Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-04-23
eeper," but he never thought of such an

|, Keeper" but he never thought Of such an
excuse.
Mary" he said to his wife, in tones
SO solemn and earnest that she opened her
eyes with start. "Mary, where do you
think father and Lucy are?"
"God, knows, Robert-and that is one
comfort-but was thinking about them"
Were you? That is strange"
Then, after few minutes intense
thought he got up and walked up and
down the room, pushing in his precccupa-
Mrs. Hammond waited quietly. taking
stitch after stitch, and glancing occasion
ally into the troubled face of her husband
Presently, he stopped before her and
said:
Mary, the river is dead-locked with
ice. can leave my business now better
than | could ever have done the last ten
years If | start at once, [ can be in
New York by Christmas What do you
say?'
God go with you, Robert, dear. 1
think you are ight."
So the next morning Robert Hammond
set his face Eastward, and in due time
trod the familiar walks of New York city.
But he found his fathers Office in a strange
name, ard his memory had passed from
the constantly changing financial world.
The old home was empty, and falling into
that look of decayed gentllity which is so
much worse than honest poverty.
Than ha cuddanlv hnrad li+tla
farm not far from Patterson which had
been a part of his mothers fortune and
hiring horse and buggy, he tried to find
it. 1t was only low, stone cottage, sur
rounded by cherry trees that were old
now and bare. The fields around were
white and still, the little stream bound in
icy fetters, the cattle staring piteously on
the barren earth, and dumb In their cold
hunger and comtortless life.
4 rude, unpainted fence divided a small
garden and yard from the general waste of
desolation and, walking slowly across the
yard, was figure which, in spite of shah
by clothes and ageing years, Robert easily
recognized as his father.
The old man saw the approaching bug
gy, and going to the gate, called cut IN
querulous tones:
You need not alight, sir, we have no
room to entertain strangers. We never
do, sir, No, indeed ~
He kept up his protestations the more
fervently as he saw the stranger did not
pay attention to them, meanwhile standing
inhospitably at the closed gate.
Robert saw a pale. weary looking wo-
man come for moment to the door, and
then after vacant stare, close it again.
1t was all very discouraglng, but he never
for one moment hesitated in his intentions.
Leaving the horse tied to the fence he
walked up to the closed gate, and stretch
ing his hand across 1t said:
Father -
The old mans face grew suddenly gray,
and the lines about the mouth deepened
involuntarily; he dropped his eyes, but
raised them quickly to say
am poor man now, Robert, there
is nothing to be got by seeking NE out"
II want nothing, father, but your for
giveness and love. l am a rich man now,
unless you shut your door against me. In
that case | shall feel poor enough"
" Come in, then"
The tone was not a gracious one, but
Robert knew what it had cost the old man
to humble himself so far, aud he accepted
the invitation with Thank you, sir"
Earnestly, as they walked up the little
path, Robert spoke to his father, and what
! l. lo1
when they reached the house door he open
ed it with nervous haste, and in much soft
ened tones called out
q Lucy, here is your brother Robert ~
Lucy's welcome made up for all delin-
quenc es, and the evening which had prom
ised so little, ended in such condolences as
had never before existed between this
father and his children.
They spent a few days in New York
before leaving for the West, and the elder
Hammond, attired once more in an ire
proachable broadcloth, visited such Of his
old haunts as we're willing to know him,
making no small boast of the immense
wealth of his son Robert" and the gi-
gantIc business they were going to do to-
gether in Chicago.
| should do very wrong if | led my
readers to infer that Ralph Hammond's
character essentially and Immediately
changed. His avarice never left him until
his dying day. But in the beautiful com
panonship of his sons wife and children,
some of the roughest and most selfish traits
were gradually toned down He could not,
try as he would, disbeieve in the unselfsh
affection of Robert and his family, who
lore patiently with all his faults, and who
certainly had nothing to expect in return.
And in the dark days which he spent in
the Valley of the Shadow of Death, this
belief in human love helped him wonder
fully to hope and trust in love Infinite
and All-embraciDg.
Lucy in the quiet and peace of her new
life regained her youth and pretty looks.
and is to-day happy wife and the mother
of brave sons and beautiful daughters. In
her redeemed life and in the comfort and
improvement Of their fathers later years,
Robert and Mary Hammond found cause
for gratitude in that having recognized
their duty, they had sought out and gone
after it; for it grew to be a blessing on
earth and haue its final reward in heaven.
A CALIFORNIA VAMPIRE.-The San Fran
cisco Alta has description Of a vampire
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