Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-06-14
The First Wrong.
My story opens in a New England

My story opens in New England
sitting-room.
There were three persons present.
Allow me to introduce them to you
in order: First, there was Deacon
Holbrook, an old man, not very far
from seventy years, now, with white
hair, tall spare form, and decided
features. Next, his wife, motherly
old lady, with an expression Of such
calm benevolence on her face as to
charm all who knew her. Yet at this
moment, anxiety, grief aud entreaty
struggled for the mastery. The third
figure in the tableau was young man
with a frank, handsome face, years
not exceeding twenty, who stood in
the middle of the floor with downcast
look, shrinking from the angry words
which his father uttered.
"Henry," said the deacon, sternly,
"you have disgraced yourself and me,
"a deacon of the church. You have
embittered the declining years of your
parents"
"Dont be too hard with him, Dea.
con Holbrook," interposed his wife.
"Remember it is his first fault"
"If it were anything else!" said his
father, still unappeased: "but to think
that my son should become a gam.
bier! My son who has been SO care
fully trained in the way he should go!
at is only once," urged the wife,
with all mothers instincts.
There are some crimes which can
not be committed once without sink
ing the soul deep in SIM" returned
the father with unabated sternness.
All this while, the young man had
remained silent, though his varying
color showed that he felt deeply the
harshness of his fathers words. At
length he spoke:
"Father," said he, firmly, "You
will one day repent your severity
No sooner had | sinned than | repent
ed, and made confession to you and
my mother. Instead Of encouraging
me in my repentance, you load me
with reproaches which my own con-
science had anticipated, and which,
heaven knows, | did not need"
Deacon Holbrook was about to
speak, but Henry rapidly continued I:
"You tell me l have disgraced you,
will remove myselfand my disgrace
from your presence"
AS he was about to leave the room,
his mother asked, anxiouSly:
where would you go to, Henry? ?"
"Stay him not, Hannah" said the
deacon, sternly. "Is is well that he
should leave place where he can no
longer look an honest man in the
face"
deacon Holbrook, he is our son, ~
said the wife reproachfully.
"I would that could forget it,
was the unrelenting reply.
These last words reached the ears
of the young man as he stood upon
the threshold, and an expression, hall
of pain, half of indignation, swept
over his face. He knew that he had
done wrong, but he felt that he had
not forfeited forgiveness. With one
farewell glance at his mother, full oI
unspoken gratitude and love, he left
the house which had been so long tc
him a home.
This was the fault of which Henry
Holbrook had been guilty. Having
been sent to New York by his father
to collect a sum of money due him he
had been allured to a gaming.houst
by companion, and there induced t.
play, though not until after much per
suasion. Having lost part of the
money in his charge, he kept on play
ing, in hope of recovering his losses
But, as might have been expected, in
stead of this, he lost all that remain
ed. Then, thoroughly ashamed, ant
bitterly upbraiding himself for hi:
breach of trust, he went home anC
confessed all. This confession wa
received, as we have seen, in such :
way as TO chill his confidence and ex
cite his Indignation. And now he hat
gone forth from home wanderer h,
, knew not whittier, with not one effor
, on his fathers part to stay him.
Let me do Deacon Holbrook tn,
| justice to say that it was not his owl
| personal loss that excited his rigor
5 He could overlook that, but not hi
:. sons weakness and crime, as he term
| cd it, by which it was lost.
: After Henry's departure, the oil,
9 house became quicter than before
All the life had gone out of it. Dea
/, con Holbrook himself was a man G
{, few words, and his taciturnity ha
abated his wife's social tendencies.
Very long, very quiet, and very te
: dious were the evenings which the
! spent together. On one side of tn
fireplace sat the deacon. gravely reao
}. ing through his spectacles the agr
d cultural paper which came weekly
l. Opposite him sat his wife, her finger
J. actively engaged in knitting, her min
j. intent upon her absent boy. All wa
j. staid, quiet, subdued. There wa
not even a kitten to enliven the seen,
t Mrs Holbrook had once introduce
# one into the house, but the deaco
speedily intimated his dislike of cat
e and puss had been banished.
e One night Deacon Holbrook brougf
!. letter for his wife. 1t was such a
u unusal circumstance for the good W.
d man to receive letter, that she too
h it eagerly, and tore it open with III
s wonted haste.
O What was it that made her eye
), sparkle with joy u? the familiar han
|. writing had not deceived her. 81
knew at once, by the peculiar 1ouris
? on top Of the H, that it was from Hel
c ry.
It She read it through with gratcfl
r joy. 1t was from one of the miniu
districts of California. 1t appear
| la IIana,- hoI ..a..l.l