The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1881-02-10
int,ea away his t.n..

i when he got up 10 lsso for prayers. III
u pos,man hroaght him note IRON th
e tAoul,y-~an 'sdmonition- He droppc
the pipe be vs lighting. and bolssd on
\ recitation But be 'desded" immedisie
. ana that discouraged him. Hs zoos h
gan 10 make light Of the warning. and di
!. himself no credit IN his Uudios. Thoug'
y be managed 70 squeeze through the cram
inaiion At the end Of the freshman year
came out far down toward the foot Of th
!. classss He wasn't qsits contentsd viii
9 himself. and thought he'd try 10 do bette
. next year, Bat during his journey HON,
) recovered his usual spirits.
J When hs walked up the village sovAr,
I the parsonage farm he Vas thinking ths
, since he Was . sophomore nov-h,
' would buy the knottiest and biggest head
ed cane in Cambridge when hs should g
back there And What do you suppos,
was the first thing that met him At homel
: II WAS his fstbsr sul in ths Said digging
for new potatoes. Ais coat off and his spec.
Acled face prespiring. He vaulted the
fence. and running ny with hardly pause
for greeting. cried:
Oh, father, let NE do that dost like
to see you st tvork.
Mr. Blake stopped, and looked earnest
ly and rather sadly atlhin.
| Well, Sam, 4 think that's about as good
. how'd ye do n you could have offered
me. There ia right about you AFTER oil.
1t had not occurred 10 Sam that there
was any doub, on that point before.
He blushed As he asked;
Where's the hired mani
I've discharged hin. cannot afford
one at present, my son. was the answer.
Sam was rather puzzled and began 70 re-
fleet.
They vent into the house. snd there,
when the minister rsAppeared after max.
ing his toilet his son noticed that he wore
The old shabby. shiny coat At This he
was more than ever astoaished. Tho sap
psr, also. notwithstanding that it was the
first night OF the prodigal's return, was
very meager. Not single Injury was on
the table. and Sam observed that his faith
er and mother took no sugar and butter
His own appetite began to fail at seeing
this, and his perception vm sharpened
accordingly. He was now aware that his
father looked very thin as we'll as sad.
Suddenly he laid down his knife and e1
claimed to his sister Katy:
Sis, what does all this mean this going
without the hired man, and starving your
selvesS
His sister looked at him, thcn glanced
at Mr.. Blake and her mother, and made
no answer.
1thought, said Sam, pstulsntly, that
Williston's money was going to make it
easy for you, father; and here the pinch
ing is going on five times worse than ever.
don't own my friend williston's mon
ey, said the minister. quietly.
OF conrse not But the hvs hundred
dol--sam stopped abruptly on On entrest-
ing gesture form his sister.
The subiec. vss no. resumed. But be-
for be went to bed Sam obtained m inter
view with his sister alone He felt'secret-
ly he was responsible for the depression
and trouble which seemed 10 fill the
household, but only made him speak
more impetuously. Now. sis, he exclaim-
cd, can get two words Of sense out Of
you?
Not until you sak politely, she replied.
Well. then, please tell me what thelmys-
terry is.
II oughtn't to be smystery to you, Sam,
that you haven't done well At college. Pa
pa is terribly disappointed.
/ don't see Why he should commit sui
eide il he is. Sam retorted, I haven't cost
him much this year.
Oh,yes, you have. Do you know hs actu.
ally sold his new coat
whyf Sam frowbed.
Because hs's been trying every way 10
save money aincs be began to receive re-
ports Of how you were wasting your time.
What fori asked Sam, though he began
to suspect.
Well, hs--how should I knowi-Don't
you see hes ashamed 10 haye had that
money from his old classmste, and he's
nearly saved enough. and he's going to pay
it all back. There, ws told 10 keep 1t
secret, and now I've told you. And his
si.ter burst into tears. You've nearly
broken his heart, ssm--poor papa.
The nsxt day Mr.. Blake's son went Of
directly after breakfast, and was not seen
again till afternoon. Coming back he
overlook his father coming from the post
Office.
know all abont i'll he exclaimed in his
excitement. Katy told me last night.
wish, though, you had held the new coat
awhile!
Why? asked Mr.. Blake, imperturbsbly.
Because. said Sam, I'm going 10 pay
my own way, now. I've been of to-day
and hired ont for the season 10 farmer
Hedgeburton. Yon won't send that mon
sy to Williston, will yon, father,
You are too late, was the ministers ans.
wcr. I have just mailed the letter to him.
In fact next day the kind merchants
eyes were dimmed As he read those words:
Dear Williston: Ny dear boy--it al.
most breaks my heart to say so--hAs not
proved worthy ofyour generosity. have
decided 10 return you the sum yon sent
me for his last year, and yon viii find
draft enclosed for that amount
BLAKA L