The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-12-22
THE DEAC0N'S CHRISTMAS.

Cur'ftmas day dawned bright and
fair NJ d cola
All The hills around the little country
villa :c of Lanbornton were white with
snow. The ro3ds were trodden hard,
AMI tic prCsl ect for fine sleighing un-
der the light Of nearly full moon
never as better. Deacon Haines' wife
sighed as she put back the curtain from
the bedroom window that morning and
Looked out.
Five years ago, that very day, the
great sorrow of her life had come to
her. How well she remembered that
fateful morning, when, though the sun
shone gloriousiy, and the heavens were
blue and ciGudless, all the life and Joy
blank OF gloom, almost of despair.
TTerty-four years she had been
John Haines' wife, and in all these
years she had never repentod of her
choica There had been many times
when the mans hard nature had
wounded her sensitive spirit, but she
trusted all things to heaven and uttered
no complaint.
Ju t, upright in his dealings, Jeacon
uaiLes was man who never erred-in
his own judgment and mercy was q
word unknown ia his vocabulary. If
people would live as they ought to and
us they might, he was wont to say
sternly, they would not need to be for
ever crying for forgiveness.
If the deacon's right hand had
offended him he would have cut it of,
thus obeyipg the Scripture literally
He was religious to fault, for there is
such thing as carrying even 2ne's
piety too far, until it becomes a curse
instead Of blessing. In the simple
faith OF an obedient soul there is peace
and rest, but in the bigoted fanaticism
of self,righteous maxwell never
mind the rest, 1 am writing q story
and not sermon.
Deacon Haines had only one child
beautiful, fair-haired, blue-eyed girl,
and in his stern, ascetic way, he idol
il d this girl. When she was eighteen
years Of age she fell in love with Royal
Clayton.
When the news of this reached the
deacon his rage was terrible. He
struck his foot upon the floor and
raN ed with what was almost an oath,
that if ever she spoke to him again he
would disown her forever. Emma had
something of her fathers own spirit,
and she loved Royal with all the
strength of her fond young heart, and
she told the deacon without hesitation
that she would follow love instead Of
duty.
Five years before, on that Christmas
day, Emma had left her home without
the knowledge of her parents, and be-
came the wife of the man she loved.
Immediately after the ceremony the
young couple had taken the cars for
the West, and only once had any tidings
of them reached Lanbornton. A letter
came to the deacon in Emma's hand
writing, but the inhexible old man had
brought it himself from the postoffice,
and in the Irasence of his wife had
laid it unopened upon the fire and
watched it shrink to ashes.
He had no child, he said, sternly-
he would hold no communication with
one who was none OF his.
Emma's name was forbidden to be
mentioned in the household. A SER
yant-girl who Inadvertently referred to
Miss Emma in the deacon's hearing
was az once dismissed, and poor Mrs.
Haines, having once been betrayed into
a burst of tears by coming suddenly
upon some article of clothing which
had been last worn by her child, re-
ceived such dreadful admonitioD that
she did not get over trembling for a
week.
Mrs. Haines was one of those gentle,
clipging creatures, who ought to be-