Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-07-03
A Touching story.

bitter experience of the sin Of grievine
and resisting a mothers love and coun-
sell:
What agony was visible on her face
when she saw that all she said and suf-
fered failed to move me. She rose to 60
home and l followed at a distance. She
spoke no more to me until she reached
her own door.
"Its school time, now," she said.
GO, my son, and ence more let me
beseech you to think upon what 1 have
said.'
L shan't 60 to school, l said.
She looked astonlshed at my bold
ness, but replied firmly
Certainly, you will go, Alfred
command you.'
IiciH not said 1, in tone Of def
ance.
'One Of these two things you must do,
Alfred, either go to school this morning
or I will lock you up in your room and
keep you there till you are ready to
promise implicit obedience to my wish.
es in the future
4 dare you to do it, 1 said; you cant
get nae up stairs
Alfred, choose new,' said my moth
er, laying hand on my arm.
She trembled violently, and was
deathly pale.
IF you touch me 1 will kick you,'
said, in a terrible rage. God knows ]
knew not what 1 said.
will you 90, Alfredo
'No' replied, but quailed beneath
her eyes.
Then follow me, she said, as she
grasped my arm.
1 raised nay fo0t-oh, my son, hear
me! l raised my foot and kicked hel
my sainted mother! How nay head
reels as the torrent of memory rushes
over me. kicked my mother fee
bic woman-my mother! She stagger-
ed back a few steps and leaned against
the wall. She did not look at me. /
saw her heart beat against her breast.
oh, Heavenly Father y she SAID, for
give hlm-he knows net what he does.
The gardener just then passed the
door, and seeing my mother pale, and
almost unable to support herself, he
stopped. She beckoned to him.
Take this boy up stairs and lock him
up in his ROOM, she said, and turned
from me.
Looking back as she was entering
her room, she gave me look OF agony,
mingled with intense lsve. 1t was the
last unutterable pang from heart that
was broken.
found myself a prisoner in my own
room 1 thought, for moment, l would
fling myself from the open window and
dash my brains out, but was afraid to
do it. 1 was penitent. AT times my
heart was subdued; but my stubborn
pride rose up in an instant and bade me
not Yield, flung myself on the bed
and fell asleep. Just at twilight l
heard foot step approach the door. 1t
was my sister.
What shall l tell mother for you p
she said,
Nothing = l replied.
oh, Alfred! for my sake, and tor
your sake, and for all our sakes, say
that you are sorry. She longs to for
give you
| would not answer. l heard her
footstep, slowly rotreating, and again l
threw myself on the bed, to pass anoth-
cr fearful night.
Another footstep. slower and fsebler
than my sisters disturbed me. 1t was
my mothers.
Alfred, my son, shall l come in?'
she asked.
I cannot tell you what influence, at
that m ,ment, made me speak adverse to
my feelings. The gentle voice of my
mother thrilled my obdurate heart, and
I longed to throw myself on her neck,
but did not. But my words gave the
lie to my heart when I said 1 was not
sorry. heard her withdraw, lheard
her groan; I lonsad to call her back,
but | did not.
I was awakened from my uneasy
slumbers by hearing my name called
loudly, and my sister stood at my
bedside.
Get up and come with me, mother
is dying
1 thought was yet dreaming, but [
got up mechanically and followed my
sister.
On the bed, pale and cold as marble.
lay my mother.
She had not undressed. She had
thrown herselfon the bed to rest, rising
to 90 again to me. she was seized with
palpitatlon of the heart and was borne
senseless 10 the room.
1 cannot tell with what agony look
ed upon her; my romorss was more
bitter from the thought that she would
never know it. belieyed myself to be
her murderer, fell on the bed beside
her. 1 could not not weep. Ny heart
burned in my bosom, my brain was on
fire. Ny sister threw her arms around
me and then commenced to weep. Sud-
denly we saw slight motion Of moth
er's hand, her eyes unclosed. She had
recovered consciousness but not speech.