The Republican journal., 1876-09-14
The Door in the Heart.

great many pairs of winding stairs in his heart is
door, and on that door is written man. and we mus
knock at that door, once, twice, seven times; ye.
seventy times seven, that it may open unto lis
John b. Cough.
lie was an old man Not So old either
for the wrinkles that marrcd his cadaver
Gus yisage were not the autograph tha
Times fingers had laid there, and the hant
that,placed upon the table the we'll draine,
glass did not tremble SO with the weakness
that age induces yet very old and very
wrttched looked the sole occupant of that
narrow room with its red curtains and its
floor stained with tobac % Juice. and al
atmosphere abundantly seasoned by the
barroom into which it opened. A hat Gil
must have been intended for one) hal
concealed the oWner's uncombed locks, ,anG
unmistakabc eyideLce of a familiar ac
quaintance with 'brickbats and the gut
ter" did that same hat produce. Their
there was Il coat, out Of whose sleeves
peepcd Il pair Of elbows in rejoicing con.
scjousncss that they could afford to be
out Add to these a pair Of faded pants
and you have, reader the tout ensemble OF
the wretched being who had just com
menced his daily potations in the only
grog shop he was allowed to frequent
And yet the wretched, friendless creature,
that sat there, half stnpitied with the ef-
lects OF his morning dram, had a heart
and far up many pairs of winding stairs
in that heart was u door, covered with
cobwebs and dust of time and sin, was
written Miami But nobody dreamed OF
this, and when the temperance men" had
gone to him with the pledge, and prom
lsed him employment and rcspectability il
he would sign it; and others (well mean
inc men, too, J had rated him soundlv for
his evil ways and he had turned IL deaf
ear to all these things, and gone back with
blind pertlnaclty to his cups again, every
body said that Old Billy Strong's case was
a hopeless one.
An none of these had patiently groped
their way up the hearts winding stairs
and read the inscription on the hidden
door there. But while the unhappy man
sat by the pine table that morning, the bar
keeper suddenly entered, followed by a
lady with II pale, high brow, mild, hazel
eyes, and Il strangely winning expression
on her pensive face. The old man looked
up with Il vacant stare of astonishment,
as the bar-keeper offered the lady chair,
and pointed to the occupant Of the other,
saying
That's Billy Strong, ma'am," and with
Il lingering glance of curiosity, left that
gentle woman alone with the astonshed
and now thoroughly sobered man.
The soft eyes Of the lady wandered with
a sad. lingering expression over Bills
features, and then in Il low, sweet voice
she asked:
Am l rightly informed? DO address
Nh William Strong?n
All, with those words the lady had got
further up the winding Stairs, nearer the
hidden door, than all who had gone be-
fore her
"les, that is my name ma'am,' sald
old Bill, as he glanced down at his shah
by attire, and actually tried to hide the
elbow, (which was peeping out iarthest,
addressed by that name, and somehow it
sounded very pleasant to him.
~ am glad to meet you, Mr.. Strong, "
said the lady. Il have heard my father
speak OF You 50 often, and Of the days
when you and he were boys together, that
almost feel as if we were old acquaint-
ances. You surely can not have forgotten
Charles Morrison p
"No. No! Charlie and used to be old
crones," said Bill, with sudden animal
tion and a light in his eye such as had
not been there in many Il day, except when
rum lent it Il tttul brilliancy
All! the lady did not know, as perhaps
the angels did. that she had mounted the
golden stairs, and was softly feeling for
that unseen door, so she went on
II almost feel rs if could see the old
spot upon which your old homestead stood
Mr.. Strong, | have heard my father de-
scribe it so often. The hill with its crown
Of old oaks at the back of your house, and
the field of golden harvest grain that
waved in front. Then there was the grass
plat before the front door, and the huge
old apple tree that threw its shadows
across it. and the great old-fashioned por-
tiro, and the grapevine that crept around
the pillars and the rose bush that looked
in at the bedroom window, and the spring
that went shining and singing through the
bed OF mint at the side of the house.
Old Bill moved uneasily in his chair,
and the muscles around his mouth twitch-
ed occasionally; but, unmlndful of this,
in the same low, melting tones, the lady
kept on:
"Many and many were the hours SO
father would say, "Willie and | used to
pass, under the shadow of that old apple
tree; playing at hideandseek or lolling
on the grass. telling each other the Won
ders we would achieve when we became
men; and when the sunset laid its crown
OF gold on the top OF the oaks on the hill,
| can see Willie's mother standing in the
front door. with her white cap, and check
apron. and the pleasant smile that always
lay around her lips, and hear her cheerful
voice calling. come boys, come to supper y
One after another the. big, warm, blessed
tears came rolling down old Bill's cheeks
All the lady had found the door then.
Il was always at home at Willies," faith
er would say, land used to haye my bowl
of fresh milk, and bread, too, and when
those disappeared, Willie would draw his
stool to his mothers feet. lay his head on
her lap, and she would tell us some pleas
ant story; it might DE OF Joseph or David,
or of some good child who aiterward be-
came a great man, and then she would
part Willie's brown curls from his fore
head, and, in voice | can never forget,
say;
Promise me, Willie, when you 90 out
from your home into the world and its
temptations, and your mother has lain
down with her gray hairs to sleep in the
churchyard yonder, promise, my child,
that the memory of her prayers and coun-
sells shall keep you from all evil ways !?
And Willie would raise his head, lift
his blue eyes to his mother, and answer
i promise you | will make lirst-rate
man, mother and after he had said his
evening prayer, we would go, happy as
birds that nestled in the apple-tree, to
rest; and then just as we We're sinking to
sleep, we would hear a well known foot.
fall on the stairs, and a loving face would
bend over us to see if we were nicely
tucked up. 1T is long time,' father
would say after u pause, since | heard
from Willie, but sure | am that he has
never fallen into any evil ways. The
memory of his mother would keep him
from that"
Rap, rap, rap went the words of that
lady at the door of the old mans heart
Creak, creak, creak went the door on its
rusty hinges (angels of God, held ye not