Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1881-07-23

auo ioAS CuIllOg oeyc!AS0es which started
Ike MS lawn like eyes with quick app.e-
hension and timidity boy who played |
with Ill intensity, kept doing something all |
DAY long without the power to rest, walked |
on alone, and egen when alone spoke with |
himself, chased@he geese with little legs as |
lean and swift, and at the table eating his |
meals could not sit very still nor bear to 81, |
all the morning IN church hearing the ser.
mon because his heart was too rapid in his
narrow little chest, where every rib could
be counted against his tender flesh and
skin. In the morning he was awake al ear
liest light; at evening his tired nature
yielded to the deep sleep of exhaustion.
His mother feared she could never raise
him TO se man. His father thought he
was TOD Tong becJninga a man in gravity,
sobriety and formal obedience
'What ails my son T. the father sternly
asked. ''He is ra,tle-headed and without
stability. | fear for him. DO you chastlse
him enoughs Spare not the rod lest he
grow beyond you and your rule.''
"Alas." exclaimed the mother, che has
his little woFld We cannot see, perhaps
He is growing and sensitive The doctor
says we must not push him at his studies,
but let HIM Play all he can, till his frame
| Is equal to his brain"
The father shook his head and spoke
sternly 70 the boy, and feared he was going
| to give them all trouble growing up SO sell
dom moulded and unrestralned
All day tie little boy was doing some
thing, carrying the Cat by the tail, carry
| ing the dog under his arm, making pictures
| On paper, OF engines, and steamboats,, and
Indians, and bellows.
s'He will be an artist" said his mother.
hopefully.
''He will spoil the library" exclaimed
the father, suspiGously.
Antagon.sm grew up between the father
and the boy. born on the boys part, of
fear on the fathers, Of criticism and Sc
verify. The boy ran to his mother and
asked her protection from his fathers sus-
pecting eye. The father feared his wife
was spolliag the son with mistaken gener-
osity and allowance. At times the fathers
habltual suspicion broke away like the
clouds above hard, humid Britain, and he
laid his rigorous books of theology down
TO take his boy walking, and they grew a
little nearer. Then again the father OBJ
served some voluptuous tendency in the son
which started his fears anew; some taste
for worldly, passing modes and joys.
''Wlfe," said he. ''do you ever give our
boy money!"
"a little" she said; a few pennies to
buy drawing materials and colors he will
be an artist think"
Money exclaimed the sire. 'is the
root OF all evil. You mad better give HIM
fire or poison. He will become ruined
spendthrlft.'
The idea that his wife gave the chile
money operated in the fathers head like
jealousy or revenge; it tstinted everything G
about his sons conduct, and he believed
his witehad deliberately set to indulge bel
child at the expense of his SOUL
| One morning, thinking of such things
} the father lay awake in bed and gentle
noise disturbed him. The sun was nearly
up, though 1t was scarcely 5 o'clock, ant
the light air striking through the cham
i Der curtains, showed little boy in hl
night gown stealing along the floor towart
: the foot Of hls fathers bed. Lying per
+, fectly still, with eyes almost closed, th'
r father saw that small, large headed child
c unable perhaps to sleep yet careful not t
!
r covelousness upon his fathers trousers an,
y vest hanging upon nail. He glance'
I sharply toward his faith to see il he wa
!? quite asleep, and then swiftly. like IittI
y bird. hoped upon char and ran his lea
q white tingers into his fathers Vest ptcke,
!. "Hal thought the father. ''My sob i
4 my pockets by stealth, before am awake
= and initiating the bad example of my wife
+ who often, perhaps searches unauthorized
tkere!'
~ As he said this a dreadful idea crosse
n his mind. That son, spoiled by the mott
II er'S indulgence, already corrupted b
,s spending money, was thief-a thief Will
ye, child He rose ln bed and spoke
voice of thunder:
''Robert, you are stealing my money :"
:. Horror froze the boy; he dropped frol
: the chair like a cat, and was into his ow
bed in the next room aad covered his fat
with the sheets. Anguish and stern resoly
possessed al once the falhor's slricke
!. heart. He had delayed too long TO cha
tise his wayward son now gliding into run
- 1t mus, be dcne, hard though the tIous
II should be. He awoke his wife, and su
4 pressing her replies with an iron will. r
u lated the story Of her depraved chll
u 'Henceforth,' he SAID, l must be the na
lssraie and mother instead Of you Robc'
l come dress yourself -
He thrust the frightened mother bac
The boy fell on his knees, bu, could n
speak one word, SO large the knot III
e gathered IN his Ii tie throat 50 reso!ute /
l" startled, fawn-like eyes, as if agony a.
perversi,y worked together TO make hi
us obdurate Dowp the stars and into the
oi chard, away from sight, the father bore
"' child, and making him kneel upon ,
"e grass, s,auck hard and slow wi,a swi,
lie Of the apple tree, tell ng his boy 10 conf.
yet dumb as lsasc upon the altar benea
he lis fathers knife, the shrinking chlldtlo
'e' Of the boy received his hard chas;iseme'
ny Carried back, all trembling as with a CT
OF death, 10 the house OF mourning, The
tic boy was laid IN his bed, sill iroz
tight OF speech and only the oinimen: ci
lra mothers tears fell on his tortured back q
lie iamine narrowed shoulders, bu. his IA
oV eyes turned 10 little box ,nas lie kep,
treasures IN, and they placed II N his
.us where he las al iay slxalng from his II