Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-06-20
gentle, motherly heart, and the pity
was strong in il now.

! his shoulder, as his own mother might
, have done, ''lf Mr.. Randolph should
take you back again-if contrary to all
!. his rules and precedents, 1 could per-
suade 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 toward
him, words which had festered and
ranked 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 awaited 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:
sect in, Tom, and go with me"
} pointing to the carriage. And he went
IN without saying word. And as Mrs.
Randolph took her seat. she said to the
driver, who awaited her order, f'The
Office, Daniel"
Mr.. Randolph sat alone at his desk
| when his wife entered his Office, ac-
eompanied by Thomas Haynes, who
} had been so ignobly driven out of it a
/ few days BET ore. She walked straight
| up to her husband, who glanced from
Z the lady to her companion in silent
curiosity and surprise.
Il have found him, Luther, and
) brought him back" said she. Try
) him once more for my sake"
"And make fool Of myself" growl-
ed the merchant ; but there was some
thing which encouraged further entrea-
ty in the tones.
mo, Luther, l take all the blame,
, all the folly on myself; only try this
, once, and see if the end does not prove
, its WISDOM"
f Mr.. Randolph looked at Tom.
You young rascal, you'l be serving
me another trick one of these days"
he said, sit down, here,and copy these
letters.''
The office boy tried to speak, but, in
stead, there came a gush of sobs, with a
rain of tears. And so, Thomas Haynes
was received once more into favor.
Mrs. Randolph's charity did not stop
here.-She procured him lodging IN
der kindly home roof. in whose pleas
ant atmosphere the boys nature ex-
panded, and beneath which he found
tthe peace and shelter that inexperien-
4 iced youth so much needed. He never
fell into evil again. There is more
than that to tell. The boys quick
intelligence, his promptness and bust
ness capacity, advanced him steadily in
the house as the years went on. until
at last the old mother and the pretty
.tsister, blooming; into her womanhood,
came. in pride and joy, to live in the
pleasant home which the strong arm
of the young son and brother had earned
for them.
| There is more yet to tell. There
came time when a sudden business
crisis fell upon and paralyzed the COM
munlty. Old houses, whose credit had
stood the storms Of sores Of years,
suddenly tottered and fell. The house
of which Luther Randolph was now
senior partner, tottered to its center.
In the midst ofall this, that man was
taken seriously ill-conined to his
room and his bed And at that time,
had it not been for the senior clerk, for
] his knowledge Of the business in all
its relations. for his foresight and en-
ergy, the house must have been over
whelmed. As it was, it weathered
the storm. and in gratitude thereof,
4 Thomas Haynes was taken in with the
other partners; and was thereafter its
youngest one.
There is more yet to tell. When
FMargaret, the eldest of the daughters
Of Luther Randolph, was in the bloom
Iof her lovely womanhood, Thomas
Haynes woed, and, amid other suitors,
won her for his wife. And after the
i bridal breakfast, which included only
the families Of the newly welded pair,
he turned to Mrs. Randolph, and calling
1her by the sweet, new name Of mother.
he said:
! ''All that I have, all that I am, l
owe, under God, this day. to you."
/ And then he told, to those who will
never forget it, and who heard it now
| for the first time, the story of the fall
of his youth. and how Margaret's
mother and his had saved him. I
think there were few dry eyes in that
room around that bridal breakfast table
when he paused. ..
I Yes, mother" added NJ. Randolph,
in voice Of strong emotion. as he
looked down with the tenderness Of his
youth on the fair and gentle matron at
his side, ''your woman's wisdom was
greater than all my boasted judgment
then. I, and mine, will have cause to
bless YOU for that work so long as We
live" Sweet words in the ears Of her
who heard them. y,
! And how many women, like this one.
have work lying at their doors-worl
which they neglected to do? In their
husbands offices, and stores, and ware
houses, and manufactures, arc clerks
and employees, are men and women,
for whom they might speak some kind