The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-09-16

be I was wrong in thinking SO, but, if
he felt it. he never showed it to me. I
never thought Of confding anything to
him, for he was too stern, too reserved,
and. instead of trusting him, feared
him. He was very strict with me, al
lowed me no freedom of speech or action
in his presence, and was never SO ill.,
at-ease as when With him. Perhaps he
thought such treatment was best and
for my good, as \ was inclined to be
wild, and he knew it j; but I sometimes
think, even now, that if he'd been lit
tie less stern, little more indulgent, it
would have been best for me. But it's
no use to think that now. Gradually T
came to regard him as tyrant from
whose thralldom longed to escape, and
I resolved that, when I was IA, would
60 to sea, with or without his permits
sion, which I knew wouldn't get. I
didn't know what seattle was then, or I
might have given up the idea. Ny
birthday came at last, and went to him
for his consent. He refused it, as I
knew he would do, sternly and harshly,
and commanded me never to mention
such thing to him again. "And, if
you 60 in direct defiance of my will, I
tell you, once for al, ," says he, "to stay.
Never come back to me, never call me
father again, for I will never own you as
my son-never, as long as live"
"That's exactly what he said, and,
mates and gentlemen, I'll remember
every word Of it to my dying day. He
didn't speak another word to me. except
to order me out of his presence, and I've
never heard his voice. never seen his
face, from that day until this morning,
when he came aboard this ship, for that
night slipped from the house that had
sheltered me fourteen years, went down
to the dock, and shipped as cabin-boy
on craft bound to the West Indies.
She sailed that night, and I've never
since then been afoat on the
Mississippi. I've had a rough-and-
tumble time of it since that night,
for sailors life, gentlemen, is bad
other, and reckon I never will. But I
sometimes think, even now, that if my
fathers refusal had been given in DIFF
ferent way if he had been more gentle
with me had reasoned with, instead of
reprimanding me so harshly, I would
have stayed with him, and maybe I
would have been some comfort and
pleasure to him now in his old age. in
stead Of being what I am and always
will be. But I s'pose it's no use think
ing and saying what might have been.
If my mother and in uttering that
holy name the deep, cool, careless tones
in which he had spoken all along
changed and became low and soft-al-
most sweet; If my mother, who died
when I was only 7, had lived, all would
have been different, for she was gentle
to me and I loved her; but she did not.
I might have made better man Of my
self anyhow, if 7 had tried at the start
but thought that as there was nobody
in all the world that cared whether was
good OF bad, worthy or unworthy, there
was no use trying. Yes, sir,'-to one
OF the passengers-'I know that was
a mistaken idea. But no matter now.
What I am. am, and will be to the last
day of my life. Whether my father OF
myself is most to be blamed I've never
decided-never tried to decide, indeed,
I've never thought, and don't want to.
leave his Judgment and mine to others
and to the great all-knowing One against
whom 1 have sinned so greatly.
"'And now, mates and gentlemen,
you've heard my yarn, and know what
I don't-whether it was worth hearing
or not. Whatever else may be said Of
it, I say this much, it's true from begin
ming to end
"We thanked Charlie heartily for his
story, and on more than one of us
it made good and lasting impression
It certainly did on me, for I had boy
of my own at home with whom I was
wont to be rather strict-too strict, I wa!
sure, when heard Charles story-ant
resolved that my treatment of hin
should, in the future, be different from
what it had hitherto been. Firm ant
resolute, but gentle and kind withal,
would henceforth be with him, lest h
might one day be what the poor fellow
before me was and I. his father, be t
blame for it all. "-Chicago Ledger.