Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-06-10
DARKNESS AND Light.

are no son OF mine from this time. |
will not harber one who has thus de-
graded himself. and Disappointed me.
/ Hard words were these from the lips
of any one still harder from those Of
| father. HNe 7ea s3.tstfas SIR af4
i Mr.. John Phillips was proud man
proud of himself, of his family, of
| the reputation he had acquired for.
honesty and upright dealing, and of
the notice he received from people who
were just step farther up the ladder
! of fortune than himself. To increase
his wealth and consequence he had
/ ground down his family to the most
/ pitifufland pinchingstraits in private,s
| to atone for expenditures to meet the
| public gaze with a show of riches that
! honestly belonged to his wife and
/ children for their ordinary comfort
! His eldest boy was placed IN store
where there were many other clerks.
| Young Phillips scanty clothing, his
evident destitution of money, even to
| Withholding a penny from poor child
when others gave freely, accorded i'll
with the reports of his fathers wealth;
and the lads sometimes touched the
sorest place in Samuel Phillips heart,
by reproaching him with sordidness.
One day--a cold, wintry day--a lit
tie girl, shivering and pale. came into
the store. Her wan, blue look, touch
ed his heart with pity. He had money
in his hand, but it was not his own.
How could he send her away? He
thrust two glittering half dollars into
her hand, and babe her go and buy
some wood. The money he thought
could be replaced; but he was watched
by another lad, who was glad of an OPP
portunityt to degrade him, and when
the cash sales were made up that night
young Carroll reported that the missing
dollar was taken by Samuel Phillips.
The boys bushes and confusion as
he tried to make an honest statement
of the case were taken for guilt; and
note to his father,which he was obliged
to take home, distinctly told that Mr..
Sampson no longer wished to employ
person in his store who had been gull
ty of stealing.
In his first passion Mr.. Phillips ut
tered the above words to his son. In
vain he pleaded why he did it. Per-
haps the excuse embodied more sin in
his father eyes than the deed itselfi
To give dollar to beggarl What
an enormityl And then, that John
Phillips son should so outrage his
fathers good name. The mans. pride
was stronger than. the parents affec-
ton. Samuel took him at his word;
and that very night, in the cold and
darkness, the boy set off, making his
first step into the unknown future Of
his life. Gs. -4atseia- ADA sag vgI
Had his father but believed him,
pointed out what was wrong in his
act, and forgave him for its mixtures
of good, his son might never have sin-7
ned again. His pride and cruelty sent
him forth, wanderer, distrusting all,
holding in his hearta a root of bitter
ness which might turn his owholel life
to gall. a3ael,ss5 snatavr5a ..,g4I
When the family was aroused to the
conviction, the next morning, that
Samuel Phillips was actually gone,
Mr.. Phillips tried to soothe the dis
tressed mother with the thought that
he had only disappeared for time,
and would soon be with them again,
GLAD enough to return and ask pardon |
for his conduct. He did not tell her
with what wild and unforgiving words |
he had driven him away.
Years passed away. No tidings came
of the fugitive. The mother, yearn-
ing for her 6rst-born, dropped and
died; and the only remaining son soon
afterward was drowned. Two daugh-
ters married and went away, and Mr..
Phillips was left alone. Itowas mot
possible that conscience did not some
times bring back the image of that poor
boy, as he stood trembling that night !
under the weight of his first crime. A
crime, too, committed under the infu-
ence of the best feelings, and with full
Intention of repairing. But pride
kept up his indignation against his son;
and instead of pitying him for being a
castaway, he only pitied himself for
not being able to keep up the family
name.
At last there came day that even
Mr. Phillips proud spirit was crush
ed. More than the loss ofwife and child
ren did this trial bow him to the earth.
Loss after loss had come to him in his
business. until at length he was obliged
to give up all into the hands of his
creditors. He surrendered everything
house and household goods, not even
taking the benefit which the law al
lowed him. Yet there were not want
ing some among the injured. who open
ly asserted their belief that Mr.. Phil
lips had actually saved money by the
operation, and even cited his utter re-
linquishment of all visible property as
a proof that he was remunerated by
that which was unseen. l
His friends forsook him one by
Irnnn1pn of hIo 30 1,A,,ah e. |
his innocence. His health failed, and
even if it had not, he could not have
witnessed the public sale, which was
announced, of his household treasures
He had tortured himself by throw
ing into his creditors hands even little
trifing mementos of the past-liter-
ally leaving everything in his house,
save his own clothing and his pri-
vate desk, which, whatever others
thought, contained little but family
letters, and the miniature of little
child, with curl of golden hair at the
back of the locket. That child Oh.
if he could but now recall the past
IF he had but spoken kindly and for
givingly, that child might now have
been near to save his gray hairs from
shame and disgrace. -siAs--3a' sibB
There was, as we have said, public
sale. 1t comprised the store and house
hold goods, and included valuable
horse, which Mrs. Phillips failing
health had induced him to buy, and
which he would not part with after her
death. The man had a tender spot in
his heart, after ALL His first question,
when the man who had been his clerk
came into his solitary room at at board
ing-house, the night after the sale,
was -
who bought Fleetwood ?"
II did not know the man, sir. He
was stranger. There were many
strangers there, aud [ did not learn
the name of him who purchased the
horse. He was in the house a good
part of the time, and [ noticed that he
bid for number of things"
Il hope Fleetwood has kind mas
ter" observed Mr.. Phillips, after a
pause.
The clerk was going, but returned,
after short parley with some one at
the door. M
Here's man, sir, who wishes you
to meet him at the house you occupied,
at half-past nine this evening.
hat can any one want of me
thereP" said Mr.. Phillips, with an un-