The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1889-08-22
on the table, and his gaunt hands clasping

"Iou never knew what happened on
that morning when ] took the boy aside
to reason with him. did not reason; l
was harsh and tyrannical with him.
When peremptorily forbade him to go
to sea, he tried to coax and persuade me.
/ cut him off with stern command; he
answered me shortly, and chastised him
severely.
"Think of it, Patience Ephraim's
voice was broken. al beat him like a
dog. lie ran away; but his great heart
reproachcd him, and he came back, peni-
tent and weary, to ask my forgiveness
You saw mc--you heard me. Pride and
hardness filed my heart, and II re-
pulsed him"
His face was turned from me; IL there
were not tears in his eyes, his voice be-
lied him. For an hour longer. before |
went to my sleepless bed, his heavy tread
sounded from the chamber above, as he
paced the floor. The door was open and
the light was burning as / passed along
the hall. looked in and saw Ephraim
kneeling by the bedside.
Thereafter came dreary stretch of
years, in which toilcd, suffered and
prayed. Our affairs went from bad TO
worse. Ephraim was not the same man
after that night. The remorse that af-
1icted his spirit seemed also to have
stricken his body. and he wasted into the
mere shadow of his former self.
tried to console and comfort him, as
did also our good minister, but even in
his distress of mind he seemed as far re-
moved from human sympathy and influ-
euce rs he had ever been. Often in the
night, when / awoke to think of Percy
us last saw him, the deep and earnest
tones of prayer from the adjoining room
told me that Ephraim was wrestling for
the pardon which his abject spirit almost
declined in advance to receive.
He, too, soon slept in the family bury
ing ground. Poor, self-accused brother
have suffered, but never rs he did.
In better times and with average sea-
sons, am vain enough TO think that,
though a woman, could have managed
the place with the average prosperity.
But the crops failed, and then came on
the wartime, when help was scarce, and
the demands of labor were high. Next
the barns were burned by lightning, and
most Of the stock perished in them.
With each new misfortune l nerved
myself for new efforts; but / came at last
to realize that was contendiug against
hope. Years were piling their weight
upon me; my strength was failing. Yet
l struggled on.
For two years the interest on the old
mortgage which dated back to fathers
time had not been paid, and threats of
foreclosure had reached me. The pros
pect of being turned out Of this dear old
home was rudely thrust upon me.
could think of nothing else. l was
thinking of it one evening, just at dusk,
us l stood at the door.
A poorly dressed man, leading little
girl, came out of the obscurity of the |
road, hesitated and stopped. His face
was half concealed by hair and beard,
and his shabby dress preiudiced me
against him; but the roll in his walk be-
tokened the sailor, and inclined me at |
once TO charity.
"We'er hungry, ma'am-sissy and |
me, " he said in gruff voice. "Somc
bread and milk, please
l motioncd them into the kitchen.
"Go in there" | said, land will come
in q moment and get you some food"
Twas gone no longer than was nocessa-
ry to bring the lamp that 1 had left light I,
ed il the sitting-room. At the kitchen I
door my feet were arrested by the specta- |
Gle of the mans impudence. He had |
actually gone to the buttery, brought out |
q pan of milk and loaf OF bread, dark |
Us it was, aud out of n dippcr full OF the |
milk, he was giving the child drink.
was very indignant. GLOW dare you
take such Il liberty1" asked.
He turned his face over his shoulder
to me, and the merry expression of his |
eyes stopped my scolding abruptly. He
spoke-this time in voice that knew |
at once.
"Why, Patience, this is tho way
used TO do, you know"
l did not faiat but I must have
dropped if he had not caught me. 30 !
Percy" l sobbed, "has God given you
back to met"
"Ycs, sister. Where is Ephraiml"
pointed toward the hill.
We talked so late that night in the
sitting-room that his little girl went TO
sleep in my arms. The report in the |
could not have referred to
him, as he said that he had never seen
the ship Emma Montford.
Bronzed and bearded as he was, he had !
the bcaming eye and the laughing voice
Of his youth; but when told him more
about Ephraim, his eyes moistened aud |
he was silent for Il long time.
Later he told me the story of his wan
derings which put in a few words.
He had sailed to almost every quarter
of the globe, and in the first year of his |
absence he had twice or thrice written 20
me. For some reason did not receive I.
the letters. AS he did not hear from me
he became careless, and for long time
was "A wild and reckless rover.
Later, he settled in Australia, where he
married and reared family.
"Ithought was happy in those days"
he concluded. "But wnen, one after
another, my beloved wife and children
tol-a,, ,ll hat