Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1862-07-31
THE FIRST WRONG.


sitting room.
There were three persons present.
Let me introduce them in order. First
there was Deacon Holbrook, an old mar
not far from seventy now, with white
hair, tall. square form, and decided
features. Next, his wife, a motherly
old lady, with an expression of such
calm benevolence on her face. as to
charm all who knew her. Yet, at this
moment, anxiety, grief and entreaty
struggled for the mastery. The third
figure in the tableaux was a young man
with frank, handsome face, of years
not exceeding twenty, who stood in the
middle of the floor with downcast look,
shrinking from the angry words which
his father uttered.
"Henry," said the deacon sternly,
you have disgraced yourself and me, a
deacon of the church. You have en-
bittered the declining years of your pa.
rents"
"Don't be too hard with him, Dea-
con Holbrook," interposed his wife,
Remember it is his first fault"
eff it were anything else," said his
father, still unappeased, "but to think
that my son should become gamblerl
My son, who has been so carefully
trained in the way he should go!"
alt is only once" urged the wife,
with all mothers's instincts.
"There are some crimes which can
not be committed once without sinking
the soul deep in SIM" returned the fa-
ther, with unabated sternness.
All this while the young man re.
mained silent, though his varying color
showed thathe felt deeply the barsbness
OF bis fathers words. At length be
spoke:
"Father," said he, firmly, "you will
one day repent your severity. No soon
er had | sinned than l repented, and
made immediate confession to you and
my mother. Instead OF encouraging me
in my repentance, you load me with re-
proaches which my own conscience had
anticipated, and which, heaven knows,
did not need"
Deacon Holbrook was about to speak
but Henry rapidly continued:
"You tell me that have disgraced
you. | will remove myself and my dis
grace from your presence"
AS he was about to leave the room,
his mother asked anxlously: "Where
would you go to, Henry?"
''Stay him not, Hannahl" said the
ueacGu sIernIy, Is well that he
should leave place where he can not
look an honest man in the face"
deacon Holbrook, he is our son."
said the wife, reproachfully.
''I would that could forget it. +" was
the unrelenting reply.
These last words reached the ears OF
the young man as he stood upon the
threshold, and an expression half of
pain. half OF Indignation, swept over his
face. He knew that he had done wrong,
but felt that he had not forfeited for
giveness. With one farewell glance at
his mother, full Of unspoken gratitude
and love, he left the house which had
DcSu 50 IOn8 W nlH uOLues
This was the fault Of which Henry
Holbrook had been guilty. Having
been sent by his father to New York TO
collect sum of money due him, he had
been allured TO gaming house by a
companion, and there induced to play,
though not till after much persuasion.
Having lost part of the money in his
charge, he kept on playing in the hope
ofrecovering his losses. But, as might
have been expected, instead of this he
lost all that remained. Then thoroughly
ashamed, and bitterly upbraiding him
self for his breach of trust, he went
home and confessed all. This confes-
sion was received, as we have seen, in
such way as to chill his confidence
and excite his indignation. And now
he had gone forth from home, a wan
derer, he knew not whittier, with not
one effort on his part TO stay him.
Let me do Deacon Holbrook the JUS
tice 10 say that il was not his own per-
sonal loss that excited his rigor. The
sum, though not large--a hundred dol
lsrs--was yet Of Importance to him.
Still, he could overlook that, but not his
sons weakness and crime, as he termed
it, by which it was lost.
Alter Heury's departure, the old
house became quIeter than before. All
the life had gone out of it. Deacon
Holbrook himself was a man of few
words, and his taeiturnity had sbated
his wife's social tendencies. Very long,
very quiet, and very tedious, were the
evenings which they spent together
On one side of the FIRE place sat the dea-
con, gravely reading through his spec
tacles the agricultural papers which
came weekly. Opposite him sat his
wife. her fingers actively engaged in
knitting, her mind intent upon her alb
sent boy. All, was staid, quiet. sub
dued. There was not even kitten to
-enliven the scene. Mrs Holbrook had
once ventured to introduce one into the
house, but the deacon speedily intima-
ted his dislike of cats, and puss had
been bsnished.
One night Deacon Holbrook brought
a letter for his wife. 1t was such an un-
usual circumstance for the good woman
to receive letter, that she took it ca
gerly, and tore it open with an unwont-
ed haste.
What was il that made her eyes spar