Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-01-01


retired. Silently the carpenter sustained her
tottering step till she paused near her hus-
band. She stood, very quiet Not line of
her dark dress quivered her wealth of un-
bound hair, streaded with reyerent silver,
streamed upon her shoulders; her face was
gray and dead: her lifted ewes were like
stone; her raised hands were clasped togeth-
err only her ashen lips ceaselessly moved in
speechless imploring. In the long, soundless
pause, 1t seemed as If heaven and earth were
still
g His mother - said the carpenter.
1t was as If a shock struck the room. The
brief speech had the effect of thunderclap,
and in a roaring inward whir and overthrow.
which never reached the outward silence,
every heart was bathed as with bright fire.
Oh, how he uttered those words They were
electrifying. The stern energy, the melting
tenderness, the divine depth of significance,
the heart-shaking associations that he threw
into them, would have reached a soul though
housed in granite. Elkanah felt them to the
very marrow Of bis bones. In one instant,
his yigor Of pride and fury was dissolved, and
he was cold
Slowly without moving from his dreadful
posture-slowly. while the pallid assemblage
gazed with dry, hot eyes the old man tur
ned his head az if the weight of all the world
hung 70 it, till at last il became fixed, and
his appalling gaze rested upon the ghastly
cOuntenance beneath his own. She never
spoke-speech was impossible; it had been
like the effort Of one bursting from death, for
her to merely reach his side but without
ceasing, her hueless liIs moved in agony Of
mute beseeching. Not breath was heard !;
not an eyelash quivered; the tapers burned
unwayering the shadows slept upon the
floor no leaf of the dense. branchy roof of
holly trembled. The old husband, the old
wife for many years. stood moyelessly, their
eyes locked to each others faces with fixed
regard. But in his soul, like the rush Of
remembrance 70 the drowning. was a hurry
ing stream of memories and images, the fond
old days, the sweet. glad times Of marriage,
the cradle by the fre-lit hearth. the infants
dimpled hand caressing the white nursing
bosom; the young mothers face thrilling
with the divine JOY Of maternity, the baby's
shoe, the prattle, the tiny dresses. the light.
the comfort, the magic sights and sounds of
home. All the weak. weak things that have
power to shake the hearts of the mighty,
came to him as he stood gazing at her The
moment was sublime.
81 She pleads for her frst-born, said the
carpenter, in low, clear tones, like s0undless
light upon the silence, and awful in the grand
eur Of their pathos.
The old mans visage gradually swayed
away. and his large eyes, from which the
flame had gone in glisten, rested upon the
calm, lit face Of the Illuminated man before
him. Erect, bent forward, he stood like a
leaning column, intent upon the carpenter.
In the silence. George, mad. wild. unknow-
ing what was happening, suddenly sprang
up, though without noise, and in the pailid
swarth Of bis fierce face, his lips curved open
for some fiery utterance. \ commanding
gesture from the other, striking him mute
upon the instant, also summoned him to bis
side. lie came with measured, clinging steps
that DULY struck the floor, and paused with
d0wn-bent head beside his summOner. With
out haste. the latter took his empty sleeve
by the extremity. and lifted it up before the
old mani ewes.
This pleads for him, he said solemnly
For a moment, he upheld the brave, pathe-
tie sleeve. then let it fall. \ strange indeter
inmate stir went through the assembly. and,
a. if from the arrival Of new spirit among
them. there was a change.
Elkanah OVER was weeping
He had not altered his attitude nor pos-
ture. he still leaned forward, columnar :;
but hi- head WAS bent, and the big drops, a.
from the ewes Of some stricken deer, fell visib-
Iv 10 the floor At once relief came 10 the
pent bosoms Of the throng. and from women 5
ewes, and from mems ewes unused to tears,
the moisture began 10 flow.
'' Shall / add my pleading said the
carpenter, in a gentle vet sovereign voice,
e. No Not one word Of weaker supplication
from nv lips 'Tis God Himself Implores You
in this mothers heart and bosom yearning
for her child-this arm the soldier gave TO his
country, not to destroy. but TO restore
\ change had come upon him. The rosy
color had died from his face in a clear splen-
dor. and his form, regnant and masculine,
was clothed with inspiration, as with dazz-
ling aure0le-
." | have dreamed dream Of my country.
he said slowly. Il saw her, angel Of the
cradle. mother Of all that are in her strength
of loving benefcence 70 her many children
and 70 every member Of the race Of man.
Out of her womb issued the armed soldier
champion OF her Democracy, savior Of earth :
slaves Not 10 rend my land in twain. No
but 10 bind anew. in love. her warning citi-
zens to unite the broken ties Of kindred, tC
give the brother To his earliest mates, TO re-
concile the father to the son, to restore the
mother 70 her child"
The old wife Law ciinging to her husband :
breast. and he, through all his obstinate height
was shaken and convulsei ike one in some
mute frenzy.
:. Come hither, Rupert, unto me, said the
capenter. " Come hither, my own dear
boy"
The wretched being, who stood weeping
bitterly. leaning against the wall, feebly
staggered TO his side The staunch old savior
threw his strong right arm around him, and
with the other eucircled the weeping George.
8. | nursed them both together in the hos
pital, he resumed in gentler strain ''IheiI
cots were side by side. sat between them.
When father and mother forsake them,
will not cast them out. Equally they are
mine. Ny life Is in them. Elkanah Dyer.
receive thy sons. Thou, whom | learned u
love before l knew thee and whose faults Of
nature are from stocks Of virtue, receive from
me this Christmas gift, more than all the
riches Of the world. Take back these loving
brothers, two henceforth in one. Thou canst
not refuse Ne"
The old man Aungu bis arms, tense, stiff
with a mighty struggle his face, shrunken,
culorless. seemed to blacken; the old wife
clung madly TO his breast.
:" Lost-lost,' he gasped dead-dead-
forever"
There was moments pause, and the sub
timely tender voice full-traught with the deeI
music of eighteen centuries, sounded upon
the silence
e. For this, thy son, that was dead, is alive
again he was lost, and is found
\ rending struggle shook the old mans
frame then. as one exhausted, his upstretch-
ed arms fell laxly downtown upon the
neck of his rebel son. One instant only,
they Law their 1accidly the next, they gath.
cred the frst-born to his breast, and franti-
cally he covered the pallid, sleeping face with
moaning kisses and with tears. Yet. even
as they all elung to him, his wife, his sons
and daughters. and the voices of their love
and weeping mingled with the sobbing of the
room, he tore himself away, as if with the
last effort Of his waning strength, to fling
himself upon the breast Of the carpenter.
Tenderly, and with I.,ighty clasp, the loving
heart received him, and, with their heads
bowed upon each others shoulders, the two
old men stood in the reverent silence, locked
in each others arms.
Love" said the gray redeemer, lifting
ms clear face, bright with deathless smiling.
and wet with the sweet waters Of immortal
tears. Love-Love. That includes all.
There is nothing in the world but that-noth-
ing in all the world Better than all Is
Love Love is better than all.
The family, the guests, were thronging
around him, yet not 10 listen or to gaze, but
with his noble presence, his deep words in ev-
~ heart. to unloose near him in silence, pier
ced with sobbing, their passion Of affection
for each other Each lite that moment lived
in an ectsaey of charity. Friends grasped
each other by the hand. Neighbors forgot
their petty feuds, their lurking enmities,
and met in tremulous greeting. The secret
rebel strnek hands with the tepid loyal and
both rose glowing into love of country
The daughters arms were round the fathers