The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-08-18
DIED OF A BROKEN HEART.
a story which May be Road wssh Frsas
bv P.reass-

by P.reass-
[johnny Bouquet in View York Tribuns.1 Q
A father in New England town had
n son-a littl4, large headed boy Of ner-
vous intensity. NTH cyess Of startling
wonder, and loux curling eyelashes,
which started. hke his fsWn-like eyes,
with quick apprehension and timidity-a
boy who played with all intensity, kept
doing something AL the day long, with
out the power to rest, walked on alone
and even when alone spoke with himself,
chased the geese with little legs - lean
and swift, and at the table eating his
meals could not sit very still, NOR bear
TO sit oil the morning In church beoa19<
his heart was too rapid In his little mar
row chest, where every nib could be
counted against his tender flesh and skin
In the morning be wns awake at earliest
light; ut evepfng his tired nAture yielded
TO the deem sleep Of exhaustion = His
mother feared abe could never raise him
TO be man. Hisfather Thought be was
too long beooming man IN grayity, y
briefly and formal obedienco.
"what ais my son n the father sternly
out stability. I fear for hun. Do you
chastise him enough? Spare not the rod
lest he grow beyond you and your rule"
Alas !" exclaimed the mother, he
has his little world, We capnot zee, Per
haps. He'is growing and senhitive. The
doctor says We must mo- po1h Inn a his
studies, but let him pley al he can, till
his frame is equal 10 hin brain.
The father shook his head and spoke
sternly to the boy, and feared he was go
ing to give them all trouble growing up,
80 seldom moulded and unrestrained.
All day the little boy was doing some.
thing, carrying the cat by the tail, carry
ing the dog under his arm, making pi6-
lures on paper, Of engines and steam
boats, and bellows. <
"He will be an artist, said his uolkd
hopefully. I ~ '
he win spaiE the library, !" szeisinsa
the father suspioiously. .f VI
Antagonism grew up between NE
father and the boy, born, on Tie boy'n
part, Of fear ON tho fathers, Of criticism
and severity. The boy ran TO his mother
and asked her protection from his fn1her's
suspecting eye. The father feared his
wife was spoiling the son with mistaken
generosity md allowance. At times the
fathers hahitnal suspicion broke away
like the cl0E8 above hard, human
Britain, and he laid his rigorous books Of
theology down 10 take his boy walking,
and they grew o little nearer. Then
again the father observed some vo1uptu-
ous tendency in the son which started his
fears anew; some taste for worldly,
passing modes and Joys.
"wffe, he said, "do you ever give
our boy money! RI
"a little" she said ; ga few pennies
to buy drawing materials and colors he
will be an artist think"
Money" exclaimed the sire, sis the
root Of every evil You had better give
him ire or poison. He will become q
wild, ruined spendthrift."
The idea that his wife gave the child
money operated in the fathers head like
jealousy or revenge; IL tinted everything
about his sons conduct, and he believed
his wife had set deliberately to work to
indulge her child at the expense Of his
soul
One morning, thinking of such things
the father lay awake in bed, and gen
tie noise disturbed him. The sun was
up, though it was scarcely 8 o'clock, and
the light aud air striking through the
chamber curtains showed the little boy
in his night gown stealing toward his
fathers bed. He glanced sharply to
ward his father 10 zee II he was quite
asleep, and then swiftly, like little bird,
hoped upon q chair and ran his lean
white fingers into his fathers vest
pocket.
"Ha /" thought the father. "My son
in my pockets by stealth, before / am
awake, and initiating the bad example of
my wife, who often, perhaps, searches
unauthorized there - sF Ff
As he said this O dreadful idea crossed
his mind. That son, spoiled by the
mothers indulgence, already corrupted
by spending money, was thief-a thief
while yet q child He rose in bed and
spoke in voice of thunder: n
Robert, you srs stealing my moueyr'
Horrvr froze the boy; he dropped nom
the chair like q cat, and was into his own
bed In the next room and covered his face
with his sheets. Anguish and stern 10
solve possessed at once tine fathen'
stricken heart. He had delayed too long
to chastise his wayward son, now gliding
into ruin. 1t must be done, hard though
1t should be. He awoke his wife, and,
suppressing her replies with An mon will,
related the story Of her deprxved child.
Henceforth, he said, "I must BE- the
magistrate and mother, instead of you
Robert, come, dress yourself r.
He thrust the frightened mother back.
The boy fell on his knees but could not
speak one word, so large the knot that
gathered in his little throat, % r6soIute
the startled, fawn- like eyes, - Il agony
and perversity worked together 10 make
MIN obdurate. Down the stairs and into
the orchard, away from sight, the father
bore his child, and making him kneel
upon the grass, struck hard and slow
with the switch Of the apple tree, telling
his boy TO confess; yet dumb - Isaa<
upon the altar beneath his fathers knife,
shrinking childhood Of the boy rooeived
his hard chastisement. Carried back,
all trembling rs with chill of death, TO
the house Of mourning, the little boy
was laid in his bed, still frozen tight Of
speech and only the ointment of a
mothers tears fell upon his tortured
back and famine narrowed shoulders,
but his large eyes turned TO little boz
that he kept his treasures in, and they
placed IL in his bed where he lay all day
signing from his inarticulate soul.
The fathers heart was wrenched tc
think Of. such . frsil, dear son persistinp
in his wickedness, and turning from re.
pentanoe.
He sat by his side all that Afternoon
demanding his boy to confess and save
them both the pain Of another chastise
ment. The boy tremblsd, but did no
speak, and put his arms around his Httl'
box as II IL was his brother
The long night through sigh wen
through the chamber ever and amor
from those suffering lips. Neither mar
nor woman slept AT early day tn.
anguished father felt that the stern pun
ishment must be rneted ont again unless
his boy spoke and repented. He ROSE
and passed into the chamber where th,
son lay in his lowly bed, all strewn will
his little drawings, and his arms around