San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-29

from the start, and the good and bad
counted up; and in that day he gets
the Anal Judgment whether 1t be for
or against him. And now, boy, con-
tinued the old man, sOlemnly, with q
touch Of infinite tenderness in the Vi
brations OF his voice, "ye BIO nigh the
Judgment day yourself, and the deeds
ye have did, both the good and the bad,
with be passed in review"
II reckon there isn't much chance for
me IL your view is sound" And for the
first time his tone lost its cheerful reck'
lessness.
"The court be O court Of mercy; and
the Judge looks upon EN- that comes
up for trial as IL lie was their father"
'"That ends it," answered the gam
bier. my father never showed me
any mercy when was a boy. Ii he
had, I shouldn't have been here now.
II I did wrong decd, I got it to the
last inch Of the lash," and the words
we're more intensely bitter because
spoken so quietly.
"The fathers Of the 'arth boy, be not
like the Father Of Heaven. for I have
seed 'em correct their shildren beyond
reason, and without mercy. They
whipped in their rage, and not in their
wisdom; they whipped because they
were strong, and not because OF their
love; they whipped when they 'arnt-
the hatred of their children. But the
Father of Heaven he different, boy.
He knows that me be weak as we'll as
wicked. He knows that half Of 'em
haven't had fair chance and 30 he
oyerlooks much; and when he can't
overlook it, 1 conceit He sorter forgives
in lump. Yes, He substracts all He
can from the evil we have did, boy, and
if that isn't enough to satisfy His feel
ms toward O man that might have been
different eff hem only had fair start,
He just wipes the whole row Of figures
out at the askin'."
AT the asking?" said the gambler,
"that's mighty quick game. Did you
ever pray?"
"Sartin, I be prayin' man." said
the trapper, sturdily.
For moment the trapper hesitated.
Then he said: II can't say that can.
No, sartinly can't say that I could un-
dertake it with any reasonable chance
of gettin' through; leatwise it wouldn't
be in a way to help man any"
"Is there any way in which we could
go partpers?" asked the gambler.
II was thinkin' of that" answered
the trapper, "yis, was thinkin' eff we
couldn't sorter jine works, and each
cid the other by doin' his own pa.j
himself. Yes" continued the old man,
after moments reflection, "the plan
is good one-ye pray for yerself, and
I'll pray for myself-and eff can get
in anything that seems likely to do ye
service, We can count on it as We can on
a grooved barrel"
"And now, boy" said the trapper
with a sweetly solemn enthusiasm,
such faith might give to supplica-
ting saint, snow, my boy, remember the
Lord is Lord of the woods as well as
of the cities, and that He heareth the
p .ayin' Of the hunter under the pines,
US We u as the preacher in the pulpit,
aud that when sins be heavy and death
nigh, His ear and heart is open."
The trapper knelt on the moss at the
gamblers feet. He clasped the fingers
of his great hands until they were in
terlaced and lifted his wlinkled face
upward. He said not word, but the
strongly chiseled lips, scanned with age,
moved and twitched now and then, and
as the silent p aver went on, two great
tears left the protection of the closed
lids and rolled down his rugged cheek.
The gambler also closed his eyes,
then his hands quietly stole one into
the oil or, and avoiding the bloody stain,
rested on his breast; and thus the old
man who had lived beyond the limit OF
mans day, and the young one, cut
do wn at the threshold of mature life
the one kneeling on the moses, with
his face turned toward the same sky,
without word or uttered speech pray
ed to the Divine Mercy which beyond
the sky saw the two men underneath
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, and then the
gambler feebly lifted his hand, and put
it into the broad hand of the trapper.
Not a word was said. No word VS.
needed. Sometimes men understand
each other better than by talking.
Then the gambler picked the diamond
stud from the spot where it rested, slip
ped the solitary ring from his finger,
and said, as he handed them to the
trapper:
"There's girl that will like these.
You will find her picture inside my
vest, when you bury me. Her address
is inside the picture case. Will you
take them to her?"
"She shall have them from my own
hand, answered the trapper, gravely.
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