The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-02-06
THE RUNAWAY BOY.
a Mother. Love Hold. to the Last.
DY QUIIP.

: MART Martini Come herel Come t
I me this moment, and don't let me hav
: to call you again."
a door opened and pale-fIeed ho,
came into the room and stood before TIA
speaker, who had pushed back from TIA
breakfast table, and was enjoying tina
sweet repose only Ia be experience,
just after u hearty meal.
what have you been doing sine
breakfasts"
81 was reading. sir''
"Readingl This-is fine time to b.
reading when you know there is not al
animal on the place, that has been fee
this morning. Rcadingi What weri
You reading"
The Cincinnati Dollar Times"
"'The Cincinnati Dollar Times! Now
Martin, look here said Mr.. Ferret
shifting himself into Il more comfortable
position, 81 want you to listen and mari
every word / say. L am trying to bring
you UP TO be credit TO yourself anC
your parents What do you mean by
reading a newspaper to-day? Do you
not know that this is the Sabbath
Haven't told you time and time again
that it is wicked 10 read newspapers OF
Sunday? You seem TO be determined tc
wreck my happiness, and to ruin
yourself in spite If all | can
do fer you. l will spare you this
| time, hut let me ever catch you
reading such trash on Sunday again and
l warrant you viii not forget it soon
again. Now, sir, you 20 and feed every.
thing on the place, and curry the horses
and see that everything is ready 50 you
can get AN early start in the morning.
Now, sir. when You get everything
mind, ecefgthiag, forgot" will be no
excuse-whcn you get everything in
shape come straight To- the house and
get your Bible and see if you cannot
spend Sunday like 81 member of re-
spectacle family. Now 90, and don't be
all day doing nothing"
Martin put on his hat in sullen silence,
and as he went out at the door, il might
have been The wind or his will, hut
! whatever it was, the door slammed so
that Il very unchristian expression pass
cd over Mr. Fcrrcls countcnance, and
Inc made a move as if To follow the boy,
but thought better of ii and settled com
foriably back into his char To indulge
in righteous meditations
Poor Martin! Martin was not Il
Z In, a 49,
son. Mr.. Ferrel had in his carly life
started Cut as minister and had mar
ried sweet, gentle girl, who, everybody
said, was just suited for minister's wife
But Mr. Ferrel being of grasp
ing and accumulative disposition, and
not finding the ministerial field what lie
considered to be financial success, he
had gradually dropped his ill-chosen call
ing and settled down into the life of "A
pcnurious farmer. He had gathered IL
good deal of property about him, and
owing to the fact that he Was constantly
discovering unnecessary family expenses
he was in fair way 10 become wealthy
He had been blessed with this one child,
bly, conscious that she had made at least
one blunder, had refused to repeat it by
placing another child in his care. Thus
it happened that Mr. Terrell had moth
ing 10 humor his tyrannical disposition
except this one boy, Martin Martin in
all his life had been taught but two les
sons by his father: TO toll and blindly
obey. Six days in the week he worked
from daylight until dark, and on the
seventh, after doing all the odd jobs that
might save time during the coming
week, he was compelled to read the BIZ
BILE and listen to his father while he sum
med up his faults, and gave them such
color that Martha sometimes wondered
why ting good man had made him so ut
terly bad. Virtues h had none; at least
mis- father never mentioned any. Sunday
instead of being day of rest, OF recrea-
ton and harmless pleasure, "a day to be
lOngcd for and rightly used, and to leave
us refreshed and better able to bear an
other week of worldly carcs-was to
Martin Fcrrel the longest and the dark
est of all the dreary week. Sometimes
Martin went with his father and mother
to church, but more frequently he was
left at home to look after the stock while |
Mr.. Ferret made long prayers and told |
his experience at the country church.
1t was on one of these Sundays at |
home that Martin first began to compare |
his own life with that of his neighbor |
boys. The circumstance was simple, but |
Martin remembered 1t long years after
ward, and it seemed to mark the date of |
a great change in his young mind. He
down to the creek and was
bathing his bare feet in the water when
three Of the Black boys came down, and
after chatting awhile they cut poles, got
out their fishing lines, caught some grass
hoppers and began fishing Martins
first thought was to run away, but he
liked company and the boys treated
him so kindly that he thought it would
surely be no harm to stay just a little
while. They offered to rig up line for
him, but he refused this and only look
ID on and wondered if the devil would
lOt turn up and drown the whole lot and
axe them straight to his fearful abode.
Would he not be taken with the rest?
The thought had just crossed his mind
when the cracking Of brush behind them
;aused Martin to tremhle with fear, and
urning around half scared To death, ex-
'ecting o &c, not the devil, bat Should
parents blush we cannot help it) his own
ather, he stood facing Mr.. Black.
Good morning, Martini" he sand,
milling kindly, and taking Martins
land. "What, fishing to-day, boys."
1--WE have only just commenced" said
sam Black.
well, I'd rather You wouldn't fish on
sunday, boys; you can have half day or {
day any time this week, but ma don't
want you to fish on Sunday, and neither ]
10 l." {
"An right, pa" said Sam; 1--WE won't :
hem Must we wind up or leave our '
ines set'' :
Better wind them up; you might I
Ose them here. As soon as you get 4
our lines up come up to the house and f
itch DOH and Bess to the spring wagon i
nd we will take drive before dinner. 5
amt you come with US, Martin ?" =
"Oh, no, sir; thank you. l cannot h
cave home. Father would be so angry"
As Martin sauntered back to the house 4
e thought what good man Mr.. Black G
aust be. "If he was my father, would c
OF do anything to displease him." he q
aid to himself. Martin had heard.l t;
say that the Black boys were v
ne best boys in the country mo won. a
er they are" he thought. at must he r