St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-07-03
THE PRODIGAL son.
Feeding Upon the Husks Of Life
in Australia

"Yes," said Ernest, thoughtfully
stroking his big mustache, 81 have been
Prodigal Son. l know the whole
story. 1t wasn't bit funny If you
doubt my words, just try it for your
self; but pray don't blame me if you
find that it hurts worse than ruler on
wet hand.
1t is only fair to say that l was just
an everyday bad boy, of a very COM
mon New York kind. You wouldn't
have to 60 far, my dear, to find plenty
of fellows who We're worse and plenty
more who were better than l. So, you
see, was not so bad as bad could be;
oh, dear, no. Indeed. had kind
heart, am sure, and Just adored my
little mother. l had heaps and heaps
of good intentions, and when mamma
cried and begged me not to be so wild
and mischievous, why bless me. l would
cry half the night with the realest kind
of remorse, and promise-oh. so earn
cstly that l would turn over new leaf
: and keep it turned over. never knew
boy who cSlld do more hard and
bitter repenting in the course of single
night. But then daylight would come
and | would forget-and, well. you
know the rest, if YOU are not boy of
the Sunday-schooi book variety.
"My father-what shall say about
him? | really suppose he ought to
have been gadded himself. if people
got what they deserved. But he had
lot of money to take care of, and he was
awfully busy getting lot more-Tm
; sure ! don't know why, for he had
more than we could ever spend. So it
was only once in while that he could
stop long enough to weep over his har-
umscarum son. When he did stop. he
used to say that there was enough origi-
nal sin in my small body to keep a
mischief-mill running day and night.
Then he would rawhide me till the
welts on my back were criss-crossed
like the shading on one of Mr. Thomas
Nast's big cartoons, though | did not
have much time to think of pictures
then, l assure you. He always ended
the performance with a lecture. in
which | was informed that | was wilder
and wickcder than a whole tribe of
Western Indians, with squaws,
papeoses, Big Medicine Men and dogs
thrown in. / never thought much of
this joke, but it always seemed to
cheer him up immensely. He would
then go back to making money, and
spoil me. Just as he had done before,
with plenty of spending money and un-
limited liberty to do as please. Great
humbugs. these rich and generous
fathers, aren't they?
..Well, with such start, l don't
think it was strange that in the middle
of my Freshman year at college / was
suddenly sent home to stay. Somebody
had been playing pranks l was
pounced upon. Lying not being one
Of my accomplishments, | admitted
having a hand in the mischief. l
wouldn't peach on my companions. SO
! was made scapegoat. My father
said his heart was broken. had dis
graced the family. The only thing he
could do with me. he thought, was to
send me travelling. Perhaps l might
pick up some common sense in foreign
lands. The next thing knew was on
board the American packet ship Lib
erty' in the midst of tumbling waves,
and bound for Australia. There was
a letter of credit in my pocket and
new pain in my heart-one, my dear.
that hope you may never experience.
..Did l cry? Now please don't ask
impertinent questions. Was l home
sick and miserable amid the wild waste
of waters? All, my dear boy, you do
not know how big and lonesome and
awful the great sea makes this world
feel. You never realize its size until
YOU have been going for days and days.
and days and days. and find the same
circle of water about YOU, with no ap-
parent end in front. You feel that the
distance back to your beloved home
can never be measured. At the same
time your memory becomes very active.
and events of a year ago are brought
vividiv before you. You can feel
mammals last kiss like benediction
upon your brow; you can feel her soft
warm arm about you, just when she
held You close and begged you, while
big tears fell on your hair, to be a good
boy, and come back very. very soon.
Oh! oh. Oh. how good you would be if
gou could only have those dear arms
about you now! But all the money in
the world could not take you back
now.
$50 the big ship crept on. and on.
and on, across the summer sea, until
half OF this huge world lay between me
and my home
''Iwas hundred days older and felt
hundred years the Liberty
reached Melbourne You don't Epow
much about Melbourne. do you? Nor
. about Australia? 0, yes; I've no doubt