Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1859-08-11

0etFeen ilie ana etefnlIy--yet Wit
care he may survive"
Mother there was a pathos i
the tone that drew he1 eyes earnest
ly TO the speaker, stripping Of bu
seventeen years,-' MotLer, l an
going away"
Away and where, Earnest?"
Il cannot say.-God must direc
my steps,-but 60 from here must
The culse Of the drunkard's son il
on me. None will regard me-
uone even give me work. More
mother-if | stay here | must forget
my Bible, for how can l henor my
father when be so dishonors himsell?'
Very long did the boy talk sud
plead ere he won the fearful consent;
but she gave it at length, and with
q little kDaysack on bis back, his
mothers bible in one rocket and her
slender purse in the other, Earnest
went forth in the great world to seek
not so much fme rs that peace ard
Joy which drunken father would
not give BIN in bis house.
Years passed away, and there
came no tidings Of him, save that af-
ter the first one each quarter brought
the mother an envelope with a bank
note, and each successive one was
Of a higher figure. First it was a
simple FIVE, then ten, n twenty,
Il fifty aud q hundred. Welcome, too,
were hey all; Tut fer such generous
a id The almshouse Of charity had
cl aimed ber and her little daughters.
for downward, still d0wnwgld, went
heT husband, his absence Go longer
counted by hours, but weeks and
In a bustling city many
niles from bis native village, strap
ger one night found him in a gutter,
laIf frozen, starved, weary and sick.
Like 8 good Saman;ian,he picked him
Up, and as he vas too weak to walk,
,laced him in a carriage and had
i'm taken to his own home. A
'ath, clean garments, wholesome
ood, and soft bed were freely Of.
cred him, and passive as child when
gorn and languid, he sulf cred them
o deal with him as be chose; and
con sunk into deep, refreshing
lumber.
1t Was hours ere be woke, and
hen he seemed as in dream. The
ilthy gutter in which he lost con-
;ciousness. was uow on a downy
Ted. with pillows white and soft as
snow, with silken counterpane ard
Iamask hangings. His rags were
l,opped, and in their stead be saw
himself robed in fine lircn. The
slime was washed from his face ard
l ands, his matted hair combed out,
and his tangled head neatly shorn,
lie put back the curtains. Glad,
yolden sunbeams were stealing
through the crimson drapery of an
.IcoveG window, and the brilliant
light showed him lofty chamber,
rrescced walls. carpet from orien-
tal loom, and q rosewood suit that
prince might covet. "If is dream,'
breathed be, and he closed his eyes.
Light footsteps soon aroused him,
and unclosing them again be saw.
bending over him, a noble looking
man, in lifo's early prime and beside
him noble woman, and in the eyes
Of both great tears standing.
TELL me-" said be, eagerly, "do I
dream, Or am I the poor drunkard
so cared for"
"You were sick and we ministered
to ) ou, said the lady.
"Sick! aye, sin siek. But YOU do
not know how vile | an, or you
would cast me cut OF once. Listen.
have broken the heart Of my wife;
have driven my only son from
home; aye, and halfkilied him first;
and | have scared my little girls till
they fear me more than the evil one.
Will you care for me now?"
He almost shrieked out the ques-
tion, and it seemed as though life
and death hung on the answer.
1--WE must forgive, even as we
would be forgiven said The master
of the house. "WhiIe you can be
happy, stay with ns'
a week passed away, and still the
old man tarried in that beautiful home,
now toying gently with the little
Lille, the wee delicate babe, and