Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-03-27


scsrce is be come; the lovely wrath is sped.
ashamed the lightning shuts it's purple door,
While placid Ruin gently sreets the sun sun -
TFxs-szs - & -Scribner for April.
THE DEACONs vow.
The sword of terrible suspense was
quivering over the household of Deacon
Cameron and his wife. In the small,
white-curtained chamber over the sitting
room their only daughter, Agnes, lay be-
tween life and death. The doctors gave
them little reason to hope that the feeble
spark which was Pickering, and nearly
ready to expire, could be again rekindled
For days and weeks all that love and
skill and tender nursing could do had
been done, to win back health to the
feyer-stricken girl; but so far it seemed
in vain Her mother and brothers were
tireless in their watching and devotion,
and an arrest, in the last few days, had
been laid on everything except the most
necessary work, while they waited, in
that solemn hush which is less of hope
than of despair, for what the next hour
might bring to pass. House, fields, bust
ness life were all overhung and clouded
by the mystery which always hovers
tDO4I ttiC DCQciQCc u l1lS QCgdI CtOu
when the prospect is bright with trust in
and was dead, and behold am alive
foreyermore."
Agnes was the Deacon darling. Stern
and grim to others, he had invariably
been gentle and indulgent to her. In her
babyhood it had been his delight to have
her nestle against her fathers broad
IL HE 1<,y,rr 1.oov.J ~.
fall asleep in his arms. As child, her
seat at the table had been next to his and
her place in the pew by his side. As
she grew into fair womanhood, she had
become his companion and friend and all
most his second self. Now that his eyes
were beginning to fail and his ears to
grow deaf Ainfrmities of advancing age
which he resented, yet was compelled to
acknowledge was Agnes who read to
him, and talked to him, in her clear
voice, never loud, but distinct and pure
in its utterance, SO that every syllable
was like silver coin for finish. The
Deacon loved his daughter as he loved
no one else in the world. Even her
mother knew that her own was the sec
ond place in her husbands heart. Yet
she was contented: for hers was sweet
and easily-resigned nature, and she too
idolized her Agnes.
Did he love her bestp He supposed
so; and still there was doubt of it in
the minds of his friends Deacon Came
ron had another idol, and that was his
money. He hugged it closely and wor-
shipped it slavishly. It cost him bitter
pain to part with it, unless it were in
some way which he knew would return
it in kind and increased. Honest, Just,
defrauding none, he was scrimping and
niggardly in expenditure 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 the poor, te
assist the church, or to further mission
work. His children had been stinted ir
their education, deprived of opportuni
ties and privileges for which they
Ionged, and forced to live narrow, CON
Gacted lives under the old roof, where
ragged many storm of passion tina
only God and mother knew anything
about.
It was winter morning, but soft anG
mild as spring, with blue skies, un
dimmed by a cloud, and gentle soutf
winds stirring the leafless branches. Tht
physician had told the father that ther'
was little probability that Agnes coult
recover, and that the issue would er,
long be decided. With pale face ana
haggard eyes, he left the house, ant
wandered on past his ample barns
through the great apple orchard and tn
vineyard, and over the wide meadows
that were his pride. The mans soul wa
desolate: He felt as though hurrican
had gone over him, sweeping him bare o
what the good years had given. Th
cry of his heart was: ss Lord, take tn
rest! Take all, but leave me my Agnes!'
For the first; time in his experience hi
wealth was matter of utter Indifference
to him. He walked on looking strangel
older than ever before, and the bowe
head, shrunken stature, and totterin
feet were curiously unlike the self-asseri
i've. arrogant man, whose very gait wa
usually the unconscious expression of
viii that would have its way, encounte
what opposition it might.
There was great spreading oak whic
stood ON the edge of his land, shadowin
equally his farm and that of his neares
neighbor, Harmon Murray. The Mm
rays were the opposites Of the Cameron.
GAY, ight-hearted, spending money la,
ishly, sending the boys off to college an
the girls to city schools. buying book
music, and pictures, filing the hous
with guests at midsummer and
the holidays, Deacon Cameron coul
not help having private doubts .
to the christianity of the Murray
Though Harmon Murray was
liberal subscriber to every good eau.
and a regular attendant on the servic
of the church. he was, in the Deacon
prejudiced eyes, heather man and
publican. 1t had been an aggravation
his grief that the gloom in his home w,
shared in his neighbor's. Especial
mad he chafed and struggled against Il
knowledge that one member of the fam
1y so antagonistic to his own cared
Agnes with love deeper than that
kindred. The Deacon, though strol
man, was selfish. He would have look,
with aversion on any man who mig
have desired to win the affection of /
child; for he meant to keep her as l
own particular treasure, if he coul
: But that Edgar Murray should aspire
& her hand, and that, even timidly a.
afar off, Agnes should venture to rega
him as her future lord, had awakened
$ him resistance as violent as it was stu
born. Till now he had been fierce
angry when three or four times
the young man had presented himself
inquire for Agnes or to bring her fir
and flowers. He had been indignant
his wife, because she had accepted M
Murray's help in caring for the sick OF
nor could he forgive her for ignoring
displeasure and sending to the Murrs
for aid in this emergency.
But now he was in extremity.
staggered to seat beneath the oak, I
very seat where Edgar and Agnes b
been accustomed to rest after th
occasional saunterings together by
creek or along the embowered lanes, a
his gray head went down upon his han
His whole heart was concentrated il
vehement. wordless prayer, which v
fair. to heat AGAINST the Almicrht