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


"Can man go nowhere to be alone?'
exclaimed the Deacon ssMust he be fol-
lowed and spied upon under his own
trees and on his own ground?''
The instructive animosity was domi-
nant in a moment, though the prayer
had scarcely died upon his lips.
81 beg your pardon, sill" said Edgar,
humbly. q did not mean to intrude;
but I have just come from the house,
and Hugh tells me there is a shade, at
least, of hope. Agnes had fallen
asleep. She may be better when she
awakes."
The shade of hope was not an halluci-
nation. Very slowly, very TREMENDOUSLY,
almost impercepibly, the young girl
passed into the several stages of conva-
lescence. So gradual was her improve
ment that it was measured by weeks.
From day to day no change was appa-
rent; but from week to week slight prog
ress was visible, and, after while, pale
but beautiful, she resumed her place in
the household and took up one by one
her old tasks. Like lily, like wild
rose, like a bit of mignonette. she bright
ened and sweetened the place where she
dwelt Hers the mission which no woman
need despise, to make people happy, to
charm away their sullen moods, and to
diffuse pleasantness wherever she ap-
peared.
Only with her father she had lost her
old magic. His smiles grew infrequent
and his temper more capricious and un-
certain than ever.
at don't know what to think of Deacon
Cameron said the pastor, Mr.. Denbigh,
who for thirty years had labored in the
l. Il II &o1
dentially with his wife. ssHe is becom-
ing more cranky and crotchetty every
day. did hope that the illness of his
child would have wrought a change; but,
| if so, it is change for the worse. / am
| informed that he forbids young Murray
| to enter his door; and when 1 this morn
| ing asked him to increase his subscrip-
ton to our Domestic Board, he treated
me as though were begging for myself.
Adversely hardens man when it does
not refine him.
8. 1t may be-" said the pastors gentle
wife, g that God is striving with the
Deacon. There is good in him, am
sure. / think he is not at peace with
God, or with himself, just now. He
| knows he is in the wrong about Agnes,
and he is, therefore, not comfortable.
| Perhaps, dear, we have not prayed for
him as we ought,
The plain fact was that the Deacon
was exceedingly uncomfortable in his
mind. He had offered genuine prayer
| and pledged an honest vow, fully mean
ing to keep his word, while in his heart
/ had been vague idea of Precipitation, as
he knelt beneath the oak. When Agnes
had first began to grow stronger, his res
olution had been firm to fulfill his word
but as she had crept onward to health, il
had loosened his hold upon him. Could
miracle have been performed, and the
maiden have arisen from her couch, al
one triumphant bound, from death te
life, he would have been awed and over.
whelmed and in haste to make good his
word to the Almighty. The compare
tive slowness of her restoration had giver
time to his nature to assert itself, and he
was really more ill-tempered, cross
grained, and churlish than he had beer
before. Even to Agnes he was some
} times harsh; the more so that, under he
soft exterior and winsome ways, thu
, slender girl had an underlying subsoil o
granite, not unlike his own characte
and far tougher and frmer than the fab
ric of which her gentle mother was made
! Agnes loved her father, but she lovet
, her friend too. If Edgar were prohib
, tied from visiting her at her own hearth
she was not ashamed to meet him openl,
, under the sky; to walk with him to tn
choir rehearsals; and to go riding witt
his sister, while he held the reins and hi
swift horses, the admiration of the coun
; ty, trotted smoothly up hill and down dal
and over the hard, beautiful, foor-lik
roadswhich swept around dmountain-sides
, skirted impid streams, and intersecte
I the thriving villages which dotted tina
= portion of the State. Had any othe
= member of his family thus dared his dis
pleasure, the Deacon would haye me
8 them with prohibition and threatening
e but it was too late to begin this cours
Y with Agnes, whom he did not wish t
l drive into entire estrangement. So th
: year wore on, darkling and sorrowful i
: the Cameron household, though ou
s wardly all things prospered and wha
a ever the Deacon touched turned to golC
r His main trouble was with his Bibls
Turn where he would, the verses familis
b from his childhood Knocked him. tt
g word VOW seemed to stare ut him frol
It every page. It was David who salt
: g Shall offer to the Lord sacrifices
!. that which cost me nothing?'' An
: David had always been his favorite cha
d acter. But they all paid their vows.
}, Even Jephthah, whose rash and swee1
e ing pledge to the Deity had involved Il
n offering of his only daughter in dal
d and mysterious doom, had not shrur
IS from the terrible exaction. Saul, in
). moment of haste, had condemned pc
a sible offender to death; and 10! it prov,
Je to be Jonathan who must meet the be
IS of fate, and only the majestic protest
"a tho lInffoH notion ho6 ouoi1nl TO
a him. The Bible was an armory whi,
Of bristled with weapons turned constant
Is against the Deacon's conscience Al
" while he sat at the head of his table,
le lent, constrained and gloomy, imposil
l. an unwholesome and irritating repre-
Or sion on wife and children, a fiery bat
Of was raging within him. He grew
lg dread Agnes sweet, composed fae
I'd where the patience which could wait
bit definitely, and hold its own to the la
lis was already stamping Madonna-li
lis dignity. Often, as he saw Edgar M,
d. ray in church, he felt that he was I
to reasonable in opposing his suit. The
i'd could be no valid objection to a pu
I'd steady, well-educated and honoral
in young man, who loved his daughter a
b. whose love she returned. The obstin,
ly antagonism of his dislike had no foun,
ay ton which could be sustained by ars
to ments.
1it Days wore on. Months and sease
at waned. The apple trees blossoms
rs. ripened, and were shorn of their fiji
le; Successive harvests were reaped. A
MS then the tide of good fortune turned, q
ys the Deacon had a new experience. He
money. Apparently stable investme
He collapsed. His eldest son went to {
he tant State. A horse of which he '
ad proud was carelessly tied, and lamed
cir consequence. A favorite Alderney 81
he ened and died. The barn took fire 8
nd was consumed. None of the losses,
Is. far, were crushing; but the aggreg
bore heavily on the Deacon and m,
vas him very sad. As he sat in his al
US chair or followed the plow, he felt t
ity the warfare of the Almighty had assun