The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-12-14

fnrther fear that he would attempt to
give him the slip that night
Mr.. Raymond and Phllip rode up to
MIR. Dexter's door for Clinton the next
morning, just rs the sun was peeping
over the hills. 1t was as delightful a
September morning as they could desire.
AS soon as they were all we'll on the
road, Mr.. Raymond said:
Now, boys, you must keep your
| eyes open-see all there Is to be seen and
get all the enjoyment out of going that
you can. We don't have holidays very
often and we must make the most of
them when we do have them. Philip
and have worked pretty hard lately
and l guess, Clinton, you have. L be-
lieve play will do us all good made
up my mind, this morning, to try and
leave all my cares and business behind
me, for once; SO you may ask me as
many questions as you wish and you
need have no fears that It will disturb
me at ALL"
1t did not escape Mr.. Raymond's OBJ
servation that his remarks caused the
lads to glance at each other in blank
establishment, and it cut him to the
quick. What kind of a father have
been, he asked himself, 'not to be able
to speak few civil and kind words to
my son without having 1t received with
such surprise. Poor boy! Wonder,
pleasure, guilt and grief are all depicted
in his countenance to-day. After this,
with Gods help, I'll so manage that
he'll never doubt my loving him-never
plan to run away from his fathers
again"
Mr.. Raymond spared no pains to have
the boys enjoy their first trip to Hart
ford He called their attention to every
thing that he thought would interest
them on their way. He told them who
owned such and such farm when he
was boy-what the land was worth an
acre then, and what was its market
value now-who built this house and
that, and he pointed out where General
- was born, and where Hon.
lived till he went to college. He was no
less painstaking when they got to the
city. He took them past Trinity College,
the State House, the High School he
pointed out the different churches and
told who preached in them; he went
with them to the Athenmum and spent
an hour with them there.
Sometimes Philip looked at his father
in dumb bewilderment, wondering If
they really were in Hartford or if it
were all dream. How social and inter-
esting his father was He felt as If he
was never acquainted with him before.
What delightful time he should have
If he had not been planning to do so
mean thing. If father knew it how
he would despise him; he looked at him
so earnestly sometimes, he was afraid
that he saw guilt in his countenance. If
he could only get up the courage he
would confess the whole to his father
and implore his forgiveness.
Thus the day wore away and Philip
was not sorry when it was time to start
for home. After Mr.. Raymond had left
the lads to follow on with heifer they
talked over the events of the last twenty
four hours together, and they were both
very decidedly Of the opinion that they
had very narrow and providential
escape from committing very disgrace.
ful act; and they both agreed, after a
little discussion on that point, that they
would never divulge to any human
being that they had ever dreamed of
running away.
1t was halfpast nine when Philip
drove the heifer into his fathers barn
yard. After he had his supper, his
father asked him to step out to the shed
and get package that was under the
wagon'seat. When he brought it, Mr..
Raymond opened it and took from it
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary"
and sat down and wrote on the fiy
leaf:
Presented to Philip G. Raymond on
his fifteenth birthday, by his father,
Peter Raymond" and then without
closing the book he passed it over to
Philip.
Philip could bear no more. Tears
that had come to his eyes twenty times
had been forced back, now overfIowed
his eye lids had ran down his cheeks
He stammered:
You are too kind to me, father; do
not deserve this"
do not deserveit, Philipl" exclaim-
ed Mr.. Raymond, with apparent sur
prise. " 1 think you'd better leave that
to my judgment. should like to know