The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-02-01

i
father and tears were his meat day and
night. The pas, with its long cherished
anticipations, lis fond hopes, and it's
bright visions that clustered around
his darling son, rose up before him like
a dream OF golden treasures and sated
desires to the starved and shivcring
beggar. There were strange rumors
through the peaceful and orderly neigh
borhood, of painful scenes between
the father and the son, of kind and
firm eXpostulation on the one hand
and scornful defiance or open ridicule
on the other, and those who marked
the light fading from the eye ofthe old
man, his broken voice and the sombrc
cloud upon his brow. found little diff
Guilty in believing that his heart was
breaking under some heavy and pain.
iul struggle. Once noted when the
faithful minister was cloqncntly speak
ing of the solemn responsibilities
resting upon parents, that the old
man seemed entirely absorbed in the
discourse. Carried away by the
thought of his own deep domestic dis
trcss, he buried his face in his hands
and i'll the bitterness of his spirit,
gr"ncd aloud. The sound of his own
nurmur Of anguish seemed TO recall
him to himself, and when lie raised
himself erect and looked around him,
every eye i'll the congregation was
liked upon him i'll deep sympathy
! The subducd expression of deep and
hcartrcnding sorrow that passed over
his face at this moment | shall never
forget. 1t made me sick and dcs-
rondcut at heart and haunted NV
th"nghts for many II sad day The sin
"fIliaI disobcdicncc and ingratitud, F.,
was never until then set before me in
5" strong a light or seemed so odious
and revolving. was ready TO echo a
loud amen, to the terrible imprccaton
ais il, Numbered from the crest Of Ebal.
Cursed he he that se,tcth ligh. by his
father or his muthcr!'
Had the old man been overcome bv
his emotions and given vent to his
pcnt up feelings ly IL flood Of tears. ]
could the better have endured the
sigh, of his misery, but to see him
struggling with more than human for
ti;udc To cover up and conceal every
exhibition ofhis suticringS, fleeing from
ia her than courtinS sympathy, excited
IN my mind the strongest cmutiunS Of
sympathy. | would have given the
whole world had i, been mine, to have
pluckcd out the rooted sorrow from his
heart.
Time wore on and young AlIcn
M"rlon, once the pride of his father.
and the pet OF the nciyhborIlnod, sank
more deeply into the gulf OF ruin. For
miles around he Was known MS !, bold
and reckless dcbnuchcr, and notorious,
for his wi!dnrss and profanity. Even
on hr sabbath, for the force nfhis early
habit st II occasionally led him to the
house OF God, he not mlrelucn,ly
bore the sal traces in his person of re
cent cNccsscS over the wine cup. His
father, hopeless and hrarlIrss. had al
most entirely ceased to warn and cx.
poStn'alc with him, but regarded him
with that incNprcss:hsy tender and af:
trcti"I:alc interest, with which a pa.
rent looks npon the child Of his love
when he stands; before him with Il SHAT
tered and da'kcned intellect, n iibhcring
IDIOT with his once Intellectual mind
dimncd and gone forever and mpcr.
Vi"us to reason and inSrnsiblc to the
love that still watches over him with
Its tenderness una!'atcd by the sad
consclcncIousncss OF It's vanity and
h"pc!cSsness. The tine for cxpostula-
ton and entrcaty was gone, and the
stricken d father could only retire to
his closet alone and lift up his hands
in supplication to that being whom hc
worshippcd. :
There was but little change in the
conduct o. illcn Morton, Until about
the per"C when he completed his
tcwnty first year. Then indeed his
conduct visibly improved, lie was no
longer seen among the vicious and dis
orderly companions with whom he
had previously consortcd, and h. seem.
ed wholly to have abandoned his idle
and drunken habits. There was no lit
Tie rejoicing among the friends of his.
father on his account, but consider.
ed it somewhat untnvorablc augury
that old Jacob Morton himself did
not appear TO manifest his recognition
Of the change in his sons character by
exhibiting the less anxiety or greater
hopefulncss on his account.
Six months after this gratifying
change in the habit of Allen Morton
became visible, he was married to a
daughter of IA snug and substantial far.
mcr, who lived few miles distant, Il
young creature ofsurpassing lovclincss
and sweetness of temper. Surely
thought ] ifany mere human agency
can avail to strengthen the feeble rcso
. lnl ion Of nrriI,1r L1,,,r-