The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-01-30
DEACON B'NAB'S PRODIGAL

The deacon watched anxiously fl
his sons reply to his letter. He fe
sure that Alexander would reply. II
judged from his own standpoint, an
from his knowledge of the dispute
tious young man. He forgot to tax
into account the influence of marriage
and of living in a community wher
men have to be careful in matters O
contradiction. He was ignorant O
many circumstances in his sons lif
which made this letter of less impor
lance to him than it was to the lonely
anxious sender of it. He was sorr,
at its tone, and he said to his wife, :"
have been little premature. Scotch
men have long memories for an offence
as well as for kindness. l will wal
year and write again"
But year passed and he did moi
write; two and three years, and ther
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 he had bet
ter 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 charac-
ter had altered. "He is hard when
you first know him, but he mellows
as your friendship grows" said Nc
Laurin, who had been familiar friend
for forty years. But lit was something
more than the mellowing of time. As
drops OF water will wear away granite.
SO the preaching of Dominic Frazer
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 was
listening to something very like Ar
minianism, but through it all very few
Sabbaths when the words of Jesus had
not found his soul, even in its most
secret places.
In the ninth year of his son s absence
he began to remember him very ten
derby and to find excuses for him. s.He
was vera young, and he had my ain
high temper and quick tongue. 1 ken
weel haze gunpowdery temper, and
the laddie was like flash O. fire; in
the vera nature O. things mischief
would come. l wish kent where he
is at a. Perhaps 1 ought. 1 mean,
perhaps it would be kind-like to look |
after him. l wouldna like to meet his |
mother in another warld if had failed |
in mercy to the lad. Whatever way
can l make it up wi himP"
1t was in a mood of this kind he
went to church one morning. His
thoughts wandered a great deal until
they lifted into the words which the
dominic was reading-the words which
The wise woman of Tekoah urged
David to bring back his banished son
Absalom. He pointed out the imper-
ection of David's forgiveness, in that,
hough he brought him back, he suf-
cred him not to see his face. Then
10 turned to the father of the newer
imned in Christlike
olors, running to meet his prodigal
Fhen afar of, taking him to his breast
With kisses of forgiveness, calling to-
ether his friends to rejoice with him
yer the son that was lost and found.
When the deacon left the church it
Vas with one fixed purpose-to go and
ind his son.
"And you'll do right, deacon" said
he dominic. you are hale and
igorous, and medina fear the travel.
'ou haze plenty O. siller to go to the
adj; maybe he hasna bawbee to come
D you. He may haze fallen very low I
ae you thought of thatp" |
SAY, have l. If can find him, 6
owever low he has fallen. I'll lift him
P and gle him a sons portion in a {
hings."
''If that is the spirit you are in. go
our way, deacon, and the Lord 90 I
nth you. Where to firstp" '
"He wrote me letter frae a town 1
n the Gulf o. Mexico in Texas but 1 e
ae written twice to that place, and b
OF no answer back; for. l bid him S
ave it on pain o. my displeasure, and
ell haze game ; but whichever way is Il
air than can tell" d
In month the deacon was in New a
and from there he went to a
orpus Christi. But since Alexander
lcNab had lived there it had been "
sited by an epidemic of yellow fever, o
nd the population had been a con- p
antly shifting one. No one remem- il
cred him. a
"rll go up to the seat of govern fl
ent," he said to himself "where
ere is law-making there'll be law fl
IT'S. Maybe I'll find the lad among fl
en-" il
So he bought horse and buggy and ii
emit leisurely through the country. h
was in the first week in June, and he Is
rs lost in amazemeut and delight. sc
,ere was pomp and glory in tn pl
nshine and flowers which he had m
yer dreamed of and as he rode al
rough miles of blowing grasses and to
W the countless herds of cattle and TO
t all the lonely beauty and peace
nk into his soul, he said rapturously.
Iere one kens that the earth is the Sc
rd's." The highly oxvgenized at
,sphere gave him feeling of exhil- it.
ltion I; he found himself singing lines a
his favorite songs as "Auld Lang m
ne," or "Scots who haze wi Wallace
d." But the strange happiness in
heart he put entirely down to the nj
dit of his conscience. "It's gran an
n.y." he thought. "to be on an de
and o. mercy. 1 dinna wonder
v there are sac many philanthro- Sc
ts." ne