The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-11-15
From the Illustrated Weekly
DEACON M'NAB'S PRGDiGAl

OkHOON I'VE MAD - ] OSUI0Ak
The deacon watched anxiously TO,
his sons reply 10 his letter. He fell
sure that Alexander would reply. He
Judged from his own standpoint, and
from his knowledge of the disputa
tious young man He forgot to take
into account the influence of marriage
and of living IN community where
men have to be careful in matters OF
contradiction. He was ignorant OF
many circumstances in his sons life
which made this letter of less impor-
tance to him than it was to the lonely
anxious sender OF it. He was sorry al
It's tone, and be said to his wife: 81
have been a little premature. Scotch
men have long memories for an offense
as well as for kindness. | will wait q
year and write again"
But the year passed and he did not
write; two and three years and then he
began to think he could hardly write
again unless his father requested it.
He might be suspected, if he did, of
mercenary motives. He mad better let
things alone. So year after year passed
away, and the silence was unbroken.
In the meantime a great change had
taken place IN the deacon; but it
had been SO gradual that his oldest
friends rather thought their estimate of
him had been wrong than that his char
acter had altered He is hard when
you first know him, but he mellows as
your friendship grows" said McLaurin,
who had been a familiar friend for
forty years. But 1t was something more
than the mellowing of time. As drops
OF water will wear away granite, so the
preaching of Dominic Frazier had told
upon the deacon's spiritual nature
There had indeed been times when he
had seriously disapproved him, when he
had even feared he had been listening
to something very like Arminianism,
but through it all very few Sabbaths
when the words of Jesus han not found
his soul, even in its most secret places.
In the ninth year of his sons absence
he began to remember him verv tender
ly and to find excuses for him. HE was
very young, and he had my ain high
temper and quick tongue. l ken weel
| haze gunpowdery temper, and the
laddie was Ike a flash O fire; in the
vera nature G things mischief would
come. | wish / kent where he is at a..
Perhaps L ought. l mean, perhaps it
would be kind like to look after him. /
wCuldna like to meet his mother in an
other warld if | had failed in mercy to
the lad. Whatever way can 1 make it
up WI him."
1t was in a mood of this kind he went
RI phT1rph 20 hnrrh+ &c
wandered a great deal until they fitted
into the words which the dominic was
readlng-th words in which the wise
woman of Tekoah urged David to bring
back his banished son Absalom. He
pointed out the imperfection of David's
forgiveness, in that, though he brought
back, he suffered him not to see his face
Then he turned to the father of the
newer dispensation, Emned in Christ.
like colors, running to meet his prodi.
gal when afar off, taking him to his
breast with kisses of forgiveness, calling
together his friends to rejoice with him
over his son that was lost and found.
When the deacon left the church il
was with one fixed purpose-to go and
find his SON.
And you'll do right, deacon" said
the dominic. You are hale and vigor
Gus, and medina fear the travel Yor
haze plenty o siller to go to the lad
maybe he hasna bawbee to come t.
you. He may haze fallen very tow-hat
you thought of that?"
"Ay, have /. If / can find him
however low he has fallen, I'll hit hin
up and gle him sons portion in a
things"
IF that is the spirit you are in e.
your ways, deacon, and the Lord go Will
you. Where to first"
He wrote me letter trae a town OF
the Gulf o Mexico in Texas; but [ haze
written twice to that place and got NJ
answer back, for l bid him leave it or
pain o my displeasure, and he'll ha,
game, but whichever way is mair than
can tell"
In month the deacon was in New
Orleans, and from there he went +,
Corpus Christi; but since Alexande
McNab had lived there it had beer
visited by an epidemic of yellow fever
and the population had been a constant
ly shifting one. No one remembered
him.
II ~ u W ble seat Oh govern
ment," he said to himself; "wher,
there is law-making there'u be law
yers. Maybe I'll find the lad among
them"
So he bought horse and buggy anC
went leisurely through the country
1t was IN the first week of June and b,
was lost In amazement and delight
1here was a pomp and glory in tn,
sunshine and flowers which he psve
dreamed of; and as he rode through
miles of blowing grasses and saw til,
countless herds of cattle and felt al
the lonely beauty and peace sank into
MS soul he said rapturously, Here on,
kens that the earth is the Lords" TIL
mighty oxygenized atmosphere gave hin
feeling of exhilaration; he found him
self singing lines of his favorite hvmn
or snatches of such authorized songs a
Aud Lang Syne," or Scots who ha,
WI Wallace bled." But the stranp
happiness in his heart he put entirel,
down to the credit of his conscience
Its gran thing" he thought, ''to b
on an GRAND O. mercy. I dinna wonde
now there are sac many philanthro
pists"
However, on the fourth day he Ief
the open parties and got into the bin
woods. The heat increased. unknow,
insects troubled him, he saw hug
snakes gliding away into the under
prush, there were strange sounds al
around, and sense of awful solemnit
came over him. He was alone wit
God IN the thick woods, and he feare
tim as he had never done before. Al
DAY the prayer of contrition and adora
non was on his lips. Toward tn