The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-07-14
OTTAWA, ILLINOIS, FRIDAY, JULY If, 1915.

a grave, moral disqu,ilion, care not how
| true may be its teachings
''Preposterous, Such a position is an in
suit TO the human reason,' said Deacon Pres
colt.
| ooh no! Not by any means. The moral
essay is cold enunciation of truths, but the
fictitious history not only declares the same
principles, but shows US their power of ac-
ton. 1t takes hold of our synpathies-it
makes our understandings clear by warm
ing your Affections
'Precious few such histories are there y
said the Deacon.
I 81 think have something's said the stran-
ger, resnming, that will illustrate what
have said. ! met with a touching little
story to-day; aud as /, fortunately, have it
with me, will, with the permission Of the
company, read it. Ii will take but few
minutes
All asked for the story, but the Deacon,
and he did not objectto its being read. The
story was brief but earnest. Singular q.
nough, for the individual who read it knew
nothing, as we have already minated, of
the affairs OF DeaconPrcscott, il was the his
tory Of parents enlargement from his
child, in consequence of her marrying in di-
rect opposition TO his wishes. The strug.
giles i'll the fathers mind between pride
and affection, between the stern reasoning
with which he sustained himself, and the
tender appeals that his heart made for his
child, were finely portrayed and the Dea
con was startled at the picture OF himself
so suddenly and unexpectedly cuniued up
before him. lie sa, and listened with the
most intense interest. To him it was no
fiction, but veritablc history, for he recog-
nzed its truth in every line.
. From description of the fathers un-
bending spirit. the writer turned TO the low
ing child he had thrown from him with so
. rude hand that she had fallen to the earth.
lie opened the door of her heart, and show
ed the fathers image still there. He pic
tured her as she really was; true to her
husband, yet sad for the loss of parents
love, and yearning to lie again upon the
bosom where her head had rested in con-
iiding love since the early dawn of child
hood. He took the reader into the cham
Der, where she sat alone, botting with tears
the paper on which she was writing an
earnest appeal TO her father, to be taken
back into his affections aud then he show
cd him the unre!enting and uuiorgiving old
man, as he spurncd the tear-Staiued mis-
sive, and sent it back unopened.
But the writer's end in composing this
history, was to FL the heart with the bles-
sed spirit Of forgiveness and in the con
. clusion of his history, he introduced fit
ting combination of circumstances TO pro-
duce the effect deSired-that is reconcile.
alton Of the father and daughter.
. 'Now,' said the individual who had read
the finely told Story. addressing Deacon
Prescott, 'do you not see that picture like
: this would have double the power oven the
heart of father who stood in such rela.
ton TO his child, than any appeals to hi
reason that cold d.daCtics could make? Do
You not
The speaker suddenly became silent
and looked wonderngly at the individual
he was addressing. The picture came
home TO Deacon Prescott with a power
that he could not withstand. Fiction haC
done what reason had failed to acc ompliSl
, it had softened his heart towards hi
child, and set free the long pent up stream
of affection. He started up quickly, ant
to hide the emotion he felt, hurried away
$ from the company, most of whom under
. stood plainly what was passing in his mind
T.. Mary, or rather, Mrs. Baldwin, was sit
i ting alone with sleeping babe in her lap
e her thoughts tracing in the delicate iea
@ lures of her babes face, likeness to he
father, when there came tap at the door.
Some in
). The door opened. and a form, the lcas
; expected, came in hurriedly.
. 'FatherH she exclaimed.
'Mary! My childp was responded, in
quivering voice. A moment more, an,
the father and child were in each other
> arms.
Since that happy hour the old man has
h less to say against works of fiction. lie il
: not their advocate, for old preiudices ar,
# still strong, and old habits of thinking con
= firmed. The fact Of its not being true il
the stumbling block with him. He canuo
r clearly discriminate between writing a sto
ny and telling lie. 'They are not true
y is the mental position he takes. Ana ye
they are true i'll the sense that the image il
the mirror is truc-thcy are true reicc
J. tons Of what occur in real life Deacon
Prescott saw and knew himself in story
n and perceivng what manner Of man h
was, put oil the evil that had so long clun!
Y TO him, and made both himself and other
: unhappy for years. Hundreds and thous
g andS in this world are benefited in Xix
|. manner. There is no calculating tn,
D amount of good a well wrought fiction, ba
y Sed upon the true principles, may effect il
i the world.
j Those who. from narrow prejudice
= would blot this form of writing from III
$ page Of literature, are about as wise as
>. man would be il he dashed mirror 10 pie
# ceS bccacSc it reflected merely what wa
G around ii, instead of containing the res
}. things within itself tina, il pictured out be
G fore the eye.
e From the Buffalo Express.