Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-07-18

ing of the north wind. which still had
the herby fragrance of iron-weed, as
ters and golden-rod. AT last he stood
on tho narrow bridge that spanned
North creek, and rs he looked down
into the still blackness of the pool the
stream made at this point, the tempter
Of souls assailed him. "Why not leave
the question TO DO solved by othersP"
was brcathed in his ear. down i'm that
quiet spot, where the eddy holds all
that comes to itfor weeks, you will lie
long undisturbed. A mist obscured
the stars. Not one was reflected. a
glimmcring shadow, in the dark depths
Lower and lower he bent, drawn by
something he could not resist Rest
was just beneath him, and he was very
tired. His hands hung limp, one foot
was over the bridge, when sleepy
bird called family to its mate i'm the
ccdars. Instantly brave. clear an
swer came. II had been one of Eph-
rains few pleasures to note the ways
of birds, and his attention was aroused
in an instant. Then a great wave of
shame came over him, and crying
aloud, he fell upon his knees in the
dust of the bridge.
81 asked the Lord what | ought to
do" he explained to his wife the next
day. when he had told her that he had
spent half of his precious hoard of
money for a quantity of wares to stock
his father-in-law's old rag cart, which
mother Foster, quite regardless of pub
lie opinion. had brought with her from
Smyrne. HE heard me, Ruth dear,
and saw fathers old cart as plainly
as / see YOU"
The Annex Chronicle. being on the
spot, and ceiling sympathy in its plural
bosom, said nothing. The Church Or
gan, being far from tho spot, and quite
ignorant of the circumstances, and
irritated perhaps by the publicity given
the step by the Zoar Scraper. which
never neglected the making of para
graph at any cost to other people, if at
small cost to itself, made Ephraim the
text on which depended n biting
sermonette. Kind hearted, stupid
Twackcr, now DR.. Twacker. asked the
reason.
ut is because my father-in-law is
dead" wrote Ephraim, humbly. al
always had refuge under his roof.
Vacations, when people expected me
to leave town, and l had no money,
and always when was without
charge, we went to fathers. My sal
airy has never been beyond the point of
our living expenses. You will there
fore understand, without my going
further into detail. that when father
Foster died, and his home went into
other hands, with no money, no
charge, and no trade, l had no choice,
since seven helpless beings depended
upon me for support"
The first week OH the rag-cart Mr..
Downey earned fifteen dollars above
expenses, and his independence and
worldly career began. He sends out
men himself now, and keeps smart
buggy in his barn beside the red cart
retired to honorable desuctude But
though he is a busy man, as the firm
of Downey, Badger e. Co., rag-dcalers,
in Zoar, ought to be, he still finds time
to do special work for the Master, and
labors in mission schools and charities.
He is generous. too, and sends n snuI
sum each year to his beloved alma ma
ter, Waterbury. But though the courso
of his life has been us open as the day,
though he has held himself above re-
proach in every relation, public ana
private, the question is st II asked sus-
picious,y behind his back: What do
you think is the real reason he left the
ministry?" -Harpers Weekly.