The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-12-22

VI i@Iheiiy tofC sweep OFci nlhi. VI
the moment it swelled his soul, irradi
ated his face, flooded his heart, but it
did not permanently change or soften
his heart. AS she grew to womanhood
and her bright head glancing in her
path was the fairest sight earth ever
beheld, her singing voice the sweetest
music, he never gratifed her whims,
nor always yielded to her reasonable
wishes.
At length love came to her. She
gave her heart to one whose father
Judge Howard had hated. James
Huntly and he had been young togeth-
er, and fued had arisen between them
which Rufus Howard's stern nature al
lowed him neither to forget or forgive.
He had yet to learn the lesson, holier
than philosophy, loftier than all the
teaching of seers and sages, the lesson
our Savior lived and wrought, aye,
and died, to teach forgiveness, even OF
our enemies-prayer for those who
have dispitefully used and prosecuted
us. His former enemy was dead now,
but not so with the Judges hate. 1t
had been transmitted, like real estate,
to the dead mans heir, and so he for
bade his daughter to marry him, and
sternly bade her to choose between par
ents and lover. She inherited her
fathers strong will, and she put her
hand in Richard Huntly's and went
forth-she would not have been her
fathers child, if she had not.
From that time, for ten years, her
name had been a forbidden word.
Letters she had written at first, during
her Punishment, but they bad been
sent back unopened, and for years no
voice or token had come to tell wheth-
er she was dead or living. Therefore
the mother looked shudderingly into
the shadow haunted corners in the long
twilights, and almost believed that she
saw there the face for which her moth
er's heart yearned, momently all those
long years.
Judge Howard loved his wife too
oh, if she had but known it J.! Every
outline of that sad, waiting face every
thread of that silver hair, was dearer to
him, now, than when bridal roses
crowned the girl-bride he had chosen,
but his lips never soothed away the
sadness of that patient, loving face.
''It is terrible night" he said at
length rousing himself from his long
silence. In the pause after his words
you could hear how the wind shook the
house, groaned among the trees, and
sighed along the garden walk.
eyes, terrible night" his wife an
swered, with a shudder. "God grant
no poor soul may be ont in it shelter
less"
"Amen! 1 would take in my worst
enemy on such a night as this"
His worst enemy but would he have
taken in his own child the daughter
with his blood in her veins, fed once
at his board, warmed at his hearth ?
If this question crossed his wife's mind
she gave it no utterance.
"Shall l light the candles, Rufus ?''
she asked meekly.
Yes, it is almost bedtime. l had
forget how long we were sitting in the
dark. / will read now, and then we
shall better be in bed"
He drew toward him the Bible,
which lay between the candles she had
lighted-it had been his habit for years
to read chapter in it nightly. Some
how tonight the pages opened at the
beautiful ever-new story of the prodi-
gal son. Judge Howard read it through
calmly, but his hand trembled as he
shut the Book.
Hannah" he began, and then
paused, as if his pride were still too
strong to permit him to confess himself
in the wrong, But soon he proceeded.
Hannah, do suppose that was writ
ten for an example to those who should
be numbered with the children of God.
He is our.Father and his arms are ever
open to the wanderer. My heart mis-
gives me sorely about Caroline. She
should not have disobeyed me, but
do l never disobey God, and where
should l be if He measured to me the
the same measure that / have meted
to her? Oh, Hannah, never felt
before how much l needed to be for
given"
The mothers tears were falling still
and fast-she could not answer. There
was silence for a moment, and then
again the Judge said restlessly-"Han-
nah % and she looked up into his white
moved face. Hannah, could we find
u