The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-01-25


had discoursed with him on topics which
would have sounded harsh and repulsive
to common ears, but which were fraught
| with deep and vital interes. to them. Mr.,
Owen was direct descendant of the Pu-
ritans, and every drop of blood in his
veins was tinged with as strong and true
a I" blue," as if he himself had landedin
| the Mayfower He took naturally to the
sterner dootrines of religion, while Mr..
Allen, yersed in all the modern lore, ques-
toned and doubted. The keystone of
Mr.. Owens theology was the sovereignty
of God -" Shall not the Judge of all
the earth do right. 2" This was the man
upon whom God had DOW laid his hand
so heavily and Mr. Allan felt that if the
trial brought no murmur, no rebellion
against that mighty Sovereign, the stern
old faith were indeed rich one.i in which
to live and ole. He knew that one ele-
ment in this war was Puritan. Sons of
the Roundheads filled up the ranks of the
Northern army. They marched to battle
to strains of the old tunes that had lin
gered in the nursary and the sanctuary
from the day that Cromwell and his SOL
diers chanted them on Marston Moor.
All down the aisles of Time came tramp
ing to the music mailed men, bearing on
their shields the two words, Liberty and
Equality. They tIembled on Mr.. Owens
lips with his parting blessing to his boy.
| Would he remember them, and would
they comfort and give him strength noD !?
| Where there is afaiction in house,
the minister is at home. Mr.. Allan en-
tered without knocking, and made his
way to the large, old-fashioned kitchen in
which he was sure of finding the. family.
There, by table, with his arms folded
and laid heavily upon it, sat Mr.. Owen,
! His wife was In small rocking-chair by
the fire, and Blossom, young girl, sat
| between them l.
+, Mr.. Owen rose to welcome him: SO did
Blossom; but the wife did not notice
him,-she sat still, rocking herself to and
fro, looking at the blazing wood. sr.s
Mr.. Allan put hand in the Drawn Y
lone that was held toward him, and laid
the other on Mr.. Ovens great heaving
breast, I" My FRIEND" be said, Z" how is
it with the DEGREES of God - s ss
"Just and true are ali thy ways, thou
King of Saints" faltered out the man.
There was something strange In his
yoice,-a thin, vomanly sound, so unlike
the deep, stentorian tones In which he
bad always spoken before. Mr.. Allan,
when he heard IT,, almost felt as if 1t had
dealt him blow. ~ @ stn
Thank Cox He has not, then, for
saken you, aud from the depths of this
deep trouble you can still say, The Ma
ker of all doeth welt
esYes, yes, s,"-and for an instan. there
| Il: l,,n oi
the old dncontroversial fire" you don't
suppose have held on to that anchor
when the skies were cloudless, and the
little waves just rocked my bark, to lei
alone of it now-now, when the great
waves and pillows are going over me, dc
you? I've planted it firm, and it DONE
yield; no II don't yield, but the strain is
terrible. God send it may carry me into
port oh, Mr.. Allan, say 1t will. 1t has
seemed TO ne to-day so dark, so wonder
full, so inscrutable, that he-my Bennie,
Mr.. Allan, there is a good, wise purpose
behind it ali. Can you see it %
"To bring you nearer the kingdom, D
said the minister rn
"Oh, don't tell me that; 1 can't bear
! it. God is too wise; He knows hun
dred such souls as mine are not worth one
of my Bennies. | can suffer if [ am toe
great a sinner for Gods grace to save, but
Bennie Benuie !! L have sat here all
day, since the news came, wondering
he was go good son, and Mr. Owens
voice grew almost inarticulate In its emo
ton" such dear, precious, noble boy
thought, when | gave him to his coun-
try, that net father in all this broad land
made SO precious gift,-no, not one
God forgive me if my grief is sin. Mr.
Allan, the dear boy only slept a minute.
just one little minute, at his post; know
that was all, for Bennie never dozed over
duty How prompt and reliable he was =
and Mr.. Ovens eye wandered out over
the brown fields, with such perplexed
wondering look. 81 know he only fell
off fo- one little second he was SO young
aud not strong, that boy of mine! Why
he was as tall as I, and only eighteen
and now they shoot him because he was
found asleep when doing sentinel duty
Mr.. Owen repeated these words very slow
Ily, as if endeavoring to find out their true
meaning: "Twenty-four hours, the tele-
graph aid,-only twenty-four hours
Where is Bennie now ~ sa..a
We will hope, with his Heavenly
Father" said Mr.. Allan, soothiDgly. @
Yes, yes, let Us hope; God is very
merciful, and Bennie was so good de
not mean holy" he said, correcting HIM
self sharply there is none 5holy-no
not one,-but Jesus died for sinners. Mr.
Allan, tell me that. On, Bennie! Ben
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