Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-09-15

and talcnt, her power of brilliant repar-
tee and sarcasm, and he feels that il
would be great triumph to bear her
away from the other admirers who
gather about her and watch him with
eagle eyes. Shall he not declare him |
self, aud 1T fortune favors him, gain not
only brilliant wife but handsome for
tune, as well rs standing in the social
world not TO be despised? Yes he will
call Tomorrow morning, ask for a pri-
yate interview, and have it settled.---
And having thus decided, he gives her
significant pressure of the hand as he
takes his leave at a late hour, and goes
home 10 throw himself on his bed. -
To sleep? All no! the old man sitting
by the door in the quiet of his seventy
NTH birthday looks upon picture
not of repose but of conflict. In that
picture he sees that young man of thir-
ty-two (for young he now seems to him)
tossing on his bed through the long
hours, restlessly and painfully. He
sees how in the soul or that young
man voices cry, out ~ it were, rending
and tearing II; other voices, too, are
speaking to himother voices from tho
past, telling OF the purity and sacred
ness Of early hopes and resolutions, Of
the vows he once made to attain wealth
and position only by honorable means
such means as his mother In heaven
would not frown upon with her sanity
eyes such means as the pure soulcd
Mary would not blush to know. Has
a viper stung him, that he writhes In
agony at that name? Has the memory
of that brown-cyed, tender-heartcd girl
becomes d torment to himP II were
hard to tell. Assailcd by the demons
of pride and worldlincss, he listens one
moment 10 the Missing sncers which
will greet his fall ifhc sink into power
ty and contempt, and then looks at the
brilliant prizes he will gain yif he will
yield up, only--only whnt2 purity Of
conscience, the unstained Integrity, the
true maniiness he has hitherto kept un-
sullied. As lie thus meditates he knows
not whether the image OF that fair mai
den comes ms bright angel through the
gloom, beckoning him to u new life Of
goodness, or as a mocking iicnd to taunt
him with his fall. Has he then fallen
Conscience answers yes; fallen, oh,
how low! He who once boasted that
nothing could make him swerve from
the path of rectitudc, IL now about to
barter away all that Is best and noblest
! for mere worldly gain. How iiercely
| would the lad who drove over the drift
l ing hills that winter night have ex-
claimed, us thy servant dog that no
should do this thing?" And now he Ia
about to do it deliberately, knowingly!
Thus the battle ragged in the young
mans soul; evil spirits tempted him,
good angels also came; or rather the
Holy Spirit Of the living God drew nigh
to succor him. The old man sees the
young man rising from the conflict,
pale and haggard, but with his brow
I'm al II Ia he
Of enduring. with Gods help, poverty
ard ignominy rather than to stain It.
self with such base sin. And the tears
fall fast down the old mans cheeks to
know that he triumphed in that hour
of deadly peril, and was brought out
! from it upaeatsGd though Gods grace
ycucks to him.
Still another picture rises before the
old mans eyes, picture which thrills
his withered heart with strange emo
ton. lie sees that young man stand
ing ut a marrage-altar, and beside him
il the brown-eycd maiden in bridal
white, with meek eyes sutiused with
tears. Thirty-two years old, poor 81
when he first began life, with nothing
to rely upon but his own right arm and
courageous heart, he yet is rich in the
consciousness ofan honest purpose, rich,
too, in the treasure OF warm. pure
heart which Is all his care. And Mary
Three years his junior, she has passed
the flush of girlish bloom, aud steod
with clearer light in her spft cye, and
n more thoughtful expression on I,er
fair brow, and with tru1r faith, and q
richer love in her tried heart than the
young girl of eighteen could have
knOwn, aud rs the solemn vow was
spoken both looked up with fervent
! prayers for strength to keep 1t holy be-
| fore God and man. And the blessing
Of the Almighty did rest upon them. -
Going to another city, ana beginning
business araw he prospercd, and the
happy couple had soon an honest COM
| petence.
Other pictures rose rapidly before the
old man's eye. lie saw the husband
! gradually gaining confidence of the
community and rising to posts of trust
and profit; he saw the brown-eyed
maiden change into the graceful mat
ron, presiding over well ordered house
,rvid, blessed with children and dispens-
ing with courtesy and kindness the hos
| FATALITIES OF d large and handsome man
sion. He also saw gpening graves la
which were laid to rest some of their
household band, the sweetest and the
rarest, the weeping parents thought,
but they were laid away In the sure
and certain hope of their final resur-
raetion to eternal life; TO the chastened
parents went on their way with eyes
oftener raised upward, and with firm
er tread. " -s1 81 s#. .-f ". .'ia
The memories of the old man wore
here broken in upon by happy voice
crying out, You must come with me,
grandpa, come with me into the gar
dem" And the brown eyes of the
blith little maiden of four years were
so like those OF the little girl that fell
| into the. brock that no wonder they
called her Mary" and that the old
man was led away by her, half believ-
ing that he WAS d boy again. And the
garden, how gay it was with festive
garlands and bright flowers, because 1t
was grandpa's birthday and how
mcrrily children and grandchildren
Gifted about among the loaded tables,
carrying dainties, and especially load
ing grandpa with The choicest of them
all. The brown-eyed maiden Of the
singing school, the lovely bride. the
graceful p1atron and true-hearted wife
and mother, where is she on this festive
day? Not here; not to be seen by tile
eye of sense; but the white-haired old
man looks up, and from out the deep
blue Of the heavens he sees her looking
down with smile of ineffable tender.
ness and love, and while his voice Joins
In the merry making round him, he
hears voice they cannot hear, sweeLy
speaking of the bliss OF heaven, and OF
speedy meeting there. And when
the mirth has died away, and the twi-
light shadows fall, and the bright even
Ing star shines out, the old man goes to
hisquiet room; his bosom Ia full of peace:
lie is praising God for all the mercies OF
the past but praising him still more joy
fully for the bright future which by
faith he sees opening before him, with
joys infinitely holier, richer, and more
satisfying than earth can give. And so
ended the old mans birthday.
ALovETALE.--A Brooklyn lad loved
a maiden. He asked her. She unro-
nanticaliy called him goose He