Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-12-17
The Last Relic.

deep mourning, kuOckeu AT tHe
door of rich mans house in one Of
our large cities, and asked eagerly
for the owner. The servant, who,
no doubt, partaking of the demean.
or of his master, who was deemed
a harsh and severe man by all who
knew him, was about to turn the
suppliant from the door when her
| ilnportunities touched a lingering
cord of sympathy i'm his heart, and
he announced her the lordiy owner
of the mansion. He was, indeed,
Il very stern man, and apparently
i hard and unfeeling in his natare.
| There were deep wrinkles on his
brow, which seemed to donate that
he had not passed through life
without partaking Of some OF Its
sorrows and many OF its cares. lie
was in a deep reverie when the SER
want entered perhaps he was
counting his gains, or it may be,
bringing back the past before him
as in a glass, and counting up his
hours from childhood to his weary
age. Who knows? how few care
| But strange it was even to the SER
vallt, who knew so well the forbid
ding nature of his master, when
after a moments hesitation the rich
man said, "Let her come in"
| In O moment the poor girl was In
| his presence. 1t was strange con-
trast that weak, trembling being
treading upon soft carpets In the
meek habiliments ofspoverty in the
| presence of the owner OF millions
she in her deep humility, and he Is
in the loneliness OF wealth. She
stood before him, and in low, treEl-
bling tones, that were full Of mel
anchoiy sweetness said:
ssSir. l am stranger In distress ;
/ am a fatherless child, and my
| loved mother is now very i'll. For
many months | have labored hard
to sustain her, but poverty comes
too fast upon US. We are poor, but
we are not beggars we came from
q far country, and are strangers.
| One by one we have parted with all
our little valuables, and here Is the
last relic of loved father. he gave
IL to me as a notwithstanding
to keep for his dear memory; hut
alas starvation is o stern thing,
and necessity knows no law. You
are rIch-some say you are unkinoi
and yet l have ventured; will you
buy it sir 2" *,
She ceased speaking. and tile rich
man appeared touched; he looked
at the speaker with glance In
which tenderness seemed struggling
with the morose feeling which had
for so many years concealed into
ice the more tender emotions Of his
nature.
"IIook up, young lady," said he
His voice had in II tone OF sym
pathy that gave her confidence
and she raised her eyes timidly e
the penetrating glance OF him IL
whose presence she stood.
"Let me examine the article yOu
wish me to buy, and although not
doing business, yet perhaps l may
be induced to help your present ne
cessities."
The girl, with trembling hands
took from her neck q black ribbon
at the end OF which there was at
tached a rich jewel of gold. 1t was
a singular shape, and upon It's TWO
sides were engraved certain charac
tiers of which its pleading possessol
knew not the meaning; and ye'
she priced 1t as much as the GIT o.
dearly loved father; and as she
almost reluctantly placed II Ia tins
hands Of him whom she sought u
be it's purchaser, she pleaded
"When times get good again, slr
T can buy it back but oh ! buy II
now. sir. that I may get bread FOL
my mother, and procure that Inedi
cine that her malady requires"
The rich man had taken the Jew
ell in his hand, he passed the rioooL
through his fingers, and at las
looked upon the article he was sole
tied to buy. Why does he start
WHY turn CHASTITY pale and sinh
into the richly cushioned chair tina
was behind, cover his hands, ant
weep like childl Why press tina
level to his lips, and then to hi
heart, and again weep?
Reader do you ask why? I'M
Jewel, the last relic OF that poor un
friended girl and her afflicted moth
err. was that of a Mark Master, anC
it belonged to the only brother o
him to whom II was offered for sale
Oh how deep was the struggle
within that mans breast He wa
rich in all this world can afford o
worldly goods, but meagre IN thos.
deep and dear affections wnlci
make life desirable. Hehad lived 10
himself, and he had boarded up tn
, dross of wealth and permitted tn
fountain of deep affection to dry al
, i'm his soul. He had forgotten M
kindred, he remembered not tn
old familiar faces that used TO bles
! him at the Preside. But now, as
Providence had directed 1t all,
little Jewel, his brothers mark
came to him, even as the day sta
comes to the deyOtee, to direct hi
thoughts to heaven and humaniz
his feeling. The strong man Is SUB
dued He Is no longer the MAJ
, bound up in gold but the man mad
and renewed In the image or tn
God of Lowell But let him weep
the tears will do him good, for the.
are not only tears of deep contrltiOl
> for past sins of omission, but drop
that will bring blessing on NOR
than one sorrowing heart. Hea
/ him while he speaks to her:
: "YOung lady, do not ask you
) name. The man who owned thi
! Jewel was the son of my father, ant
J my brother by tie almost as sacre'
as that Of blood. Was he your ia
ther =? tell meW
"He was my father, SIR"
"Then am your uncle take m
. to your mother. Henceforth on
: fortunes are One-my home shall b
l yours, and you shall be my daugf
: ter.'
r There were three happy heart
q that day in a small house In one
the lanes in that crowded city
n tall, looking man, with iro
: gray hair and strong features, "
!. now bearing a subdUed aspect, and
3 mOistened eye; n widowed invalid
3 with placid smile irrad:ating h6
calm and beautiful features and
3 young girl, gentle in her subdue
i beauty; blessing God that IL
4 smile had sanctified the last relic.
He slapped HIS Paper.