Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1881-09-08

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orward. that he had no, the least opportun-
ity for anger.
For a while he could think Of nothing
but the strangeness OF his patient. gentle
voiced wife talking in this way TO him then
gradually her words came back to him, and
the more he remembered Of them the more
they troubled him but not that he thought
she 'looked at things in too strong light,
for what need was there for Willie TO 90 to
College he never went. never wanted to go,
even the boy knew too much now for any
good then as for Mary. she's better schol-
ar this very da, than | am, and there's no
more need Of her going 10 school than there
il of Hec there - and the deaubn very COM
placently eyed great yellow and white dog
lying behind the stove, and decided that it
vas all humbug, that he had "set his foot
down" sc. But then. it was kind Of mean
To say they shouldn't when Hannah had set
her heart on III 'taint often she crosses
me : she's been a powerful good wife and
mother. Hannah has" mused the deacon,
with a remorseful twinge. Wonder what
did possess her. though, to say what she did
about Elizabeth ?" and Just then the deacon ;
little devil. self-cdnccIt, stepped in and
spurted at such rate about mans con
trolling his own house. and a deacon. know
ing what Vas right aud best for his family.
Of course. tha, he turned over in his bed
and closed hi. ewes firmly and with feeling
uf conscious superiority. OF course he
knew what Vas best
But he could not sleep over and over
again he determined not To think any more
about 1t. but over and over again would the
words recur TO him IF you've never done
ANYTHING to make others happy, I'm afraid
therc'll not be much happiness for YOU when
Il comes To the last He could not get rid
Of them, Try as he would, Until in despers-
iion, he determined to end them by self-cx e
animation. lie ransacked his memory, first
Carelrssly. then eagerly, then anxiously and
With a great wondering II il really could be-
and II HI. children might not possibly be
glad when he was dead the thought was
horrible vet turn whichever way he would.
Il only grew more intensely certain. for from
among all the years, the DAYS. the hours
gathered from the past he could onl, single
out piiiful ,elfishness and greed.
II Jest wish Hannah hadn't said anything
about H." he groanet,, as restlessly tossing
over and over he found himself unable to
s,lhe his awakening conscience. I'm not
be III for lick o work to-morro~ :"
The deacon w.s not so unlike the rest OF
Us after all.
Sleep came to him at length, not sweet
and refreshing, but busy with drcamings
that startled the mans soul like arrows Of
warning.
Ilr dreamed il vas the last great day the
millions on millions of people melted slow q
Is away from before him, bringing him near
er and nearer the Grea, Arhlter Of souls.
Countless thrungN Of angels lowered near.
bursting forth IN rapturou, "Glor, to God in
the Highest I" as thousands upon thousands
Of the redeemed joined their number. or
turned weeping aNaN Others seTr borne
shrlcking to eternal gloom.
No great happ,ne>. or particular dread
,mrd TO enter the dcacun's heart he ,ln-
cer,N pilird those Who wrrr etrruA!k lost
and thought how much hrttcr Il would have
been for them had they been christians.
While he looked upon the angels. curiou.ly
wondering II some Of them there had been
a, good they ''mlshr have been
Al last, nothing remained between HIM
and the Searching Eve bent upon him Il
va, an expression Of infinite mercy. loving
compassion, aud lrarning tenderness vet
uu,~ering justice, that seemed 20 draw
him nearer aud nearer, a. b, some invisible
cham.
Il AIN deacon" explained our friend
There Sas ne NoIcr. no sound. Vet deep
down IN HI, hear, he seemed 20 hear in ii,
ing thunder. ~ k4op h,e nnt"' ~hile the
angyi, turned ava, IA tear.
Don't Nuu know Don't you rcmem-
l~rs am deacon Hr,~orih" he .ald.
sh.,ennE and ~ithrring hcnra'h the a~fu.
horror that srr~ upon him. hut NJ We'll
dome (" greeted him from the Presence
there al the glurN faded awa,-unlN the
crlr.i, pi,rcrd .ldr aut hand. and ievt and
the thuru-cro~ncd bros remained ,picc
infinite 10 o.. ,adnr., came from uut the a.
fll stIlue.--'.lr have done tht. unto me ID"
The angels .1bi-.t. and ,tl the horror
.v~ ~ .crmrd embodied lp iis lus breath
IH. agony. With h.. run.,irnry hJ. arcu-.r
"a uu W,r, . dracpu u,th a deacon. ~urk "a
d. ID "a. suur, tU hinI up the h.aft. uf
Goal. children. io make the wido~ hrart
,iug iur Jo,. "a br a psao,- -ulak r. among
yu4r brethren. and o. advance God.
cau~. and kingdum IA the earth. bat sou
have not giseu even 'rup ~ cuid ~aier %
one u thc-c. III. little one,
Wrlng from his oun s"ul. vet another.
fainter and fainter grrW the VOICE aud the
angel, ,riled their face. and termed awaN /:
~suIng listening for his fearful sentence !.
age, SEEMED concentrated IN that one m.
slant II anguish. and hr shriekes aloud.
Nathan hat upon earth shat !, the
matter With you aud Mrs. HeNWorlh
.houk her husband vigorously. Have you
got the nightmare ?"
oh, Hannah, I've had an awful dream. an
aefui dream
"Ha,e you2 Nightmare ! expect - and
She turned over sleepily.
Il VAS nat the nightmare. Deacon Hey
worth knew, but he did what many OF u,
would not have done-determined to accept
its teaching
"Who would ever have thought it ?" he
queried wonderingly to himself, scarce,
able 10 deny the reality of it all. who
would ever have thought il of ne, a dea-
con p
Shivering, thinking and resolving, he fell
asleep again, and again he dreamed
lie was dead-lying still and pale and
cold and yet he stood watching his family
as curious bystander might. He thought
he could read their hearts, and TO his sur
| prise there was not so much of sorrow as of
conteDtment down deep beneath their mourn
ing.
His wife's face seemed to grow brighter
as il world OF care had been removed
from her life. 1.-The children can have their
own way now, poor things she was saving
to herself, although her ewes were wet !;
"they could never do as they liked when
their father was liv ng" He thought VIII
lie was trying hard not TO think how glad
he was that he could go to college at last !;
while Mary and Thomas were saying over
and over to themselves, NO person will
hinder me nov from going to school when
want to 60" He saw another form bowed
near; it was his long absen, daughter, and
through her heart were wandering the words,
"Thank God. can come home again.
Ii was terrible He tried to speak, to
tell them he was not dead, that he loved
them more than they ever knew it was in
vain, and he saw himself carried away and
buried but he thought he could see them
still-was with them all the while-wth
them, yet immeasuraby separated from
them through DAYS and weeks. months and
years he followed them, all the time suffer
ing remorseful anguish that would have
been insupportable but that he could not
speak or weep. He thought it had been ten
wears since he died, and that he had long
been forgotten by any but his family his wife
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