Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-06-10
THE E7RST WRONG.

My story opens in New England sitting
room
There were three persons present. Let
me Introduce them in order First. there
was Deacon HUlbronk, an old man. not far
from seventy now, with white hair, tall.
spare form, and decided features. Next.
his wife, IA plutherly cd ledy. with an ex-
preston Of such calm benevolence on her
face as to Charm ali .iat knew her. Yet,
at this moment, auxiety. grief and eutreaty
struggled Tor the mastery. The third
figure 10 the tablegu was a young man
with frank, handsome face. of wears not
exceeding twenty, WHO stood IN the middle
OF the floor with dOwncast l,ok, shrinking
from the angry words which his father ut
tered.
Henry" said the deacon sterulv.
''you have djsSraced yourself and me, q
deacon I tie church, You have embItter~
el the declining years OF your parents"
Don't he too hard with hIm Drac n
Hold rock, iCterPoScd Eis wife. Remem.
Der it is Lis fist fault"
III it were anything else" said his
father, still unappeased; but to think
that NY s"n should tecome gambler =
My sor, who has been 5, carefully trained
III the way he shOrli go!'
at is only once" urged the wife, with
all mothers Instincts.
There are some crimes which cannot be
committed once without sinking the soul
deep i'll Fin, returned the father with una
blteI sternHess.
AL this willie the youug man lad re-
manned silent, though his varying colors
showed that he felt deeIly the harshnts,
Of his fathers woods. AT length he spoke:
Father" said he firmly, you will one
day repent your severity. No sooner had
/ | siHned than | repented, and made immc-
date c. ntessi,n to you and my mother
Instead Of encouraging me iu my repcu-
lance, you load me with reprOaches which
my own conscience had anticipated. and
y hich, heaven knows, did net need"
Deacon N,ltreok was about 70 ,,ceak hint
Henry RAPIDLY continued;
You tell me ave disgraced YOU.
all remove myself and my disgrace from
J Your presence"
/ As he was about to leave the room, his
mother asked anxiously: Where would
1 you 60 TO, Henry2"
Stay him not, Hannah !" said the dea-
cen sternly. at is we'll that he should
/ leave place where he can no longer look
| an honest man in the face"
deacon lIo!5rook, he is our son." said
! the wife, reprOachiully.
al would that | could forget it," was the
unrelenting rerly.
| These last words reached the ears Of the
young mar as he stood upon the thresh-
I hold, and an expression half Of pain, half
/ of Indignation, swept over his face lie
/ knew that he had done wrong, but he felt
that he had not forfeited forgiveness
With one farewell glance at his mother,
full Of unspoken gratitude and love, he
left the house which had been 50 long to
him a home.
This was the fault Of which Henry Hol-
brook had been guilty Having been sent
to New York by his father to collect sum
Of money due him, he had been allured to
gaming house by companion, and there
induced to play, though not until after
much persuasion. Having lost part oil
the money in bis charge, he kept on play
ing in the ho0e of recovering his losses.-
But, as it might have been expected, in-
stead Of this he lost all that remained
Then thoroughly ashamed, and bitterly
upraidug himself for his breach of trust
he went home and confessed all. This con.
fessicn was received, as we have seen, in
such way as 70 chill his confidence and
excite his indignation. And now he had
gone forth from home, a wanderer, he
knew not whittier, with not one effort on
his fathers part to stay him,
Let nue. do Deacon Hvlbrook the justice
to say that it was not his own personal lOss
that excited his rigo-. The sum, though
not large-a hundred dollars-was vet Of
importance to him. Still, he could over
look that, but not his sons weakness
and crime, as he termed it, Icy which it was
! lJst
After Henry's departure, the cd house
/ became quieter than before. All the life
had gone out of it. Deacon IIolbrook him
self was man Of few words, and his taci-
turnity had abated his wife's social tend
encies. Very long very quiet, and very
tedious were the evenings which they
spent together. On enc side of the fire
place SAT the deacon, gravely reading
through his ;peotacles the agricultural pa
\ pers which came weekly. Opposite him
sat his wifi, her fingers actively engaged
| in knitting, her mind intent upon her
absent boy. There was not even kitten
to enligen the scene. Mrs. Holbrook had
| cnce ventured 10 induce one into the house,