Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1872-03-14

| pTOIiIsc Hduc tO the iONeu ones dL nOlile
Think particularly of our mother
your mother, for you are more to hel
than think of her and come with me,
pleaded Benny.
"Oh, stop! You are such an old fogy
Ben! What is the harm of seeing 6
little of the world? The old man will
never know it, and neither will mother
So stop your preaching and go on, you
old croaker!"
"Julian, do not speak of father so
Oh, would give everything have in
the world to keep you away there.
julie, you want my horse; you may
have Onward, if You will come with
me-"
"Oh, pshaw, indeed 1 cannot. Be
sides, mother has promised to buy 'La-
dy Fair for me when go home"
"Mother keeps her promise to her son,
and he breaks his to her; and will, l
fear, in time, break her heart" said
Denly, Sduiy.
'Go on! if you don't I'll get angry"
My heart was aching for the good
son, the earnest, anxious mother. As
he followed with me he looked so sad,
said:
''Perhaps your fears are groundless p"
ooh, no; he goes with gambler to-
night
His voice was trembling SO he could
scarcely speak, and 1 hastened to draw
his thoughts away if possible.
Once more stood beside the youth.
A week after, when returned home l
was greeted with the sad tidings of the
extreme illness of Mrs. Aylmer, Benny
and Julian's mother.
"Some terrible shock she received,
we cannot imagine what. The servants
say that she received q letter in Mr.
Aylmer's absence intended for him.
She opened and read it, and fell lifeless
on the floor" 1 was told.
She had long been suffering with
some trouble of the heart, knew.
The next morning sent servant to
inquire how she was. He returned
telling me that Mrs. Aylmer had died
few moments previous to his reaching
the house.
"Are the boys home?" I anxiously
inquired.
'Mr. Benjamin is. He arrived in the
early train"
SIN time?''
"Yes, madam; few hours previous"
"Oh, where was Julian? Why could
not the best loved have been with the
dying mother?"
In the afternoon went to see the be-
reaved family. Oh, theirs was surely
terrible bereavement.
'Tis bad to give the aged loved one
up. But that wife and mother young,
gifted and beautiful-taken SO sudden,
so fearfully!
When I entered, Benny stood beside
the lovely form. He was very pale, but
calm. No bursts of sorrow escapes his
lips; no pangs of anguish his heart.
No, no. As he spoke to me of her, his
lip quivered, and tears stole gently
down, as once or twice lie stopped to
kiss, first the brow, and then the hands
of the beautiful dead.
Benjamin had no cause for such an
guish as l witnessed later. No; his
heart was free from regrets. Never by
one act had he given sorrow to his
mothers heart. He had received her
parting blessing. On his head her hand
rested, as she whispered:
"My good son. God bless little
Benny"
"She seemed to be thinking of me in
my baby days." he said when relating
it to me.
While stood gazing ON the coffined
remains, the door opened, and Julian
rushed in pale, and terrified and threw
himself across his mothers coffin, laid
his head on her cold bosom and groaned.
"On, my God, this is too hard; moth
er, mother, mother, why, why could
you not have been spared? My beau
tiful, loving mother. Oh, 1 never
dreamed of this! never thought that
you could dieI Mother, mother, loved
you; oh, I loved you! would give my
very life to bring you back! Cannot
you whisper one little word ''Forgive ?o
If could only recall the past-dread-
full past? Too late, too late"
Oh, and on he talked, praying for
forgiveness. And then Benny drew
him away, and returned in few mo-
ments, saying:
"He has more terrible blow yet to
bear. 1 tried to spare him it, but ia
ther thinks it must be. Perhaps it may
save him.
81 will tell you, for you. will surely
hear it. That night, you remember,
when pleaded with him to come with
us? 1t was as l feared. He was there
until late hour, and then-they car
ried him out to the college, crazed with
wine. l never dreamed that the Presi-
dent would send the dreadful news
home, but he did. Mother opened the
letter in fathers absence. She read it,
and her heart broke. We were tele-
graphed to, to come, Julian would not.
He thought mother was not dangerous
ly ill. She was looking for him when
she sank into her last sleep.
Scarcely had Benjamin ceased when
groan came from the next room-a
groan, bitter, terrible, heart rending-
from the miserable youth, l think he
will be saved; hope so. But at what
fearful cost.
In the future he may grow great, for
he is rarely gifted. He will be admired,
flattered, courted. But will that stop
the ceaseless regrets? Society, the
world, may praise and render him
homage. But, oil, what is all that to
those words, "God bless my good son"
from dying mothers lips? Yes, he
would give all, everything, for those
blessed words. Too late--too late! 'Tis
past the time for that! In another's
ear, sinking to the very heart, will
come in the future, words worth all the
worlds proudest gifts: "My good son-
son of nv right hand'-God bless THEE,