The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-11-14

IL 1, - :" -SHNf" y OaN III a olCter winter
night, when just passing into the fro
zen '"sleep that knows no waking.''
Once rendered fearless by whisky. he
had set out to walk across ariver, when
the ice was floating, and finding the
piece on which he stood detached. from
the rest, and going rapidly down stream
he crouched down upon it, expecting
every moment to be his last, until it
proyidentially stranded against a point
of land that, jutted into the stream.
Many other dangers he escaped, such
as holding on by the edge of a skiff
for hours in the water, until some one
came out from shore and rescued him,
having lost his oars and upset the skiff
through drunkenness or, being una
BILE to manage his horses, falling over
the front of the wagon among their
feet. But no warning seemed to have
any effec: in checking him in his wild
course; and it was not until he came
to work upon the farm of Mr.. johnson
1.-The same on which the first scene of
this story is laid-that any change was
wrought in him. .'
After an illness, resulting from the
last mentioned accident, during which
Mr.. johnson had often sat by his sick
bed, reading to him from Gods word
when he was able to bear it, and with
kind earnestness warning him from the
wild life he had been leading; and
striving to lead him to lay hold on eter-
nal life through Christ, Paul Conway
took the pledge, and to the surprise
of all, seemed bent on keepingit. He
deserted his old haunts and associates,
and went steadily to work as soon as
his strength would permit him. Some
time after this, being at work alone
with Mr.. johnson, by what seemed an
Irresistible impulse, Paul began at the
beginning and told him the whole story
to the end, q left her and the two lit
tie children to shift for themselves
he said, 'and whether they are alive at
this day., God only knows will you
help me to find out p Mr., johnson not
only readily promised to do this, but
offered to advance the money to pay
their passage out. 1t was enclosed in
a letter to the clergyman of the parish
in which they used to live, and they
received no answer until the day when
Mary Conway and her son stood before
them in the harvest field, so changed
that the husband and father could not
recognize in the aged looking and fad
ed woman, the blooming girl he had
loved and married ten years ago, or in
the dark eyed boy the baby he had last
seen in it's mothers arms. sAi =.
What was it that had placed this
gulf between those two loving hearts,
that had cut this gap out of their lives
What was it that laid little Katy's
bright head in the dust, and plucked
the flowers of innocence and youth and
happy love from her parents hands
There is an enemy in our midst that
does all this, and we care nothing
some of us even cherish it as friend.
Soon after this Paul and Mary began
life again in new home, a little log
cabin in the woods, where Jenny
brought wild flowers to make garden
round the door, and a wild vine dropped
lovingly from the trees above, and
clothed the roof with yerdure. Nc
mans past can be as if it had not been
and sin can never bear any thing but
bitter fruits the spring of youth was
gone in both, and the life Paul had led
for seven years, had left deep traces on
his once stalwart frame, and banished
! forever the cheerful, joyous disposition
that had made him SO loved in past
days. A voice too would ever whisper
in his ear, that but for his sin, little
: Katy might be living now to gladder
| her fathers and mothers heart and h,
. would picture to himself what she woult
: have been had she lived, with her gold
: en- hair, and eyes like violets in June
:. Poor Mary's silver threaded locks ant
!, sunken eyes, toe, were ever silent re
> proach to him. -nL 3rss s7eB
But, Paul had became repentan
i as well as temperate man, and Mary
in her sorrow, had found Saviour
, The new home, unlike the first, ha
y been sanctifed by morning and evenin
u = prayer, and the large Bible, brought b.
! Mary across the sea, was not left dust
= on the shelf Little Jenny hear
- beautiful stories, of one who went abou
% % doing good, read by his fathers lip
. from its pages, when the little famil
! gathered round the cheerful winter fir
= and work was done, or in summer 8
- the open door, in the calm, long twi
light. ,eatssrar-,,~os- f..e asl,-
<. Several years after the scenes relate
,r in the foregoing story, 1 paused anon
,e the trees near Mary Conway's cottag
s. OH a bright evening in June. Mar
= herself stood in the doorway, shadin
4 her eyes with her hand, and lookin
% down little path in the wood. He
70 bright, clean cotton dress and whit
ia collar, set off to advantage hertall M
70 tronly figure, and her face had qui
~ content in it that was very pleasant
"a see. She looked comely woman, on
w her grey hair reminded one of the pas
re Soon came up the path two slee
c. cows, walking lazily along, with gre
ne distended udders and mild large eye
20 and after them dark haired lad, wi
he led by the hand rosy, twaddling g
of about four years old. She hs
anteolden hair and violet eyes, and w
q. .tladen like young Flora with WI
nj spring flowers, blue phlox and scarl
\