The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-06-11

StealS MS traps Snau Slauu on Tie
other. That is what the Book says,
and it sartainly is reasonable; for
the deeds that be did on earth be Of
two sorts, and the folks that do 'em
be of two kinds, and atween, must
make diyidin' line"
And when do you think this
Judgment is, John Norton?" asked
the gambler, as he was enjoying the
crude but honest idea of his compan-
ion. The trapper hesitated for mo-
ment, then said:
81 conceit that the Judgment is al
ways goin' on. It's a Court that new
err adjourns, and the deserters and
the knaves and the disebedieht in
the regiment be always on trial; but
/ conceit that there comes a day to
every man, good and bad, when the
record of his deeds be looked over
from the start, and the good and bad
be counted up, and in that day he
gifts the final judgment whether it be
for or agin him. And now, boy
continued the old man, solemnly,with
touch of infinite tenderness in the
vibration of his voice, eye be nigh
Judgment day yerself, and the deeds
We have did, both the good and the
bad, will be passed in review before
ye."
Il reckon there isn't much chance
for me, if your view is sound, John
Norton" r.
For the first time his voice lost it's
cheerful recklessness.
"The Court be of mercy; and the
Judge looks upon 'em that comes up
for trial as eff he was their loving ia
Their"
THAT ends it, old man." answered
the gambler. "My father never show
ed me any mercy when ] was u boy.
If he had i shouldn't have been here
now. If / did a wrong deed, | got
it to the last inch of the LASH" and
the words were more intensely bitter
because spoken so quietly.
''The father of the 'arth, boy, be
not like the father of heaven, for /
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 life; they whipped
when they should have forgiven, and
got what they earnt-the 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 'em haven't had n
fair chance, and so he overlooks
much; and when he can't overlook, |
conceit he sorter forgives in a lump.
Yes, he subtracts all he can from the
evil we have did, boy, and eff that
isn't enough to satisfy his feelings
toward man that might have been
different eff he'd had a fair start,
he just wipes the whole row of figures
at the asking"
cat the askingg' said the gamb-
Ter; "that's mighty quick game.
Did you ever pray, John NortonY'
| "Sartin, sartin, ! be a praying
man." said the trapper, sturdily.
d" AT the asking?" 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 a quick DEAL" said the
gambler, speaking to himself, utterly
unconscious of the incongruity of his
speech to his thought. Its quick
deal, but l can see that it might end
as he says, if the feeling was right"
For moment nothing was said.
The trapper stood looking steadfast-
ly at the young man on the moss; he
lay with his face turned up to the
sky, to whose color had come the
first shade Of awful Wilderness.
Up the mountain a rifle cracked.
Neither stirred. A red squirrel ran
out upon the limb twenty feet above
the gamblers head, and shook the
silence into fragments with his chat
tering; then, sat gazing with startled
silence at the two men underneath.
"Can you pray, old man?" asked
the gambler, quietly.
Sartinly," answered the trapper
"Can you pray in words?" asked
| the gambler again.
For moment the trapper hesita
ted, then he said 81 can't say that
l can. No, / sartinly can't say that
| / could undertake it with reasona-
BILE chance of getting through; least
wise it wouldn't be in way to help
man any"
I" Is there any way, old man, in
which we could go partners?" asked
the gambler, the vocabulary Of whose
profession still chung to him in this
solemn counseling.
81 was thinking of that" answered
the trapper; "yis, l was thinking
eff we couldn't sorter jine the words,
and each help the other by dom his
own part himself. VS." continued
the old man after moments refec-
ton, "the plans good un-ye pray
for yerself, and I'll pray for myself
and eff can get in anything that
seems likely to do we service We can
count on it as We can on grooved
| barrel"
Sand now, boy" said the trapper,
with n solemn enthusiasm slich AZ