The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-07-25
more intensely bitter because spoken so

when they should have forgiven, and got
what they 'arnt-the hatred of their
} children. But the Father of Heaven be
different, boy. He knows the men be
weak as we'll as wicked. He knows that
half of 'em haven't had fair ChanCe,and
30 He overlooks much; and when he
can't overlook it, conCeit He sorter
forgives in lump. Yis, He subtractB all
He can from the evil we have did, boy,
and of that isn't enough to satisfy His
feelins toward man that might have
ben different eff he'd had fair chance,
He jest wipes the whole row of fgur's
clean out at the askin'."
"At the asking~ said the gambler ;
"thats a mighty quick game, Did you
ever pray, John Norton Z" =,
"Sartin, sartin, | be a praYin' man"
said the tTapper, sturdily.
"At the asking?" murmured the gam
bier, softly, .,
"Startin, boy, that's the line the trail
takes, yu can depend on it; and it will
bring ye to the end of the great Clearin'
in peace" answered the trapper.
"It's quick DEAL" said the gambler,
speaking to himself utterly unconscious
Of the incongruity of his speech to his
thoughts. "It's a quick deal, but can
see that it might end as he says, if the
feeling was right"
For a moment nothing was said. The
trapper stood looking steadfastly at the
young man on the moss, as he lay with
his quiet face turned up to the sky, to
whose color had already come the first
shade of the awful whiteness.
Up the mountain rifle cracked, Neith-
er stirred. A red squirrel ran out on the
limb, twenty feet above the gamblers
head, and shook the silence into frag-
ments with his chattering then sat ga2-
with startled eyes at the two men under
meath.
"Can you pray, old man ?" asked the
gambler, quietly.
"Sartinly," answered the trapper.
"Can you pray in words ?" asked the
gambler, again,
For moment the trapper hestated.
Then he said:
~ can't say that l can. No, sartinly,
can't say that could undertake it with
q reasonable chance of gettin' through
leastwise, it wouldn't be in way to help
a man any"
as there any way, old man, in which
we can go partners ?" asked the gambler,
the vocabulary of whose profession
still. clung to him in the solemn counsel
ing:
trapper "yis, l was thinkin' eff we could.
MT sorter iine works and each help the
other by doin' his own part himself
Yis," continued the old man, after mo-
ment's reflection, "the plans good un-
ye pray for yerself and I'll pray for my
self-and eff can git in any thing that
seems likely to do ye sarvice ye can count
on it as ye can grooved barrel. And
now boy" said the trapper, with asweet-
ly solemn enthusiasm, such as faith might
give to suppliCating saint-which light |
ed his features until his countenanCe fair
ly shone with light which came out of
it, rather than upon it from the sun over
head-"now, boy, remember that the
Lord is Lord of the woods as well as of
the cities, and that he heareth the pray
in of the poor hunter under the pines as |
well as the great preachers in the pulpits,
and that when sins be heavy and death |
be nigh, His ears and heart are both |
OPEN"
The trapper knelt on the moss at the |
gamblers feet. He clasped the fingers
of his great hands until they interlaced,
and lifted his wrinkled face upward. He |
said not a word bit the strongly Chisel
ed lips scanned with age moved and
twitched now and then, and as the silent
prayer went on, two great tears leave the
protection of the closed lids, and roll
down the rugged cheek. The gambler
also closed his eyes; then his hands quiet
ly stole one into the other, and, avoiding
the bloody stain, rested on his breast, and |
thus the old man who had lived beyond
the limit of mans day, and the young
one cut down at the threshold of mature
life-the one kneeling on the moses with
his face lifted to heaven, the other lying
on the moses with his face turned to-
ward the same sky, without word or ut.
tered speeCh-prsyed to the divine mer-
cy which beyond the heaven and the sky
saw the two men underneath the pines,
and met, we may not doubt, with needed
answer, the silent upgoing prayer.
The two opened their eyes nearly at |
the same instant. They looked for mo-
ment st each other, and then the gam
bier feebly lifted his hand and put it into
the broad palm of the trapper. Not a
word was said. No word was needed.
sometimes men understand each other
better than by talking. Then the gam
bier picked the diamond stud from the
from the spot where it rested, slipped the
solitaire from his finger and said, as he
handed them to the trapper
"There's girl in Montreal that will
like these. You will find her picture in
eide my vest when you bury me, Her
address is inside the picture case. You
will take them to her, John Norton2"
"She shall have them from nay own
hand" answered the trapper, gravely.
."You needn't disturb the picture, John
Norton its just as well, perhaps, to let it
be where it is," said the gambler.
II understand; the picture shall stay
where it is," answered the trapper, calm
"The pistols" resumed the gambler,
and he glanced at the one lying on the
moss, "I give to you. You'll find them
true. You will accept them2"
The trapper bowed his head. 1t is
doubtful if he could speak. For several
minutes there was silence. The end was
evidently night. The trapper took the
gamblers hand as fit had been the hand
Of his own boy. Indeed, perhaps the
young man had found his father at last
for surely it isn't flesh that makes father
hood. Once the young man moved as if
L La kn hoan nhln h |
would have died with his arms around
the old mans neck. AS it was the
strength was unequal to the impulse. He
lifted his eyes to the old mans face low
ingly moved his body as if he would get
a little nearer, and, as a child might
speak a loving thought aloud, said: 81
am glad l met you, John Norton" and
with the saying Of the sweet words he
died-From Rev. Mr.. Murray's Story in
Golden Rule.