National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1867-03-08


life.
Unloved and uncared for! The
words struck bitterly OH his ear, and
he repeated them over and over to
himself, thinking the while thoughts
new and strange. What had he
dOne-did he or some invisible pres
ence at his side ask the question
what had he done that any one
should love him Had he unset
fishly tried to make any human be-
ing happy' Had there ever been a
day or hour in which self had not
been the centre round which all his
aims revOlved ? He pushed away
his letter with Honorable on the
cover. He began to doubt whether
after all, his life had been success.
What single good deed had he 10 be
reckOned up in the days when by
his works he must be justified or
condemned And now he was an
old man-fOr the first time he began
to feel that-and it was too late.
All, it must have been a suggestion
of the still, small voice that seemed
to penetrate his heart.
"Not too late, O, never too late to
begin to live for God and good"
But what could he do!
SEQ and see the widow Matfit,'
the voice in his heart answered.
"There would be beginning. If
you find her suffering you can help
her.
He was acting on new impulses,
but the resolutc strength which had
helped him all through life, hurried
him on now; and in half an hour he
was at Mrs. Maflit's urthstory
room. Answering his knock, she
didn't know her visitor, and stood as
if waiting to hear his errand.
IL am your landlord" he said, in
tones which no emotion seemed to
make other than stern and then
she stood aside and asked him to
walk i'll.
He stepped into the bare, com
fortress room. \ fire. dull for want
of fuel, tiickered on the hearth, and
before 1t, trying to warm his slender
, fingers. bent a boy of about twelve.
Mr.. Richmond's eyes, in their com
prehenSive gaze round the deSolate,
barren room. rested on him, and re
mained fixed. He was a slight,
fragile boy, who might have passed
for younger than his years, save for
the expression of maturity on his
thoughtful countenance. But those
violet eyes over which the long
lashes curled, the dun gold hair fall
ing softly round the pensive face
whose were they? He had never
seen such since the day he parted
with Ler-his enemy. He turned at
last, and looked at the mother. She
remained quietly awaiting his pleas
urea woman of at least 1orty,
worn by sorrow and touched by
time, with certain proud grace in
her manner, as she stoodin the same
attitude in which she had stood
twenty years before, on a day he
could never forget. Forsthis was his
enemy! He would not have known
her, perhaps, save for the golden
haired boy-but now he saw all her
old self in her changed features.
She was waiting to learn his pleas
ure-what was his pleasure Be
fore today he could have answered
this question unhesitatlngly; TO
humiliate her-to see her starve-
to push her to the last extremity
to be revenged upon her by any and
all means for the light esteem which
she had held him &! Now would any
revenge of this kind satisfy him I!
Vaguely as something heard afar
off some words came back to him
he thought he had heard his mother
read them in his bOyh0Od.
.'If thine enemy hunger feed him.
if he thirst, give him drink"
His heart throbbed strangely, but
he kept all emotion out of his voice.
II hear your rent is not ready
Mrs. Matlit."
It is not. Frank has been i'll so
niue h, and requires SO much OF my
atte ntion, | hoped you would be will
ling to give me lite time. | think
he will be better when spring opens.
But you oughtnot to have EXPECT
ed much leniency from me. You
told me years ago | was a stern,
hard man. You might have soften
cd me if you had tried me then
but think time has been turning
me into stone
She recognized him now, and hel
! lin curlcd with touch OF the ole
scorn. To him of all other men she
would not sue for grace.
Il was true to myself them she
: said, quietly | am not sorry, ever
=, now.'
His enemy still, he thought-lll'
Z. starving enemy. Should ne ONE
/, her bread or a stone; have sal,
:. that new impulses were guiding nm
/. and with him impulses were all pow
= erfull. He went to the golden hair
G ed boy on the hearth.
p would YOU liketo live with me
n he asked him. The fires are brigh
. in my house, and the carpets warn
n and soft. There are pictures on tn
@ walls, and books without end in TIN
f cases.
o At the mention of books and pic
i lures the boys eyes frightened bu
n he answered with a sturdy resOll
G ton which reminded Pierce Ricl
n mond oo,;n of her whom he callp