Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1884-11-13

Good night, stranger"
"Gudc night to bath o. you. Ken
you whar can get Il bite and n sup and
a nights lodging?'
"Yes, sir-straight ahead. You'll
come to the jedge's in half an hour.
They are right smart folks, and you'd
best light there for tonight, | rcck-
on"
"Thank you, gentlemen. Guide
night"
He rode on very anXiously. The sun
was sinking fast, and an ineXpressiblo
solitude was around him. One lonely,
silent bird flying hastily to its covert
gave still ecrier feeling to the hour
and scene. Suddenly he heard the
joyful laughter OF children atplay. lie
quickcned his pace, rounding Il clump
OF trees, and then saw 4 white house
spreading itself beneath them. Some
children, black and white, came rum
ming to the little gate to meet him.
"Well, BARNS, is the Judge at
home?"
"No but ma is,n said Il little lad
about six years old. $50 to the
house, sir; Jim and | will take your
buggy"
He let them take it very gladly, and
went to the house. A pretty little
woman met him on the piazza. She
needed no explanations. He was a
stranger wanting food and shelter,
and she gave them with 4 charming
courtesy that at once put the Deacon
at ease.
81 am sorry my husband is away"
she said with pardonablc wifely pride,
"but he is a member of the Lcgisla-
ture, and it is now in session.
Then the children came back, and
the deacon took to them wonderfully.
Children were new form of human
ity to him; he knew nothing about
them. But there was an independ-
ence and good fellowship about the lit
tie lad, as he told him all about his
animals and his adventures, that quite
delighted the old man.
After little they went to bed in the
next room, and he heard them saying
their prayers to their mother. God
bless grandpqpa"' How the words
smote him. He grew so nervous and
restless that when the baby lispcd out
the same petition he could no longer
sit still. He walked to the window,
where there was n table and n lamp
and some newspapers. Then he no.
ticed n large bible, and lie drew it
toward him. AlmostunconSciOuslv he
turned to the family register. "AlcX-
ander McNab, born in Glasgow, March
20, IS" was the first name he saw
He made no outcry; he never moved.
His eyes were rivited upon the words
and upon those that followed: "Mary
Baylor, born in Galveston, Janet Me.
Nab, David McNab, Mary McNab,
Margaret McNab. Peter McNab." On
the opposite page the death of Janet
McNab, aged ten months He had
objected to her bearing her grand
mothers name, and she was in Heaven
with her.
He opened the door softly and went
out on the piazza. God had led him
to his sons house. and he had eaten at
his sons table and had not known it,
His emotions were incommunicablc,
even to the heavenly Father. He sat
as still in his joy rs he had often done
in his grief and opened not his mouth,
because he was so sure that God had
done it.
After little Alexander's wife came
and sat down beside him, and he en-
couraged her to talk of her husband
and his prospects. She, at least, be-
lieved in him sublimcly. He was the
best and greatest man in TeXas-shc
had not doubt about it. Peter could
have smiled if he had not been so full
of thought. Finally he asked her if
her husband was born in Texas.
"Oh, MOI" she answered, frankly,
she was born in Glasgow, town in
Scotland. | suppose you know the
city, for you talk like Scotchman."
81 hae many friends and business
connections there maam."
She hesitated few moments and
then asked: "Did you ever know or
hear tell of Mr.. Peter McNab? He is
a lawyer"
81 may say ken him vera weel. |
dinna think much o. him either,
ma'am. He's hard auld man."
"He is my husband s father, so you
must not say so here. His son thinks
very highly of him, and perhaps you
may be mistaken, In business men,
even kind men, are often obliged to
he hard" Then she turned the con-
versation, and the deacon was glad of
it.
He did not sleep much, and the next
morning was on the road to Austin at
daybreak. He reached there in the
afternoon, and went to Smiths Hotel.
A few words of inquiry satisfied him.
The Judge was staying there-he
would be in from the Capitol about 8
o'clock. If the gentleman had any
private business there was no use 60
ing there. The Judge was Chairman
of committee, and not apt to be on
the floor in the daytime.
But Peter could not sit still He re-
freshed himself, and then turned his
face to the great white building stand
ing so loftily at the head of the beau
tiful avenue. He soon entered its
halls and gazed upon such body of
lawmakers as he had never dreamed of
seeing, and he was wonderfully i'm
pressed both by the men and thu
methods. But he did not find his son,
and after an hours stay he determined
to 60 back to the hotel and wait there
for him.