The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1881-10-22
could only single on. pitiful selashness and

ing over and over he found himself unab
i to stife bis awakening conscience. "I'll n,
be fit for lick o. work tomorrow" .
! The Deacon was not 80 unlike the rest ,
after all. ,.s,..~ -. ,aq44 -. ..5r I
Sleep came TO him ct length, not sws'
and refreshing, but busy With drsamin
that startled the mans soul like arrows {
warning. &c, -. 4.,.. 81. .t,.. 4t...-t 30
He dreamed il was the last great day; Ii
millions on millions ofpeopls melted slowl
away from before him. bringing him nesre
and nearer the Great Afbiter Of soul.
Countless throngs Of angles lowered neal
bursting forth in rapturous .Glory to Go
in the Highesti"' as Thousands upon thou
sands of the redeemed joined their number
or turned weeping away, a. Others wer
borne shrieking to eternal gloom.
No great happiness or particular dreas
seemed to enter the Deacon's heart; he sin
cerely pitied those who were .eternslly lost
and though how much betterit would hav,
been for them had they been Christians
while he looked upon the angels, curiously
wondering il some OF them there had beer
IS good q they might have BEEN"
At last nothing remained between him
and the Searching Eye bent upon him. II
was an expression Of infinite mercy, loving
compassion, and yesrning tenderness, We,
answering justice. that seemed TO draw
him nearer and nearer, Is by some invisible
chain. ... .- ...
81 am Deacon" explained our friend.
There was no voice, no sound, yet deep
down in his heart he seemed 10 hear in living
thunder---"I know thee noti" while the
angels turned away in tears.
Don't you know? Don't you remember?
/ am Deacon Heyworth,n he said, shivering
and withering beneath the awful horror that
grew upon him. But no We'll doneR
greeted him from the Presence there; al the
glory faded away--only the cruelly.pierced
side and hands and feet and tho thorn
crowned brow remained; q voice infinite in its
sadness came from out that awful Stiffness
aye have done this unto mel" +,
The angels sobbed, and still the horror.
grew; he seemed unfolded in living,
breathing agony, with his conscience his &C
cuser. You were Deacon, with Deacons
work to do; it was yours 10 bind up the
hearts Of Gods children, to make the
widows heart TO sing for joy, TO be peace
maker among your brethren, and to advance
Gods cause and kingdom in the earth, but
you have not given even cup Of cold
water to one Of these, His little onesP"
Wrung from his own soul, yet snother's,
fainter and fainter grew the voice, and the
angels veiled their faces and turned away:
waiting, listening for his fearful teutence;
ages seemed concentrated in that ono sastant
OF anguish, and he shrieked aloud.
"Nathsn, what e,'~,n esrthi what ID liz
matter with ysasR and Mrs. Heywo Il
shook her husband vigorously. "Hsvs you
got the nightmsre?"
"Oh, Hanna, I've had An awful dream =
awful dresmP'
Have your Nightmare, I expectI" sai
The turned over sleepily.
1t was not the nightmare, Deacon Hey
worth knew, but be did what many of us
would not have done-determ;red to accept
Is teaching. Is, 49,.
"Who would ever have thought TT" he |
lueried wonderingly to himself, scarcely
'ble to deny the reality. Of it all "Who |
would ever have thought it Of me, .
Deacon?" .-..-.i- -
Shivering, thinking and resolving he fell /,
sleep again, and again he dreamed.
Hewas dead--lying still and pale and cold;
md yet he st. cd watching his family a. any |
,urious bystsnder might. He thought he |
Gould read their hearts, and to his surprise
here was not 30 much sorrow - Of con-
eminent down deep beneath their mourn.
ng.
His wifes face seemed to grow brighter,
" if world of care had been removed
rom her life. "The children can have their
,wn way now. poor thing sPs she w.s saying
o herself, although her eyes were wet;
they could never do as they liked while
heir father was livingi" He thought Viii.
lie was trying hard not 70 think how glad
,e was that he could 90 TO College at last;
while Mary and Thomas were saying over
md over to themselves: mo person will
hinder me now from going TO school when
want to CO." He saw another form bowed |
lear; 1t WAS bis long absent daughter, and
through her heart were wandering the
words: "Thank God, can come homo
lgainI"
It was terrible. He tried 70 i speslz 70 tell |
hem he was not aesd, that ~ loved them
more than they, ever knew; it.was N vain,
md he saw himself carried away and buried;
put he thought he could SEQ them still; was 4
with them all the whilelwith them, yes im-
separated from them; Through 1
lays and weeks, months and years hs FOL |
lowed them, all the time suffering remorse. |
'ul anp uish that would have been insupport- |
lble but that he could not speak, or weep.
BE thought il had been Ten ysars' since he |
lied, and that he had long been forgotten by |
my Of his family; his wife now looked rest. |
ful, happy and contsnted; and his children |
Ill occupied places Of usefulness and honor |
IN the world, and he DRAINED often. and Of |
'en that their inmost thoughb were, 'sWe |
were never happy while father lived, and |
We would never have been happy had he
not died."
He tried TO speak, to tell them he loved |
hem, that be had been with them all these
years, but that he could mako no sound, and |
hey turned away; but he must call them, |
must speak to them; again and again he
.ried to do 90, and awoke.
Long the Deacon pondered over his
dreams, and in his heart he felt that they
had not been Of himself, hat Of God.
They're wsrninga Nashan Heywogthis
be decided q length soisnsly. awsrhines,
sure's you live, and you'll do we'll 70 ABIDE
by en-"
The ice was floating away, aud alrssdy
the green mos snd.shining shsll were glim.
menng up from bsnsath. -
~ S...s ~ D 30
It was breakfast time ct Deacon Hoy
worth's, and the morning meal WAS being
eaten, - usual, In almost perfect silence.
Again and again had tho husband and
father been on the point Of speaking-but
bis lips only opened &c close again silently.
No one knew Of the previous nights ex-
perience-of tbs wsrnings he Asmly believed
he had received; he could remain forever
dumb and no one would ever b the wi,er,
but he had determined to right, IL possible,
the wrong Of years, and yeti was not 10
easy ~ he had thought. -...v II s,s
''William" he exclaimed ct length sud-
denly. slowly breaking IN egg into the glass
beside him.
The boy looked mp res2ectfully, but
vearilv: he too. had soont an almost sleep-