Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-11-28


What he did think was that invisibly. but
never TO be escaped from, those walls
would be between him and ali the world.
The reader will infer that this man did
not belong to professional criminals. None
the less did one doubtful, criminal act, or
accident. make him their associate during
the years of imprisonment which followed
az its penalty. and while a weak nature
would have sunk, helpless because hope
less, to the lower deep Of the dangerous
classes his more vigorously endowed
temperament could make the resolve TO
live alone.
Smoke, dust. rattle, puff of steam, and
crowding of passengers, are the unfallIng
incidents of the worknfan's evening train
from Spring Meadow, and on the particu-
lar evening / am describing, it was in
tenselv warm. The sunshine still lay full
and bright on the left bank OF the Con-
necticut, but the hills Of the right shore
were in shadow, and cast their duskiness
upon the quiet surface of the stream. The
train bore swiftly homeward, through
shadow and sunshine, men who had been
in grimy shops, among noisy hammers
and hot furnaces, all the soft spring day.
stopping now here, now there, and losing
at each station some Of its passengers.
There is but one man in the last seat OF
the last car, and the brakeman hardly
needs to shout ..Chairman,' so loudly.
for he has already risen to go out. There
is no recognition of him as he moves
along with the crowd but "a he turns off
at a corner, two fellow workingmen. 90
ing home together just behind him, take
him into their talk.
..Queer fellow that is says the one.
'Do you know him. Charley?"
Not just he don't care TO know any
body
Hes q fine workman, they say"
Yes, indeed has some sort of acquain-
lance at head quarters"
How small this advantage would have
seemed, if the speaker had known that
the Introduction at headquarters was a
letter from the warden of the Albany Pen
itentiarvi
The man so favored had gone on I'M
conscious of their remarks, and was sit
ting in his room waiting for the supper
bell. The Jingle Of the bell at length
arouses him, and with a hesitating move
ment which he has not yet been able to
lay aside, he goes down to the little din
ing-room.
There were but two women at the table.
the house mistress and her one lady in
mate The one was elderly, busy, and
ordinary; the other still young. and as
far from being ordinary as from being
beautiful.
A high. broad, unclassic brow. eyes
deep-set and dark. but not brilliant, and
10 Hood hot EIlnI h.r hnip q
showing in the high check bones, narrow
under-jaw. and thin lips, but the illumna.
ton of the face was in its sweetness and
patience. II Marion Eaton has seeming
iy the pliancv of the reed those who
knew her were well aware that she was
as firm in will. as independent in thought
and action.
Il was now some months since IIarring.
ton had met her. but their acquaintance
had been of the slowest growth. a re-
serve most natural to her, and scarcely
less so to him. but on his own part intsn
sifed by the ever present thought of the
years he had spent in Albany. kept them
almost strangers. though meeting daily al
the same table.
Strolllng away from the village one
Sunday afternoon, when the air was full
of the sweetness OF apple blossoms and
musical with the song OF the cat bird anc
the whistle of the oriole, he stopped OF
a rough bridge, leaning over the guard
rail to watch the flash of the ripples il
the brook and be soothed by their music
His reverie was broken by the sound of 4;
footstep, and a stranger paused, saying
1.-The angel of resurrection has made tn,
earth lovely again-life lord over death
the unceasing mystery of nature
at is fresh as if the world had never
looked so before" Harrington replied.
True. true and il never has looked
Just so. These are new sprays of leaves
and new clusters of blossoms, which ar,
taking their share in creation for the first
time" was the answer as the strange
bowed aud passed on.
II will 90 and hear what that man ha:
to say" thought Harrington, who haC
recognized the stranger rs one of the min
listers of the village. The next Sunday
morning found him at the Church OF tn,
Consolor.
He was not enough used to churcl
going to know how much this church diff
fcred in belief and usages from othe
churches He had only come to hear wha
more this minister might say which woul,
find response in his own thoughts. IL
all that preceded the sermon he gave onl,
ordinary attention, but the words of th'
te~t aroused him. They were WHO cal
forgive sins but God only Pr
'''rhe people who asked this question.
said the speaker, had been startled b,
hearing Jesus say: Tiny sins are forgiven
thee, go in peace Visiblv to their APP
prehension he who uttered this absolutior
was simply man. teacher. a healer @
diseases To some he was a carpenter o
Nazareth; but ut most only a man. Tha
which he had just uttered they recognized
as the expression of divine prerogative
He did not meet their objection by a de
NAL of its truth, but taught them that they
had not understood it entirely. Jesus wh'
came making known the will of the Fathe
protfers to every repentant heart that for
giveness by which the Father will bring
all his children back unto himself. b,
which he will uplift them again whei
they fall as the mother lifts her child whei
it stumbles in its baby attempts to walk.
Be sure, my friends, all of You, tina
there is no barrier but unrepented sin
persistent selfishness, which can even TO
time keep you apart from the conscious
ness of the divine forgivness. May ou