St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-02-10

! father fJr my bread But l love you,
mother, and if | live | will come back
/ to you = have waited for him ever
since, Mary, and since that day
have never been once to the midnight
service.
"Once there came to us the story of
the wreck of vessel bound from South
America to New York, and among the
names of the lost was one like that of
my little boy. But did not believe he
was dead. | can never believe him
dead. | wait and watch for him still,
and your father knows it, and | think
it irritates and disturbs him, for every
year he urges me to go. have felt
that could never do it, but somehow
tonight | feel as if | should like to try
again. Let us walk down together,
child, and have this last hour of the
year with the people of God"
Willing to do anything to soOthe her
mothers agitated feelings, Mary wrap
ped her warmly, and together they
walked over the white road to the
church door. The notes of Il hymn
came ont to greet them on the still air.
The vestry was filled, and the two wo-
men slipped quietly into Il back seat.
When the music ceased they sat with
bowed heads, each thinking her own
thoughts for the dying year, when Il
voice broke on their ear so changed
and sOftened that they hardly recog-
niZcd, ut first, the voice of Deacon
Frost. After few broken sentences
it grew clearer, and he told of his
struggles with poverty, of his effort to
hold his home, of his hard conviction
that God was looking after everybOdy's
welfare but his, and leaving him,
though he had tried to serve him, to
fight his battles alone. He told them
of the humiliation and bitterness with
which, this very night, he had gone to
the house of his creditor with the ad
mission that he could not pay his debt,
and that he had been met with the
smiling statement that the debt, prin-
cipal and interest, had this very day
been paid by Il friend, or by friends,
who wished to remain unknown. He
had no unknown friends. God must
have moved the hearts of these, his
brethren, to such compassion on his
anxiety and care, and the act had been
as Goals of fire upon his heart, lighting
it till he saw his hardness and sin,
warming it till it melted i'll gratitude
and love to God and to those who had
done this good to him who had tried to
love God, with very little love to his
fellOw-men.
There were tears running down the
white wrinkled face in the back seat.
The deacOn'S wife was glad she came.
They sang Il verse, and Mary's voice
WAS sweet and clear. Young Nelson
heard it; the deacon saw him turn
around and search for Mary in the
crowd, yet, strange to say, no anger
arose in his heart
The moments sped ON. 1t was all
very sweet and still, and the deacon's
wife felt how good it was to be there,
when there arose from her side the tall
form of Il man who had occupied the
seat alone when the mother and daugh-
ter came in. She had not looked at
him, but now as she gazed at the erect
| figure and the bearded face, she saw
and knew her son. A stit1ed moan es-
capped her lips. His eyes looked ten
derly down upon her and steadied and
gave her strength. She clung to the
hand he gave her, and bowed her face
upon it while he spoke.
IL cannot let the old year 60" he
said, ''sitting here among my old neigh
bors, without telling them of the bless
ing that the year has brought to me.
| 1t has been the year of birth to me-Of
birth into the only real life-that hid
den with Christ in God. Thirteen
years ago, on the last night of the year,
while my parents prayed here with
You, turned my back on you and on
my baby sisters face, on my mothers
tears, and began my life of wanderings.
! They have lasted many years they
have led me into many forbidden
paths but in every one, however far
aStray, | have heard the voice of God
calling me. | have seen my mothers
face Watching for me through the
nights; and especially as each year
brought around the anniversary of my
flight, have felt her prayers following
me. | have heard her speaking ten
derby to me again and again. | have
remembered the love with which she
made and hid for me the little Christ
mas gifts, and | resolved to arise and
while this year fingered, to bring my
self back to my mother, and to ac-
knowledge before you all the wonder
full mercy and love which have found
Ill Itbul ulhS W my Ilpthtl - ppu'
And as the last words died upon his
lips, and he sat down, throwing one
strong arm around his mother and
drawing her head down to his shoulder,
the deacon knew from whom his New
Years gift had come.
"Forgive me, Harry" he said aloud,
moving with outstretched hand, and
the tears streaming over his rough
cheeks, to the side of his son.
'Nay, father, forgive me ~ and as
they clasped each others hands the old
church clock struck twelve.