The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-02-18
IN A POCKET.

"Well, WELL" said good Adonijah
Courtney, raising his eyes helvenward.
Providence has indeed afflicted US;
but should we mourn as those without
hopeP Nay, surely not, since all flesh
is weak and unable to meet and with
stand temptation in its own strength /;
and our dear boy, Lionel, still gives US
hope of his repentance. All is not lost,
sister Keziah," and he pressed his spin
ster companions withered and tremb-
ling hand rcassuringly, as he bade his
pretty, fearful niece (Jhe culprit's
sister,, to re-read the letter of confession
that had that evening burst like a
bombshell in their midst and caused the
good and simple-m nded people great
sorrow and anxiety of mind.
Lily Courtney held her brothers
singularly jerky and illegibly- written
epistle open before her. Indeed she had
never closed it since it came, but con-
tinued opour over its shaky characters
in the vague hope of cleaning ray of
light tG'ilumine the murky record. At
her uncle's request, she tried hard to
swallow the painful lump that had been
apparently growing in her throat ever
since her startled min took in the
wretched tidings. She was a gentle,
shy.manncred girl, of great personal
beauty and equal modesty; but her
strong, and as yet untried trait OF
character was unselfish devotion. She
loved the dear old pair who had re-
ceived her brother and herself in their
early orphanage, and who had given
every energy and thought TO the educa-
tion and moral training of the other
wise friendlesS children. Without ever
having being out ide of Greenville-
since she came there o little girl ten
years before-Lily knew quite well that
her aunt aud uncle were singularly in
nocent and unwordly people, and,
though she could not help but fail into
many of their primitive ways and illog-
ical views, she was quite sure that
neither of them was fitted to start out
in winter and travel to the great city
where her poor dear brother was in
trouble. She had quite resolved from
the first that she would 60 to him her
self, and when her voice trembled and
the choking sensation oppressed her
most rs she read on, it was when the
conflict between her native timidity and
courageous sense of duty occurred.
The note was dated day or two be-
fore Christmas and written in pencil so
badly that it was difficult to read. Its
style, too, was unlike Iionel's; in fact,
there was no way to account for its alb
rupt and uneven character except thetrue
one. The dreadful snares and tempta-
tions ofthat frightful city, against which
the elder pair, who had never passed
night in its polluted mir, who had 50
faithfully warned him-had seized him
IN their Elusive grasp. He had sue
cumbed; he had strayed and fallen from
grace; some evil being had robbed him,
and now, contrite and helpless, he called
homeward for relief His scrawling
epistle ran thus:
my DEAR UNCLE AND AUNT don't
want Lily to be alarmed Git was she
who had opened the note), 30 / do not
include her. l have had misfortune
/ trusted to myself in these slippery
ways. was fool not TO listen TO coun-
sel-but thought l knew 1t all; the
result is, / became lost, grew confused
and fell. Do not alarm yourself dear
aunt and uncle; l might have been
much worse. As II is, in the confusion,
I lost my pocketbook. The people
among whom, on coming to myself, l
proved to be, are not of the class for me
TO remain dependent on fer asingle day.
Please send or come. / inclose address.
Regret to alarm you. With love.
LIONEL"
Ina different hand was complicated
direction, which Lily carefully detached
and put Il In her pocketbook.
That was the first step taken-the rest