Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1882-12-27

=, 49, 1a4 80
of finding fault with trihes and holding
somebody responsible for all his discom-
forts, Is almost uncomfortable. He isn't
conscious of it, md if tonight at the
meeting somebody should tell him OF it,
he :wonid be- rs much surprised as auy :
body"
And he would pray rs earnestly as
anybody to be delivered from it" said
his wife.
Yes, if they succeeded in making
him believe he had such fault, laughed
Mary; but we two, who love him best,
have never dared to Jet him know Ne
saw It, soshs would mot be seasily con
"Hes . good. man. Mary i good
Christian 1nan, honest as theTGRht--.-- :, 3
Aud cfons as q bear. and, 8 ~ 81
"Marys"
Mother!" and Mary's eyes twinkled.
II never knew you to speak SO of
your father"
= But I wish I had spoken long ago,
and In. gring to speak now. Pm going
tc tell him what | think about It ali.
Think what doleful, forlorn Christmas
we had!" .-..,~.,, -. 80 ---.-,.--
"But your father never kept Christ
mas. When heSwas young the people
Of this section thought more Of the first
day of the NewYear, and doubt if he
Fever had 4 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 child; that he
was glad to get enough to eat. without
asking for presents. OF course, even
.when Ihad saved up few si&pences to
buy the child gift, such remark took
the pleasure out Of It; so as he grew
older we said nothing about it to his ia
ther, but 1 used to manage to slip new
handkerchief, or necktie, or pair of
mittens into hisfdrawer."
- Eyes, II understandable, mother for
even now, if he looks at me when / have
on new dress, I feel Suddenly guilty
aud rs if the old one ought to have
served another yeer.' 49,, p. =
well. he has q great many cares,
child, and he cannot help being
angry whenever he is in debt. He's
growing DID,. 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-
BILE good.
"All that may be true, mother; and
out in the world he bears things like a
man and Christian. I've no doubt he
will give as good testimony to the mer-
0f tho l., l.
meeting tonight; bi1t he will fret just as
quickly II the breakfast is two minutes
late tomorrow morning. l 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
brother Harry said that before he 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 It's from God. If
we take SO spa1ingly and use SO blipdly
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 1 believe my boy, if he lives,
will 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 Is, and bad never been heard from
since. AT the time Of his departure,
Mary, on the verge of womantood, was
1 years OF age, and ali through her
childhood and youth her imagination
had played around her faint memories
Of him, catching eagerly at whatever her
mother could tell. Her father never
spoke Of him, except to uphraid his de
sertion of h's parents and his duty.
Whatever had been his ofteuse, the dea-
con had not forgiven, but Mary knew
how the mothers heart yearned and
watched and walled for her boy, and she
understood what secretaSpring OF sorrow
was draining her mothers strength. He
had lett them on the last night of the
year, and as the years, one after another,
crept onward, Mary always felt the
feverish, faint hope in her mothers
heart, and this night of all nigbts*sh
did not like to leave her alone. But as
the evening wore on, and the mother
and daughter sat in the. freight talking
over all the story. of~the boys young
life, Mrs. Frost grew restless. She arose
aid went tothe window, and looking itp
and down the white road, over which
bent the boughs of naked trees, and
away across the snowy fields, she seemed
to ask the earth, which somewhere hid
his grave or felt his footstep, and the
stars which must have seen his wander
ings, for tidings Of her boy. As she
stood there. the clock in the church
tower struck II.
:'There's only one hour more in this
year, Mary" she said, turning to her
daughter, who sat gazing into the fading
fire, only one hour in this year. He
will not come tonight, and ever since
he went away [ have watched tie old
year out, waiting for him. He went
away while we were ut the midnight SER
vice. Your father insisted upon his 60
ing with us, but there had been hard
words between them that day, and for
the first time he openly rebelled. He
would not 60; and when l knew it
wanted to stay with him, but feared it
looked like sanctioning his disobedience.
So [ went, and all through the dying |
hours OF the year my heart was with my
child. God only knows how the mo-.
ments dragged, how discortiant seemed
the praises, how. impossible to freight
the prayers with my heartache. At last, /
against your fathers wishes, I crept out I
and came home. You were safely asleep
in your, little crib, and [ had said to |
Harry, as I went out, Take good care
OF your little sister, >~~~ o. ',' '+"''
"a strange fear had taken possession
Of methat he meant to goaway. Once,
when angry, .he3 had threatened to 60,
and his father answered. You will be
glad enough to come back to me for