Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-12-14

his study" and he gave nervous lit
tie laugh at his own fears, then glanced
up at the great clock. 1t pointed to
1890. 1.-The sexton ought to be COM
ing back soon," ho thought. Yielding
TO sudden impulse he hurried again TO
the closet and opened the door How
easy IL would be to tic the plate up and
then escape through Window Going
to one Of the back easements he looked
out. Only jump of two or three feet
into little paved courtyard below.
Then a narrow alley that ran back be-
tween two great black buildings lead
ing TO deserted street beyond. Both
yard and path smooth-swept from snow
no danger of being traced after once
getting out. Going back to the closet
he looked long and earnestly at the
massive plate. 1t would get me out
of this cursed country and help me to -
new start in some better place." he
thought. God knows that bad rs
I've been, I've never come 10 this as
yet; but then, how would any one be-
lieve mellow would hep No use of
my trying to get out of the shadow in
my life; might as well make the best
of 1t and enjoy what can. Hark! /
heard that noise again"
Shutting the door, he turned the key
in the lock and noiseessly creeping
along the passage he paused before the
door OF the study. 1t stood ajar, and he
looked in. Kneeling befoye chair was
the figure of an old man, holding in his
hand crumplea yellow letter and
lock of dark-brown hair, on which the
tcar-drops were yet glistening. The
Man in the Shadow breathed quick and
hard. Suddenly the letter fell to the
floor unnoticed by its holder. The Man
in the Shadow picked it up and looked
at it. ITO Rev. Arthur Drayton," he
read, and then staggering back into the
hall he sank down on n chair and eager
ly tore the sheet open. just ten years
before, the date--the name at the end
and the handwriting his own! His
thoughts went back to another Christ
mas Eve. He tried to recall it, but
there was only n confused recollection
of n boyisE 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 father s
house. But what could all this meanp
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 withinp Could there
be such love as this after that bitter
parting, that mocking. insulting letter,
these long years of estrangement and
neglect-still waiting for him, an cut
cast, wanderer and (he shivered as he
glanced behind him) almost a thiefP
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-itwas 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 tc
tighten, pulled by some unseen hand
then opening the door he stepped into
the room rs the first sweet chimes rang
out upon the still midnight air.
1.-THE most curious thing
ever came across, Molly" said Sex
, ton Davidson, as he recounted tn,
$ events of the night to his wife the mex
1 morning. "Just to think that til,
5 young man that took in ant
: saved from freezing to death at ou
l own church door should turn out to b'
the rector's own son, when nobody
/ knew that the rector had son at all
D l couldn't help thinking. though, whel
| was talking with him last night, tina
| he looked and acted like a gentleman
(; otherwise l wouldn't have offered t,
5 take him home with me. But tn
p strangest thing is about the key of th
+ closet that held the communion service
You see it had been used the other da,
o and l couldn't put it back in the saf
t because the lock was out of order S
, l just clapped it into that closet of mine
J. where keep most everything, until
o could take it down to the bank. Whe
n had to come home last night 1 wa
4 just about going off and leaving tina
6 strange young man there in the churc
|, with that closet unlocked. / went bac
: and locked it and put the key in m
: pocket. Well, would you believe ii
= WIch SOb DftCh W IHO ClluICu l. lOuu
s the key in the lock and the-rector so
o gone! Icouldn't bear at first to ope
: the door-I was so took down. Some
Y how l managed to get up strengt
d enough to look in and there was tn
Y plate all right! was so thankful thu
j. | forgot all about the young fellow an
o ran to the ropes to let the bells tell no,
s glad | was. 1t was just Christina
:, morning"
d You're mortal careless, Jim, abor
: leaving such things around. You'v
y locked the door and left the key stick
# ing in it of course. It's mercy that
wasn't some rascal around Just wait
d ing for such chance, instead of ou
S .rector's son! It'll teach you a lessor
k hope, but you ought to be starting o
d to open up the church. What's tn
It sermon to be aboutp"
}, "'Tisn't regular Christmas sermo
Is this time, wife, for some reason. Th
d text is to be this, the rector has SCI
# me word 'Out of darkness into h
g marvellous light. IN y World.
i, ra Malaria in Italy.