Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-05-21

the older with some surprise, and goo,
deal of curiosity in his face; the younge
with strange longing earnestness in hi
dark eyes that seemed wholly unaccouuta
bic.
sDo you know me, SIR" he asked, af
ter, moments silence, and there was /.
shaking in his voice.
Il do not know that ever had th,
pleasure of meeting you before, sir" sale
the deacon.
But here change came over the fea
lures of the girl, who had been watching
the stranger intently all the time. A light
the light of long buried recollection
seemed to break up from her heart into he
face. Her breath came gaspingly between
her parted lips, her dilated eyes were fas
tened. on the stranger; then, with quick
cry, she sprang forward. "Uncle it is Els
worth, it is surely Ellsworth ~
o! ifyou had seen that old man then
His cheeks turned ashen pale, his frame
shivered he tottered few steps forward
and then the great, wild cry Of his hear
broke out-"Is it you my boy, Ellsworth p
at is l, father; are you glad to see me! ?
And that strong man asked the question
with sob, and timid voice, like that oi
a child.
"Come to me! come to me, my boy
that thought was dead, that have seen
every night for the last eight years, lying
with the dark eyes of his mother under the
white waves. O.! Ellsworth, God has
sent you from the dead! Come to me,
my boy"
And the old man drew his arms around
his sons neck, and leaned his grey head on
his strong breast, and for while there was
no word spoken between them.
"You have forgiven Inc, father?" asked
the young man at last.
"Do not ask me that, my boy. How
many times 1 would have given everything
1 possessed on earth to ask, 'Forgive me,
Ellsworth 2 and to hear you answer, yes,
father"
So there was peace between those two,
such peace as angels, who walk up and
down the hills, crowned with the rural pur-
pie of eternity, tune their harps over.
"And this-this is Nellie? How size
has altered! But know the voice." said
Ellsworth q. last as he took the girls
hand in his own, and kissed her wet cheeks,
adding very tenderly: "My darling sister
Nellie" And at least they all went out
under the cool shade of the vine, and there
Ellsworth told his story.
The merchantmen in which he had sail
ed from home was wrecked, and many on
board perished; but some of the sailors
constructed raft, on which the boy was
saved, with several others. They were af-
terwards rescued by a vessel bound for
South America. Here Ellsworth had OBJ
tained q situation in large mercantile es-
tablishment first as clerk, afterward as a
junior pardner.
He had written home twice, but the let
tiers had been lost or miscarried. As he
received no answer, he supposed his father
had never forgiven him for running away"
and tried to reconcile himself to the es-
arrangement.
But be had of late, found it very difficult
to do this, and, at last, he had resolved to
return to his home, have an interview with
his parent, and try whether the sight of his
lonS-absent son would not soften his heart
o! it was happy trio that sat under the
green leaves of the hop-vine that summer
morning. 1t was happy trio that sat
down in that low, old fashioned kitchen, to
the delicious dinner of chicken and fresh
peas, that Nellie had been so long prepar-
ing.
And that night three very happy peo-
pie knelt in the old sitting-room, while the
voice of the deacon thanked
God for him that was dead and aalive
again"