The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1881-06-16

~h&a hHe pNNIic ui bVNs
> Willing to do anything TO soothe h
mothers agiiaied feelings. Mary wnppe
her warmly, and together they walked or'
! the white road TO the church door. III
notes Of a hymn came out TO greet thel
On the still air, The vestry was filled an
the two women slipped into back sea
When the music ceased they sat with bow
ed heads each thinking her own thought
for the dying year, when voice broke OF
on their car so changed and soitened ths
they hardly recognized, a, first the voic
Of Deacon Frost After few broken sci
tences it grew clearer. and he told OF HI
struggles with poverty. OF his effort I
hold his home, and Of his hard conyiotio
that God was looking after everybody
welfare but his, and leaving him, thoug
he had tried to servo Him, 10 fight hi
battles alone. He told them Of the humil
iation and bitterness with which. this yer.
night, he had gone TO the house Of hi
creditor with the admission that he coul,
not pay his debt, and that he had beel
met there with the smiling statement tina
the debt, principal and interest, had thi
day been paid by friend. or by friends
who wished to remain unknown. He hat
no unknown friends God must hay,
moved the hearts Of these, his brethren, tC
such compassion on his anxiety and care
and the act had been rs heaping Goals o
fire upon his heart, lighting it till he saw
his hardness and sin, warming il till il
melted to gratitude and love to God and
to those who had done this good to him
who had tried to love God, with very little
love to his fellow men.
He made a bad piece of work of the
story, but the people knew he felt it and
that he was going into the New Year with
a new love in his heart.
And there we're tears running down the
white, wrinkled face in the back seat. The
Descon's wife was glad she came.
They sang verse, and Mary's voice was
sweet and clear Young Nelson heard it;
the Deacon saw him turn in search of
Mary in the crowd, yet strange to say, no
anger arose in his heart.
The moments sped on There was still
ness. Every heart was silently laying its
burden upon the breast of the dying year
its burden of the things to be cleft
behind" before the soul could "press for
ward toward the mark" 1t was all very
sweet and still, and the Deacon's wife felt
how good it was to be there, when there
arose from her side tho tall form of man
who had occupied the seat alone when the
mother and daughter came in. She had
not looked at him, but now as she gazed
at the erect figure and the bearded face,
she saw and knew her son. A stihed moan
escaped her lips. His eyes looked tenderly
down upon her and gave her strength,
Shs clung to the hand he gave her, and
bowed her face upon it while he spoke:
cannot let the old year go, he said
sitting hsrsamong my old neighbors, with
out telling them the blessing that the year
has brought me. 1t has been the year of
birth to me--of birth into the only real
lite-that hidden with Christ in God.
Thirteen years ago, on the last night Of the
year, while my parents prayed here with
you, / turned my back ON you and on my
home, on my baby sisters face, on my
mothers tears, and began my life OF wan
derings. They have lasted many years;
they have led me into many forbidden
paths; but in every one, however far
astray, l have heard the voice Of God call
ing me. / have seen my mothers face
for me through the nights, and
as each year brought around the
Of my flight, have felt her
prayers following me. | have heard her
speaking tendsrly to me again and again
have remembered the love with which
tho made and hid for me the little Christ
mas gifts, and / resolved to arise, and
While this year still fingered, to bring my
'slf back to my mother, and to acknowl.
,dge before you oil the wonderful mercy
md love which l have found in returning
o my mothers God.
And as the last words died upon his
ips, and he sat down. throwing one strong
lrm around his mother and drawing her
read to his shoulder, the Deacon knew
rom whom his New Years gift had come.
Forgive me, Harry, he said aloud, NOV
ng with outstretched hand, and the tears
treaming over his rough face, to the side
4 his son.
Nay, father, forgive me; and as they
lasped each others hands, the old church
lock struck twelve.