The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-08-09

much for him. He has made q ba,
beginning, aud will be very likely t
end in police court, and term \
the Tombs, and that is the end of
boy, of course
..Oh, dear said the lady, with littl'
start and shiver, and an unconsciou!
glance at the mesh of brown, burn
ished hair that had nestled down OF
the hearth rug, what terrible pic
tnre, Luther!'
Mr.. Randolph followed his wife's
gaze. Perhaps he OWNED the associa'
ton which suggested itself to her mind
for his tone was certainly modified a.
he answered:
'That is true, and l need not have
painted it quite so black. Perhaps
Toms future may not be so bad as my
croaking. AT all events, give your
pretty little head no further concern
on the subject, for the boy is unworthy
of it.
Il can't help wishing. Luther, thai
you had given him one more trial,
said the lady, speaking more to her.
self than her husband.
The gentleman turned upon his wife,
and regarded her with one of his pleas
ant smiles, in which !arked just the
faintest tinge of irony.
Mary he said, L regard you as a
most exemplary woman, in short, as
the very cream and flower Of your sex.
In all your relations, as wife, and
mother, and mistress, 1 believe you to
be above reproach and unequaled. But
in all business matters, your judgment
aud opinions wouldn't be worth a six
pence, at least on any subject where
your interest and sympathies are en-
listed. That soft little head of yours
would be certain to lead your good
sense captive and you'd be grossly i'm
posed upon and deceived on every
eide. Ah, my dear, a man who has to
fight the battle of life as have done,
aud to make his own way in the world,
knows better than all this. He may
harden aud tougher himself on every
side. He can't afford to turn his store
into a reform school. nor himself into
a mere philanthropist. He must look
at these things in a business point of
view, else he and that will be ruined
Here spoke the hard, ,sagacious busi-
ness man, looking at life from a stand
point of mere self-interest; he had
broader outiooks sometime, but his
horizon now was narrowed to one of
money and gain.
The words grated along the finer in.
stfncts of Mrs. Randolph's nature. A
faint shadow crept into her face,
faint sigh from her lips. Perhaps for
almost the first time in her life, her
intuiiiOns warned her OF
some latent hardness and sellishness
IN her husband's nature. She did not,
attempt to argue with him,
although she knew that his reasoning
vas in some sense false aud superb
:ial. Her question did not even touch
lis late remarks, but went straight to
he discharged office boy.
sHow came Tom to fall into this bad
Luther?'
"The answer is easy enough, Mary.
t all came of that cheap boarding
louse, and the folks inside of it. Boys
With his salary have to put their heads
vhere they can, and people who take
hem on low terms, with provisions at
hese starvation prices, can never af-
ord to be exclusive with regard to
he class they take in, nor to offer an
home to their boarders.'
tom, like the rest, bolted his food.I
uppose and had no place but the
treet to pass his evenings in, and, OF
course, green boy from the country
Ifforded fine chance to his fellow
odgers to induct him into all sorts of
ollies and sins, aud he hadn't sense Or
trength to resist them.'
Poor boy! Ah, Luther. if he were
,urs!' and the mothers soft brown
yes glanced again toward the white
reap OF life and brightness, and bloom,
which lay on the floor.
And again the fathers eyes follow
d hers, and the hardness was melted
ut of them now, and he said, fervent-
y:
God forbid! 1 would rather lay
ny boy in his grave this hour than
now he should live to be turned adrift
D his youth on this great city, with
o friend to protect, and with tempta-
ion lying in wait on every side to de-
our him.
sAnd Tom had mother, too, and
he must have loved him once, as we
o ours. Luther. l almost hope she
mt alive now, for can judge by my
wn heart that it must break hers TO
now that her boy is lost.'
yes, she is living Mr.. Randolph
nswered reluctantly. Il remember
7idow, aud he was her only son /; al
hough he had little sister beside.
'oolish boy. to run his neck straight
nto that trap, added the gentleman.
alf angry at himself to find that his
cart was beginning to relent toward
he culprit.
Tears brimmed the beautiful brown
yes of Mrs. Randolph. From the
irst she had taken fancy to, All un-
Isual interest in, the bright.faced lit
le Office boy, whom her husband fire.
Luently dispatched up to the house
With some note or message for its
Mistress.
The boys bright, prompt, pleasant
his quick intelligence, the
ourtesy of speech and bearing, which
L t.s- l., \