Little Falls transcript., 1879-09-18
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HAfiBEkT AND HOB:


Here is thing that happened: Like Wild
beasts Whelped, for den, -
III Wild part 0f North England, there lived
6hce two Wild tfieti
1dhab1tins one homestead, Neither u hoyel nor
hut .
Time out Of mind their birthright; tathef aid
son, these-but-
Such a son, such q father! Nest widest by
degrees
softens away; yet, last OF their line, the wild
est and worst were these.
Criminals, then? Why, no: they did not muir
and rob;
But give them word, they return blow
old Halbert as young Hob:
Harsh and fierce Of word, rough and savage OF
deed
Hated or feared the more-who knows--the
genuine wild-beast breed.
Thus were they found by the few sparse folk
of the countryside;
But how Jared each with other? Fen beast
couch, hide by hide,@1
In growing grudged agreement: SO father
and son lay abed
The closelier up in their den because the last
oftheir kind In the world
Still, beast irks beast on occasion. One Christ.
mas night of snow,
Came father and son to wOrds-such words!
To crown each word was wanting, while taunt
matched gibc, and curse
Competed with oath in wager, like paetimc
In hell nay, worse
For pastimc turned to earnest, as up there
sprang at last
and held him fast
Out Of the house you go!"4there follow a
hidcous oath)-
This oven where now VIC bake, too lot to
hold us both!
II there's snow outside, there's coolness: out
with YOU, bldc spell
In tho drift, and save the sexton the charge of
aparsh she'll"
Now, the old trunk was tough, was solid as
stump OF oak
Untouched at the core by thousand years:
much less had its seventy broke
One whipcord nerve in the muscly mass from
neck to shoulder blade
Of the mountainous man, WhercOn his child's
rash hand like q feather weighed.
Nevertheless ut once did the mammoth shut
his eyes,
Drop chin to breast, drop hands to sides. stand
stiffened-arms and thighs
All Of piece-struck mute, much as sentry
stands,
Patient to take the cncmy's fire: his captain so
Whereat the sons wrath flew to fury at such
sheer scorn
OF his pmy strength by the giant elb thus act
Ing the babe new w-born.
And "Neither will this turn servc!" yelled he,
Out with you! Trundle, log!
II You cannot tramp dtrudge like man,
try all fOur5 like dog!"
Still the old man stood mute. So, logwisc-
down to the floor
Pulled from his f1re-sidc place, dragged on
from hearth to door
Was he pushed, u very log, a staircas along
certain turn in the steps was reached, a
yurd from the house doorsil
Then the father oucned his eycs-each spark
of their rage extinct
Temples, late black, dead d-blanchcd-right
hand with left hand linked
He faced his sou submissivc; when slow the
accents came,
They were STRANGELY mild, though his sons
rash hand on his neck lay all the same,
"Hullcrt on such night Of Christmas long
For such a cause, with such q gesture, did I
drug--sO-
My father down thus far but, softenlng here
A voice in my heart, and stopped; you walt
for an outer word.
For your own SAKE, no: mine, soften you too!
untrOd
Leave this last step We reach, nor brave the
finger of God?
l dare not pass its lifting; did well, nor
blame
Nor praise you. stop here; Halbert, do you
the same"
straghtway the son relaxed his hold of the
MT fhnrSS
They mounted, aide by sidc to the room again;
no note
Took either of each, no sign made each to
either; last
AS first, in abso ute silence, their Chritmas-
night they assed.
At dawn, the father sat on dead, in the self
same place,
With an outburst blackcning still the old bad
fighting face;
But the son crouchcd all a-trcmble like any
lamb new weaned
When he went to the burial, some ones staff
he borrowed-tottered and leaned
But his lips we're loose, not locked-kept NUT
tcring, mumbling. "There!
At his cursing and swearing!" the youngsters
cricd.but the elders thought, "In prayer"
boy threw stoncs he picked them up md
stored them in his vest.
So tottcrCd, muttcrcd, mumbled he till he
died, perhaps found rest.
"Is there reason in nature for those hard
hcarts?' o Lear,
That IL reason out of nature must turn them
soft, seems clear,
Robert B,o,cning