The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-03-17
HIS REWARD.

d1S hE w AhUs
EsYou are most unjust, Charles, and
know the Lord will some day stin
your conscience for your cruelty, an
your heartlessness toward that dea
child"
The speaker was a comedy lady o
about fifty, tall, slim and upright, anC
neatly clad in widows weeds. Charlie
Pemberton, her eldest son, handsome
stalwart young man ofeight and twenty
whom she addressed, answered impa
tiently:
''Confound the boy, wish he wer'
dead"
He did not mean that, for he loved
his little brother and delighted to make
him happy. But his mother had fata
facility of tongue, and for the last three
hours she had been attacking him on
the subject with aggressive meekness
and had stun him with half-truths, ac-
cusations the letter of which he could
not deny, though in their spirit and es-
sence he felt them to be immeasurably
false. And now, out of his grief and
his impotence, he flung forth those
bitter words, angry with himself as he
did so, and rising to leave the room lest
his overweight temper should betray
him further.
His sanity mother flung a parting
shaft after him.
"You NAV have your wish sooner than
you expect, Charles, and more than
that. He will probably not trouble you
many years, for he is very delicate !;
and / shall not outlive him very long.
Then l suppose you will be hap-hap-hap-
py."
Charles Pemberton saw the cambria
prepared for the shower, and, shudder-
ing, fed whereupon Mrs. Pemberton
retired to her bedroom to pray that her
sons hard heart might be softened.
And then from curtained recess at
one end of the old panelled room there
came out little boy of II, with blanch-
ed, serious face, halfparted lips and
wide dark eyes. Toward The close of
Mrs. Pemberton's lecture he had enter
ed the room by an open window upper
ceived and finding that he was the sub
ject of the discourse he had concealed
He had heard only the con-
Guiding words and they chilled his very
life-blood. He stood now with one
hand clutching the curtain.
$50 Charles wishes | were dead, does
he? And mother thinks am going to
die to please him. But won't. Won
der what makes mother think | am
going to die? Perhaps she said it only
to aggravate Charles. Why should he
wish that was dead? l thought he was
fond of me ;" and here he was nearly
ehoked with a rising sob, which he gulp
ed down with difficulty. Il wonder
why-Pll ask him"
The next morning, after breakfast,
his brother, who had forgotten the incl
lent of the previous day, taking ball,
jailed out: ''Get your bat, Teddy, and
cts have an hours practice"
As they were walking down to the
field Edward suddenly startled his
brother by asking:
Would it be any good to you if was
lead, Charles ?"
Good to me? why, Teddy, what are
you thinking of ?"
"Well, yesterday you said you wished
f it would be no good to you, would
you?
Charles stopped abruptly, and said
with sternness, "WhO told you that ?"
Nobody. I just came into the room
rs you said it, and you didn't see me.
And ever since have been wondering
why"
Charles Pemberton flung away the
bat and ball he was carrying, and clasp |
ed the boy in his arms, kissing him,
and hugging him like girl with new
doll.
80 Teddy, Teddy, Teddy" he said; 81
wish my tongue had been torn out by |
The roots before / had said such thing; |
out [ didn't mean it, Teddy. You never
thought meant it, did you? Why, |
Teddy, wouldn't lose you for all the |
world, my little playfellow, my brother.
It isn't right for me to complain to you
IF mother land when / have just told you |
now;it happened that ! said those cruel
didn't mean, didn't ever |
mean, you know, for moment, Teddy |
then you must forget all about it.
lad told mother that wanted to make
/ man of you, and that it was time you
went to school, and learnt to stick up |
for yourself, and then she said / was
cruel to YOU, and that | didn't care for |
you, and lectured and scolded me |
Ill the afternoon, and then forgot my
ought non TO have done,
for know it is only love that makes
her over anxious-and / said those hate
full words that l never, never, never
meant, Teddy"
II thought you never could mean it,
i IL ell Ii L
borne up with wonderful stoicism till |
low, but the overwhelming sense of re-
lief was too much for him, and he began
to weep and sob convulsively.
Then Mrs Pemberton glided from the
'hrubhery at hand, made q halfgestqre |
is though she would have clasped the |
title fellow in her arms, and borne him |
away, but checking herself, turned on |
ler eldest son cold, reproachful glance,
md said
cit would be less unkind Of you,
Charles, and more manly, if you are de- |
to tear the child from me, not |
% make his remaining days miserable.
And then with aggravating meekness
IF demeanor she turned once more to |
he house.
Teddy looked after her with q queer
SIN lie on his young face,
but when she was quite hidden from
view he sprang up and clasped his broth
sF's neck saying:
an go to school, Charlie, and I'll do
ust as you like, and you'll see if won't |
be a man, and I'll win the Greek and
Latin prizes, too, if can; but you
know I'm not clever, Charlie, so you
mustn't be disappointed if don't do |
hat all at once, will your"
sPll trust you, Teddy, my boy, to do
The best you can and none Of US can do
more than that. shall miss YOU sore
y, Teddy, but there'II be jolly long /
holidays, you know, and we shall have |
pleasant times together then. And |
now come on and let's see how you'll /
---I !. -