Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-02-01

funds intrusted to him by his employer.
"Ill soon double it," he thought,
land then I'll replace the amount"
But he lost instead of doubling, and
then swallowed more brandy in his ex-
element, and at the invitation of his
good friends.
The end was that they made night
I of it. and when the morning dawned,
poor Dick found himself alone, for
saken bv his friends, and the sealed en-
/ velope and its contents both gone.
The shock sobered him. He got up,
and with his head beating like trip
hammer; walked back to his native viii
lage, and seeking his employer, con-
( fossed all that had happened. Mr..
Robinson was greatly provoked, and at
once put the matter into the hands of
the law. and Dick Arnold was arrested
and sent to prison.
! When the news came to his fathers
ears, he refused to give his son either
/ aid or countenance.
| I'm done with him. Let them send
/ him to the State Prison; he deserves
it,"
/ But the mother, her faithful heart
going out in yearning pity for her err
ring boy, stood and pondered how she
might save him.
! In little while she turned, and en-
tering the pleasant cottage, went slowly
up stairs and into the chamber where
her daughter Rose sat sewing on her
! bridal robes.
Sitting down beside her, she told
her the story of her brothers trouble.
Rose understood her mothers mean
ing even before she could put it into
words. There was little box on the
table, which contained her marriage
dowry. Little by little the father and
mother boarded it in their only daugh-
ter's name, that she might not be dow
erless on her wedding day.
Pretty Rose took the box and put it
in her mothers hands.
"Take it, mother" she said, land
do with it as you think best"
Heaven bless you, my daughter,
but it is hard to deprive you of your
marriage dowry, and your wedding-d day
so near"
Roses fair cheeks bloomed like her
namesakes in the little garden below,
and her blue eyes lit.
"Never mind that, mother" she said.
"Charlie will be willing to take me
without the dowry-I am sure of it."
So Mrs. Arnold took the box and
went her way. Before the day ended
she had refunded the money to Mr..
Robinson, the charge was withdrawn,
and her boy was out of prison.
81 can't go home, mother. Father
doesn't want me; he told me So" said
Dick, as they stood under the green
locust trees beyond the cottage lawn.
'Let me go out in the world and work
my way up, and then I'll come back.
She put her arms about his neck,
and looked up at him with streaming
eyes.
"Oh, Dick, my boy, my darling, you
will do better-you will, Dick, for
mothers Sake?"
"Yes, mother, God being my helper,
l will. I've caused you so much
trouble, and you've always been good
and gentle to me, mother. Forgive
me now; I'll come back and be COM
fort to you yet"
"My boy, forgive you, and believe
in you. Here, Dick" and she drew q
purse and worn little Bible from her
bosom, stake these. You may need
the money; the Bible is mine, Dick
mothers Bible, don't forget that.
Mother has read in it every day and
night for the last thirty years. You'll
think of that, Dick, and you'll read it
for mothers Sdke?"
"Yes, mother"
every night, Dick, no matter where
you may be, you will read chapter,
and get down on your knees and pray,
the little prayer mother taught you, if
nothing else? Promise me, Dick.
Every night at ten o'clock, at that hour
shall be on my knees praying for
you, my boy. I shall never miss q
night, Dick, while live; promise me
you won't, Dick. Promise me you'll
do it, for mothers sake?"
"Dick tried to promise, but he let
his handsome head drop down on his
mothers bosom instead, and wept there
like child.
As the sun set they parted.
"Good-by, my boy, and God bless
you; You'll keep your promise for
mothers sake"
eyes, mother, with Gods help.
Goodbye
Across the fields, with the little BIZ
BILE in his bosom, and his bundle on
his arm, went poor erring Dick, and
down the pathway Mrs. Arnold re-
turned to the cottage.
"I'll never give up my boy" she
said. ''My prayers shall prevail with
God for him. He will return to us
yet and be the comfort of our old age"
But her husband, bitter and remorse-
full OF heart, laughed her to scorn.
Month followed month; summers
came and went; harvests were sown and
gathered in; winters heaped their white
SHOWS, and spring sunshine came and
melted them.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Arnold, busy with
her daily tasks, did not lose hope.
Pretty, dowerless Rose, had married
and gone to live in happy home of
her own, and as the years came and
went the master of the cottage, en-
feeblei and made helpless by disease,
sorely repented of his harsh severity to
his only sen.
eff I had dealt kindly with him he
might have done better" he said, in his
remorse; "but drove him from be-
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