The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-12-27
the New Year. VIII you look over that

| W SLTdIlS0T, OUT, tnOu1Q QlS eyes grew
dim at first, he bravely steadied himself
until he could read the words that
would pierce his heart like knives. A
frightened look passed our his face. A
moment later he handed the paper back.
saying sadly:
''YOu have made mistake and given
me the wrong paper"
The lawyer looked at it a moment,
and then returning it said:
"No; if you examine it you will find
it properly made out and signed"
But it is a release of the mortgage.
and is of no use when l have no money
opay it."
But suppose some one else has paid
it for you!''
FThere is no one to do that"
son the contrary there is; for it has
been paid, and the release was made
out yesterday"
What does this mean?" asked the
older man. eXcitedly.
at means" was the reply, ''that
your grandson, who is but lad, in
deed. has paid off the mortgage, and he
now sends his grandparents the release
as New Years Offering"
"Walter! Walter! How"
Listen, Nathan Hollawayi Two
! DAYS ago Your grandson-he tells me
he is but thirteen-c came into my office.
He's a bright-lOoking lad, and l have
once or twice sent him on errands, and
| given him trifle for it. Ii seems now,
that, for the last year, he has spent his
holidays and all of his spare time in
running errands and doing odd jobs
for which he has received small sums
of money, all of which he has carefully
saved. so that when l opened the bag
he brought me, l found these small
sums had mounted up until they made
one hundred and twenty-five dollars
and fifty cents. He had heard, he said,
| that his grandfather must sell the farm
unless he could pay some money he
owed by the first of the year. He asked
| if what he had given me was enough to
pay it, and ! told him Yes, that the
farm would not be sold now, and that
l would come down myself and tell you
so to-day
But began the old man in a
faint voice, and trembling again
"Wait a moment; l have more to
say. Never mind where the rest of the
money came from. 1t has all been paid.
What have to say is this: am genef
ally considered hard and crusty old
bachelor. Perhaps | am; circum-
stances may have conspired to make
me seem so, but have vivid recOl-
lection of my younger days. l know
what it is to begin life with clog and
a weight dragging me down; l know
what it is to fight and struggle against
adverse circumstances. l have seen
life in some of its harshest phases, and
since have been what the world calls
wealthy | have been called stingy and
mean because l have refused to endOw
colleges and universities, to found hos
pitfalls and pay off church debts. But |
have had my own ideas about the dis
position of it, or at least have wished
to use portion of it in saving others
from the struggles that beset so many
in early life. Your grandson strikes
me as one to whom l could lend help
ing hand, feeling confident l would not
regret it in the future. With your con-
sent l will undertake to see that he is
well educated, will send him to college
and give him start in life. As for
you and your wife, you may live here
as long as you need home on earth,
and you shall want for nothing. 1t was
to tell you this that l have set aside my
ordinary custom and have attended to
business on New Years Day. There,
am afraid | have told you too sudden
", after ALL" and he went over to the
side of the old man, who was trem-
bling in a manner that alarmed him.
mo, no." was the reply; ''call my
wife, call my wife! o! l could bear
trouble without her, but not this, not
this"
80 Nathan, Nathan" cried the wife,
when she had been summoned, ''what
knees by his side.
''It is Joy, wife, Joy! Tell her,
please 10 the lawyer. 81
can t, it chokes me"
Once again the story was told OF
what grandson's love had done, and
as he finished. the lawyer saw the tear.
full face of the wife raised to that of hen
husband Then. as both heads were
bowed. he stood reverently by, for he
knew that prayers of thanksgiving were
ascending to the throne of grace. Ever
when he clasped their hands in token OF
farewell there was no word spoken.
Their hearts were too full for utterarce.
1t remained for the grandson. who came
shyly in not long afterward. to bring
them to full realization of the change
in their prospects.
Was it a happy New Years Day?
Ask any one of them, now that ten
more years have passed away, and they
will all reply alike that it was the hap
piest in all their lives.-A. Weston
Whitney. in S. S. Times.