The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-03-01


brought me here now"
..When does he wish -to-come-in into
possession?" asked the old man, think
ing more of that than of the price that
had been offered. 80
II think he would like to come into
possession to-day" said the lawyer,
writing busily again. 81 have brought
all the papers with me-"
To-day, to-day said the old man,
starting.
"Yes, many people, you know, like
to start things with the beginning OF
the New Year. VIII you look over that
paper?"
Nathan Holloway took the paper
handed him with trembling fingers, for
it was a shock to him to think of pass
ing over, that very day, the old place
to stranger; but, though his 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 a mistake and given
me the wrong paper.
The lawyer looked at it moment,
and then returning it said:
| "No; if you examine it you will find
| it properly made out and signed.
ssBut it is a release of the mortgage,
and is of no use when have no money
tot pay it." :,
'.But suppose some one else has paid
it for your
"There is no one to do that"
"On the contrary there is; for it has
been paid, and the release was made
out yesterday"
"What does this meanp" 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 Holloway! Two
DAYS ago your grandson-he tells me
he is but thirteen-c came into my Office.
He's bright-looking lad, and have
once or twice sent him on errands, and
given him a tribe 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 opened the bag
he brought me, / 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 te
pay it, and ] told him Yes, that the
farm would not be sold now, and tina
would come down myself and tell YOU
, SO to-day"
"But" began the old man in 1
| faint voice, and trembling again.
"Wait moment; / have more tt
say. Never mind where the rest of thu
money came from. Ithas all been paid
What have to say is this: am gener
ally considered hard and crusty OLE
bachelor. Perhaps l am; circum
stances may have conspircd to maxi
, me seem so, but have vivid recol
lection of my younger days. know
what it is to begin life with clog ant
. a weight dragging me down; know
what it is to fight and struggle agains
adverse circumstances. have seel
life in some of its harshest phases, ant
since have been what the world call
wealthy have been called stingy an,
mean because 1 have refused to endoy
, 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 wishe,
to use portion of it in saving. other
from the struggles that beset SO man,
in early life. Your grandson strike
. me as one to whom could lend help
! ing hand, feeling confident / would no
regret it in the future. With your con
sent win undertake to see that he
,, we'll educated, will send him to colleg
and give him start in life. As TO
you and your wife, you may live her
as long as you need home on earth
and you shall want for nothing. 1t wa
, to tell you this that have set aside m
, ordinary custom and have attended t
1 business on New Years Day. There,
am afraid 1 have told you too sudden
, lly, after all, and he went over to, tn
side of the old man, who was trem
bling in a manner that alarmed him.
81 "No, no." was the reply; ''call m
: wife, call my wife! o.! could bea
trouble without her, but not this, nc
. this" 1
: 20 Nathan, Nathanr' cried the wife
when she had been summoned, "wha
I is itP" and once more she fell on he
, knees by his side.
! at is joy, wife, joy! Tell hel
! pleas" turning to the lawyer. 9
can't, it chokes me-"
Once again the story was told {
what grandson's love had done, and
D as he finished. the lawyer saw the teal
4 full face Of the wife raised to that of he
Q husband. Then, as both heads wer
bowed, he stood reverently by, for b
al knew that prayers of thanksgiving WEI
! ascending to the throne of grace. Eve
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