St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1870-07-22
NJ. T"0n,l,S0H'S = ProIigaI.


We all knew that Mr. Thompson was
luo%iu- tor hi> son, ..ni "a pretty bad Cnc
at int i nat hc was coming Ia Cali
gorm,,, tn st..- III. o',i,s, wa n, ,oer -.
to n.- fellow passengers: ard the phvsi-
cal prCul.ari.ic,. IL wcll ~ the moral
weaknesses, q! Ihe missing !! odigtl were
made equally plain 10 u through the
frank vouni;iiv of the parent. You
wa ~Pcahiu% # Il yauu4 man which wa
hung at Rcd Do- ior >Iuicc robbing,
-aId Nj. Thompson to 4 -tcrragc pa,>cn-
gyr, one day he YOU aware Of the color
of III, ,,ys = 'BIack, responded the
passenger All, SAID Mr.. Thompson.
Ictvrnr" to some mental memoranda
Char ie-' eye, was blue He then
walked away. PcfilarS it Wa, from this
a;eympathci.c mode OF Inquiry; pcrhtp~
ii was truih that western prc,iIl,ction to
take humorous view OF any principl,,
or sentiment pcrsiatcntly brought before
them, lat Mr.. Ihompsom's quest was
the subject OF some satire among the pas
scng,r>. \ grAtuitous advertisement ot
ihc missing Charles, addressed TO '.Jaiiers
ard GuuIGlanS, circulated privately
among them; cv, rybady remembered to
nave mt Cia"l,s under distressing cir
cumstaur,S. Yet il is but due 10 NV
counlrymcn to stale VIXEN it was known
: that Thompson lad embarked some
wealth in this Visionary project, but little
satire luurd its way t. his ears, and
nothing was uttered in his hearing that
might bring "a prng to Il fathers heart,
or imperil possible pecuniary advantage
Of Ii { s;tirls!. lUdevd, Mr.. Bracy TIT
bets jocular proposition to form Il Joint
stock company to 'prCspcct' iCr the miss
img youth, received, at one time, quite
serious cn:crtairmtnt.
= rhaps, TO superficial criticism, Mr..
Thompson's nature was not picturesque
nor lovablc. His history, as impaired
at dinner, one day, by himself, was prac-
teal even III lis singulariiy. After a
hard AID wiliiuI youth ard maturity
in winch he had buried Il broken spirited
wife, and driven his son to sea-he sud
denly experienced religion. Il got it i'll
New Orleans in 30, said Mr.. Thomp-
son, with the general suggestion of re-
ierring 10 an epidemic. Enter ye the
narrer gate. Parse me the beans Per
maps tins practical quality upheld him in
his apparently hopeless search. lie had
no cicw to she whereabouts of his runa
way son-indecd, scarcely a proof OF Li,
present existence. From lis indifferent
recollection OF :he boy OF twelve, he now
expected to identity the man Of twenty
five.
1t wou'1 seem that he was successful.
How lie succeeded was one OF the few
ihiu.s lie did not tell. There are, L be-
Iieyc, two versions Of the story. One,
that Mr.. Thompson, visiting hospital
discovered his son by reason OF peculiar
hymn, chamed by the Sufferer, III a de-
lirious dream of his Doyhood. This YER
sion, giving, as ii did, wide range 10 the
finer feelings of the heart, was quite
popular and, as told by Rev. Mr..
GGsi.inotUn, on bis return from his Cali
iurlia tour. never failed to satisfy an au-
dIemce. The other was less simple, and,
as l shall adopt it here deserves more
elaboration.
1t was after Mr.. Thompson had given
up searching for his son among the living
and lad taken to the examination o
cemeteries, and ii careful inspection o
the cold bic iaceis OF the dead At thl:
time he was frequent visitor Of Lone
Mountain'-a dreary hilltop, bleak
enough in its original isolation, anC
, bleaker for the white faced marbles 10y
; which San Francisco anchored her de