St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-01-18

InlS tlme TO nave an unusual expression
of affection for him."
"He probably saw, Farley, that
this poor man was suffering; for it is
hardly possible that ii man with such
an experience could wholly conceal it,"
No doubt, no doubt and one day
when he was walking with his friend,
and the conversation gave an opening,
he began, without previous intention,
and poured out the story of his sin, and
the sufferings he had undergone. His
mind was clear enough as to the facts,
and he told them simply, without un-
dertaking to analyze his own thoughts
greatly; but when he came to describe
his own experience afterward, he felt
all the time that there was certain
insincerity about him that he was not
really confessing, that it was not hard
pam which he had reached. To speak
more distinctly, he told all this as a
third person, and did not once mention
himself"
- +'Such ways are rarely so blind as the
teller thinks," S id Goldthwait. ''Be-
sides, he must finally have told all, OF
else you would not know the story"
Every true,n said Farley, rising to
go "but one cannot always tell all
secrets" With that he left the office,
which had grown dark during the talk.
His friend remained behind to attend
to some business. Farley, as he left
the door, stopped irresolute for mo-
ment, as if he would return, but he
changed his mind and walked away.
He walked faster and faster, leaving
the town behind until he was on long
bridge which crossed the river separat-
ing the city from one of its envirOns.
The lamps were lighted, and as he
leaned on the rail, he saw their ref1ec-
ton in the water. Far off on the dis
tant bank row of lights marked the
ascent of a hill, and he watched, too,
the moving steam cars which carried Il
steady glimmer with them.
''He must have understood :" he cried
to himself. "He must have known who
these two friends were. What Il fool
am that | did not say the three words
which would have made the whole
matter us plain as daylight" He walk
ed on mOodily, crossing the bridge. 1t
was Saturday night, and he was over
taken or met by many persons going to
market or to church. Two women who
passed him were going to confession, AS
he overheard from them. He followed
them with il sudden thought, and kept
not far behind them until they came to
the door of Il Roman Catholic church.
They entered, and he, restrained by a
vague sense of strangeness in such Il
place, stepped at the entrance. They
would Ioll off their weeks sins, he re-
fiected, receive absolution and depart
He had often heard the folly and super
stitiOn of this custom denied but at that
moment it seemed to him that there
would he Il most sweet relief in the act
of c0nfessing to one, an entire stranger
perhaps, who yet held The office oI
priest. He took a step toward the
church. Then he checked himself.
.'Why do | not confess to my owl
minister Yn he asked, and the answer
was that he had courage only tn tell 4
man whom he did not know, and who
would hold his confidence sacred. And
what were these ministers and priests
why make confession to them 1t was
because in some way they heard fol
God. To God all final confession must
he made. Then came into his mind Il
passage of Scripture which was familiar
enough to him, but of apparently no
connection with his present trouble:
He that lOreth not his brother whODl
he hath seen, hOW can he lore God whonl
he hath not seen 2
He repeated it mechanically, when
suddenly, as one turns IA precious stone
to the right angle and receives an un-
expected flood of light, the simple truth
shOue upon him; the confession which
he had so often made to God, with
great particularly, could not bring alb
solution and peace, because he kept
back the confession from the brother
whom he had wronged. He turned and
FASTENED back to the city. He began
to run, for fear some doubt should catch
him. He buttOned his coat about him.
planted his arms at his side and laced
over the bridge. He stuck across the
city for GOldthwait's office. 1t was
dark. OF course he had left for home,
and Farley started for his friends house.
He was eager to tell him-as eager as
if he had some glorious news for him.
He ran up the steps out of breath, and
trembling with excitement. The ser
want who opened the door saw him
standing there, his face agitated, so
that he could not speak.
''Mr. Farley" said he, ''it's all over.
Mr. Goldthwait has just diedn
"Died ~ gasped the man. Some rela-
tions who had heard of his sudden
death, at that moment came up the
steps and heard the same Intelligence.
They asked Farley in, but he shook his
bao1 and turna1 oyvou
"Poor fellow !" said one of them.
"He was John Goldthwait's most trust
ed friend.n
Among the papers found in Mr.. Gold
thwait's desk was his will, executed the
very day of his death, and not only
that, but the very evening. He had
called in two of his clerks to witness il /.
and had displayed singular sOlemnity
at the time.
at is my WILL" he said to them.
(Which have just drawn up, having
cancelled an old one n and it was but IA
moment after they had left the rosm
that he was heard to fall from his chair.
The old will lay by the new one. The
only difference between them was that
he had associated William Farley with
his wife as executor. The intelligence
was given to Farley as an added proof
of Goldthwait's confidence in him. He
received it with his head bowed.
'It is ap absolute ion,n he said but no
one quite understood the meaning of
the phrase, which was, indeed, soon
forgotten.
MYSTERIOUS EXPLOSIONS .-Mysteri-
Gus explosions are getting unpleasantly
numerous No satisfactory explanation
has yet been advanced of the tremen-
dous explosion in the Barclay street
candy factory at New York, by which
the front of a building was thrown out