The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-01-15

daZZled vision. rs the gates of Paradise.
Thus was the fair beginning of the
4 morpinG elouded before the sun had
3self to the zenith, darkened, ere the
AOoIftide rest Mad come.
Even Charlie found the scale had
turned, nor deemed that his weakened
purpose was the broken hinge. Inde-
pendent OF control, and reckless of con-
sequences, Mt first he laughed to scoln
the thought that he could not always
find some one to whom his services
were invaluable. But invaluable SER
vice implies more than entertaining
company, and pleasant manners are
not often considered an equivalent for
neglect of duty. So the day came when
Charlie Duncan, shaking the dust from
offhis feet at his employers door, turned
his steps homeward with a wearied
feeling that life meant something aft
| err all, that roses need constant train
ing to insure continuance, that thorns
and briars alone thrive on uncared-for
soil.
Its no use trying, Maggie! The
fates are against me. What can fell
low do with such COMPOUNDED luck. I'll
see Norton in the Dead Sea before I'll
ask him for the place again. The mi
serly upstart!"
There was no such balm for the boys
conscience as abusing other people.
The burden of personal responsibility
is heavy load for undisciplined shout
ders to carry. and often the impossibility
of permanently shifting it is resented
as a personal injury. Maggie was not
gifted in logic or versed in rhetoric.
The underlying feeling that OCCASION
ally would assert itself that Charlie was
not wholly blameless in thus suffering
defeat was thrust aside as disloyal, and
the lad was comforted in his heart, but
one friend who justified the sacredness
OF the word, man, though young in
gears. blest with energy and upright
ness, had already made his mark,
n,4n tobe relied upon in. emergencies
anu trusted i'm direst need: Such a
man had Mills Stanton proved himself
to be. He seemed to have. reached
depths in Charles nature that no one
had ever touched. Fortunately for the
hayward boy he had it in his power to
give him another chance. That was
the trouble. 1t was literally another
chance-a hap-hazaadpurpose of reform
that is almost as bad as no purpose at
all.
For weeks, however, all had gone
smoothly. The restraint of regular
hours and steady habits began to be irk-
some, and the slow method of progress
was not suited to the nature of the en-
citement-loving boy. Maggie observed
wit In n1a =,
often the precursor Of a downfall. She
tried to hope, even when hope itself
trembled-but in vain.
Now the climax had come. What
would the end be? There is but one on
a downward grade, and she knew it.
That dreary night-she planned, but
for what. and thought, but without
purpose trying in the whirlpool of
conscious helplessness to find foothold
for returning faith, butt alas! shescould
not. When the morning dawned, the
poor child rose and began the dull 5rou-
tine Of life. tramMeaed by the. barrier
of hopeless future that lay across her
pathway. The pleasant room was as neat
as hands could make, for Charlie had
the grace to vanish to his, own before
the breakfast hour. Duty must be per-
formed if hearts break, and coffee boil
ed, and eggs fried, when the right time
comes, as if anguish were thing UNI
known. A click at the gate-as knock
at the door, and as she opened it, to her
surprise. and almost horror, Mills Stan
ton confronted her. '.Exctse my early
coming, Miss Maggie. But wanted to
see Charlie. May I do SOP Some way:
she hardly knew how or why, she led
the way to the ;darkened room, aud
opening the door as if in a dream,
said ''Charlie!'' and left them alone
together. 4 iss' .;}sAY 81
What passed between them, she
never, knew. Sounds of low voices
reached her, and once she thought she
heard sob from Charlie, but wasn't
sure, She could only wait; still shes
went the round of daily cares, now
and then kneeling by; the chintz-coy-,
cred chair, and resting her head upon /
the dear old friend, whose arms were
ever open ~tof receive her. and who
could understand, when misery found
no words to tell its story, What could!
A mean? She asked herself. Low
tones still reached her, with many al
panse between. With bowed head She
listened, prayed and wondered, and
thus it was. Mills Stanton found her, al
he stood BY the haif-open door. AS
she sprang to meet him, with parted
lips, she tried to speak, but failed But
Mills answered the pleading question
ing of that sweet face; with low-words
of sympathy. 'ssMiss Maggie, e be-
lieve your prayers are answered, and
Mrs. Duncan it was the thought otyou
and Maggie that he says has saved
= It was, late that afternoon before
Charlie came to them, and their eyes
beheld 4 something. they had never
seen before. a deep humility that inten-
E6ed his manhood. an unconscious dig
nifty, that is born of soul-conflict,
crowned with victory. Not in himself,
or by himself, was the battle fought
that day. "A stronger than Mills Stan
ton had been near, and the hand Al
mighty stretched forth to save.
/. Mrs. Duncan, with face illumined, not
by faith alone, but her twin sister, hope,
drew the weeping Maggie to her heart
that night, and whispered: "Not unto
us, but to thy name be the glory"
One does not scale at once the noun
tain-peaks of aspiration. Step by step
isprogress made. There is no royal
pathway out of bondage. So Charlie
found it. In all that year of trial, and
somdtfnes discduragement Mills Stan
ton proved himself the trusted friend.
The httfe cottSge needed hi}{YEthat the
inmates could readily understand. But
that fhe bright fireside, the saiptly
fmilesof Gfa6,lmN Ito cChlih ge&ing
of Charlie, and above all the half shy
glances Of Maggie's blue eyes, should
become like necessity to him, was
more difficult to believe. That it was
SO, one day Maggie realized, when he
told her of the first love awakened into
life that dark October morning, of its
growth week by week, and month by
month, and drawing her close to his