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

them on the still air i The 'vestry was
filled, and the two women slipped quiet
ly into q back seat. When the music
ceased, they sat with bowed heads, eacf,
thinking her own thoughts for the dying
year, when voice broke On their ears
SO char It and softened that they hard
oeirecogui. &, at first, the voice of Dea:
SIN Frost. After 4 few broken sen
3 1T grew clearer, and he told of HIS
struggles with poverty, of his efforts to
hold his home, OF hie hard conviction
that God was looking after: .everybody'e
welfare but his, and leayirg Him; though
he had tried to serve him, to fight lis
battles alone. He told them 81 the
humiliation and bitterness with which,
that very night, ne had gone to tie house
of his creditor with the admission That
he could not pay bis debt, and that he
Had been met there BY the smiling state
ment that the debt, principal and inter
est, had, this very day been paid by q
friend, or BY friends. who wished to re
main unknown. He had no unknown
friends. i, 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 bard
ness and sin, warming it till it melted in
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 feliow.meh. - ~ .N'' a.. '~1t''''".
He made a bad piece Of work of the
story, but the people knew he felt it;
and That he was going into the New
Year with new love in his heart. ''
And there were tears running down
the white, wrinkled face in the back
seat. The. deacon's wife was glad she
came. ;''''
They SANG a 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 bis
heart.
The moments sped on. There was
stiffness. Every heart was silently lay
ing it's burden UPON the bteast of the
dying year--its burden of the things to
be cleft behind before the soul could
press forward toward the mark. y. It was
all very sweet and still, and the deacon's
wife felt how good it was to he there,
when there arose from her side the tall
form of man who had occupied the
seat alone when the mother and daughter
came in. She had not looked at him,
but now as she gazed at the erect figure
and the benrded fate, she saw and knew
her son. A stihed moan escaped her
lips. HIS eyes looked tenderly down
upon her and steadied and gave her
strength. She chung to the hand he gave
her, and bowed her face upon it while
be spoke:-
81 cannot let the old year CO." be
said, sitting here among my old neigh
bors, without telling them Of the bless
ing that year has brought to me. It
has been the year OF birth to me-of
birth into the only real life--that hidden
with Christ in God. THIRTEEN years ago,
on the Inst night Of the year, While my
parents prayed here with you, T turned
my back on you and on my home, OH 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, I 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 ami
versary of my flight, have ] felt her
prayers following me. I have heard her
speaking tenderly to me again and again.
l have remembered the love with which
she made and hid for me the little
Christmas gifts, and I resolved to arise,
and, while the year still fingered, to
bring myself back to my mother, and to
acknowledge before you all the wonder
full mercy and love which have found
in returning to my mothers God
And as the last words died upon his
lips, and he sat down, throwing one
strong arm around his mother and draw
ing her head down upon his shoulder,
the deacon knew from whom his New
Years gift had come. "a
Forgive me, Harry" he said alo,1J,
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.