The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-04-28

! This is not pleasant reading. 1t is fan
I from being pleasant writing. 20 p
"a father TO the fatherless is God il
his holy habitationn' Think OF this
o mother, whose household. contains
one of these children of the Highest
Think of it rs you gather your little
ones around the glowing fireside foi
song or story, and make room for t he
stranger within your doors. Wher
you divide the boarded store of cakes
| or apples, remember that his own little
| milk teeth are as eager for sweets as
| your own darling's, and be there much
or little, give him a share. When your
hand is laid caressingly upon your own
children's heads, let its light pressure
also touch hisyoung brow. Who knows
but it may be there like u consecrating
chrism, amounting him for noble deeds
for God and humanity? Do these
things, and do them now. Check OF
your kindly impulses until it is too late,
until the thin hands are crossed within
the coffin, and the sad eyes-hungry
for mothers kiss-have gone to tell
their pitiful story to Him who has said,
'.Sufler the children" or worse, until II
young soul shall have grown hardened;
and a little one, offended by you,- shall
have become a curse and clogging mill
stone upon the neck of society.
But to return to my story. Left
alone in the great barn the sensitive
child endured the two-fold agony of
nervous terror and anticipated suffering.
But he had not long to wait. Soon the
heavy boots of old Beeson were heard
tramping across the cow-yard into the
barn. Robbie stole one fugitive glance
as he entered, saw the hard-set face;
saw the long black whip trailing from
his hand, and the last vestige of hope
was gone.
'tNow, you young rascal, I'll pay
you for your carelessness," cried the
bitter master, as he. caught sight of the
covering form; and sezing the trem-
bling boy by the arm, he raised the
whip like a great stiifening serpent,
high in the air. Hs
But why did it not descendp The
boy, who had closed his eyes, and set
his teeth hard, wondered at the delay.
From somewhere above came Il rushing
grasped and held with. grip of iron.
What could it mean? Had God sent
one of his mighty angels down to res
cue the little waif, too hopeless to inn
plore his protection? 1t well might be
so, for our Father is not Indifferent to
the troubles of His suffering children;
but the eyes of his glorious deliverer
were cleaning with too much indig-
nant fury and human passion for those
of heavenly visitant -4
''Chris!' The one glad cry burst
from Robbie's lips, and then, unnoticed
by either, he sank sobbing among the
hay and straw littering the floor.
Coward! hypocrite! traitorr' These
were the words which burst impetu-
ously from the young mans lips, and
with each epithet u stunning blow was
planted in the breast of the farmer.
''Is it thus you treat the little brother /
entrusted to your carep Were il not
that since l have been away from your
l have learned to be some-
thing of which you do not even know
the meaning-a gentleman--I would
take the horsewhip and fay you within
an inch of your life. Well, indeed, it
in treating him kindly before L gave of
my hard earnings for the boys board.
Here in my pockets are four hundred
dollars designed for you-payment for
every week he has been here-but not
one copper of it will you see now. On
the contrary, 1 shall use it TO prosecute
you to the utter limit of the law"
And he kept his word. This youth.
whose energy and pluck had won the
victory in hand-to-hand struggle with
the world. was not likely to be troubled
with morbid pity for his adversary; and
with Sues fair, honest face on the wit
ness-boX. not only was the full measure
of justice obtained, but the hard, grasp
ing farmer was disgraced forever in the
eyes of his friends and neighbors.
Aside from the tri;imph concerning
his little brother, the trial resulted most
happily for Chris. himself. While |
seeking to redress an injustice and a
wrong, like his illustrious namesake,
he discovered another fair realm--even
the sweet old Eldorado of love. And
now, when the western sun sinks amid
the fowery prairies of Missouri, his last
beams gild a cottage porch, where Of
ten sits slender student youth and a
broad shouldered, bronze-faced pioneer
the rescuer and the rescued; while |
above them beams the soft, womanly
face of happy Sue-wife and sister
loved and honored beyond all the
world.