The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-06-17
s ESTABLISHED IN
I MARCH, Is47.
Poor Deacon Abbott she sorrow

lster answered.
"Why, what do you mean?" she
spiritedly rejoined, taking up the cud-
gel in behalf Of the deacon. "What
do you mean? Deacon Abbot is a
bright and a shining light, surely.
His prayers and exhortations bespeak
him to be a most sanity man.
think he is greatly to be pitied in
Halls going to the bad as he does"
Prayers and exhortations shine
only one way" answered the minister,
almost bitterly, "and"--
But here, ON the principle that a
thought of angels causes sound of the
rustic of their wings, or that speaking
of less admirable being is certain to
bring him behind the door, came an
interruption in the person of the
talked-of deacon himself.
Il feel that | must unburden my
troubles to somebody, brother Harri-
son." he said. "That young scape-
grace is bringing down my gray hair
In sorrow to the grave. I'm ready to
wish he'd never been born. Tonight,
while I've been in the courts of Zion
serving the Lord, he's been down to
Turner's serving the Evil One. 1t
seems pretty hard, when I've labored
in the kingdom for fve-and-forty
years, giving my testimony every
where and not withholding my sub
stance from the spread of the gospel,
to have my child defy me like this,
and set his feet to destruction. I've
threatened the boy and expostulated
with him, but might as well talk to
the wind or the rain, he's that head
strong and unmanageable. O~dear!
o dear! 0 wretched man that ami"
and the deacon groaned and -wfung
his hands.
After the wall and the call were
ended, the minister proceeded to don
overcoat and hat.
"Where are you going?" surprised
ly inquired the minister's wife.
''To look for the lost sheep gone
astray," answered the shepherd of
souls, passing into the street.
Down through the heart of the vii
lage he took his way to Turner's sa-
loon, where nightly, amidst the shuf-
file of cards, the clink of glasses, the
ribald jests and maudlin laughter of
wicked men, Hal Abbot hight be
found.
By fortunate coincidence, just as
the minister passed the building Hal
came out, and started in the direction
of his home Earlier than usual he
had left the place, and as not always,
was quite himself.
The minister seeing him, though
himself unnoticed by Hal, turned, and
retracing his footsteps, presently
joined the young fellow. In outward
appearance he was a goodly specimen
Of young manhood. His bright, hand
some face carried, in the moonlight,
winning grace. 1t was indeed wo-
full pity that with all his inborn at
tractiveness and ability he should, at
twenty, choose to be walking with
rapid steps the downward path.
Pleasantly the minister accosted
him, then linked his own arm through
his, and as they strolled along chatted
cheerily on Indifferent subjects. Hal
evidently expected a sermon with
personal application, and was conse-
quently rather cold and unresponsiye.
At length, however, his companions
urbanity won upon him, and before
he realized it, with so much tact was
the conversation managed, he was
telling his story.
''It began with my very life, Mr..
Harrison" he said. II remember
when | was a mere baby being pushed
away from my fathers knee with
frown and an impatient gesture. He
never caressed me, he never smiled
upon me, nor took the slightest inter-
est in my play and amusements. My
boyish romping and chatter made him
nervous; he couldn't nor he wouldn't
stand such an everlasting din,' and
his entrance into the house became to
me the signal for restraint and silence.
| learned to feel his absence a relief,
and to dread his presence. AS | grew
older he seemed to regard me simply
as his tool, made for no other purpose
than to do his work. He never en-
couraged me nor praised me, but on
the slightest occasion, and without
any occasion even, scolded and pun
ished me- Spare the rod and spoil
the child was one of his favorite max
inns, and he was forever talking about
breaking my will. His pride led him
to give me respectable education,
and that is about the only thing he
ever did give me. Many time I've
been mortified with poor and old-fash-
ioned clothes among well-dressed boys
whose fathers were not so well-to-do
as mine. | never had any money to
spend, except for the barest necessi-
ties, and was held accountable for the
outlay of every penny. So long as he
could, he kept ME bound to him in
servile fear, and when | got old
enough to dare to break my bonds, |
naturally made the most of my hber-
''He thinks now that I'm going
straight to ruin, asks the prayers of
the church in my behalf, gets all the
pious old hypocrites in the town to
Tabor with me, sets himself up as
martyr in being the father of such a
poor devil of a son, and declares he'll
give his whole property to the mis-
sionary societies if | don't Immediate
ly mend my ways. Perhaps l am go
ing to ruin-and | don't care much if
| am-but he has himself to thank
for it, and my blood will be on his
garments in the day of Judgment
Should there ever be day of judg-
ment. If my mother had lived" (the
young fellows hard tone softened a
ittle) "or | had had a sister, or there
had been in my home the thinnest at
mosphere Of love and sympathy, it
would have been different. But the
old house is duller than jail, and the
old man uglier than Satan, so I go"
[nnddinr over his shoulder toward