, 1870-07-10

The Rcnslest tn4n among these ptous TurA
t;udb lsvtnR image ruIhieaaly deface5:
The best ls6-churchmsn, with no faith IN works,
IiowstfiuCs the Virtues In the market~p1acesi
The Christian 1'arlah, whom both sects cnrse
fr1ty curse al other men and cur.'e each othert.
Walks through the Toritr not very much the
wovsc,
Does ali The good he can, and loves his brother.
MIR, THoMPsoNs PRoDIaAI4
From the tJuig> Octriona Monthly.
We al knew that Mr. Thompson was looking
fol his son, md pretty bad one At that- That
lie VAS coming 10 California for this sole OBJ
ject WAS no secret to biz fellow-passengerH
and the physical peculianties, Is well as the
moral weaAnesseze' q tne missing psodiSal
frank voluhlity OF the parent You waa
epeakipg Of young man which VIZ hung 1t
lied Dog for sloiee-roboing," said Mr.
e5 ono ., as5 's Zss 1gs5s 1s.seoae
the nsssenger. s.Ah," said NJ. THOMPSON, 10
ferrpg to come mental memoranda, "Char-
les eyes wns blue" He then walked away.
Perhaps it was from this unsympathetic mode
preulecsion to take humorous viow OF sny
nrin ipIe OF sentiment persistently brought |
before them, that Mr.. Thnnpson'a quest wAA
the subject Of some satire among the pnssen- |
gem. i gtatuitouz advertisement Of the miss
ing CHARLES, addressed to +'Jailers AMI Guar |
dams circulated pnsAte1y among them: every |
boJy remembered to have met Chasles uuder |
distressing circumstances. Yet It Ia but due |
10 nv count1ymen to state that when it WAS
known tilat Thompson had embarked eomo
wealth in this visionary project, but little Of
this satire found itB way to his ears, and moth
lug wa4 uttered in hs hearing that might bring
Dauc to his fathers heart, or imparil pos
rible pecuuafy advantage 10 the satlist- In
to torm josnt-stoca company to prospect"
for the missing youth received at one time quite
ectiouH entertainment
perLaps to superficial criticism Mr. Thomp-
cons nntsro vas not picturesque nor lovable
! His history, AZ impaired At dinner, one day. By
! himself, was practical even N ta sln 3uiaslty'
After hard and wilful youth aud matuEsty-
in which he had buried brokea-spira'ed
, wife, and driven his son to sea-ha suddenly
osae,1cneed religion. IT got it ~ New
I orleans in 49," said Mr. Thompson. With tho
; general suggestion Of referring to an epidem-
leans" Perhaps this practical quality upheld
+, him In his apparently hope1ess search. lie had
M clew to the whereabouts OF his runaway
son Indeed, ecarce'y proof Of his present
/! existence. From his Indifferent recollection of
! the boy Of Il, he now expected to identity the
: man OF IS,
! 1t would seem that ho WAS successfuL How
; he succeeded was one OF the few thlnga he did
=. not te1l. Therc arc, believe, two yeslons OF
the story, One, that VI. Thompson. visiting
. recu]isr hymn, chAnsed by the sufferer, IN
! deiirious dream Of his boyhood. This version,
giving as it did wide range to tho amer feelings
Of the heart, wAs quite popular; and as told
fy the Nev: Ar- Gnshington, on Ms fesnsn
his toar fasa es 70 pins sass
and, ns ehall adopt it here, deserves more
elaboration.
I, was after Mr., Thompson Ind givon up
searching for his son among the Living.
and had taken to the examination Of Of
the .co!d hic jaots Of the dead" At
this time he ws4 frequent visitor eg
s.Loue Mountain - tlleafy hi1l-top, bleak
enough in iss original isolation, and tleaker for
the whitc-faced marbles By which San Fran
them down in shifting sAnd that refused to
cover them, and against fierco and persistent
wind that strove to blow them utterly away.
! Against this wind the old nan opposed . wil!
: ! tall, crape.bound hat drawn tightly over his
| cycs-and 60 epent his DAYS in reading tho NOR
J ! tuary inscriptions auaibly to himself. The
frequency Of Scriptural quotation pleased
him, and he WAS fond OF colrobo1atinE them
} By pocket Bible. "fhat's from Psalms, " he
eaid, one day, 10 an adiaceut graTe-digger,
t The man made no reply. No. at a4l rebufed,
Nr. Thompson at once nlid down into tue open
grave, with a more practical inquiry, A. Die
| You ever, in your profession. como ,cr9', ,
] Charles Thonpson!' .'Thoupson be id,
: said the ersve.ligger, With grea. diteGtness g
Q responded the old man. as he clambered out o
+ the grave.
il II was, perhaps, on this occasion that 1lr
. Thompson stared later than usual. As be turn
i ! ed his face toward the city, lights were begin
o ming 10 twinkle ahead. and tierco wiud, M ID
fr<v mr. !,
!. ! vait, charged him angrliy from the coraers o
v deeertcd suburban streets. 1t vas on ono o
j. thcee corners that something 0!Ee, qnlte a
; ntaistinct and malevolent, ie4pcd upon hin
ID with IN oath. presented pistol, and detnan'
o fo1 money. But it WAS met By = will Of iro.
