The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-09-19
AGAINST WIND AND TIDE.


BY LOUISE CHANDLER MOULToN.
Jack Ramstlale was bad boy. He had
been a bad boy so long that secretly he was
rather tired of il: but he really did not
know how 10 help himself. II was his
reputation, and it is a curious thing how
naturally we all live up to our regulations
that is To say, we do the things which are
expected of US. There Is deal of homely
sense i'm the old proverb, "Giye dog a
bad name and hang him." Give "A boy "A
bad name, and he j. reasonably sure Ia de-
serve one. Not but Jack Ramsdale had
fairly earned his bad name. His mother
had died before he was old enough to re-
member her, so he had never known what
home was. Once, when his father was
unusually good-natured. he had asked him
some questions about his mother.
''She was one of Gods saints. if ever
there was one.r the man answered. half
reluctantly. Everybody wondered that
she took. up with me- but maybe il was
because She saw | needed her more than
anybody else did. She might have made
different man of me ii she'd lived; at
least. I've always thought so. | never
drank so much when she was alive but
what kept comfortable home over her
head. But when she was gone. IL didn't
appear to me there was anything left To
live for. | lacked comfort sorely. and
don't say but what I've sought for il in by
paths-by and forbidden paths, rs she used
TO say"
IL wish could ha' seen her" said Jack.
''She was dreadful motherly creetur.
and was always hangin' over you. Cold
nights I've known her get up half-a-dozen
times. often, to see if the clothes was all
eI
I've seen her stand there looking down at
you in the biting cold till thought shed
freeze: but didn't dare to say anything.
for her lips was NOTING, and knew she
was prayin' for you. She was prayin'
woman, your mother was. used 10 think
her prayers would save both of us
lean make out how she looked. Jack
persisted. He was so anxious TO hear
something about this dead mother who
had loved him so. Ever since she died he
had been Knocked round from pillar TO
post. as they say. with his father. sam
Ramsdale was good help, as all the farm
ers knew. when he was sober: but he was
not reliable, and then he had the disadvan-
tagc OF always being encountered with the
boy. whom he took with him everywhere
AN unkempt. undisciplined little fellow
whom no one liked. Now. as his father
to think that some one used To stand be-
side his bed in cold winter nights and pray
for him. that he could hardly believe il
and he said again, out of his dcsolate long
ing
Il wish | could ha' seen how she
looked
II don't suppose folks would ha' said
she was much to look at" His father
spoke in musing sort of way. . She was
a little pale slip of woman, with soft yell
low hair droopin about her white face,
and eyes as blue a. them blue flowers YOU
picked up along the road. But there.
can't talk about her. and amt gom' to,
what's more; and don't you ever ask me
again
From that time Jack never dared to ask
any more questions about his mother. but
all through his troublesome. turbulent
boyhood he remembered the meagre out
lines of the story which had been told him.
No matter how bad he had been through
the day, the nights We're few when he
failed to think how once pale slip OF a
woman. with soft yellow hair around her
white face. and eyes blue as the blue gen
tians, had bent above his slumbers and said
prayers for him.
When he was ten years old his father
died I'm the poor-house. Drink had enfee-
bled his constitution; a sudden cold did
the rest. There were few weeks of terri
BILE suffering and then the end came. Jack
was with him TO the last. There was no
where else for him TO be, and the father
liked to have him In his sight. One day.
just before the end. when they were alone,
the man called the boy to his bedside.
81 can't tell you to follow my exam
pie, Jack: that's the shame of IL. I've got
TO hold myself up a warnin'. and not rs
an example. just you steer rs clear o. my
ways a you can; but remember that your
mother was prayin' woman. Is'pose
nobody believe II, Jack: but since I've
been YIN here I've kinder felt nearer 10
her than ever did before since she died.
Seems a II ] could Almost hear her prayin'
for me; and | think. bv times. that the
God she lived so close to won't say no. It's
the 'leventh hour, Jack, the 'levcnth hour,
| know that as well as anybody; hut she
used TO sing hymn about while the
lamp holds out to burn. When get there
shall get rid Of thisawfnl thirst for drink.
It's been an aicful thirst; no hunger that
know of can match il; but shall get
rid Of that when this old body goes to
pieces. And what does a Savior mean. II
II amt that he'll save us from our sins il
we ask himy''
As he said these last words he seemed