Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-02-25
ADVERTISING RATES.
TEN YEARS DEAD.

His face was striking one. Day after
day as ] sat in the public library this face
was opposite. If ] raised my eyes from
my reading he was there, pouring over a
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 refinement in his entire per-
son. His hair was thick and white and
was pushed back from a fine sensitive face.
But more than all there was a 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 APP
partition. A mere accident put us upon
speaking terms, and as we met from dav to
day he grew less reserved. One day as we
were leaving the library said George.
| wish you would tell me your story.o A
spasm of pain crossed his forehead and he
hesitated, but sympathy in my voice inter
ested him. He said 81 will tell YOU.
But let us go to my ROOM"
When we reached his room in the hotel.
4 otih bOnb anu hdllCO lOI MIN 10 Degln.
After a silence of some minutes. during
which lac sat with bowed head, this singu-
lar man, who emed more and more
ghostly to me as | looked at his thin
hands and face, began in a subdued voice
| suppose that have the most remark
able as well as the most sorrowful history
that ever entered your ears. | was born
and reared upon a farm in the central part
of this State. / passed the ordinary life
of the farmer lad, working in summer and
going to the district school in winter, lead
ing careless, happy boyhood At fifteen
years of age | entered the preparatory de-
partment of a neighboring college. Dur
ing vacation | worked on the farm. In
this way | spent six years, graduating, at a
little past my majority, with credit. That
summer | spent 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. / strained every
faculty to get ready for the work the COM
ing September. | was engaged to be mar
ried to a young girl | had met at the col
lege and I'll seemed bright and happy.
My God Row happy and bright that time
seems TO me now as | look across that aw-
full 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 4 quarrel
with my father. | had been studying
hard, and my eyes had menaced my studies
and / was irritable. We were both of a
passionate nature. He was a good father
and man of worth, had integrity, but in
tensely practical. 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 another till in pas
sionate anger he ordered me to leave his
house forever. | remember turning in con-
vulsive rage and raising my arm-then
swift dread blackness fell upon me like n
cloud and my brain melted under scar
ing heat"
There was long silence, during which
my narrator sat with bowed head, while |
with soul profoundly stirred by the agony
in his voice, listening to the dull roar of
the human tide that beat and lashed along
the street. Then he began again in low
monotonous key that thrilled me.
"When | regained consciousness, | was
lying upon a heap of straw. | did not i'm
mediately know this but it came gradu-
ally. | did not think-the sensation of
rustling straw seemed to come into my
mind of itself. ] remember feeling il
wonderingly with my hands. | seemed to
be wrapt in mist, through which familiar
sounds made their way family as from
distance. ] heard the trampling as of ami
mails, and the noise of farmyard fowls
grooming and Cackling. Slowly my frozen
brain resumed It's work, and ! felt rather
than saw | was in stable and heard the
cattle on either side of me. Then a stable
boy reused me with cry that was like
shock to my faculties and / rose feebly. |
remember thinking the boy had almost
comical look of terror upon his chubby
face and he breathed hard. Ny SEN
sation was of bewilderment All
was unaccountable, all a mystery.
| looked down at my feet and saw
they were covered by coarse but new shoes
1 was dressed in strong, clean gray suit,
like miller's working suit. | wondered
at the long beard upon my face, at my
sleeping in stable. | felt weak and
hungry, and asked the boy for food He
started away at the sound of my voice, but
CdltlS illh lOOhlllS III
As / again asked for food, he told me to
come with him, and when | stepped slowly
out into open air, and saw the morning
sunlight streaming down the valley and
over the meadow, saw the brook and the
orchard, like a wave of reviving warmth
came the thought am at home. This
was all l was sure of, and chung TO it like
one sinking, even though when | turned
L Il.
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 farmhouse, 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 me? She turned like flash
and looked at me wildly; then, old as she
was, ran to me, hinging her arms about my
neck, 1t was my mother. l knew 1t and
vet / did not know it. My mother was
merry and had soft, plump cheeks; this
mother was old and sad. l reached out
nv hand and touched her head. | did not
know nv own name. Trembling with
excitement, my mother called, Mary,
Mary, Arthur has come! "He that was
dead is alive again At the sound of her
voice Young lady of five-andtwenty came
running in. Ny sister Mary! Why my
sister was little dancing girl of fifteen,
with hair in shining ringIets, only yester-
day. And with wild cry sank under
the weight of my maddening thoughts.
"The next knew was lying upon a
bed in my old familiar chamber and
mother sat at my side. And then my
mother tsid me how more than ten years
before / had fallen into fit and brain
fever had set in; how one night when the
watcher, my father, was momentarily alb
sent, | had arisen and stolen away from
the house.
"Oh, my son, how We searched for you
Father blamed himself, and nearly all he
had he spent in sending detectives and