= rolled together on tho ground. But the mex
II moment tho old man wss erect; ono han
X Erasping tho captured pistol. the other clutch
Q ing At arms length the throat Of figure SUI
" S"I,So"ns IYo'' MAJ man." saia Nh. Thompson
IN setting his thin hpa together, ''wlst might
Is your name
in "1lompson!~
l. The old MANS hand elid from tho throat +
s. the arm OF his prisoner, without rcla1ing il
l. frmncss.
n "Cha1-les Thompson. como with me-"
ID said, presently, and marched his captive to IL
70 hotel. What took plsce thato hss not tran
ls rired. but il was known the nc1t morning tbs
n Mr. Thompson had found his eon.
L. It is proper to add to the above improbab
- story that tketo WAS nothing In the youaa
81 mans appearance or nnanoeEs to Justify !
Gu Grave, rcticcnt. and handsome, q
il he S assumed tho emoiament. a.
q. responsibilities OF his new condition With
'lv ccrtain serious ease tIlnt more nearly .
I'd preached that which San Francisco socie
~ lacked. aud-rejcc.ed Some chose to jespi
ho this quality as tendency to "pss!n'-ssasn: 81:
an | ipo - athoYa IN II tho S1hafifnI 1uNfjti
ho Of the parent, and were ready to ptophesy I
10, the ron the same hard old age. But all agree
ia that it was not inconsistent With tho habits
in money getting, for which father and eon We
il. And yet, the old man did not seem To
Icr lappy. Perhaps it waa that I
ns conslmnuation Of his nishea left him Wit
ire ont practical mission: perhaps-a.d il il t
ssn more probable-he had little love for the .
ea he hsa 5eganea 1ae rr onee9se s s nS ensei ~
Dat heart upou WIS complete: ana get, son1eho
CO, il did not seem to plcase him. In Foelaiml
,ht biz ton, hc had fuidlted all the reqnireme'
Ut, thst his religious duty, required OF him,
lite this perrlexity he read sSain tho parable Or
rho Prodical Son--wlich he had long ago aaor,
,w- for his g,li,iancc-nud found thst he had on
sck ted The final feast Of reconciliation.
,sd seemed to oncr the proper 9uahfy OF ecIeu
tho niousness In the sac1cmeut bet"een E1u's
ng. and bis son aud SO. year after the aPpc
,pl- ance Of ChaE1es, he set about e1T7ng hi
hat marty, "Invitc everybody. Charles. 40 81
md drvlT; I. everybody who knows that oroul
Iet, yop out OF the wine-husks Of iniqultE, and
uah conrauv Of har1ots and bid them cat, dfi
tip and be Inc1Iy."
50 re1haps tho old man had another roas
de, not vet clearly aua1sxel. The I
ha- house Lo hid built on tho saudi
dit souaeG1nes seemed lonely aad ha1o- Ha OF
pcs found Linl*elf trying to seeona,fuss, tfom
F,~{ snff "hSt
ood Ge but din,ly remembered IN tie past. and
ow- shc nast, and of which lately he bad b
lore thinking great deal. He believed thus "a
can sign ot impending old age and chidlshne
bu. coming ons d,y IN h,s TO- 1asa
acn, had s.5ayea therein, he would h1ve y
J ,s,y lin IN his arms, but the child hed Il
i in before his grizz1cd fsce. So that it seer
the tm,uently proper to invite number OF
rste r!s to lis house, aud, from the afisy o.
ing Law. And then there would % chlld-a
how whom he could "ra1e up" from the 1e
ter niog. ana-lose-as he did not loxs charle
1nte We were Ill at The pa5ty. NE sm!
pen Joueses, Browns, and Roaansons also g c.
dies ~ mmneheeiea Sy nv respect fer the eu
rich taiuer. which most OK Us are apt 70
un- 70 fa.clnAt1ns. The peoeeedings ~ou!d
ugc hen somewhat riotous but for the eoc1aj
ndss ton Of the actors N fsss " a :, w,
sse having s,a.,an n.tsIy 1T IN fusstss peei
:, i'll hight eyes Of he Jones girls, conducted
dis- saS ~ - s1s1ns1lahlv "a to attract the SCI
for reEa1d of Nr. Charles Tompl mp
sAtes | uGn aprtc:cbed hiun- sasne que
these ..Ioa look ILL., Mr. 11ooets !et
uged eouluct you to your cAt1lafe. ltcsist.
tcpcy hound, and III throw yon through that
1ong dow. Thss Way. please: the room u c4oet
10 m distrcssine. Il is hardly neeessa5y 70 e!
lsels bnt pazt Of this s'een Se ~ NJ, d;e, ~