Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-11-26
Nhv, Tom !! is that you p

= w uyp AOm 10 oA60 JVA
The boys face was fierce crimson. He
wished that moment that the earth
would crumble beneath his feet and take
him in.
"Yes, Mrs. Randolph" he family ar
ticulated.
She looked at him with her eyes full
of pity. 30, Tom, I would not have
believed it of you," she said, sorrowful-
ly.
He tried to speak, but instead there
came swift, smothered sob, beating out
from his throat, before he could crush
it down again.
She looked at him, this lady with this
gentle, motherly heart. "Tom." she
said. laying her hand on his shoulder.
as his own mother might have done, eff
Mr.. Randolph should take you back |
again-if. contrary to all his rules. ]
could persuade him to do this, would
you try once again to resist the evil as
you never did before ?"
"He would not take me back. You
don't know" recalling the last words
which his employer had used towards
him; words which had festered and ran
kled in his heart ever since, and made
him feel that, let come what might,
swift freezing or slow starvation. he
would never seek his old master again,
even though forgiveness and help await
ed him on the threshold.
Mrs. Randolph did not answer for a
moment. Perhaps she smiled little to
herself, thinking that his wife ought to
know Luther Randolph little better
than his Office boy. At last she said.
..Get in, Tom, and go with me" point
ing to the carriage. And he went in
) without saying word.
Mr.. Randolph sat alone at his desk
when his wife entered the Office, accom-
panied by Thomas, who had been so ig-
nobly driven out of it few days before.
She walked straight up to her husband
/ who glanced from the lady to her COM
panion in silent curiosity and surprise.
. 81 have found him, Luther, and brought
t him back" said she. TRY him once
a more, for my sake"
e "And make fool of myself" growl
:. ed the merchant; but there was some
i thing which encouraged further entreaty
t in the tones.
V Mr.. Randolph looked at Tom. "Yo'
:. young rascal, you'll be serving me an
o other trick one of these days." he said
o z1oID uOwu mere anu ovPy onosv iUstcro.
e The Office boy tried to speak, but in
1t stead. there came great gush of sobs
with rain of tears. And so Thoma
!. Hayes was received once more into favor
IT Mrs. Randolph's charity did not sto
it here. She secured him lodgings unde
,e a kindly home roof, in whose pleasan
a atmosphere the boys nature expanded
y and beneath which he found the peac
a and shelter that his inexperienced yout
ID SO much needed. He never fell into evi
II again. There is more than that to tel
in The boys quick intelligence, his prompt
It, ness and business capacity advanced hi
to steadily in the house as the years wer
er on, until at last the old mother and pre-
ur ty sister, blooming into her womanhoot
j. came. in pride and joy, to live in th
ou pleasant home which the young son an
ur brother had earned for them
to There is more yet to tell. There can
w time when a sudden business cris
ur fell upon and paralyzed the communit
X. Old houses whose credit had stood t
at storms of scores of years, suddenly tc
tered and fell. The house of which L
h. ther Randolph was now senior partn
he tottered to its center. In the midst
he all this the man was taken seriously
or. confined to his room and his bed. Al
tie at that time had it not been for the Sc
,ad ior clerk, for his knowledge of the bu'
n ness in all its relations, for his foresig
.st. and energy, the house must have be
the overwhelmed. As it was it weather
lis the storm, and in gratitude therei
ley Thomas Hayes was taken into the fl
q. by the other partners. and was there
on ter its youngest one.
ars There is more yet to tell. When Nj
nk- garet, the elder of the daughters of |
,r's ther Randolph, was in the bloom of '
one manhood, Thomas Hayes wooed and W
md her for his wife. After the bridal brea
nto fast, which only included the famil
.th. of the newly-wedded pair, he turned
og- Mrs. Randolph, and calling her by
,ly- name of mother. he said, "All that
,air have all that am, owe under Gc
elp this day, to you T. And then he t.
to to those who will never forget it, a
who heard it now for the first time,
ro story of the fall of his youth, and b
~ Margaret's mother and his had sa'
Nd him.
~ "Yes, mother" added Mr.. Randol
w ' in voice of strong emotion, ''your
'A mans wisdom was greater than all
-. boasted Judgment then. | and mine '
- have cause to bless you for that work
long as we live"