Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-07-22

son be had regained. The obedience he
exacted, was freely given, the reform be had
set his heart upon was complete; and yet,
somehow, it did not seem to please him. In
reclaiming his son. he had fulfilled all the
requirements that his religious duty requir-
ed Of him, and yet the act seemed to lack
sanlifcation. In this perplexity, he read
again the parable of the Prodigal Son
which lie had long ago adopted for his gui-
dance-and found that he had omitted the
final feast of reconciliation. This seemed
to offer the proper quality of ceremonious-
ness in the sacrament between himself and
his son and so, n year after the appearar ce
OF Charles, he set about giving him party.
'Invite everybody, Charles he said, dryly ;
every body who knows that | brought you
out of the wine-husks of iniquity, and the
company Of harlo's; and bid them eat,
drink and be merry
Perhaps the Ud l<sa had another reason,
not vet clearly analyzed. 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 be
but dimly remembered in the past, and of
which lately he had been thinking great
deal. He believed this to be sign of i'm
pending old age and childishness but COM
ing, one day, in his formal drawing room,
upon child of one oil the servants, who
had strayed therein, he would have taken
him in his arms, but the child fled before
his grizzled face. So that it seemed emf
nently proper to invie number Of people
to his house, and, from the array Of San
Francisco maidenhood, to select daugh-
ter-in.law And then there would be a
child-a boy, whom he could rare up from
the beginning, and-loye- as 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 sp rits, uncheck-
ed by any respect for the entertainer, which
most OF II, are apt to find SO fascinating.
The proceedings would have been somewhat
ri tous, but for the social position of the ac-
tors. In fact, Mr.. Bracy Tibbels, having
naturally fine appreciation of a humorous
situation, but further mpelled by the bright
eyes of the Jones girls, conducted himself
so remarkably as TO attract the serious re-
gard of Mr.. Charles Thompson, who ap-
preached him, saying quietly: You look
i'll, Mr.. Tibbits; let me conduct you to your
carriage. Resist, you hound, and III throw
you through that window. This way, please;
the room is close and distressing 1t is
hardly necessary to say that but a part Of
this speech was audible to the company, std
that the rest was not dvulged by Mr.. lib
bits, who aflerward regretted the sudden ILL.,
ness which kept him from Witnessing very
amusing incident, which the fastest Miss
Jones characterized as the richest part of
the blowout and which ! hasten to re-
cord:
1t was at supper. 1t was evident that
Mr.. Thompson had overlooked much law.
lessness in the conduct of the younger peo-
pie, in his abstract contemp lation of some
event. When the cloth was re-
moved, he rose to his feet and grimly tap
ped upon the table. A litter, that broke
out among the Jones girls, became epldem-
ic on one side Of the board. Charles Thomp-
son. from the foot OF the table, looked up in
tender perplexity. Hes going to sing
doxology going to pray'-'Silence
for speech, ran round the room.
ITS one year to-day, Christian brothers
and sisters said Mr.. Thompson, with grim
deliberation, 'one year to-day since my son
came home from eating of wine huSks and
of spending of his substance on harlots.'
[ The tittcring suddenly ceased Look Il,
him row. Charles Thompson, stand up
Charles Thompson stood up.) One year
ago to-day-and look at him now.'
He was certainly a handsome prodigal,
standing there in his cheerful evening dress
a repentant prodigal, with sad, obedent
eyes turned upon the harsh and unsympa-
the,ic glance Of his father. The youngest
Miss Smith, FRI IN the pure depths of her
foolish little heart, moved unconsciously to-
ward him.
lit is fifteen years ago since he left my
house, said Mr.. Thompson, "a rover and
prodigal. | WAS myself man of sin, 0
Christian .reuds--a man of wrath aud bit
Amen from the eldest Miss
Smith )--'but, praisa be TO God, I've fled The
wrath TO come. Its five years ago since !
got the peace that la,Selh understanding.
Have you goI it frehds?' a general and
>uh-chorus Of No, no. from The girls, and
Pass the word for ii. from Mldshipman
Coke of the U S. sloop Wethersheld J
Kn ok. and it shall be opened to you
AID when / found the error of my ways
and the preciou>neSs of race continued
Mr.. Thompson, i came to give it TO my
son. By sea and land | sought him far,
and tainted not. did not wait for him to
come to me-which the same might have
done, aud justified myself by the Book of
books, bu, sought him out among his husks,
and he rest OF the sentence was lost in
The rustling withdrawal of the ladies'.
Works, Christian friends, is my motto. BY
their works shall ye know them, and there
is mine
The particular and accepted work to
which Mr.. Thompson was alluding had turn
ed quite pale, and was looking fxedly to-
ward the open door leading to the vera"da,
lately filled by gaping servants, and n the
scene of some vague tumut. AS the noise
continued, man, shabbiiy dressed, and evi-
IDENTIFY in liquor, broke through the orpos-
ing guardians, and staggered into the room.
The transition from the fog and darkness
without tc the glare and heat within evi-
dently dazzled and stupefed him. He re-
moved his battered hat and passed it once
self, but unsuccessfully, by the back OF
chair. Suddenly his wandering glance fell
upon the pale face of Charles Thompson
aud, with CLEAN of child-lik recognition,
and weak, talsetto laugh, he daried for
ward, caught at the table, " set the glasses,
and literally fell upon the prodigal's breast.
'Shaly! yc' id OF scoun'rel, hoo rar
ye!
Hush i sit down hush = said Charles
Thompson. hurriedly endeavoring to extri-
cate himself from the embrace Of his unex-
pected guest.
Look at IN !! continued the stranger, IN
needing the admonition, but suddenly hold
ing the unfortunate Charles at arms length,
in loving and undisguised admiration of his
festive appearance. Look at m Amt
he nasty? Shals, I'm prov Of yer!
Leave the house! !! said Mr.. Thompson,
rising, with dangerous look in his cold,
gray eye. Char les, how dare you"
Simmer down, ole man! ShaNs, who's
TIL OF bloal? Eh?'
Hush, man here, take this! With nerv-
ous hands. Charles Thompson filled glass
with liquor. Drink it and go-untl to-
morrow--sny :ime, but-leave us !-go
nowp But even then. ere the miserable
wretch could drink, the old man pale with
passion, was upon him. Half carrying him
in his powerful arms, half dragging him
through the circling crowd of frightened
guests, he had reached the door swung
upen by the waiting servants, when Charles
Thompson started from seeming stupor,