McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-01-22

| insects troubled him, he saw huge
snakes gliding away into the under
brush, there were strange sounds al
around, and the sense of awful solem
nifty came over him. He was alone
with God in the thick woods, and he
feared Him as he had never done be
fore. All day long the prayer of con
triton and alteration was on his lips
Towards the cleaning he was delight
ed to reach the prairie again and tt
meet two travellers.
"sGood night, stranger"
"Gude night to bath o. you. Ker
you whar l can get bite and sur
and nights lodging?"
Eyes, 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, reckon. .
THANK you, gentlemen. GUIDE
night"
He rode on very anxiously. The
sun was sinking fast, and an irrepres-
sible solitude was around him. One
lonely, silent bird flying hastily to its
coveret gave a still eerier feeling to
the hour and scene. Suddenly he
heard the joyful laughter of children
at play. He quickened his pace,
rounded clump of trees, and then
saw white house spreading itself be-
meath them. Some children, black and
white, came running to the little gate
to meet him.
well. BARNS, is the Judge at home?"
"NO, but ma u.s." said little lad
about six years old. go to the house,
sir; Jim and l will take your buggy"
He let them take it very gladly, and
went to the house. A pretty little We
man met him on the piazza. She
needed no explanations. He was a
stranger wanting food and shelter,
and she gave them with a charming
courtesy that at once put the deacon
at ease.
81 am sorry my husband is away"
she said with pardonable wifely pride,
''but he is member of the Legislature,
and il is now in session.
Then the children came back, and
the deacon took to them wonderfully.
Children were new form of humanity
to him; he knew nothing about them.
But there was an independence and
good-fellowship about the little lad, as
he told him all about the animals and
his adventures. that quite delighted
the old man.
After little they went to bed in the
next room, and he heard them saving
their prayers to their mother. ssGod
bless grandpapa!' How the words
smote him! He grew so nervous and
restless that when the baby lisped out
the same petition he could no longer
sit still. He walked to a window,
where there was table and lamp
and some newspapers. Then he noticed
large Bible, and ne drew it towards
him. Almost ANONYMOUSLY he turned
to the family register. alexander
McNab, born in Glasgow, March goth,
1S-," was the first name he saw. He
made no cutlery; he never moved. His
eyes were riveted upon the words and
upon those that followed: ''Mary Bay
lor, born in Galveston, Janet McNab,
David McNab, Margaret McNab, Peter
McNab. On the opposite page the
"death of Janet McNab, aged 10
months. He had objected to her
bearing her grandmother's 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 incommunicable,
even to the Heavenly father. He sat
as still in his joy as he had often done
in his grief and opened not his month,
because he was so sure that God had
done it.
After little AleXander's wife come
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 sublimely. He was the
best and greatest man in Texas-she
had not a 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, mop she answered frankly.
she was born in Glasgow, town in
Scotland. [ suppose you know the
city, for you talk like a Scotchman."
II nae many friends and business
COuucCbIOuS tutIG, LID all.
She hesitated a few moments and
then asked, ''Did you ever know or
hear tell of Mr.. Peter McNab? He is
a lawyer"
81 may say l ken him vera weel. I
dinna think much O. him either, ma am.
He's hard auld man.
''He is my husbands 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 be
hard" Then she turned the CONVEX
sation, and the deacon was glad of it.
He did not sleep much, and the next
was on the road to Austin at
daybreak. He reached there in the
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 5
o'clock. If the gentleman had any
private business there was no use go
ing there. The judge was chairman of
a 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