The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-11-05
THE LOST RING.
BY A RETIRED ATTORNEY.

"A1r. Docket p
Eyes, Madam"
1t was an elderly woman upon whose
brow care had furrowed many a wrinkle
She was dressed in homely garments, and
the struggle between penury and neatness
which they evinced would have been an
interesting study for philosopher. Her
eyes were red, as though she had been
weeping; and when she seated herself by
my desk, the pent up current of grief
burst alrcsh
wv hat is the matter, my good woman?
You seem to be In deep Distress | re-
marked in the most encouraging tone j
could command.
81 am, sir. They say the Lord is near
to them that are suffering, and / am sure
he ought to be near me"
81 dare cay he is, ma'am But you
know that Affections are sent to US for our
good, and we ought never repine at the
discipline of life, however severe it may
sometimes seem to u.s.
l had heard an excellent sermon the
day before, for it was Monday, on Trib-
ulation, and 1 was just in the frame of
mind for giving others more excellent adj
vice, which, perhaps, should have been
very unwilling to follow if the dark waves
of trouble had rolled over me.
81 try to bear it as we'll as can,' she
replied, wiping away her tears with the
corner Of her apron.
81 don't know as | am acquainted with
you, ma'am,' suggested, for the purpose
of changing the topic and bringing her to
business.
81 don't know as you are," she replied;
and she proceeded to give me very long
and very succinct account of her previous
history, beginning back some forty years,
when she was born among the White
Mountains in New Hampshire
tried to check her, but it was no use.
L was as patient as the case would admit,
and mindful of the duty we owe to the
weak, the infirm and the ignorant but
my patience was sOrely tried. / will not
punish the reader with the long, fine spun
story she told me, for few lines will suf-
fee TO inform him of the material facts.
She was a widow-Eer name was
Marche. She had an only son, Philip,
who was employed in an insurance office,
and received three dollars a week for his
services. He was a good boy and loved
his mother, as a son should. Upon their
united earnings they lived very comfort
ably in an obscure street, where they
hired two rooms. Mrs. Marches cata-
logue of her sons virtues was certainly
very ed;fying. He never spent cent
upon himself, never went out nights, and
attended church forenoon and afternoon.
An evil day had come. On the Satur-
day three weeks preceding, Mr.. Carman,
the President of the insurance company,
as he declared, had sent Philip with
valuable diamond ring to the jewelers. to
have the stone reset. On inquiry the
ring was found not to have reached its
destination. The ieweler had never seen
it. To make the case more complicated,
the boy denied having received the ring
Mr.. Carman had never sent him on any
such errand.
The boy had been arrested on the
charge of stealing the ring, and was now
confined in jail. Mr. Carman was ready
to swear he delivered the valuable article
into the hands Of the boy, with explicit
directions as to where he should carry it
and what should be done with it.
It looked like bad case. The poor
woman was in the saddest distress. She
was sure that her darling boy would not
steal. pitied her and promised to do
what could for her son.
When she had gone called upon Mr.
Carman. l found that he was one ne
those dogmatic old eeaalliiows, who are ;;evvr
in wrong, who find it impossible to err,
sven by design, or TO make mistake.
tried to argue the point with hin, but be