The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-02-16

seed them correct their children be-
yond reason, and without mercy.
They whipped in their rage, and not
in their wisdom they whipped be-
cause they were strong, and not be-
cause of their love; they whipped,
when they should have forgiven. ana
got what they 'arnt-thc hatred of
their children. But the father of
heaven be different, boy. He knows
that men be weak, as well as wicked.
He knows half of 'em havn't had a
fair chance, and so he overlooks
much: and when he can't overlook
it | conceit he sorter forgives in
a lump. Yis, he subtracts all he can
from the evil we have did boy, and
eff that isn't enough to satisfy his
fcelin's toward man that might
have ben different eff he'd had fair
start he Jest wipes the whole row
of figures clean out at the askin'."
AT the asking" said the gam
bier; Hthat's mighty quick game.
Did you ever pray, John Norton?.
'sSartin, sartin, i be a prayin'
man." said the trapper, sturdily.
AT the askingw murmured the
gambler, softly.
''Sartin,- boy" answered the trap |
per, that's the line the trail takes,
We can depend on it; and it will
bring We to the end Of the great
clearin' in peace"
"It's quick deal, " said the gam
bier, speakig to himself, utterly un-
conscious of the incongruity of his
speech to his thought. Its aquick
deal. but can see that it might end
as he SAYS, if the feeling was right.
For a moment nothing was said
The trapper stood looking steadfast-
ly at the young man on the moss
as he Law with his quiet face turned
up to the sky, to whose color had
already come the first shade of
awful whiteness.
! Up the mountain rifle cracked.
Neither stirred. A red squirrel ran
out upon the limh. twenty feet
above the gamblers head, and shook
the silence into fragments with his
chattering; then sat gazing WITH
startled eyes at the two men under
meath.
"Can You pray, old man?'' asked
the gambler, quietly.
''Sartinly," answered the trapper.
"Can you pray in words ?" asked
the gambler again.
For a moment the trapper hesita,-
ed. Then he said: Il can't say
that can. No, | sartinly can't say
that ] could undertake it with a
reasonable chance ofgettin' through: !:
leastwise, it wouldn't be in way to
help man any,"
. 'Is there any way, old man, in
: which we can 60 partners ?" asked
: the gambler, the vocabulary of
whose profession still clnng TO him
{ in the solemn counseling.
, Il was thinkin' of that" answered
the trapper; yis, | was th;nkin' ef
! we couldn't sorter jine works, and
: each help the other by dom his
' own part himself "Yis, continued
, the old man, after a moments re-
? fiection, ''the plans good un-ye
pray for yerself, and III pray for
y myself-and ef ] can git in any
thing that seem likely to do We
y sarvice, We can count on it, as We can
: on a grooyed barrel"
v "And now, boy" said the trapper,
0 with a sweetly solemn enthusiasm,
f such as faith might give to a sup
e plicant saint,-which lighted his
features until his countenance fair
e ly shone with a light which came
g out of it, rather than upon it from
a the sun overhead-'now, boy, re-
l. member that the Lord is Lord of the
n woods, as well as of the cities, and
e that he heareth tho prayin' of the
n poor hunter under the pines, as
e well as the great preachers in the
e pulpits, and that when sins be
4 heavy and death be nigh, His ear
q and His heart be both Open"
The trapper knelt on the moss al
the gamblers feet. He clasped tho
a fingers of his great hand until they
r interlaced, and lifted his wrinkled
/ face upward. lie said not a word
v but the strongly chiseied lips. seam
ed with age, moved and twitched
0 now and then, as the silent prayer
y went on, two great tears left the
protection of the closed lids and
!. rolled down the rugged cheek. The
i gambler also closed his eyes; then
d his hands quietly stole one into the
l. other, and, avoiding the bloody
O stair, rested on his breast; and
n thus the old man who had lived be.
r, yond the limit of mans day, and
e the young one, cut down at the
s threshold of mature life-the one
d kneelihg on the moss, with his face
lifted to Heaven, the other lying or
e the moses, with his face turned
/ toward the same sky, without WORD
f.? or uttered .speech-prayed to the
Y divine mercy which beyond the
heaven and the sky saw the two
h men underneath the pines, and met
> we may not doubt with needed an
!, swer the silent upgoing prayer.
4 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
I hand, and put it into the broad palm
!, of the trapper. Not a word wa:
. said. No word was needed. Some
. times men understand each othel
: better than by talking. Then the
! gambler picked the diamond stud
: from the spot where it rested, slip
: ped the solitaire ring from his finger.
!, and said as he handed them to the
!. trapper:
. "There's a girl in Montreal that
: will like these. You will find heI
! picture inside my vest. when you
= bury me. Her address is inside tht
!, picture case. You will take item
to her, John Norton?"
'She shall have them from ny
Is own hand" answered the trapper
q gravely.
y "You needn's disturb the picture,
Is John Norton, said the gambler, "it',
: lust as well. perhaps. to let it lie