Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-12-27

boy.
As the deacon, smo0thed and brushed
and grumbling still passed out, Mary
came into the room just in time to hear
the vigorous bang her father gave the
door; in time, also, to hear the great
futtering sigh, almost sob, that broke
from her mothers lips.
Father gone p asked the girl,
"Yes, dear, and I'll walk down little
way with you" said her mother, stoop-
ing to pick up the stocking she was
darning, thus hiding her face from her
daughters questioning eyes
"No, mother, [ don't want to go. [
can't let you go out on such cold night.
[ was going more because | thought
father would expect it than for anything
else."
"Perhaps he will not mind, said the
mother, hesitating, g though, as usual,
he was not pleased that did not go. and
/ thought perhaps [ ought. to, If 1t would
make him any happier"
:" But it wouldn't, mother DEAR" said
the young girl, hastily; and. throwing
aside her cloak, she drew a low chair to
her mothers side and gently pulled the
darning from her hands, as she went on:
L
please him in every little thing, the
more fault-finding and exacting he be-
comes"
"Hush, child" and the mothers thin
hand passed softly down the child's
cheek to her lips.
Mary captured it in both her own,
kissed it, aud answered laughingly;
"Don't hush me, mother. I'm not
child any longer, and / see my father as
I would see any other man. The fact
Is, we have spoiled him, until his habit
of finding fault with trihes and holding
somebody responsible for all his discom-
forts, Is almost uncomfortable. He isn't
conscious of it, and if tonight at the
meeting somebody should tell him of it,
he would be as much surprised as ANY,
! body"
"And he would pray as earnestly as
anybody to be delivered from it, said
his wife.
eyes, if they succeeded in making
him believehe had such fault, " laughed
Mary; " but we two, who love him best,
have never dared to let him know we
saw it, SO he would not be easily con-
vinced.
"He's a good man, Mary, good
Christian man, honest as the light"
! "And cross as q bear, and, -"
" Mary!"
" Mother!" and Mary's eyes twinkled.
9 | never knew you to speak SO of
your father"
"But l wish l had spoken long ago,
and I'm going to speak now. I'm going
| to tell him what [ think about it all.
Think what a doleful, fOrlorn Christmas
we had!
" But your father never kept Christ
mas. When he was young the people
of this section thought more of the first
! day of the New Year, and I doubt if he
ever had a present in his life; and when
| your brother used to want TO hang up
his stocking, he would tell him what
! hard times he had rs a child; that he
was glad to get enough to eat, without
asking for presents. OF course, even
when | had saved up a few sixpences to
buy the child gift, such q remark took
the pleasure out of It; so as he grew
older we said nothing about it to his IA
Their, but [ used to manage to slip a new
handkerchief, or a necktie, or pair of
mittens into his drawer.
9 Yes, [ understand it, mother, for
even now, If he looks at me when l have
on new dress, feel suddenly guilty
and as If the old one ought to have
served another year"
"Well, he has a great many cares,
child, and he cannot help being
angry whenever he is in debt. He's
growing old, daughter, and We
mustn't mind his ways. Tonight
he was specially anxious to get off
early, and everything went wrong. You
know he is never late TO church, :" added
the loyal wife, anxious to say ali posi-
bic good.
"AIl that may be true, mother; and
out In the world he bears things like a
man and a Christian. I've no doubt he
will give as good testimony to the mer-
cles Of the past year as any one in the
meeting tonight, but he will fret Just as
quickly If the breakfast is two minutes
late tomorrow morning. [ don't want
his kind of religion, mother. A faith
| that won't help man to keep his tenn
! per isn't worth having" And the girls
face flushed with the energy of her
words.
Stop, stop, my child You don't
know what you are saying Your
DrObucE HARRY Sdlu IIlaG DelOfG lie went
away. Don't let me hear it from an
other child. There's no fault in the
faith. There's no fault in the precious
Christmas gift, sent US from God. If
we take SO sparingly and use SO blindly
that we miss the blessedness that is
every Christians heritage, the fault is
not in the giver of the gift. Your
fathers faith is your mothers, Mary,
and she tells you it has been her only
strength, and comfort and delight. You
will come to know it some time, for your
self, and believe my boy, if he lives,
viii come to know it too. "
Seeing her mothers agitation, the girl
said no more, but gently led her on to
talk of the brother who left home at the
age of 16, and had never been heard from
since. At the time of his departure,
Mary, on the verge Of womanhood, was
years of age, and all through her
childhood and youth her imagination
had PLAYED around her faint memories