National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-03-07

sorts, and the folks that do 'em be of two KIND
and atween the two the Lord, eff he notes anything
must make dividin' line"
And when do you think this judgment is, Jon
Norton?" asked the gambler, as if he was actuaH
enjoying the crude, but honest, ideas of his com
panion The trapper hesitated a moment befor
he spoke then he said:
a conceit that the Judgment be always goin' OF
It's court that never adjourns, and the desertel
and the knaYes and the disobedicnt in the regi
ment be always on trial But 1 coneeit theT
comes a day to every man, good and bad, whe
the record of his deeds be looked over from th
start, and the good and the bad counted up
and in that day he gets the final jedgmen
whether it be for or against him. And now, boy,
continued the old man, solemnly with touch Q
infinite tenderness in the vibrations of his voice
I'VE be nigh the Judgment day yourself, and th
deeds ye have did, both the good and the bad, vii
be passed in review"
Il reckon there isn't much chance for me II you
view is sound John Norton" And for the frs
| time his tone lost its cheerful recklesSneSs.
The court be court of mercy: and the Judg
looks upon em that comes up for trial as II he wa
their father"
THAT ends it, old man. answered the gambler
q Ny father never showed me any mercy when
was u hoy. Ifhe had, shouldn't have been hor
now. III did wrong deed got il to the last ihcl
O4 ItSlip anu "SAoH "SA~ >-.SAO ~-~>S~-
| bitter because spoken so quietly
.The fathers of the 'arth, boy, be not like tht
Father of Heaven, for have seed cm correct the
| children beyond reason and without marcy. They
whipped in their rage, and not in their wisdom
they whipped because they were strong, and no
! because of their love; they whipped when they
| arnt-the hatred of their children. But the
Father of Heaven be different, my boy. He knows
| that men be weak as well as strong. He knows
that half of EN- haven't had fair chance, and SC
He oVeriooks much; and when He can't overlook
| it, concet he sorter forgives in lump. Yes, He
substracts all He can from the evil we have did,
boy and eff that isn't enough to satisfy His feelns
| toward man that might have been different ei
he'd had fair start, He jest wipes the whole row
OF figures clean out at the askin'."
AT the asking?" said the gambler "that's a
mighty quick ganc. Did you ever pray, John
Norton:'
Sartin. saflin. be prayin' man." said the
trapper, sturdily.
AT the asking?' murmurcd the gambler, softly.
S'artIn, boy" answered the trapper "that's the
line the trail takes, ye can depend on It; and it
VIII bring ye to the cen Of the great clearin' in
peace"
"Its quick DEAL" said the gambler, speaking to
himself utterly unconscious of the incongruity of
his speech to his thought. "Its quick deal, but
can see that it might end as he says if the feeling
was right"
For moment nothing was said. The trapper
STOOD looking Steadfastly at the young man on the
moss as ne lay with his quiet face turned up to the
sky, TO whose color had already come the frstshade
Of the awful whieness.
Up the mountain rife cracked. Neither stirred.
A red squirrel ran out upon limb twenty feet
above the gamblers head, and shook the silence
into fragments with his Gathering; then sat gaz-
% tyjrh cfa cd Of tI,,,
" Can you pray, old man. asked the gambler,
quietly
" Sartainly," answered the trapper
Can you pray in words" asked the gambler
again.
For moment the trapper hesitated. Then he
said: . can't say that can. No. certainly can't
say that L could undertake it with reasonable
chance Of gittin through leastwise it wouldn't be
in way to help man any"
Is there any way, old man, in which we can 90
asked the gambler, the vocabulary of
whose profession still clung to him in the solemn
4 WAS thinkin' of that" answered the trapper:
- yis, l was thinkin' eff we couldn't sorter line
works, and each help the other by doin' his own
part himself Yes" continued the old man. after
a moments reflection, the plans good one-ye
pray Tor yerself, and I'll pray for myself and eff
can git anything that seems likely to do We service.
ye can count on it as ye can on grooved barrel"
And now, boy" said the trapper, with a sweetly
solemn enthusiasm, such as faith might give to a
saint-which lighted his features
until his countenanee fairly shone with a light
which came out OF it, rather than upon it, from tne
sun overhead" now, boy, remember that the Lord
is Lord of the woods as we'll of the cities, and
that he heareth the prayin' of the poor hunter
under the 1nes as well as the great preachers in
he puIpits, and that when sins DE heavy and death
De nigh His ear and His heart De open'
The trapper knelt on the moss at the gamblers |
eet. He clasped the fingers of mis- great hands |
until they interlaced, and lifted his Yrinked face
Upward. He said not word, but the strongly |
,hiseled lips, scanned with age moved and tyyitched
low and then, and, as the silent prayer went on |
EYo great tears left the protection of the closed
ids and rolled down his rugged cheek.
The gambler also closed his eyes. then his hands
uletly Stole one into the other, and avoiding the
bloody stain, rested on his breast; and thus the |
Id man, who had lived beyond the limit of mans
lay, and the young one. cut down at the threshold
4 matured ife-the one kneeling on the moses
With his face turned toward the same sky, without
Tord or uttered speech-prayed to the divine
mercy which beyond the sky saw the two men
the pines and met, we may not doubt,
With needed answer the silent up-going prayer.
The two opened their eyes nearly at the same
Instant. They looked for a moment at each other.
nd thenthe gambler feebly lifted his hand and put
into the broad hand of the trapper. Not word
Tas said. No word was needed. Sometimes men
Understand each other better than by talking.
hen the gambler picked the diamond stud from
ne spot where it rested, slipped the solitary ring
rom his finger and said, as he handed them to the
,apper;
There's girl in Montreal that will like these
ou will find her picture inside my vest, when you
ury me. Her address is inside the picture case.
oU will take them to her, John Norton? ?"
"She shall have them from my own hand" an
yered the trapper, gravely.
" You needn't disturb the picture John Norton "
lid the gambler Its just as well perhaps, to let
lie where 1t IS; its been there eight years. You
what mean, old mann"
s. understand answered etrapper, solemnly;
the picture shall stay where it is
" The pistols resumed the gambler, and he
anced at the one lying On the moss, 81 give to
ou. You'll find them true You will accent
lem?"
The trapper bowed his head It is doubtful if !
e could speak. For several minutes there was !
ienee. The end was evidently nigh The trap-
er took the gamblers hand as if it had been the
and OF his own boy. Indeed. perhaps the Young
an had found his father atlast for surely il isn't
esh that makes fatherhood. Once the young man t
owed as II he would rise. Had he been able he l
ould have died with his arms around the old !
ans neck. As it was, the strength was UNEQUAL :
the impulse He lifted his eyes to the old mans :
&c lovingly; moved his body as if he would get a
lie nearer, as child might speak loving !
ought aloud, said, ''I am glad met you, John a
orton," and with the saying of the sweet words /
died. I
Idiot Knapp on Jetties. n
We clip the following from the New Il
leans Times of Saturday 26th of Eehrrarr. c