The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1862-09-24
TAKEN AT HIS WORD.

"OuC OF III SlSHL! Lou dTe q cdldHi Y
and distress to all your family. Away
with you join the army if you can do
nothing else. You will then stand some
chance cf getting shot, which will be a
good thing for all concerned, and the
quicker it takes place the better"
Reader, who do you think said that
And to whom do you think it was said? ?
Why, a father said it; he said it to his
otcn son.
"What a monster p do you cry.
Nay; he was church member. He
prayed morning and night, with his fam
lily. There is no doubt he intended, and
sometimes tried, to be good man. But
he was enraged at his boy, and this
caused his unchristian language.
You may judge by the language he
used, how he had brought up that unfor-
tunate boy.
You judge correctly, and the boy was
what you naturally imagine him to be.
The father was getting his reward now
for having so neglected his duty in the
training Of his sob. But he could rot
bear, with any sort Of patience, the way
ward conduct Of his son, and so ragged
and rallied at him that everything in Ed
gar which was bad became thousand
fold worse. The mother-as mothers
will-cluug in love aud patient pity to
her boz, aud her soul was in agony to
witness the violent scenes between him
and his father.
She talked faithfully to both; but
neither would hear. The father declared
the boy TO be reprobate and worthless,
and the son rand, desperately, that his
father hated him, and that this convic-
tion embttered and poisoned his heart so
that it was impossible for MIN TO be good.
"Eren for .your sake, mother" he scbbed,
"for which | often do try to do better"
The night after the words with which
our sketch is commenced were uttered,
Edgar was late home. When he came it
was TO announce that he had enlisted,
and was to march at noon the next day.
The mother worked and wept all that
night AT the right time next day her
boys knapsack was ready. He went
without seeing his father. The troops
passed the door of his home Edgar's
pale and despairipg face was lifted TO the
pale, drenched face that looked down,
searching for him in the ranks, from his
mothers window.
"God protect my poor boy" her white
lips murmured.
Edgar knew what those tears were,
though be could not hear them. He
kissed bis hands to his mother, and tried
TO smile on her, but the woe in his great
dark eyes would not be thus veiled, even
for one moment. lie bowed his head and
passed on.
The troubler, the bone of contention,
the calamity" was gone out of the home
of poor Edgar The father looked gloomy
but said not a word CT regret. He never
seemed to reflect that his son had not
come unbidden into life, nor that it is
crime in any man to evoke life that he
does not try his best to render good and
happy. lie should have blamed himself
far more than he did Edgar for all the
faults of the latter But that he never
did. He thought children ought to come
up all right, no matter how they were
treated, and he was ready to destroy those
that did not turn out well.
Reasonable, sensible; but many men
are so. 1t is one Of Gods unfathomabIe
mysteries, why ne permits such to become
fathers. o, poor, ill-fated babes that
are born into the families of such fathers.
But God will surely make allowance,
when the judgment sets, for the children
who were never trained up in the way
wherein they ought to go. We will an
chor our souls on this hope. .....
But Edgar
Well, hIs company was one of the first
that was called into action. He was a
brave boy. Hungry aud thirsty aud with
face and feet bHstered from the wind
and the dreadful forced march, he walked,
or rather ran on the battle field and with
his comrades raised the wild shout that
is said to have startled AL that heard it
They cast off their coats, aud piled upon
the earth everything that could interfere
with the freedom of their motions, and
then forward they rushed into the bloody
fight.
EdGar's mother sat at home thinking
Of her boy. Mothers can imagine how
she felt. The telegraph reported that q
battle was lost; that our men had fed
that everything was going wrong with the
Northern Army.
30. if Edgar would but run all the
way home" thought the mothers heart
al would not say that, if he were but q
to die" she added. "For my country, ]
could yield my sons life but oh can
not bear to venture his immortal soul"
Ia i'll