The Red Cloud chief., 1880-04-29

so"g peafu o. Kali asleep IN his arms
"A . child, her seat At the table hsd
been next to his and her place In the
pew by his side. A she grew into fair
womanhood. she had become his COM
penion and friend and almost his second
SELF Now that his eyes were bezinning
70 fail and his ears 20 grow deaf-in-
nrmifles OF advancing age which he re-
sented. vet was compelled 70 scknowi-
edge-it was Agnes who read TO him.
and talked 10 him. IN her clear voice.
never loud. but distinct and pure in it,
utterance. 80 that every sylIabte was
ike q silver csin for finish. The Dea-
con loved his daughter zs he loved no
one else in the world. Even her mother
knew that her own vas the second place
In her husbands heart Yet she was
contented; for hers was a eweet and
easily-resigned nature, and she, too,
idolized her Agnes
Did he love her bests He supposed
SO; and stih there was a doubt of Il In
the minds of his friends. Deacon
Cameron had another idol, and that
his money. He Rugged IL closely and
w~orshiped IL s~lavishly. IL cost him
bitter pain 10 part with Il, unless il
were IN some way which he knew would
return il in kind and increased. Hon
est. just, defrauding none. he was
scrimping and niggardly in expendi-
ture for his family; nor could he bring
himself TO part with an acre Of ground,
nor the price OF q portion Of his crops
to aid b poor, TO assist the church, or
TO further mission work. His children
had been stinted in their education, de-
prived Of opportunities and privileges
for which they longed. and forced 10
live narrow, contracted lives under the
old roof, where ragged many q storm of
passion that only God and mother
knew anything about.
II was . winter morning, but soft and
mild as spring, with blue skies, un-
dimmed by o cloud, and gentle south
winds stirring the leafless branches.
The physician had told the father that
there was little probability that Agnes
could recover. and that the issue would
ere long be decided. With pale face
and haggard eyes. he left the house,
and wandered on past his ample barns.
through the great apple orchard and
the vineyard, and " the wide mead
ows, that were his pride. The mans
soul was desolate. He felt as though
a hurricane had gone over him. sweep
ing him bare of what the good years
had given. The cry of his heart was:
Lord, take the rest! Take all, but
leave me my Agnesr' For the first
time in his experience his wealth was q
matter of utter indifference TO him.
He walked on, looking strangely older
than yer before, and the bowed head,
shrunken stature and tottering feet were
curiously unlike the self-assertive AFRO
CANT man, whose very gait was usually
the unconscious expression of a will that
would have its way, encounter what
opposition it might.
There was a great spreading oak
which stood on the edge Of his land.
shadowing equally his farm and that Of
his nearest neighbor, Harmon Murray.
The Murrays were the opposites Of the
Camerons. Gay, light-hearted, spend
ing money lavishly, sending the boys
off TO college and the girls to city
schools. buying books, music and pict-
ures, filling the house with guests at
midsummer and in the holidays, Deacon
Cameron could not help having private
doubts as 10 the Christianity of the
Murrays. Though Harmon Murray was
a liberal subscriber TO every good cause
and a regular attendant on the services
Of the church, he was, in the Dcacon's
prejudiced eyes, a heather man and q
publican. 1t had been an aggravation
Of his grief that the gloom in his home
was shared in his neighbours. Especially
had he chafed and struggled against
the knowledge that one member of the
family so antagonistic to his own cared
for Agnes with a love deeper than that
of kindred. The Deacon, though q
strong man, was selfish. He would
have looked with aversion on any man
who might have desired to win the
affection Of his child; for he meant TO
keep her as his own particular treasure,
if he could. But that Edgar Murray
should aspire to her hand. and that,
even timidly and afar of, Agnes should
venture TO regard him as her future
lord, had awakened in him a resistance
as violent as il was stubborn. Till now
he had been fiercely angry when three
or four times a day the young man had
presented himself to inquire for Agnes
or to bring her fruit and flowers. He
had been indignant at his wife, because
she had accepted Mrs. Murray's help in
caring for the sick one; nor could he
forgive her for ignoring his displeasure
and sending to the Murrays for aid in
this emergency.
But now he was in extremity. He
staggered to n seat beneath the oak,
the very seat where Edgar and Agnes
had been accustomed TO rest after their
occasional saunterings together by the
creek or along the empowered lanes,
and his gray head went down upon his
hands. His whole heart was concern
trated in 3 vehement, wordless prayer.
which was fain To beat against the Al
mighty's throne. No feeling of Gods
paternity entered his mind at that in
tense moment. No remembrance of
Christ as the great. High Priest who
pleads for the children Of men with q
brothers comprehension of their wants.
No thought of the Holy Spirit, with
His sacred influences, came To him, as
shaken, tempest-tossed. and almost
heartbroken, he cried to God, the Strong
One. who could hear him, if he would.
The God of the Deacon's imagination
was a despot, but a despot who could be
gracious. He prayed as q Saxon might
have prayed to Thor, as a Roman to
Jupiter. or q Hindu to Vishnu. that his
child might be spared. Sinking to his
knees, in the agony of his still unvoiced
s~upplication. the cry of his soul broke
forth into sneeeh.
Lord! give me back my Agnes, my
darling. the n precious thing of my
life! Let her not die. l beseech Thee!
Lordi listen. Thou hast ten thousand
times ter thousand in Thy Heaven.
Why dost Thou want my little eve
lamb? Oh, let her live, Let her live.
and l win give Thee whatsoever Thou
shalt require. My money, if Thou ask
est it to the uttermost farthing. NV
wil-if it be counter to Thine, / will
surrender it who'll. Yea, Lord, let
Agnes live, though she sit at the fire.
side of another and break bread in the
house that l hate. Take not the SUM-
shine ont of the world, Lord, though it
shine not on me. Hear my PRAYER, for
Thy dear SIMS saEer