St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-12-22

thoughts went back to another Christ
mas Eve. He tried to recall it, but
there was only a confused recollection
of boyish scrape and his meeting with
his father in the old church. Stern,
hard words on his fathers side, and
first submission and then defiance on
his part-and then the separation.
Here was the letter he had sent him,
written that night in the heat OF his an
ger and wounded pride-that fatal let
ter. in which he had barred himself out,
as he thought, forever from his fathers
house. But what could all this mean!
His father living in the city. He had
not been mistaken then, after all, in his
recognition of the old man under the
lamp-post. But why-what did it mean,
what he had seen within? Could there
| be such love as this after that bitter
parting, that hooking. insulting letter,
| these long years of arrangement and
| neslect-still waiting for him, an out
cast, a wanderer and Che shivered as. he
glanced behind him) almost thief?
Out from the half-opened door came
/ the low tones of prayer, and bowling his
head he listened intently, with the tear
drops falling all unnoticed on the old
letter. A name-it was his own-caught
his ear, and as he heard it from his
fathers lips he arose and stepped to the
door of the study. He stopped, with
his hand on the knob, as he saw the
ropes that swung the great bell begin to
tighten, pulled by some unseen hand,
then opening the door he stepped into
the room as the first sweet chimes rang
out upon the still midnight air
r IS tsThe most curious thing
ever came across, Molly said Sex
ton Davidson, as he recounted the
1 events Of the night to his wife the next
morning. "Just to think that the
Young man that | took in and
saved from freezing to death at our
3 own church door should turn out to be
the rector's own son, when nobody
knew that the rector had a son at all!
I couldn't help thinking. though, when
I was talking with him last night, that
he looked and acted like a gentleman
otherwise | wouldn't have offered to
take him home with me. But the
strangest thing is about the key OF the
closet that held the communion service.
You see it had been used the other day
and couldn't put it back in the safe
because the lock was out of order. SO
I just clapped itinto that closet OF NINE II
where l keep most everything, until !
could take it down to the bank. When
I had to come home last night l was
lust about going off and leaving that
strange Young man there in the church
| with that closet unlocked. went back
8 and locked it and put the key in my
pocket. Well, would you believe it.
when got back to the church ! toune
! the key in the lock and therefor sor
!, gone! T couldn't bear at first to oper
Y the door, was so took down. Some
4 how I managed to get up strength
). enough to look in and there was thu
: plate all right! / was so thankful tina
V { forgot ali about the young fellow ant
e ran to the ropes to let the bells tell how
e clad I was. 1t was lust Christina
!; morning.
d .You're mortal careless, Jim, abou
: leaving such things around. You v
g locked the door and left the key stick
$ inc in it Of course. It's a mercy that
e wasn't some rascal around just wait
ing for such chance, instead OF on
!. rector's son! It'll teach you a lesson
o I hope, but you ought to be starting o
= to open up the church. What's tn
1t sermon to be about?''
n .s'Tisn't regular Christmas sermo
t, this time, wife, for some reason. LII
it text is to be this, the rector has ser
g me word: sOut of darkness into h
n marvellous light" N. 7. World.