Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-05-07

birds. the streDge stiffness OF the somoer
evergreens, and the sudden hush that
seemed TO have fallen on the air, all
brought back that other May day when
he saw them bearing the burden of what
had been bis lalher. up the same winding
path.
The Ices weIe larger, and the house
smaller thla when he lett his home; bot
the remembered lace thst gleeled him at
The door, and tried to veil its settled sor-
row behind welcoming smile, was the
same. Years only deepen the mother
look; aod it is mother still when the
split has imagined itself in The dear dead
face in last smile. that looss from the
cofiin a calm henediciion.
al thank God that be has brought you
safely home, my sou,' she said, Il have
been expecting you for macy, maoy
years"
ut is the Jest pisee lO die, mott or. Ii
is the ouly thug | have prayed for, fear,
since let yoO."
Don't talk OF dying unlit yvu see what
mothers Ducs''g can do.n she answered.
wilo an .duL NJ smiling tbsl eaded in q
pslhetic failure. as she looked opoo
his was,;os lame ald dea!h-sianped
fes;cres.
In the wea,y weeks that followed, The
returned pcodiZal considered seriously,
for the tirsl tine, tho pcoblem OF life
Popped D 30 pillow in position lb9l
commanded s:ew OF the Distant hills,
or wheeled ) his easy char ipto The
grateful sun hine, be wodld sit for boura (:
Ihi0kirg. ihinki"g. ibiatiUg. but sayipx
NO wod.
IL made toe moibe!'s heart ache ard
yCato 10 watch h'n bot sc was wise
enough TO wait,-to Wa. aod to prav.
without ipi.Ud'pg even her terdef 'ase
upon the sensitive. sI1e i,s ,ocl. nnt;i il
called for help. There are some bates
that must be fought oct slo 'e; even Joo
did not orrse Cod vrl;l W. "tbtee fisuds'
came I'l-tiped to comfott hin.
We'll tax j. al over some . i'y, moth
or, " said MOI imef, ss hec saw her arL-
ious LOOK; "it's SO different, l fad, 10
face The reco,d when you know the books
are ~ ont IN 10 clnsed =
He was 10 COW ard. 10 striuk ald trem-
be at the thought Of my penalty which
might awsit bin io lac jrs.ce of anotuer
world. BE who ie3rs justice co1lesses
jdds sment, aud il he nave q caplcity lof
suffering is already ulder pJr;Shmeot.
Mortimer was man endo8ed by Lis
Maker w'.h s.teoglA eQd cottage for aoy
fate thai was IJsvitable, beIr " oeIe f,ec.
Bat as he surveyed bis past il d:j rot
seem TO have been inevitable. He bad
been given capacities wuerewi,h 10 cle-
ate heaven for himself; aId having
wasted them, tue biiteI1e 5 OF uDayaiiipg
reg,ets was uEOviqg ei' torment.
"Oa,, {. ;tiuk. mothr IA, IL It.: =
ty.lhlee a. oiJ % Jrs,s vas when lie
died !" be said one day, "snd wba, have
10 show for ii? My life IS spread out
like map. before me. can see nothing
else. The roads are all by-palts. |
have made no progress on The journey.
l have done nothing that can wish
should last. have gail led nothing tha;
| would no; lose. have missed getting
all that now need =
With gentle ucgercy the mother sought
to turn his thoughts upward aud beyond,
bnt with n avail. With his mournful
eyes, now 50 unpaturally laI ge aud bright,
fixed ou vacancy, and his wasted hands
clenched together In the intensity Of his
thought, he would continue bis review.
Ga vacancy as it SCENE TO oihe,s,-b
what did not those visit u, troubled eyes
see2 The 6rst false steps Of his life, and
every subsequent one all its folly, weak
ness, waste and siu. Whst need, thought
he, 10 invent hell, fit only to frighten
chill treu, il il can once be made real to
men: this retracing of every devious
way, this re-liviug Of every wluton
hour, this rejection Oi offered good, this
rehearsal OF wasted lie: over snd
over,-aglin and agsil.-perhaps for
ever! How empty seemed all the sermons
he had ever hesci. how tame all tie
homilies, how weak all the warnings, as
be thus sat face to face with death and
his past.
1T is not remorse that troubles me-"
he said, al have never willIully wropged
any human being. l have gone far
wrong, but bage led none astray. No
woman has cause to curse the day that
she met the. No man has received an
iujdry with which to upbraid me at the
Judgment. Bat l have been untrue to
myself. was placed here to learn how
TO live, and / have studied only the things
that die"
After few weeks ot suffering, during
which his mental agony at times made
his physical pain forgotten. he grew sud-
denly mere cheerful.
"Mo,ber,' be said, "I am not going to
crown life of folly with even an hour
OF cant. But l would like 10 hear the
New Testament story, tom your lips
Read ii slowly, few chapters each day,
-. a - 20. % .L;.a.- IS nrar lor rnrsalt y