The Press., 1888-04-05
TEN YEARS DEAD.

His face was a striking one. Day after day as sat in the public library this face was opposite. If I raised my eyes from my reading he was there, boring over pile of pamphlets or sitting with dreamy, sorrowful face over his forgotten book. He was a man of middle age apparently, with an air of re- tinement in his entire person. His hair was thick and white and was pushed back from fine sensitive face. But more than all there was look of measureless sorrow in every quivering line. He was so silent, so reserved, so intent in the midst of the turmoil of the busy city, that he had upon me the effect of an apparition. A mere accident put us upon speaking terms and as we met from day to day he grew less reserved. One day as we were leaving the library said George, I wish you would tell me your story" A spasm of pain crossed his forehead and he hesitated, but sympathy in~my voice inter ested him. He said: "I will tell you. But let us go to my room."
 When we reached his room in the hotel, l sat down and waited for him to begin. After a silence of some minutes, during which he sat with bowed head, this singular man, who seemed more and more ghostly to me as I looked at his thin hands and face, began in a subdued voice:
 ''I suppose l have the most remarkable, as well as the most sorrowful, history that ever entered your ears. 1 was born and reared upon farm in the central part of this state. Ipassed the ordinary life of the farmer lad, working in summer and going to the district school in winter, leading careless, happy boyhood. At 15 years of age I entered the preparatory department of a neighboring college. During vacation worked on the farm. In this way spent six years, graduating, at a little past my r upon the farm, working busily, till in August received note from the principal of the college, saying had been elected to the place of tutor of language and literature. I strained every faculty to get ready for the work the coming September. \ was en- gagged to be married to a young girl had met at the college, and all seemed bright and happy. My God! how happy and bright that time seems to me now as look across the awful abyss
 "Excuse me, sir, for giving away to my feelings" said the speaker, speaking with long pauses like one painting with fatigue. ''The last thing which | remember before that chasm came into my life was quarrel with my father. had been studying hard, and my eyes had menaced my studies and was irritable. We were both of q passionate nature. He was good father, and man of
 
 He had little respect for Greek and Latin and would sometimes jest about my studies. On that dreadful day retorted sharply to his testing words, and one word followed an- other till in passionate anger he ordered me to leave his house forever. Iremember turn ing in convulsive rage and raising my arm- then swift dread of blackness fell upon me like cloud and my brain melted under soaring heat"
 There was long silence, during which my narrator sat with bowed head, while I with soul profoundly stirred by the agony in his voice, listened to the dull roar of the human tide that beat and dashed along the street. Then he began again in 8 low monotonous key that thrilled me.
 "When l regained consciousness I was ly- ing upon heap of straw. did not imme- diately know this, but it came gradually. did not think-the sensation of rustling straw seemed to come into my mind of itself. re- member feeling it wonderingly with my hands I seemed to be wrapt. in a mist, through which familiar sounds made their way faintly, as from distance. heard the trampling as of animals and the noise of farm yard fowls grooming and cackling. Slowly my frozen brain resumed its work, and felt rather than saw I was in a stable, and heard the cattle on either side of me. Then stable boy reused me with cry that was like shock to my faculties, and I rose feebly. I remember thinking the boy had almost a comical look of terror upon his chubby face, and he breathed hard. My sensation was of bewilderment. All was un- accountable, all a mystery. I looked down at my feet and saw they were covered by coarse but new shoes. I was dressed in a strong, clean gray suit like miller's work ing suit. wondered at the long beard upon my face, at my sleeping in a stable I felt weak and hungry, and asked the boy for food. He started away at the sound of my voice; but came back and resumed looking at me. As I again asked for food, he, told me to come with him, and when I stepped slowly out into open air and saw the morn ing sunlight streaming down the valley and over the meadow, saw the brook and the orchard, like wave of reviving warmth came the thought, I am at home! This was all was sure of, and clang to it like one sinking, even though when turned to the house all was changed. The trees were tall and the house had grown larger. While these thoughts were knocking at my poor feeble brain my guide had opened the door of the farm house and called to some one within. A mild featured, white haired old lady came to the door and said, Come in. ' At the sound of her voice the bonds of my silence were loosed, and cried in terrible voice, Mother! mother! don't you know meg She turned like flash and looked at me wildly; then, old as she was, ran to me, hinging her arms about my neck It was my mother. 1 knew it, and yet l did not know it. My mother was merry and. had soft, plump cheeks; this mother was old and sad reached out my hand and touched her head did not know my own name. Trembling with excitement, my mother cried, Mary, Mary, Arthur has come! 'sHe that was dead is alive again."' At the sound of her voice young lady of fye-and-twenty came run ming in. My sister .Maryi Why my sister was little dancing girl of 1h with hair in shining ring1ets, only yesterday. And with wild cry sank under the weight of my nladdening thoughts
 "The next knew I was lying upon bed in my old familiar chamber, and mother sat at my side And then my mother told me how, more than ten years before, | had fallen in fit, and brain fever had set in;7 how one night when the watcher, my father, was mo- mentarily absent, I had arisen and stolen away from the house.
 "sOh, my son, how we searched for youl Father blamed himself, and nearly all he had he spent in sending detectives and letters all over the land He died, Arthur, trembling xU;f1, ooro o1,d covsr,nvp 5afE E3 RT1f (1OH l10