Daily Republican., 1881-04-22
And the awful thought entered his

Anu tNt dWlill lhOHSnb ellItTeu HIS
mind-why not rob the lman? How
easily he could come upon him, sleeping
peacefully. one blow of the axe stand,
ing near, and the deed was done-the
money would be his own.
The mau himselfhad revealed the fact
that no one knew that he possessed 81
| large SUN, and that he had met no
one on the road that day.
| And even though the tramp were
/ missed, who would eyer SUSPECT him OF
such IA Crilue--hr, "hone,t WOrden, -
the upright and honorable, a deacon in
! the church.
The powers of darkness got hold of
/ that old man standing there. lnyolun-
! tarily he drew near. Tho axe WAS ia
his hand he stopped over ,he sleeper,
! close, closer, then II toOtatep behind him
aroused him
His wife stood at his side, She had
missed him from the house, and .row-
ing uneasy had come in search Of him.
Why, father" she began in surprise
as her eyes fell on the sleeping stranger.
who is his ."
She stopped above him, and gazing
iute the sleGper'S face, uttered loud
shrek. In moment more she had his
face upon her breast and her arms about
him, and she was calling him by all the
long-lo>i pet names Of his childhood -
cher son who was dead, and is alive
again--was lost, and is found.
With an awful pang at his heart, and
n horrible darkness stealing over his
senses, old Farmer Wordon'S bewilder-
ed mind grasped the truth lie had
contemplated the murder of his own
son With II low moan ho fell upon
the floor in commissions
Days after the old man came back to
the full possession of his faculties. lie
beckonr,l his wife to his be iside.
"WelI, wif", " hehegan, trebly, when
must we leave the old place ,"
"Nevrr" Sobbed tho obi woman,
hurying her face in the pillow beside
him. "Oh, such good news :" she cried,
joyiully, raising her head again, and
turning her wrinkled face towards him
with a great Joy shining in her eyes.
"Harry's come back, you know And
he's got Il power o money You see,
fat her, She went on, softly, laying her
feeble hand on his grey head, Il knew
Our Harry couldn't be guilty o takin'
that money, and ao-surr enough, his
employers found out the whole truth.
There WAS clerk in their store that
WAS powerful jealous o Our Harry, and
so STOLE the money and laid ton Harry.
" .Attrrward, '-h"rr the old Wonan's
voice sank into Il whisper, "the thief
confessed all and you remember Mr..
Darcy sent you word that he wanted 10
see vou, and-and-yUu remember,
father
4 grnan burst from tho old mans
lips; he nodded his feeble head.
"Well, that's what he wantrd--to tell
youa all, But when Ee found out you did
not care to hear, he wrote our Harry a
letter and cleared him of all the shame
and suspicion, and he gave Harrya fine
chance to travel for the store, and paid
him hg wages Wal, Harry Spcculated
good deal and was always lucky; and,
father, onr boy ) come hume--hr want
ed to surprise uS, that's why he came
in the way he did; and he's paid off that
mortgage and settled the old place on
us, for all our lve> Father you sc
been to hard on ottr boy
"Nrs, yes, know H." sobbod the old
man, brokenIy. "l've been an unnatural
tathrr--a hard hearted, miserable
wretch. And but for Gods mercy, I'd
u been ssnrthin' wOrsc."
And there, in the presence Of his wife
and son, the old man told of the awful
temptation that had darkrurd the doors
of his heart When he had finished,
Harry put his arms around them both.
Come he cried, chGerttlly. "l"t us
oaver ny the past; il is not a pleasant
thing to look back upon. Let us be
happy while we are to- GetheT, forgetting
and torgiving each others faults and
tAIiugS, and remember that, Of all the
divine aui Chri,t.llko attributrS-thr
greatest of Charity"