Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-11-14

ms ouI INTO tl!c Iodu lhtN iuuuu Il man
ly ing in the dust, and a child ten OIL
TIVE We years with her arms around him,
wrapins bitterly. and exerHng heI
strength to lift Linn, while she alternate
iy sobbed and called him father, and
begged him to rise.
They brought him in and laid him on
the porch in he doorway, and he breath
ed for little time heavily, and moaned
once while the child constantly wept
and begged him to wake-to speak to
her
The old man grew violently excited
"A the sounds of the child's voice came
irio his room, and at length babe them
lill him TO the door.
He stood there, with his white locks
streaming about his face. un which the
m"onligbtlrrmbIed and gl-arned through
The trees and white sheet wrapped
around his folm gave him wierI un-
earthly aspect. He looked down at the
! figure of the man, and the upiurned face
of the child, who was aEed in-o silence
by This strange apParition. and at this
moment the stranger opened his eyes.
There was a visible shudder passing
through his body. and his gaze for an
instant clung wildly to the eye Of the old
man--tke thrilling. piercing, agonizing
gaze-and then he said in a broken
voice. full of anguish, pcnitence. and
woe, "Faihel fathrr-my child-An-
nie-forgive-my father! and he straight
cning his tall form suddenly, and com
PIes>ed his linn rigidly, and his arms
fell, onc ON ach side, and his hands
werr clrnched and then relaxing, and
swift Jremor passed through his frame.
aud remilting abou. his lip after all else
was hu>hcd, and The son lay dead in
t OLD doorway, with his face turned up
20 the stars that shone on him in lh,.
long years, a child playing efole his
ia her On The same old door stone.
And now Adam Benneu was ready 10
be gone. TIe instant hat he saw his
dead sun. AMI knew ,hlJ the world 70
: longer con aimed i'm As a wanderer over
It's inhoSpiLabe surface, he was ready
+ TO depar and anxious to be away TINS
was the frstImpulsive thou sht; bu' be-
fore the dead son was buried by his moh
,r, the OLD man lying IN his b-i, had
learned 10 love Annie Bennett. his
grandchild, and 30 grow anxious for lie,
tnat he might devote time to her Du
ring the lew weeks tina; he lived af;er
that night of sorrow. his whole heart
grew 10 the child AMI al-hou Sh he W .s
now con'ent to depart, and his desire
W. towards the o.her and better coun-
Try, lac still much fear and anxiety
about The child, and he sought advice
from his pastor and friend, The old clel
gyman. and every preparation THAI was
possible for her benefit, thus to be alone
in the world
The old farmer was wealthy for a
farmer, and hi. broad lands were loca-
tel where few years promised TO make
them ol double or treble value, from the
sieady approach Of the growing city
He made will, giving his property 10 "a
brother, with whom he had not beer on
good terms Ter many years, or rather, il
should be said, who bad Iot been on
good terms with him for Adam was too
gentle TO retain thought of arger, and
had ever desired thus in dying to leave
his still estranged brother the evidence
of his love. But row he changed his
will. and gave his entire property tn
Annie. his grandchild, and made the
clergyman her guardian, who, with the
old Judge his neis shbor, were TO be ex-
ecu ors Of his will. And when all was
arranged, al his viii YVES executed, and in
the presence of the same Witnesses he
destroyed the old will.
And having arranged all this, the old
man went quietly to his rest. There
WAS no one with him but Annie and he
old servants when he died. He called
her up in he night time from her light
lumber which she always took in his
room; and when she erept up to bis
bed and saw The pallor of his coune-
nance-r' minding her of that which pre-
ceded her fathers deaGh-She threw her
AIMS about his neck and pressed her
eli ek close to his; and with the light
clasp closed around lin. the old man
slept, dreaming Of the clasping arms
OF bis beloved wife, and woke in her
embrace.
Seven years passed swiftly away with
Annie Bennett in the parsonage, and She
had grown into rare and perfect beauty.
The good pastor was. well worthy the
charge he had undertaken, and had well
performed his duty. She was as gentle
as beautiful, and the whole country was
full of her praise.
Wealth and beauty together are sell
dom likely to fail in gaining admiration;
but The throng Of suitors who surrounded
her, alter the pastor permitted her TO
receive guests in his house, met poor
encouragement from her universal kind
ness and genlleness. No one could feel