Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-12-06

ward. .-....o.,
Uncle Giles was of that respectable
class whose yeas are yea, and negatives
negations. Betty, from colt reared |
I'm orthodox quaker steadlness, plodded
stoicaily on, over elevations and depres-
sions, turning neither to right nor left
i'm auaker-like methodical precision, |
shaking and jolting her master, who sat |
peaceably under shelter of his gT eat coat |
and gray broad-brim, apparently un-
mindful of jolting wagon, the skating |
children, and hoar-frosted landscape |
save for an occasional tuckiBg of the
buffalo robe around his solemn gray
knees, and twitch of his coat collar up
to his rosy chin. But Uncle Giles was
never the man to make the weather a
stumbling stone for his serenity to trip
over. Peacefully he had seen fifty sum-
mers blossom, and fifty winters drift
over and whiten this same landscape;
and peacefully logged on, past careless,
happy children, unmindfui of their vain
and foolish games.
His own children Providence had
been pleased to allow him to rear in
God-lfke manners; his girls were mod
els of maidenly propriety, aud his one
boy, as fine and well-favoEed a youth as
ever father need call son. e..s.e.g..,la
Uncle Giles had had peaceful life.
One might imagine, though, from the
resolute stoicism with which he sat over
the joltings of the hard, springless wag-
on, how brayely he would staud in the
day of sorrows, bravely resisted wOnld
be the blows of adversity and trouble.
God had never greatly tried him; there
were depths and heights to which his feet
were as unfamiliar as an infants; if We
| have always lived within the shaded,
peaceful valley, do we know If we can
stand the mountains sudden lhurling
| storm? ,,ss.s - Z ~. s- -
| Jogging on homcward, with his mar
keting under the buggy seat, uncle
Giles gave occasional glances ahead to
satisfy himself the road was clear, and
then trusting to Betty's quaker rearing
| to carry him safely home, closed his
eyes in peaceful meditation. a.tlfs
| Looking up once, some sight caused
q knitting of his brOws, and then
knotted them into q heavy frown, while
his face grew pale.
sIt cannot be- speaking half aloud,
and stopping Betty SO suddenly, as 70
startle away all visions she had been in-
dulging in with jerked up ears, of the
comfortable crib of corn awaiting her
in the stable at home. t.er.f
| What yer staring at, Broad-brim -
shouted an impudent urchin, from a
nlent just back from the road.
| Unheedlng the saucy remark, uncle
Giles Strengthened himself up in his
wagon, and looked ahead where the
| road was growing dim in the uncertain
twilight shadows. There was some
thing in his face just then that had new
er been there before; the sight thai
caused It was as new. g. ret;irr. +.
God help me, bat it resembles the
boys make!' he muttered, standing
motionfess, staring fixedly ahead tG
where figure hardly discernible, in
the waning light, walked stumblingly
on, with the uncertain, .unmistakablt
reel of man who had been drinking.
!, The eyes of wounded fear and love
. are keen, and the old man, while still
$ crying, sit cannot, cannot be y felt suef
q sickening weight upon his heart HI
could scarcely breathe. Betty wa
frightened by blow aud a loud sgO on !
Such a thing had never occurred in hel
memory since her frisky, coltish days
What terrible thing had happened; ant
Betty forgot her orthodox jog, ant
plunged Into headlong gallop towart
the reeling figure that fell in stupid help
lessness just as they reached its side. j
The Israelites of old in their journey
ing, once thought to quaff freely of cool
sweet water But the waters at Maral
were bitter. Giles Cushman ha
reached the Marah Of his life. fa'
Can you picture to yourself the littl
flood of agony and shame that sweI
over that old man when he stopped b
the poor 4wretch's side and proved hi
worst suspicion realized. F}ti ~
Witha grief more bitter within hl
soul than If he had stood by his boy
open grave, this stern old quaker locke
y A s,,ko tba d1fnD xvh m n rr
stupefication, lay his once hope aud JOY
Bitter indeed would have been grief fo
the dead bitter, ah, more bitter, was til
grief he felt for the living who ha
shained his honest pride thus terribl,
Speeehless he stood, only a faint moa
now and then came from his ovel
burthened heart His head was bowe
within his hands, and so, for time, /
did not move. st!'-
Did he pray? God knows. q
At length with wearied look up an
down the road, he made as If to re-entt
his wagon. No, no, he could not lea,
him there. kind of fatherly yearniu
and sympathetic sorrow II know III
=, what else to ma ne it,, over this, hi
- surely it must be, the first offense, cam
over him, and the thought of the boy
- dead mother, and the look of repr0at
~ she would give him from the 'oth
shore did he leave their boy alone
his degradation pride. too, whispere
neighbors would Is returning from IL
town; better to hide the shame if poss
Bile from curious eyes and gossipii
tongues. So STOPPING over and graspif
the collar of the unfortunate your
+ Imam, uncle Giles, with aching heal
shook and raised him partly to his fer
endeavoring by continued shaking,
arouse him. g"
~ sEh, hic, keep yer, hic-I say, o
broorbim, jess Keep yer bread hoo
offer me!' -
:. With spasm Of disgust, the ole mi
raised with almost superhuman efol
the drunken form into the wagon, al
throwing the buffalo robe over it, as
he would, were it possible, shut aw
from his sight the dreadful thir
stepped in himself, and made Betty
for home ut a pace hitherto unknown
her stiff old legs. '.7-,,g
The shadows were deepening, and I
snow that so laziiy doated n half ho
m. before. now came in thick, hurryi
gusts, and the leaden clouds lay
black riffs down and around the no
zon. Lights glimmered and twink
in kitchen windows, and giimpses cot
'ine be Caught of family groups seated
early supper tables, comfortable a
through the fast falling snow, Be
plunged at a half gallop. carrying
freight of honest grief and sensel
shame past shadows and twinkli
lights.
l do not think uncle Giles saw the
he felt hot and choked, and wonde
that lie had eyer felt it cold that aft
noon. His home, when he reached
looked bare and desolate; he turf
away from the old dog that always ca
to greet him, with: sTo your kenl
sirH and Major looked sorrowful
proach and whined at the unusual
der. i"t. '-
Straight to the stable door he dro
nor fingered at the side door of
house to toss his bundles, with pleas
:. greetings, to his women folks, the e
and an aged sister, who always ca
decorously to say, on his return Il
from town, We're glad thee's ht
safely again, father
As the hired man hastcned toward
The barn, lantern in hand, followed by
t o women, alarmed at the unwonted
osty lence in the open buggy and Maj
rub, cowed appearance, Uncle Giles .
80 r ,