The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-12-21

iiouI Iooui, visible 10 nlm through tht
open window, o lady in the weeds O
widowhood was gently rocking near
table at which youth Of sixteen or sew
enteen was reading aloud from a booi
which lay open on the table The lamt
shone upon the faces of both the reade
and the tranquil listener, whose eye
were, resting with an expression of per
iect happiness on her son.
Was it the sudden rushing of memor,
across the boundary lying between BIZ
present life. aud another like that pictur
ed through the window there, that briug.
the gambler TO his feet and the painec
expression 10 his face? His eyes are in
tently fixed Oh the picture as he .oftl,
takes the few steps which bring him tt
the fence, within hearing and bettel
view OF the two within the room. ii,
leans over the pickels, looking and listen
Ing g-looking IN tho he eau barely rcsis
a yearning to get yet near 10 them-lis
tening as the boy turning the pages rend,
passages that are marked in the books
book be too had read from thousand
times, when ne WAS figure in q living
picture, the exact counterpart of thi,
one:
For / was my fathers sou, tender and
only beloved in the sight of my mother
Hear, O! my son. and receive my
savings; and tho years of my life shall be
many. :
"Ihave taueh, theo in the way of wis.
dom; have led thee in the right paths
Enter not in the path of the wicked
and go not in the paths Of evil men. a
al.
tions that causeth to err from the words
Train up child in the way he should
go, aud when he is old, he will not de.
part from it,"
The Good BOOK was at length closed,
when the mother arose and, going TO the
boy, put her arms around his neck and
kissed him.
Remember, my son, the good counsel
you have just read-.remembcr and be
guided by it all through life" she said
affectionately.
II thank you, mother" answered the
boy, "for marking my Bible for me;
think can never forget your counsel.
But even il were to do 70 for time,
mother, do you know i believe your
many prayers would follow me wherever
might go, aud would at last be answered,
| and by Bome means would be returned
to the paths in which you have raised
ME to walk"
o, happy Gays beyond the boundary,
| consecrated by our mothers prayers do
| they not come back to us all ut times, ns
some animated picture, reminding of
scenes in our childhood, j, encountered
in our walks through the darkness of
cares aud misfortune!
The boy closing the shutters did not
see the figure kneeling at the fence, nor
hear the lowly, tremulous utterances of
prayer, nor dream Of the change Of heart
and life he had been instrumental in ef.
fectlng in man notorious in wickedness.
Early the following day the gambler
with bis own hands destroyed the furni.
ture of his gambling rooms and turned
over the keys to the owner Of the prop
erty, and on the following Sabbath one
OF the city churches received an applica-
tion for membership from the ex.river
| reprobate, Frank Latimer.
CHAPTER III.
Measured by its unselfshness and pu.
ri.y, the effection Of Christian mother
is the paragon of all human loves. 1t is
the first extended to the nursing child,
It is the tenderest he knows through life,
| and If he precedes her from life her tears
are the most bitter shed over his grave.
The most beautiful picture ever drawn on
earth's canvas is that of mother enfold
| ing tondly IN her arms and gazing ado
ringly in the face of her sleeping infant.
What vistaa no bright az those which fit
before her vision of that child grown out
Of long clothes and prattling ut her
Enppu-opovvp l;ttfa 1..oa. ..l 1911
ing by her side, bis face $50 much like
they walk together her arm is drawn
through his, and abe IL proud of the no.
BILE fellow, 80 graceful and strong-and
now he is full grown man and she ons
Of an assemblage, hot hushes of delight
crimsoning her cheeks as shouts of ap.
| plause greet the eloquent uttefances Of
the gifted speaker--her sou-her darling
boy still. Her eyes dilate with ecstacy
at the enchanting vista, and she impul.
| sively presses soft kiss upon the cheru.
| bic lips of the sleeping child.
How many of us have disappointed
our mothers' dreams Of honcred and use.
| ful lives and yet who of us for our in.
| gratitude have known the losa of q moth.
er's love, or will, even down to the hour
when the now faded eyes that were 80
| bright over the vista beyond the bounda
ry, will be closed to look upon US in af.
fection never more7
But 70 return TO our story! It is
Christmas day, and Sabbath day, FOR
the 25lh Of December, 1870, as all will
remember fell on Sunday. The place
is an Alabama village, noted for its edu.
cational institutions, end into one of it's
residences we take the reader, Just be.
fore the hour when the villagers will at.
tend at church the services announced
for the day. In the group before the sit
ting room fire Is woman Of sixty years
or more, whose hair is OF even o snowier
age, and there is clearly
TROUBLES trace,
In tho lines that mar the dear old face"
She is favorite with all in the group
lis the grey haired, patiently spoken
little aunt-but her mind is on some sub.
ject long way of, and 90 every one
| about her evidently knows, aud is in a
| considerate way seeking to cheer her
| spirits. As her head now end then sinks
upon her breast and fixed expression of
pain settles over her face, the young peo.
pie exchange gIsuces. and then some one
speaks to her. when she raises ber head
aud eudeavors to assume an appearance
and tone of cheerfulness as she answers
| the speaker.
At length the bell sounds, aud when
all have made ready. they proceed to the
church. which Is close by, the nunt sup.
ported by the arm of nephew. In the
| pulpit with the village clergyman IA n