The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-06-30

The old man leaned upon his staff,
and moved slowly on among the graves.
Involuntarily did the youth follow. At
length they stopped by q spot where
two graves laid side by side. The
slabs were Of marble and they glisten-
ed brightly in the moonlight.
Malcolm" spoke the sexton, in a
deep whisper, remember well when
l made those two graves. There was
no sorrow to fill the graves which here
l made, for they who sleep here died
amid the sweet breathings of peace
and honor. They were good, virtuous
people, and when they were gone our
townsmen mourned, for our our village
had lost two of its most noble spirits.
o, / love to come and stand over those
graves, for.I know that God smiles
upon them. There is no faint or dis
honor here. Malcolm, do you know
who rests in those grayes?" N
The youth did not answer, nor did
he raise his head, but with one deep,
wild cry, he sank down, and there he
lay across both graves, weeping and
sobbing like child. His FATHER and
MOTHER slept there! -. f,.
For while the oil 1 man gazed tear
fully upon the scene, and then he took
the youth by the arm and lifted him
up. a... +.I s8+f
The youth followed his guide out
from the church-yard, and after the
gate was closed they passed on to the
street. Bere Adam Stanford stopped.
"Now, Malcolm" he said, "you can
return to your companions at the tav-
ern, but let me pray you, never use my
name again as you used it this evening,
nor think of poor old Adam Stanford,
but think only of what he has told you
in the church-yard; think of what he
has seen and Of what he has suffered,
and of that You may in welcome
speak fae f4ae.
The old man turned party away,
when Malcolm sprang forward and
caught him by the arm.
"Uncle Adam" he uttered, in choked
and broken accents, go, forgive me
for what / have now said, and what /
have done. II can not tell you all
now. l can not speak, but | shall 60
to the tavern no more. O, God bless
you! God bless you! a3a if
*af*
The clock struck nine, and Alice
Warren folded the hands of her little
boy together, and bade him say his
prayers. Her youngest girl was asleep
in the cradle. The first words of the
prayer were uttered-"Our Father who
art in Heaven when there came the
sound of footsteps upon the plank walk
in the little front garden. yrava.
"It's papa" said the boy, letting his
hands drop upon his mothers knees,
and bending his ear to listen. But the
mother dared not speak. aq4 a o
At last the door opened, and the hus-
| band entered. Alice cast her ewes
tremblingly up, and saw the big tears
that were rolling down the cheeks OF
her beloved. Instinctively she spl ang
forward and clasped her arms about
her husbands neck.
"Malcolm! Malcolm!" she cried,
"what has happened? Tell me-O,
tell me!
Malcolm Warran sank into chair,
and as he did so he drew his wife into
his lap. pa
"Alice-O, Alice p he uttered, Sob
bing and weeping as he spoke, "can
you forgive me for all that is past?''
The gentle wife was bewildered at
first almost frightened; for the
speech of her husband was so wild and
incoherent she feared his brain was
turned. But ere long he spoke again.
and as he spoke he kissed her. He
was more calm, and his voice was more
4 |I-
low. He told where he had been, and
he spoke of the resolution be had made.
He did not tell of any trial he was
going to make, but he told her of the
iron will that had entered his soul
The night of his temptation had passed
and the day of his salvation had
dawned.
A few minutes more and the husband
and wife were upon their knees. Theil
emotions were too deep for utterenc,
too wild and thrilling for speech. A
moment they struggled there, and ther
wept in silence. The little boy crep
to the spot, and threw his tiny hand.
about the neck of his parents, for ever
his young soul had caught the spark o.
new life that had been breathed into
existence within his happy home.
/ On tho rov< ,,,o~n;,rr Molcolm War