The weekly times. (Wilmington, Del.) 1886-18??, 1886-10-16
A MOTHERS INFLUENCE

Sand you sail tomorrow, Will l
shall miss you"
Eyes; Pm bound to see the world.
I've been beating my wings in despera-
tion against the wires of my cage these
three years. know every stick, and
stone, and stump in this odious village
by heart, as well as do those stereo-
typed sermons of Parson Grey's. They
say he calls me "a scapegrace'-pity
should have the name without the
game" said he, bitterly. II haven't
rooln here to run the length of my
chain. I'll show him what can do in
wider field of action"
"But how did you bring your father
over 7"
"oh, he's very clad to be rid of me
quite disgusted because I've no fancy
for seeing corn and oats grow. The
truth is, every father knows at once too
much and too little about his own son
the old gentleman never understood
me; he soured my temper, which is
originally none of the best, aroused all
the worst feelings in my nature, and is
constantly driving me from instead Of
to the point he would have me reach. "
"And your mother"
''Well, there you have me that's the
only humanized portion of my heart
the only soft spot in it. She came to
my bedside last night, after she thought
was asleep. gently kissed my forehead,
and then knelt by my bedside. Harry,
I've been wandering round the fields
all the morning, to try to get rid of that
prayer. Old Parson Grey might preach
at me till the millennium, and he
wouldn't move me any more than that
stone. 1t makes all the difference in
the world when you know a person feels
what they are praying about. I'm wild
and reckless and wicked, / suppose;
but shall never be an inlidel while
can remember my mother. You should
see the way she bears my fathers inn
petuous temper; that's grace, not nd-
ttre, Harry but don't let us talk about
it only wish my parting with her
was well over. Goodbye; God bless
you, Harry; you'll hear from me, if the
fishes don't make supper of me-; and
Will left his friend and entered the cot
tage.
Wills mother was moving neryously
and restlessly about, tying up all sorts
of mysterious little parcels that only
mothers think of, ''in case of Sickness"
or in case he should be this, that, or the
other, interrupted occasionally by ex-
CARNATIONS like this from the old farm
er: "Fudge-stuff-great overgrown
baby-making fool of him-never be
out of leading strings" and then turn.
ing short about and facing viii as he
entered, he said
swell, sir, look in your sea-chest, and
you'll find gingerbread and physic,
darning needles and tracts, 'bitters' and
Bibles, peppermint ard old linen
rags, and opodeldoc. Pshaw l was
more of man than you are when was
nine years old. Your mother always
made fool of you, and that was en-
tirely unnecessary, too, for you were
always short of what is called common
sense. You needn't tell the captain you
went to sea because you didn't know
enough to be landsman; or that you
never did anything right in your life,
except by accident. You are aS like
that meier do uelI Jack Halpine us two
peas. If there is anything in you, |
hope the salt water will fetch it out.
Come, your mother has your supper
ready, see
Mrs. Lows hand trembled as she
passed her boys cup. 1t was his last
meal under that roof for many long
day. She did not trust herself to
speak-her heart was too full. She
heard all his father so injudiciously
said to him, and she knew too well
from former experience the effect it
would have upon his impetuous, fiery
spirit. She had only to oppose to it
mothers prayer, and tears, and allen
during love. She never condemned in
Will's hearing, any of his fathers
philippics always eXcusng him with
the general remark that he didn't un-
derstand him. Alone, she incurred
over it I; and when with her husband,
tried to place matters on Il better foot
ing for both parties.
Will noted his mothers swollen eye
lids; he saw his favorite tile tea.cakes
that she had busted herself in preparing