The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-10-16
Mise 3 [ l 4 n Z .
THE ONLY SON.
Ey MRS JANE az

MIR fIa1court sat alone ia his study
The walls we're crowded with bookcase
filed with the tnaasy tornes of the law
his table was covered with papers Of im
p0rtaece; and a pile Of Holes, which ha,
just been paid him by %cljent. lay close g
Eis elbow TIE costly lang taaG huns
abnye his bead threw ils light full Ga tht
1ppeg part of his face, triagiog the mass5
tGow "a iuao bold relief and giving add,
tienai s'efaness and peemjse 10 his colo
ADD iniexibIe failures. All az oac9 he
rang the bell.
SHEs naas!ec flames arrivedg' be said
SHARPLY, when the sergant eatettd.
~Yes, sir"
"Show him in, Ghen.''
La a few cainutes, the Door Of the study
opeued again, and the lawyers only son
S1oed ia the presence Of his father. He
was a youth Of about seventeen, fair and
manly 10 gaze uEooe bet wI!s that look of
dissipation in his ceentenance wick mars
the aoblest Beauty. An expression of fem
iniRe ~soflnesa and itresolution in his face,
epntr&dictet the proud and self-witied
glance of his dark, glowing eye. lie
seemed. indeed, to Judge from his looks,
to be wholly a creature OF inpulees,
$50 yeu have been ia another scrape,
sir said the cid taan harshly,
The yeQth bowed bis head aud BIT his
ljp-
aft cost rne four hundred dollars 10 pay
for the carriage broken, and the horse
foundered in your drunken ftaIis. WAT
have goa to say 10 thai, slrE"
The youEg mans eye wandered irres~
oiu.elg arovn& the 0 Is, without dating
80 meet his fdhef'a face, Nor did he
mase any teply.
"How long is this 10 last :" said his
Fareat, in & more angry tone, "Ha0e /
Got Tod gou, ssaia and again and again,
tatt l would djsown yea if these things
wert oaf You ate q disgrace. sir, to
Gae-s blot on cay name. Thank God,
pout .nether did cot live TO see yoQ grew
apt"
The yeuth had been evidently u%erving
aiMself to bear his fathers rebukes with
as muGh indifference aud c%eo'neas as pos.
sibIe; bat at the mention Of his mothers
Came His lip quivered, aud he turned way
his head to hide the tears that gathered
ia his eyes. Had that sierra, irritable cid
eaaa kaowa how to follow up the chord he
stuck, his con night yet have been saved;
lat he was g. hard correct man, unaccus~
to med to naking allowances fer difference
of character, aid he resolved to drive his
son into obedience by the strong arm Of
parental authority.
"You turn away 10 laugh, you rascal,
do you2" said he. cnraged. "You be-
Gieve, because you are my onIy child J.
will aot disinherit you. But would cast
you of II you were ten times my son
aud 1 made up .ray mind 10 day 10 Tell you
at once, to 60, There is a pile Of notes--
five hundred dollars, / be~lieve-and TO-
Gacrrow / will make it q thousand, before
yov depart But ~remamber, this is the
last Night you shall spend under my roof-
The last cent Of my money you shall ever
aouch."
When his mother was alluded to, the
yoa!a bad almost made up bis mind 10
step forward, ask pardon for all his evil
coarse, and promise solernnly hereafter
&c live a life Of strict propriety but the
sharp and angry toee in which Mr. Har-
oar pursued the conservation, and the
words Of Sanishmeat with which it closed,
seemed to make him irresolu'e. He col.
cred, turned pale, and parted his lips as if
about 10 speak; thea be clasped his hands,
aaIf IN supplicalion; bat the cold, con-
demptuous look Of his father checked him,
and he remained silent, The angry Au5h
however, rose again to his cheek, aud be-.
came fixed there.
mo a word, sir," said the father. ut
is too iite for pleading now. Don't Be
both a b~lackguard and a coward. told
you If you ever got into such a discredita-
BILE difficulty | would disown you. But
warning did no good. You must reap
as you have own Will gou go g.
The youth seemed again about to speak;
but bis words choked him. The spirit
of the son, as we'll as that Of The faith
eT, was reused. He fet that the pun,
ishment was disproportioned to the offence.
even great as it had been. He took the
nstes, which his parent held out TO MIN,
csumpIed them hastily together, and fling,
ing them scornfuIIy back, turned and leh
the room. The next instant The street door
closed with a heavy clang.