Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-03-31

INV Nio'oihaIit 5tciHtu we PRAISES, llON
to freight the prayers with
my heartache. At last, against your
fathers wishes, | crept out and came
home. You were safely asleep in your
little crib, and had said to Harry, n
| went out, Take good care of your
little sister"
"a strange fear had taken possession
of m that he meant to go away Once
when angry, he had threatened to go,
and his father answered, You will be-
glad to come back to me for your
bread, and could not forget that the
thought of going had once crossed his
mind. This recollection and this fear
made me bid him watch over you. He
was very fond Of you, and | tried, as |
walked home, to believe that he would
not leave you alone. But | went from
room to room in the lower part of the
house; passed with trembling steps
up to his chamber. He was not there.
searched for some IN Message, some
word or line to say that he loved his
mother, and | found at last what has
been a comfort all these years, little
note pinned to your nightdress rs you
lay in the little crib. | have it now. |
kept it near me till | wore it out, so
that | feared | could not read the
words, i am going, mother, | know
not where, nor for how long, but shall
not come back to father for any oreadl
But | love you, mother, and if | live |
will come back to you,' | have waited
for him ever since, Mary, and since
that day have never been once to the
service"
"Oncc there came to us the story of
a wreck of vessel bound from New
York to South America, and among
the names of the lost was one like that
of ny boy. But | do not believe him
dead. | wait and watch for him still,
and your father knows it, and | think
it irritates and disturbs him, for every
year he urges me to go. | have felt
that | could never do it, but somehow
tonight | feel as though | woul like
to try it again. Let us walk down to-
gether, child, and have this last hour Of
the year with the people of God"
Willing to do anything to soothe her
NJ" llers agitated feelings, Mary wrap
ped her warmly, and together they
walked ever the white road to the
church door. The notes of n hymn
came out to greet them on the still air
The vestry was filled and the two wo-
men slipped into Il back seat When
the music ceased, they sat with bowed
heads, each thinking her own thoughts
for the dying year, when a voice broke
out on their ear so changed and soften
ed that they hardly recognized at first
the voice Of Deacon Frost. After a
few broken sentences it grew clearer,
and he told of his struggles with power
ty, of his effort to hold his home, and
of his hard conviction that God was
looking after everybody's welfare but
his, and leaving him, thought he had
tried to serve Him. to fight his battles
alone. He told them Of the humilia-
ton and bitterness with which, this
very night, he had gone to the house
Of his creditor with the admission
that he could not pay his debt, princi-
pal and interest, had this day been
paid by friend, or by friends, who
wished to remain unknown. He had
no unknown friends. God must have
moved the hearts Of these, his breth-
rem, to such compassion on his anxiety
and care, and the act had been rs
heaping Goals Of fire upon his heart,
lighting it till he saw his hardness and
sin, warming it till it melted to graft
Jude and love to God and to those who
nad done this good to him who had
ried to love God, with very little love
o his fellow-men.
He made bad piece of work of the
story, but the people knew he felt it
md that he was gong into the New
ear with new love in his heart.
And there were tears running down
he white, wrinkled face in the back
seat The Deacon's wife was glad she
,ame.
They sang verse, and Mary's voice
vas 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
leart.
The moments sped ON. There was
Every heart was silently lay
ng its burdens upon the breast of the
lying year--its burden of the things to
,e left behind before the soul could
press forward to the mark" 1t was
ii very sweet and still, and the Dea-
.ons wife felt how good it was to be
here, when there arose from her side
he tall form of a man who had occu- |
lied the seat alone when the mother |
md daughter came in. She had not
ooked mt him, but now rs she gazed at !
bn aracf fipuro and tho hparda1 face