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

took her little boy in her arms and sal
him on his fathers knee.
'Lntherv she said, Il will not argue
or reason with you, for you will get
the best of me there but plead for
this boy in the name of your own
take him back give him one more
trial, for the sake of this!' and she
placed her hand on the FURNISHED heap
of curls, in which were lights of gold.
The child looked up with his sweet
face full of bewilderment. Something
in the tender, solemn face of his moth
er seemed to impress him. He reach
ed out his fat, dimpled hands to his
father, and cried, in his pretty child
voice
Take him back, papa-take him
back!
Mr.. Randolph was moved. He bent
down swiftly and kissed the small
speaker, and fancied himself guilty of
very uninanly weakness when he
said
% Mary, you women, with your
children, are enough to turn q mans
brain. It's against my lifelong prin-
ciples to do what you ask
But after all, the speech conceded
much more than it denied, and Mrs.
Randolph knew that if Tom was not
beyond recall, he might have another
chance with his master.
Three days had passed, and the year
bad stepped softly from November in
to winter, and the last month opened
with smiles as radiant as those which
kindled the face of June with winds
as balmy as Nays, and with no sign
nor whisper of the long path of storm
and darkness through which the road
lay toward the spriug, just as some
lives lie in sweet warmth and security
on the border land Of awful experi-
ences of sorrow and pain, and loss,
through which their feet must walk
into eternal rest beyond.
And one morning of this sunshine
out of season. youth, somewhere
about his seventeenth year, might
have been seen making his way slow
ly along one OF the principal thorough
fares of the city. 1t you had looked
in his face, you wonld have found it
bright, intelligent one, with eyes that
held usually plenty of fire and spirit
in them, but now carried some gloom,
or sadness, or both. So did the step,
slow and despondent, so did the slen.
der boy figure, with the idle hands
listlessly in the pockets, for want OF
some better employment.
Now, Tom Haynes buzzed the
busy brain OF this youth, you're done
for IN this city, and the sooner you
clear out and 90 off to sea, the better
for you. The best thing you can do is
to ship as common deck hand, for a
good long voyage round the world.
You'll have chance to sec something
of the world before you get back, and.
perhaps, you'll get into q good berth.
and be q captain some day. It'll be
hard enough at first and you musl
make up your mind to plenty of knocks
aud rough associations; but it will be
better than loating around the city,
with your hands in your pockets and
your last dollar going. There's no
chance for you here. with your char.
acter gone, and your situation lost, and
you've nobody to thank for it all but
yourself, as the old fellow told you
when he sent you oil. All your fine
visions and pretty dreams OF making
money and setting up the folks at
home are gone now. But poor moth
er, and little Ruth!' All, there was a |
twinge then, that made the boy start |
and shrink, as one might at the touch |
of a coal OF fire; he knew the poor
broken down mother, the bright little
sister, just three years his junior, had
set all their hopes and pride On him,
that he was their one hope and trust,
and when they should come to hear
the truth, that he was discharged and
and had run of TO sea, they
would never hold up their heads again.
Ah, if he could go back to the day
on which he left them! Then the
tears sprang up into his eyes he was
thinking OF their last words-hls
mothers and little Ruth's. There was
only one thought harder than thai, ,and
this was going back aud looking in
their faces and telling them the truth.
And SO, reasoning after the fearful
logic of evil the one wrong always
involving into another, he told him.
self, in despair aud desperation, that
there was no help for it he must run
oil now and go to sea-
And he who had been so weak to
resist the temptation of the land would
expose himself to those increased
hundred fold,on board the ship, p,among
coarse aud brutal companions, amid
the lack Ofall moral restraint and in-
auences which y long sea voyage nec-
involves.
just at that moment u carriage turn
ed tho corner, aud drew up before the
door OF large dry goods establish
ment, and q lady alighted, in some
haste, aud the long silk scarf, which
trailed down her cloak, dropped sud-
denly TO the pavement.
TomHaynes was instinctively court
eous. lie caught up the bright, float
lug fabric, and sprang forward.
you have dropped your scarf,
ma am
Thus arrested. the, lady turned sud-
denly.
oh, thank yOu'-then a look OF
amazed recognition changed her sea-
Lence, aud ended in why, Tom! is
that yOu?'
0sho hcy,c foco uoo a tSo,co oc;r,oOu