New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-02
HIS REWARD.

Lord will one day sting your conscience Tor your
cruelty. and for your heartlessness toward that
Ihe speaker was comedy lady of about fifty. tall
slim, and upright, and neatly clad In WIDOWS
some. stslwart young man OF eiglit-and-twenty,
whom she addressed answered imphtiently
He did not mean that; for he loved his little
brother and delighted to make him happy. but his
mother had fatal facility OF ana or the last
ject with aggressive meekness, and had stnng nm
with halfetruths accusations the letter Of which ne
could not deny though in their spirit and essence he
feit them to be immeasuraby false. And now ont of
his grief and his impatience. he flung forth those
bitter words, angry with himself as he dld So ana
rising TO leave the roo lest his temper
should betray him further. .,.
His sanity mother flung parting SHAFT after nm.
"a Yoa may have your wish sooner than YOU Expect ~n
trouble you many years, for he is very delicate; ana
i shall not outlive him very long. Then suppose
Charles Pem6erton saw the cambria prepared for
the shower, and, shuddering fled; whereupon MIS-.
PembertOn retired to her bedroom 10 pray tDat DER
sons hard heart might be softened sea-,
And then from eurtalned recess at one end OF the
old panelled room there came ont little boy OF
twelve with blanehed serious face, lt-parten Ups,
and wide dark eyes, Toward the close OF Mrs.
Pembertons lecture he had entered the room by an
open window, unperceived, and finding that ne was
the subject of the discourse, he had concealed nun,
self. He had heard only the concluding words ana
they chilled his very likelihood. He stood now with
one hand clntchns the curtain dad does he, And
mother thinks am going to die to please him But
s w0p Psshsps ony nS to
Charles Why should he wish l was dead L
thought he was fond of me !" and here he was nearly
choked with rising sob. which he Rulped down
with dificulty. e wonder why-Pll ask him.
The next morning. after breakfast. his brother
who had forgotten the incident Of the previous day.
taking bali. called oct: Get your bat, TEDDY,
and let's have half an hours practice
As they were walking down to the field Edward
suddenly startled his brother by asking:
: . In
Good to mel why. Teddy, what are you thinking
well yesterday you said you wished was dead
and you wouldn't wish that if 1T would be no good
toyeu would your
ness: Who told you that ~
Nobody. just came into the room as you said
It, and you didn't see me. And ever since L nave
Charles Pemberton flung away the bat and ball
be was carving and clasPed the BOY IN ms arms
oh. Teddy. Teddy. Teddy he said:.' Il wish my
said such thing; but didn't mean it. Teddy. You
never shought meant it, did you Why, Teddy,
wouldn't lose You for all the world my little play
fellow, my brother. 1t isn't right for me to com
PLAN to you of mother. and when have just told
you how it happened that said those cruel words
that didn't mean. didn't ever mean, you know, Tor
q moment, Teddy-then You must forget all about
II. / had told mother that wanted to make man
and that 1t was time Yen went wen to school dS aad
was cruel to YOU and that didn't care for you and
lsctrred and soolded all the afternoon. and then
4 forgot myself-whchl ought not to have done. Tor
know is onlY her love that makes her over anx-
ious-and said those hateful words that never.
never, never meant. Teddy; :. c,.,, .o;a
the little fellow. He had borne up with wonderful
stoicsm till now, but the overwhelming sense OF re,
lief was too much forhim, and he began to weep and
Then Mrs Pen,berton ghded from the slrubbery
ut hand, made half-gesture as though she you'd
kox, mad thal Ia fall in 10 m
him away, but checking herself turned on her ED
est son cold reproachful glance and said:
more manly if you are determined to tear the child
from me- not to make his remaining days miserable
And then with S the houses Oh
Teddy looked after Lsr with queer od-1ash-
toned smile on his Young face but, when she was
quite hidden from view, he sprang up and clasped
sFIl 60 to school. Charlie, and I'll do just as you
like and you'll see Il won't b man. and III win
know Im not clever, Charlie, so you mustn't be DIS
appointed if don't do that all at once. will your
can, and none of us can do more than that. shall
miss you sorely. Teddy, but therell be Jolly long
gSg and S a snd
how you'll guard your wicket. IL you don't do me
credit as a cricketer. I'll sit On you.'
The poor lady's heart was very sore when her BOY
had gone and she felt herself alone. and many and
dread were the rnsgivings that darkeueg her MIND.
Ad Charles to- tsis s6sa a. dsssr of Arc
wastes Of uninhabted islands, but there is no so-
ttuae like that Of being shut up in the same mousse
with one we love and with whom we would ram
hold affectionste intercourse and communion but
Who at every advance toward confidence wlthdraws
90 some inner shrine and bars our approach.
Mira. Pembertons married life had been outwardly
calm and uneyentful; but she was out OF sympathy
With her husband, man Of easy, jovial tempera-
troubled himself about 1t; and she had sought con-
ISOLATION in religion. She had fallen under the in
fuence Of certain meek fanatics who held Chst the
them. When her husband died. leaving her only a
Hfe-inscrest In moderate property, and making his
e son 70 Charles to but
his honest healthy nature was absolutely impervi-
Sss e sss "a 1Ss u0Dd ne WHICH ne haa BEEN
tho jargon Of her sect given up to Yeproba;e mind
commanded TO come out and be separate snd day
became thicker and denser !; and 1t was rendered
more hard by the feeling Of bitterness inspired by
The OF her % S a % he so es.
con- but all attempts of flial confidence were re-
pulsed. He had rarely been betrayed into an OK
snces were received with q meekness that was inf
nftely worse than any regroach. Few as the inpa-
ticut words were. Mrs Pemberton bore ali these
cross The kind Of fatslism which she had accept
cd made her bow with resignation to the will which
common with that of the overwh elming majority of
She human raco but with something of inconsist-
sncy she prayed with passionate earnestness that
be gathered into the fold Of the elect.
The boy throve at school His health, now that
ne was freed from maternal coddlipg, improved
rapidly. As to be expected he did full Justice
TO his brothers digent coaching in athletics, and
what one had expected, he developed q Won
derfuI faculty for mathematics. Nothing could DO
more satisfactory than the reports of his conduct
and progress; and nothing brighter and more
bssufifaf than she lads healthy, eonfdsDOes with
ms brother in his happy holidays when he de.
scrfbed his school life and the young hopes and
ambitions kindiing within him.
& bus Mrs. Pcnabcrton looked on eli these Things
with pious disappg0vai. n
Charles, she would say sometimes; tyou arc