The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1871-08-26

Ihirteen months have passed, since
the boy was in a house of prayer; and
4 a feeling Of pleasure induced him to
stand and listen. .
He hears the opening sentences Of the
sermon; and then he remembers his
hcme and comes softly OUT of the porch,
full of calm and serious pleasure. The
clergyman has reminded him OF his
father, and his careless heart is filled
with the echoes of his voice and of b is
prayers. He thinks on what the cler-
gyman said of the care Of our Heaven
ly Father for us he remembers how,
when he left home, his father prayed
that he might be preserved through
every danger; he does not remember
any danger that he has exposed to cx-
cepting in tho great storm, but he is
grateful he is come in safety, and lie
hopes whenever he shall be in danger,
which he supposcs he shall be some day..
ho hopes that then the providence of
God will watch over him and protect
him. And he presses onward to the en-
trance of the wood
"Are not two sparrows," be hears,
"soid for farthing? and not one shall
fall to the ground without your Fathers
notice. But the hairs of your head are
all numbered. Fear not, therefore, ye
arc gilmore value than many sparrows."
The man is there before him. lie
has pushed into the thicket, and cut a
heavy stake; he comes out, falls into
the path and follows him It is too
lshtnt present for his deed of darkness
and too near the entrance of the wood,
lut he Enows that shortly the path will
! branch eff INTO two. and the right one
for the boy TO take will be dark and
lonely.
| But what prompts the little midship
man, when not fifty rods from the
branching osthe path, to break into u
sudden fhds, TITS not f ffseaF--he noser
dreams rf danger, Some sudden i,u-
pulse, or some wild wish for home makes
hin dash off suddenly from his sumter,
wi'ha waoop a:.d II bound. On he goes
as ifrupning race he path beids
ard the man loses sight of him
But l shall catch him yet" he
thinks; 'he cannct keep up the pace
long" The boz has nearly reached the
place where the path divides, when he
puts M n white owl, that can scarcely
Dy, and i; goes wlirling on, close TO the
srouu,, before him. He gains upon it
another moment and it will be his. Now
he gets the start again; they come to
The branching OF tho paths, and the bird
goes down the wrong one.
The temptation to follow it is too
strong to be resisted he knows that
somewhere deep in the wood, there is q
cross track he has left ]; it is only to run
n little faster aud he shall be home
nearly as soon.
On lie rushes the path takes bend
and he is just out OF sight, and his pur
suer comes where the paths divide The
boy has turned to the right-he takes
the left, and the faster they run the
farther they are asunder.
The white owl still leads him on; tho
path gets darker and narrower Ut last
he finds that he has missed it altogether
and his feet are on the soft ground. III
founders about amoug the trees and
stumps vexed with himself, and painting
after his race.
...,o -. ,,.-,-,... ..a.~..
and pushes on as fast as he can. The
ground begins scnsibly to descend be
has lost his way-but he keeps bcarin.
; to his lett and though it is now dark
he thinks hc must must reach the main
path sooner or later.
He does not know this part af ;Ise
wood, but runs on. '.Oh, little mid
shipman why did you ehase chat owl
if you had kept the path of the dark
mae behind yau, there vas = chance .hat
you might outrun him; or if he had
overtaken you, some passing wayfarci
might have heard your cries, and coms
to save you. Now you are running
straight en- to your death, for the forest
water is deep and at the b tom of thi'
hill. . that the moon might come ou
and show it to you.
The moon is under thick canopy o
heavy black clouds, and there is not {