Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-05-12

.town and go to church. Then the
writer shouted to the other six, who
were a short distance ahead:
TBoys, boys, come back here!-
George is getting religious. Come,
we must assist him. We must bap-
tize him by immersion In the water!!n
Speedily we all surrounded George,
and told him that only by going with
us could he save himself from a cold
bath. To which, in a calm, soft, but
earnest tone of voice, he replied:
81 know very well that you have
the physical ability to put me into
the stream, and hold me there until
am drowned, and if you choose
you can do so without my showing
any resistance; but before you do it
have few words to say:
You all know that l am nearly
two hundred miles from home; but
you do not know that my mother is
a helpless, bed-ridden invalid. 1 can
not remember ever having seen her
out of her bed; and never did see
her out of her room. ] am the
youngest of the family: when my
rather concluded to send me here
he having been lifelong personal
friend of our preceptor, who charges
nothing for my tuition-he could
scarcely prevail upon mother to per-
NIT my leaving her. At length, af-
ter many prayers upon the subject,
she consented, and the necessary
preparations for my departure from
home were speedily completed.
My mother never spoke to me up
on the matter till the morning upon
which / left for the East. Then af-
ter I had eaten breakfast, she sent
for me and asked me if | had every
thing ready and properly packed. l
told her that all was completed, and
that as soon as the stage came for
me would be off. Kneeling beside
her bed, at her request, with her low
ing hands upon my head, she pray
ed for me. Many and many a night
since, 1 have dreamed the whole
scene over. It is the happiest reeol-
lection in my memory. ] believe
that to the day of my death will
able to repeat every word of that
prayer. When she ceased praying,
she spoke to me thus; a
My precious son--you know not
indeed you never can know-the
agony of mothers heart when
parting forever from her latest born
to her still a babe. When you go
forth from beneath the home of your
nativity, to pursue the study of the
profession of your choice, and of
your dear fathers choosing as well,
you will for the last time this side
the grave look upon the face of her
who loves you as no other mortal
does or can. Your father is not able
TO pay your expenses for making
visits home during the two years of
your course of studies. / cannot pos
sibly live so long as that. The sands
in the hour-glass of my feeble exist
ence have nearly run out.
In that distant and strange place
to which you are going, there will
be no loving mother to whom Won
can apply for counsel when assailed
by temptation. You must, there
fore, while boy, learn to say mo, "
when urged to do wrong. cannot
be with you, but I will daily commit
you to the care of God, who is eY-
erywhere present, beholding your
evil acts as well as your good deeds.
Every Sunday morning, from ten to
eleven o'clock, ! will spend the hour
in prayer for you. Wherever You
may be during this blessed hour
when you hear the church bells ring
hing for. the assembling of God'speo-
| pie, let yonr thoughts carry you To
to this chamber of death, were youl
mothe er will be agonizing for you in
prayer. Commit to memory the
eighth, ninth and tenth verses of the
first chapter of Proverbs. Kiss me
farewell. 3 Now, the last words you
Will ever hear from my lips are, il
the language of Solomon, My son.
if sinners entice thee, consent thou
not" asili3l laa
When George had finished, he and
we were all weeping. Involuntarily
we opened tie ring which we haC
formed around him. He stood uE
for the right against heavy odds
and each of us admired him for do
| ing that which none of us had tht
courage to undertake-to break
away from wicked companions and
| 90 to church. HeIed off, without {
word, and silently we all followed
Without either knowing that any
other had done SO too, each of ii
managed to throw bis cards anc
| flask into the, creek, so that by the
time we reached the church, every
pocket was emptied of its formel
contents. Never again did any on,
Eof that little company play any
games on the Sabbath. Six of tht
number have gone to their long
homes, each Christian. Only two
of us are yet living George, an abl'
lawyer in Iowa, and the written Of
this incident. Both of us have beer
church members for many years.