrated.

CHAPTER ONE.
Dorian Trent was going to town to buy himself a pair of shoes. He had
some other errands to perform for himself and his mother, but the
reason for his going to town was the imperative need of shoes. It was
Friday afternoon. The coming Sunday he must appear decently shod, so
his mother had told him, at the same time hinting at some other than the
Sunday reason. He now had the money, three big, jingling silver dollars
in his pocket.
Dorian whistled cheerfully as he trudged along the road. It was a scant
three miles to town, and he would rather walk that short distance than
to be bothered with a horse. When he took Old Nig, he had to keep to
the main-traveled road straight into town, then tie him to a post--and
worry about him all the time; but afoot and alone, he could move along

as easily as he pleased, linger on the canal bank or cut cross-lots
through the fields to the river, cross it on the footbridge, then go on to
town by the lower meadows.
The road was dusty that afternoon, and the sun was hot. It would be
cooler under the willows by the river. At Cottonwood Corners, Dorian
left the road and took the cut-off path. The river sparkled cool and clear
under the overhanging willows. He saw a good-sized trout playing in
the pool, but as he had no fishing tackle with him, the boy could only
watch the fish in its graceful gliding in and out of sunshine and shadow.
A robin overhead was making a noisy demonstration as if in alarm
about a nest. Dorian sat on the bank to look and listen for a few
moments, then he got up again.
Crossing the river, he took the cool foot-path under the willows. He cut
down one of the smoothest, sappiest branches with which to make
whistles. Dorian was a great maker of whistles, which he freely gave
away to the smaller boys and girls whom he met. Just as it is more fun
to catch fish than to eat them, so Dorian found more pleasure in giving
away his whistles than to stuff them in his own pockets. However, that
afternoon, he had to hurry on to town, so he caught no fish, and made
only one whistle which he found no opportunity to give away. In the
city, he attended to his mother's errands first. He purchased the few
notions which the store in his home town of Greenstreet did not have,
checking each item off on a slip of paper with a stub of a pencil. Then,
there were his shoes.
Should he get lace or button, black or tan? Were there any bargains in
shoes that afternoon? He would look about to see. He found nothing in
the way of footwear on Main street which appealed to him. He lingered
at the window of the book store, looking with envious eyes at the
display of new books. He was well known by the bookseller, for he was
a frequent visitor, and, once in a while, he made a purchase; however,
to day he must not spend too