South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1883-06-29
Found His Vocation.

uow suafPef tuou eerpent TOOTH IL fs,
10 have thauilcss caild!' s3t
quoted Mrs. Deacon washburn, in
her weak, tsemulous tones. "a
Harry. 'her eldest born,' stood be
fore bor, tall, dark, with blazing eyes
and firmly conipressedlips. A hand.
some, maniydooking fellow he was.
save for the portentious frown which
contracted ia brow. The expression
of his countenance indicated charac.
ter aud ain sinio,aitable will, with
lines ofdiseo,itent and moodiness, such
as dispositions hike Hurry Washburn's
sometimes defelop, under certain cir,
cums.ances.s 81 aor
lie raised one strong, brown hand
with al impatient gesture. q! 1!
'So-you are ready 10 take sides with
father against me- he exclaimed, LIS
voice full OF suppressed passion. ~
Mrs. Washburn sighed in that weak,
tremnlors way which had marked
every action of her entire existence.
.Oh, dear! What cain say to your
she cried, appealingly. 'oa . De-.
You can say that yon believe am
n scapegrace. it that is wEatyou have
III your mind Of course there ia no
blame anywhere except with me-
Joe and Charlie are saints, because
they haven't spirit enough to draw
lines for themselves, nor resolution to
follow them in the face of opposition.
| merely requested father to let nue.
study for profession, and he fired up
at II, and said that his trade had
brought half Il dozer. children mp from
infancy, feeding and clothing them.
and that his trade was good enough
for his boys. Bah! As though had
no right to ioo.l above carriage.
makers shop because l was born in
one Ff.
The youth spoke with intense hit.
terness. Wheeling abruptly he would
have left the house at once, but a
slender forn stood in .the doorway.
and two deep.blue eyes met his in a
glance which was full Of mingled SYM
paihy and apprehension.
" hat Is tho matter, Harry ques
toned the girl, ring of anxiety in
her sweet voice
Another flare upr was the SEN
tentious response. Then in Il lower
I'm going away, Pet. I've borne
this life rs long as can
Petronilla Wayne-the orphan
child OF distant ikinsman OF Mrs.
Northumberland both hand. up i.
ward, and placed them upon Harry's
shoulder, which were almost as high
as she could roach.
please don't GOT she said plead
ingly. r
a rift ofwisile crossed her cheeks
But her words did not cause the
young man to WAIVER in his purpose.
DO not demonstrate, Pct. I've
thought 1t all over, aud made up my
mind what is best. | haven't been a
duttul son at liome-I have brought
Disgrace upon my fathers name lIo
said SO this very morning. lie said,
too, that | was the black sheep of the
ilock-because of those boyish pranks
OF mine, | suppose. l hate 20 go,
though, with you blaming me-
His manly voice showed signs of
breaking, and he turned away his face
to hide the signs OF emotion which be
could not keep back.
i do not blame you, Harry. Per-
haps 1t is best for you 10 go, oniy-it
will be very lonely for me. That's
all
The girl spoke quite bravery. Iar-
ry dared moi trust himself TO speak a.
gain. Bending quickly, he kissed the
quverlng upturned lips of Petronilla,
leaving one Of his tcardrops upon her
cheek Then he pushed almost rude
~ past her, and strobe out into the
gray, misty morning.
Pet watched him out of sight. Then
che saw Deacon Washburn, tail and
grim, coming up the path.
Harry las gone, Uncle Joseph,
she said, az the mar assembled the
steps
well, he'll have n chance to try
fghtin' lis battle alone that's all
I've got to say was the hasty re-
sponse. Then he added, pulling vi.
ciously Mt bic grizzlcd beard
He'll come back in a week, ike
enough, and own that he's rarn't q
lesson =
But Harry did not, come back in
n week. nor III a month. A year
passed with no tidings from the black
sheep.
Then there was a steamboat dizas-
ter on one Of the great rivers, and a.
mong the list of the killed Deacon
Washbnrn read the rame of Eis son.
There was deep sorrow at the cottage
after that, and gloom settled upon the
hearts of its inmates.
Six years passed.
Deacon Washburn's younger sons,
Joe and Charlie. married and settled
down 20 n humdrum existence within