Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-10-26

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your children are enough to turn any
mans brain. It's against my lifelong
principles to do what you ask"
But after all, the speech conceded
much more than it denied, and Mrs.
Randolph knew that if Tom was not
gone beyond recall, he might have
another chance with his master.
Three days had passed, and the
year had stepped softly from Novem-
Der into winter, and the last month
opened with smiles as radiant as those
which kindle the face Of June with
winds balmy as Nays and with no
sign or whisper of long path Of storm
and darkness through which the road
lay toward the spring, just as some
lives lie in sweet warmth and security
on the border land of awful experiences
of sorrow and pain, and loss, through
which their feet must walk into the
eternal rest" beyond.
And one morning of this " sunshine
out Of season." a youth, somewhere
about his seventeenth year, might
have been seen making his way slow
ly along one Of the principal thorough
fares Of the city.
If you had looked into his face you
would have found it bright, intelli-
gent one, with eyes that held usually
plenty Of fire and spirit in them, but
now carried some gloom, or sadness,
or both. So did the step, slow and
respondent, so did the slender boy fig.
ure, with the idle hands listlessly in
the pockets, for want of some better
employment.
aNow, Tom Haynes" buzzed the
busy brain of his youth. you're
done for in this city, and the sooner
you clear out and 60 off to sea, the
better for you. The best you can do
is to ship a common deck hand, for
good long voyage round the world.
You'll have chance to see something
of the world before you get back, and
perhaps you'll get into good berth,
and be captain some day. It'll be
hard enough at first, and you must
make up your mind to plenty of knocks
and rough associations but it will
be better than loafng around the city,
with your hands in your pockets. and
your last dollar going. There's no
chance for you here, with your char
acter gone, and your situation lost,
and you've nobody to thank for it all
but yourself, as the old fellow told you
when he sent you off. All your fine
visions and pretty dreams Of making
money and setting up the folks at
home are gone now.
Poor mother, and little Ruth :"
ali, there was a twinge then, that
made the boy start and shrink, as one
might at the touch of coal Of fire :;
he knew the poor, broken-down moth
er, the bright little sister, just three
years his junior, had set all their
hopes and pride on him that he was
their one hope and trust, and when
they should come to hear the truth,
that he was discharged and disgrace
ed, and had run off to sea, they would
never hold up their heads again"
All. if he could go back to the day
on which he left them. Then the tears
spun up into his eyes he was think
ing of their last words his mothers
and little Ruth's. There was only
one thought which was harder than
that and this was going back and
looking in their faces and telling
them the truth. And 80 reasoning az
ter the fearful "logic of evil,n the one
wrong always involving another, he
told himself in despair and despera-
ton, that there was no help for it !; he
must !" run off now, and go to sea-"
And he who had been SO weak to re-
sist the temptations of the land, would
expose. himself to those incr ased a
hundred-fold, on board the ship, among
coarse and brutal companions, amid
the lack of all moral restraint and in
fuences which a long sea voyage ne
cessarily involves.
just at that moment carriage turn
ed the corner, and drew up before the
door of large dry-goods establish
ment, and lady alighted, in some
haste, and the long silk scarf which
trailed down her cloak, dropped sud-
denly to the pavement
Tom Haynes was instinctively court
eous. He caught up the bright, float
ing fabric, and sprang forward. You
have dropped your scarf, ma'am."
Thus arrested, the lady turned sud-
denly. "Oh, thank then look of
amazed recognition changed her SEN
tence, and it ended in Why, Tom
is that you /"
The boys face was fierce crimson.
He wished that moment that the earth
would crumble beneath. and take
him in.
Eyes, Mrs. Randolph" he family
articulated.
She looked at him, with her eyes
full of sad pity. "Oh, Tom, would
not have believed it of you," she said,
sorrowfuhy.
He tried to speak, but instead there
came a swift, smothered sob, beating
out from his throat, before he could
crush it down again.
She looked at him, this lady with
gentle, motherly heart, and the pity
was strong in it now. "Tom," she
said, laying her hand on his shoulder,
as his own mother might have done,
If Mr.. Randolph should take you
back again,-if contrary to all his
rules and precedents, could pursuade
him to this. would you try again to
resist the evil, as you never did be-
fore ~
He would not take me back. Yon
don't know" recalling the last words
which his employer had used towards
him /; words which had fastened and
ranked in his heart ever since, and
made him feel that, let come what
might, swift freezing, or slow starva-
ton, he would never seek his old mas
ter again. even though forgiveness and
help await him on the threshold.
Mrs. Randolph did not answer for
moment. Perhaps she smiled little
TO herself, thinking that his wife ought
to know Luther Randolph little bet
ter than his Office boy. At last she
oasd &c not in Tom ouI 90 vv,; ~ 49,, -