The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-07-01

aNA 'lAiNA lEttlE lNANN a. d
e born Of commingled joy aud pain.
He touched a convenient bell, and TIM
summons was answered by vigilan
l Sister, who was always within call.
e "Bring me my writing desk, Sister
) please; and then come aud sit By me.
want to solicit your advice"
The faithful attendant obeyed the re-
: quest, and was soon seated at the eonva'
lescing patients side.
''I had close call for the Better Cosn-
try, didn't I, Sister," be asked, turning
his fine eyes upon her with beamiDg
! earnestness.
"Yes, poor boy! A a very close call
, but the Father has work for you to do.
l knew from the beginning that your
life would be spared, for felt that you
must do His work, and the time for
your departure from the earth would not
come till your mission had been full
filled"
"Can you tell me what my mission is,
good Sister ?n
She looked at him searchingly. He
covered his eyes with his wasted hands.
"YOu wronged a woman once" she
said, in a voice that startled him.
He turned to gaze at her, and saw
that her face was transfgured till it
shone As the face of an angel.
~ could have sworn that my mother
spoke to me-" he said, while his heart
beat audibly.
"If at any time you have wrouged au-
other, and there comes an hour when
you can atone for that wrong, and some
one urges you to obey the monitor
within that prompts you to atone, you
may well believe that the spirit Of the
Holy Mother has spoken through a
mortal Instrument" said the devout
woman, to whom every good impulse
seemed a revelation from heaven.
Back, through the vista Of the years
long gone, the mind Of the homeless
wanderer flashed, and a vision Of the
little attic room wherein ne had last be-
held the troubled face Of his mother
opened before his inner senses. He for
got the time and place that held him,
and remembered only the loving words
and gentle voice that had guided his
ways in his boyhood.
"My son." said the Sister, aud it
seemed the veritable voice and tangible
presence Of his mother, "there are two
ways to right every wrong-two meth
DDS that always 60 hand in hand. Are
You ready to invoke their aid?"
He trembled as if in an ague a., but
Ibis involuntary response was:
Yes, yes, ges''
These two haudmaideus that wait
forever upon the erring mortal are Re-
pentance and Restitution. You have
long ago repented Of your youthful rash
ness. Are you now ready to fiuish your
atonemeut by restitution ?'
"But what If restitution be impossi-
ble, Sister ?"
at is never impossible under Gods
law"
"But this particular case OF restitution
does not come under the laws Of God,
but of man"
MANS laws are mortal and Guite,
my son. Gods laws are immortal and
infinite. And IT, in the wisdom Of iu-
finite love, the eternal Father sees fit to |
defer the day Of your final atonement
till mans law has become, to you, and F.
to those whom you have wronged, as 8
dead letter, who shall dispute the Di- T.
vine decree ?"
Good Sister, you are taking me be-
yond my depth. Let us now talk Of
something practical. I am moved By /.
my own desire to send written mes
sage to one that dearly love, whom |
once deeply wronged. But I know not
what is best. What do you say ?"
as that one the wife Of another"
"Alas yes"
"And would the husband object ?"
81 think he would"
"Then my advice would be to wait,
wait, wait"
"The very words I beard last night in
my dream. But, Sister, ii is so difficult
to wait! And yet, what have l been
doing through all these weary years but
lgdt, lCait, Wait? II 1 could only get
some tidings Of her-something direct,
that would convince me that she was at
least physically comfortable and l not
iorgotten-ah, me %
"Have you not some friend with
whom you could correspond who could
give you the Information you seek ?"
"Hes, Sister; have friend to whose
guidance committed her when was
to flee from her presence.
But he, II living, is ignorant aud old.
and he could not read my letter"
"But he could get some one to read Il
for him, don't you see ?"
VERY we'll l will write. 1 thank
you sincerely for your good advice"
The good woman turned the gas til
the light fell upon the little desk which
she bad placed before him, and then
noiselessly withdrew.
Get some one to write to me Of her,
Uncle Dave" he wrote; "some one
whom you can trust and, IL it be posi-
Die hat can be Of service TO her, will
come at once. Go and see her, Uncle
Dave. Tell her that John Ingleton-
her John-who bad well nigh lost his
life 10 battle that the eolored race might
oe iree' Is now ready, IL need be, to lose
MS lie to rescue the mothers of his own