The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-12-01

Drops it, with Ill its crimson Juice impressed,
And oil its luscious sweetness left unguessed.
Out from his careless and unheeding clasp.
SUNDAY A CENTURY
AGO.
An old brown lsather-covered book,
the leaves yellow, the writing scarcely
legible, from time and decay evidently
an old, neglected MS. To the FIRE OF
to my private shelf! Which,?
These wore my reflections as I look.
ed over the papers ef my .late uncle,
the rector Of a Somersetsl,iss village.
liked tte look Of the cook, aud de.
cided. TOR the sheH and I had my re,
ward, for I found in the grabbed char
acters : simple story eyidsntly writ.
ten towards tho CLOSE :: Of: the writer's
life. This story I;now :tsapseribe into
= moro modern style. ~ ~, g ~ ..., ..'.
"He'N be fit for nothing," said my
father ian awkward BOBBY, who holds
his awl and cuts his food with his left
hand" :
So said my father, and 20, alas, 1 felt.
I was awkward. I was fifteen !; thick
set, strong, but terribly. clumsy. I
could not make collar, nor sew a pair
of blinkers, nor stuff a saddle, nor do
any thing that I ought t, be able to
do. My fingers seemed to have no
mechanical feeling in them. I was
awkward, and knew it, and all knew
it.
I was good-tempered; could write
fairly, and read anything; but I was
awkward with my limbs; they seemed
to Rave wills Of their own; and yet I
could dance as easily and lightly IS any
Of my neighbour sons. *: -: ;,
81 don't know what he's 6t for
said my father to thersce1s-of the par.
ish. "i've get. him tos ;oarpente1ing,
and he cut his finger nearly off with an
axe; then he went to tho smith, and
burnt his hands till he was laid up for
a month. It's all Of no use ; he spoils
me more leather IN a week than bis
earnings pay for in a mouth. Why
cannot he, like other Christians, use
his hands. as the good God meant him
to 7 There ! Look 1t him now, cutting
the back strap for the squire with his
left hand.
I heard him; tho knife slipped, and
the long strip of leather was divided in
a moment and utterly spoiled.
"rhere now look at that. A piece
out Of the very middle Of the skin, and
his finger gashed into the bargain."'
The rector endeavored to sootho my
fathers anger, while I bandaged my fiu.
ger.
= "You'd better let him come up fol
that vase, Mr.. Walters ; l should like
a case to fit it, for it's very fragile, as
oil that old Italian glass is aud line it,
with, the softest feathers; please"
And SO I went with the rector to
bring back the vase, taking two
chamois feathers, to bring it in.
We reached the house, and I waited
In the passage while he went to fetch
it, He came back with a largo vase
tendesly wrapped. in the ls.tbers
.Alasl At that moment there came from
tho room against the door of which
sxas Standing, the sound Of a voiee' sing
ing. !; Avoise that thrilled me through
!. 80 elsar, 70 sweet, 70 pure, it was =,
if IN angel: had revealed itself to me.
: : tremblod md forgot the precious
,burdess u ~ hands; It dropped to the
ground and M shattered to pieces.
:ashow shall T describe the rector.
ragtl :Iffsar: he :said something 70,
which he,woud bavo blusheds ins his
'calmsr moments, and she came out.
!. She who had the angel voice-his
niece-came ont, and I saw her.
forgot tho disaster and stood speechless.
y gazing at her face. ,s-~
"You awkward scoundrel! look at
your work. Thirty pounds! Fifty
pounds !! An invaluable treasure gone
irrepara5ly in moment. Why don't
you speak? ? Why did you drop it?"
t'Drop Il said, waking up. "Drop
what p. And then il flashed upon me
again, and I .jstammered out, "She
sang!" - =;
''And if shs did sing, MAS there any
oeeasion % drop ny beautiful vase, you
dosblJ stspid: blookhsad : There, 20
r
ont of ths5house, do, before: yeo do any
further .misohisf, aad tell yous father "a
horse-whip youfor assapid dolt."
I said nothing, did nothing, but only
looked at her face, sud went sb,mbline
away, changed and altered being
There was : world where horse collars
and horse shoes, lemons and mortises,
right hands or left, entered not. That
world i had seen !; / had breathed its
Dir and heard its voices. s: 5.%..=.. ls... ! !
1. n > father heard Of my misfortune,
and g Z hid ID che, strap acrosa ny shoulder.
without hesitation, for ii my youna
days boys:xers boys till eighteen B d
Tniinete e years old. I bore il patiently,
uneonp lainlDgl