The Portland daily press., 1863-03-19
and worked together and lodged in the same

and worked together ana louged IN the same
room"
"Oh! heaven forgive mew exclaimed the,
lady, raising her fearful eyes, and have s'lf-
fered a friend of my son Ben to sleep upon this
hard chair, while / myself rested on soft
bedw
Mrs. Franklin then told her unknown ouest
that though he had been absent from her ever
sincc he was child, she could not fail to know
him among thousand strap &c faces, for there
was natural feeling in the breast of every
mother, which she knew would enable her,
without POSSIBILITY OF mistake, to recognize
her son IN any disguise he might assume.
Franklin doubted aud took leave to dispute
his mothers proposition on the power of natu-
raj feeling, He said he had tried the natural
feeling in his own mother, and found it def
cieat In the power she ascribed to II.
And did your mother" inquired she, "not
know you? or If she did not seem to know
you, was not her kindness to you an evidence
that she saw something in yonr appearance
that was dear to her, SO that she could not re-
sist treating you with particular tenderness
and afiection?"
NO. indeed" replied Franklin. sshe neither
knew Inc, nor did she treat Inc with the least
symptom of kindness. She would have turn
ed me out of doors but for the interposition of
strangers. She could hardly be persuaded to
let me sit at her table. / knew l was in my
mothers house. and had csim upon her hos
pitality; and therefore you may suppose when
she peremptorly commanded me to leave the
house, was In no hurry to obey"
''Snrely," interrupted his mother, "she could
not have treated you so unmotherly without
some cause"
81 gave her none,' replied the Doctor "She
would tell you herself had always been
dutiful son-that she doated upon me, and
when ! came TO her house as stranger, my
conduct was scrupulously correct and respect
ful. IL was stormy night, and l had been
absent so long that had become a stranger
in the place. told my mother this, and yet,
so little was she influenced by the "natural
feeling" Of which you speak, that she absolute
ly refused me a bed, and would hardly suffer
what she called my presumption in taking a
seat at the table. But this was not the worst,
for no sooner was the supper ended than my
good mother told me, with an air of solemn
earnestness, that must leave the house.
Franklin then proceeded to describe the
scene at the front door-the snow-drift that
came so OPPORTUNITY into the entry-hs ap-
peal to her natural feeling of mother-her
unnatural and unfeeling rejection Of his pray
Grand finally, her very reluctant compliance
with the solicitations of other people in his
behalf, that he might be permitted to sleep in
a chair.
Every word in his touching recital went
home 10 the heart of Mrs. Franklin, who could
not fail TO perceive that it was a true narra-
tive Of the events Of the preceding night in
her own house; and while she endeavored to
escape from the self reproach that she had
acted the part Of an unfeeling mother, she
could not easily resist the conviction that the
stranger, who became more aud more interest
ing to her as he proceeded in his discourse,
was indeed her own son. But when she OBJ
caP Had sl.n tam etxa. If so
as he feelingly recapi:ulated the circumstances
under which she attempted to turn him shell
terless into the street. her maternal conviction
overcame all doubt and she threw herself in
TO his arms enchanting, 1T must bet must
be my dear Benz