Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-08-05

Juetliy III. GTaVc, retlc6nt, ana DanOSOme,
devoted to his newly found3parent, he ss-
sumed the emoluments and responsible
ties Of his new condition with certain
serious ease that more nearly approached
that which San Francisco society lacked,
and-rejected. Some chose to despise this
quality as tendency to ''psalm ging;"
others saw in it the inherited qualities of
the parent, and were ready to prophecy
for the son the same hard old age. But
all agreed that it was uot inconsistent
with the habits of money getting, for
which father and son were respected
And yet, the old man did not seem TO be
happy. Perhaps it was that the consum-
nation of his wishes left him without q
practical rnissior perhaps-and it is the
more probable-he had little love for the
son he had regsined. The obedience he
sexacted was freely given, the reform he
had set his heart upon was complete; and
yet, somehow, it did not seem to please
him. In reclaiming his son, he had full
filed all the Requirements that his.re-
ligious duty required Of him, and yet the
act seemed to lack sanctifcstion. y In this
perplexity, he read again the parable of
the Prodigal Son-which ne had long ago
adopted for his guidance-and found that
he had emitted the final feast of recon
Citation. This seemed to offer the proper
quality of ceremoniousness in the sacra-
ment between himself and his son and
50, year after the appearance Of Charles,
he set about giving him party. "Invite
everybody, Charles" he said, dryIy !;
everybody who knows that | brought
you out Of the winehusks of iniquity
and evil company; and bid them
eat, drink and be merry"
Perhaps the old man had another reason,
not yet clearly analysed. The fine house
he had built on the sand-hills sometimes
seemed lonely and bare. He often found
himself trying to reconstruct, from the
grave features of Charles, the little boy
which he but dimly remembered in the
past, and of which lately he had been
thinking great deal. He believed this
to be a sign of impending old age and
childishness; but coming, one day, in his
formal drawing room, upon a child of one
of the servants, who had. stayed therein,
he would have taken him in his arms, but
the child fled before his griZzled face. SO
that it seemed eminertly proper 10 invite
a number of people to his house, and, from
the array of San Francisco maidenhood,
to~select daughter-in-law. And then
there would be child-a boy, whom he
could rare up" from the beginning, and
-love--es he did not love Charles.
We were all at the party. The Smiths,
Joneses, Browns and Robinsons also came,
in that fine flow of animal spirits, un-
checked by any respect for the entertainer,
which most of us are apt TO find so
fascinating. The proceedings would have
been somewhat riotous but for the social
position of the actors. In fact, Mr.. Br0cy
Tibbets, having naturally fine apprecia-
ton of humorous situation, but further
impelled by the bright eyes of the Jone
girls, conducted himself so remarkably as
to attract the'serious regard of Mr.. Charles
Thompson. who approached him, saying
quietly You look i'll, Mr. Tibbets, let
me conduct you to your carriage. Resist,
you hound, and I'll throw you through
that window. This way, please; the room
is close and distressing" 1t is hardly nee
essary to say that but o part Of this
speech was audible to the company, and
that the rest was not divulged by Mr.. T'ib-
bets, who afterward regretted the sudden
illness which kept him from witnessing
very singular incident, which hasten to
record:
It was at supper. It was evident that
Mr.. Thompson had overlooked much law
lessness in the conduct Of the younger peo
pie, in his abstract contemplation Of some
event. When the cloth was
removed he rose to his feet, and gTinly
tapped upon the table. A litter, that
broke out among the Jones girls became
epidemic on one side of the board. Charles
Thompson, from the foot of the table,
looked up in a tender perplexity. "He's
going to. sing a doxology -" He's going
to pray ~" Silence for speech" ran
round the room.
"Its one year to-day, Christian broth
ers and sisters" said Mr.. Thompson, with
grim deliberation, zone year to-day since
my son came home from eating of wine
.husks and from squandering Of his sub
stance Look at him now. Char les
Thompson, stand UP. (Charles Thompson
stoodup @One year ago to day-and
He was certainly handsome prodigal,
standing there in his cheerful evening
dress-a, repentant prodigal, with sad,
obedienteyes turned upon the harsh and
unsympathetic glance Of his father. The
youngest Miss Smith, from the pure
depths Of herfoolish little heart, moved
unconsciously toward him.
" 1t is fifteen years ago since he left my
0OuSCs SesAu MI AnOIipSOu, ID IOVSE anu
a prodigal. / was myself man of sin, o
Christian friends a man of wrath and
bitterness but, praised be God, I've fed
the wrath to come. It's Eve years ago
since l gothic peace that passeth under
standing. A%aaRr S&AE
@And when found the error Of my
ways and the preciousness of grace" con-
.tinued Mr. Thompson, Icsme to give it
to my son. BY sea and land Isought him
far and tainted not. did not wait for
him to come to me-Which the same I
might have done, and. justified myself by
the Book of Bookg-but sought him out
and found him among his husks. Works,
friends, is my motto. By their works ye
shall know them, and there is mine"
The particular and accepted work to
which Mr. Thompson was alluding had
turned quite pale, and was looking fxedly
toward the open door leading to the We
randa, lately filed by gaping servants,
and now the seenelof some vague tumult
AS the noise continued, man, shabbily
,dressedy and evidently in liquor broke
through the opposing guardians, and stag
gered into the room. The transition from
the fog and darkness without to the glare
and heat within evidently lazzled and
stupetied him. He removed his battered
hat and passed it once or twice before his
eyes, as he steadied himself, but unsuc.
cessfui1y, by the back of chair. Sud-
denly his wandering glance fall upon the
pale face of Charles Thompson; and,
with CLEAN of child-like recognition,
and a weak, falsetto laugh, he darted for
ward, caught at the table, upset the glasses,
J and literally fe4 upon the prodigaRs breast.