The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-06-23

buU now ne was Ill extremity. ne Sttal
gered to seat beneath the oak, the vel
seat where Edgar and Agnes had been a
customed to rest after their occasions
saunterings together by the creek or alon
the EMPOWERED lanes, and his gray hea
went down upon his hands. His Who'll
heart was concentrated in vchemen
worldless prayer which was fain to bea
against the Almighty's throne. No feelin
of Gods paternity entered his mind at tina
intense moment. No remembrance o
Christ as the great High Priest, who plead
for the children of men with Il brother
tender comprehension OF their wants. n
thought of the Holy Spirit with its sacre'
influences, came to him, as, shaken, TEN
pest-tOssed, and almost heart-broken, II
cried to God, the Strong One, who c0uls
hear him, if He would. The God of tn
Deacon's imagination was a despot, but
despot who could be gracious. An Orth0
dox Congregational deacon, believing il
and accepting all the doctrines OF III
church as he understood them, he prayed
as Saxon miDht have prayed to Thor, a
Roman to Jupiter or Hindoo to Vishnu
that his child might be spared. Sinkin,
to his knees, in the agony of his still nn
voiced supplication, the cry Of his sou
broke forth into speech:
"Lord! give me back my Agnes, my
darling the one precious thing of my life
Let her not die, l beseech thee! Lord
listen. Thou hast ten thousand times ten
thousand in thy Heaven. Why dost thor
want my little eve lamb? Oh, let her live
Let her live, and / will give thee whatso
ever thou shalt require. My money, if thou
askest it, to the uttermOst iarthing. My
will-if it be counter to thine. | will sur.
render it wholly. Yea, Lord, let Agnes
live, though she sit at the tireside of
another and break bread in the house that
l hate. Take not the sunshine out of the
world, Lord, though it shine not on me.
Hear my prayer, for thy dear Sons sake. "
Amen" said a low voice, and, looking
up, the Deacon saw that his prayer had
had another than divine listener Edgar
Murray walking homeward on the bound
anytime had heard the flow of the Deacon's
petition; ard as he stood there, bare-head-
ed, the Amen had welled up from his heart
almost before he was aware of it.
Can man go nowhere to be alone %
exclaimed the Deacon. "Must he be fol-
lowed and spied upon under his own trees
and on his own ground?"
That instictive animosity was dominant
in moment, though the prayer had
died upon his lips.
II beg your pardon, SIR said Edgar.
humbly. II did not mean to intrude but
I have just come from the house, and Hugh
tells me there is a shade, ut least, of hope.
Agnes has fallen asleep. She may he better
when she awakes."
The shade of hope was not an hallucina-
lion. Very slowly, very TREMENDOUSLY, al
most imperceptibly, the young girl passed
into the several stages OF c0nyalescence.
50 gradual was her improvement that it
was measured by weeks. From day to day
no change was apparent; but from week to
week q slight progress was visible, and,
after awhile, pale but beautiful, she re-
sumed her place in the household and took
up one by one her old tasks. Like lily,
like wild rose, like bit of mignonette
she frightened and sweetened the place
where she dwelt. Hers the mission which
no woman need despise to make people
happy, to charm away their sullen moods,
appeared.
Only with her father she had lost her
old magic. His smiles grew infrequent and
his temper more capricious and uncertain
than ever.
II don't know what to think of Deacon
said the pastor, Mr.. Denbigh,
who for thirty years had labored in the
Hillside church, He was talking conf
dentially with his wife. HE is becoming
more cranky and crotchetty every day. l
did hope that the illness Of his child would
have wrought a change; but, if SO, it is a
change for the worse. am informed that
he forbids young Murray to enter his door;
and when asked him to increase his SUBJ
scription to our Domestic Board, he treated
me as though were begging for myself.
Adversely hardens man when it does not
refine him.
ut may be" said the pastors gentle wife,
shat God is striving with the Deacon.
There is good in him, am sure think
he is not at peace with God, or with him
self just now. He knows he is in the wrong
about Agnes, and he is, therefore, not COM
Portable. Perhaps, dear, We have not prayed
Tor him as we ought"
The plain fact was that the Deacon was
exceedingly uncomfortable in his mind.
He had offered agenuine prayer and pledg-
ed an honest vow, fully meaning to keep
his word, while in his heart had been a
vague idea Of Precipitation, as he knelt be-
meath the oak. When Agnes had first be-
gun to grow stronger, his resolution had
been firm to fulfill his word; but as she
had crept onward to health, it had loosened
its hold upon him. Could miracle have
been performed, and the maiden have
arisen from her couch. ut one triumphant
bound, from death to life, he would have
been awed and overwhelmed and in haste
to make good his word to the Almighty.
The comparative slowness of her restora-
ton had given time to his nature to assert
itself, and he was really more ill-tempered,
cross-grained and cburlish than he had
been before. Even to Agnes he was some
times harsh; the more SO that, under her
soft exterior and Winsome ways, the slender
girl had an underlying subsoil Of granite
not unlike his own character and far firmel
than the fabric Of which her gentle mother
was made.
Agnes loved her father, hut she loved
her friend too. II Edgar were prohibited
from visiting her at her own hearth, she
WIS not ashamed to meet him openly I'M.
der the sky !; to walk with him to the choi,
rehearsals, and to go riding with his sister
while he held the reins and his swift horses
the admiration Of the country, trottei
smoothly up hill and down vale and .ovel
l the hartl hoaufif,1 Annr- 1;Lo road. ,s,l,:xl