Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-04-19

clerk o erShadOWs me,
He cried: Where is my lOng-lOst son I've come
so far TO eeeE''
And so, to fill that fathers heart with resur-
rected joy,
twisted round with him a bit, to try and find
And coming where had the luck the hymn
1 opened quietly the door, and both of US went
in.
The superintendent still was there: he gave a
little start,
But welcomed US, apparently, with overfiowing
heart;
And told us all about the work, and how twas
getting on,
And how much money those who gave unto
But Cousin Seth, though much impressed with
what he heard and saw,
said he didu fix the envelopes, and b'ieYed
he WOuldn draw.
Just then the door was opened quick, and with
Young Jeroboam Jones appeared, and sided
soft V in;
And with him was an older man. who looked
enough like me
To've been reg lar Stebbins, too, so far as one
But slapping Seth upon the back, I said: my
duty's done.
For this is Jeroboam Jones, your longlost
Oldest sOn!'
'1Iy Iong-iost oldest son'?" said he: shes
bout as much my son
AS you are the beloved babe of Central Wash
ingtOn
1t strikes me that my married life was very
If I'm responsible for such a snealin face as
this!
He's blinded you by his supposed relationship
He's no one have ever seen, or ever want to
see"'
AS when fog above a field the sudden breezes
tore,
You spied thousand things you did not even
So all the facts Of this affair, as clear as sum
mer skies,
Straightway arranged themselves before my
reconstructed eyes:
That these were nO5 YeraciOus men, and this
no Sunday-SchOOl,
And naueht was what it seemed, except one
old baId-headed fool!
strength.
And by the collar shook each one to my arms
furthest length;
They gaSped and danced and skipped around,
without Il word to say
They put their heads together in a new and
painful way.
"One hundred dollars fifty cents, and not
penny leSS!"
Ishouted; and I'll send you back your hymn
book by express"
When finally in my discourse a breathing pause
The Superintendent counted out the cash with
out word,
Which, with a manner dignifed, I coldly re-
And still retaining Jeroboam, that scamp I
thus addressed:
And so you are the bogus friend and relative,
so free
To spend his time a-making fools of poor old
men like me.
I'm Supervisor of the town where have
lived so long:
There ain a man in all that part will say I've
nm, uoilG nun wrong;
There amt a man will claim but what I'm or
binary keen;
But when plant myself in town, I grow ex-
Ceeding green,
And any kind-expressiOned man, who acts
civil part,
Can always find my soul to home and house
room in my heart.
tits sad for such smile as yours to find so sad
q fate:
And there's some good in you-at least enough
to use for bait
Without kindness in your heart you
couldn't have hauled in me;
And as to how you've used your gifts, just
pause a bit and see.
I've gambIed by your calling it a charitable
name,
And my self-valuatiOn sunk with unaccustOmed
shame.
''Pve done what I'd have whipped my boys for
And don't suppose but what I own part of the
blame for that:
I thought | saw a chance to make five dollars
Which, with strict justice all around, is very
seldom done.
But up to that outrageous point, remember, I
led
By your assumed relationship, and several
things you said.
''Do you reflect, young man, upon the fruit
you re growing to?
There's prison CRATES awaiting now to stand in
front of you.
There's grief of unexpected kinds, and every
sort of shame,
To send you some time from this world much
poorer than you came.
Your guilty head you hang before us sinners
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