Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-04-15

n sitting-room, and, almost involunta
n rily, opened large family bible
n His feelings were much softened to
|. wards his boy, who, with bis heat
f bowed upon his breast, sat ittl,
: apart from his mother The attitude
f was not so much indicative of stub
5 born self-will, as suffering. Deacon
t Browning thought he would read 9
e chapter aloud, and so he drew the
t holy book closer, and bent his face
5 down over it. Mrs. Browning observ-
ing the movement, waited for him to
begin. The Deacon cleared his throat
, twice. But his voice did not take up
the words that were in his ewes and
in his heart. How could they?
GAS a father pitieth his children
Had there been a divine pity in the
heart of Deacon Browning for his re-
bellious and unhappy boy? Nay, had
there not been wrath instead
From a hundred places in the mind
of Deacon Browning there seemed to
come the echo of these words, and
they had a meaning in them never
perceived before. He closed the book
and remained in deep thought for
many minutes; and not only in deep
thouhgt but in stern conflict with him
self. Kindness was striving to gain
her place by the side of duty; and
cold, hard, imperious Duty, who had
SO long ruled without rival in the
mind of Deacon Browning, kept all
the while averting his countenance
| from that of his twin sister, who had :
been SO long an exiled wanderer.
At last she was successful. The
stern brother yielded, and clasped to
his bosom the sister who sought his
love.
From that instant new thoughts,
new views, new purposes, ruled in
the mind of Deacon Browning. The
discipline of a whaler was too hard
and cruel for his boy ;young in years,
and by no means as hardened in in
EQUITY as he had permitted himself to
imagine. A cold shiver ran along
his nerves at the bare thought of do
ing what few hours before he had
resolutely intended. Kindness began
whispering in the ears of duty, and
crowding them with {. world of new
suggestions. The heart of the stern
man was softened, and there flowed |
into it something of a mothers yearn-
ing tenderness. Rising up,at length,
Deacon Browning said in low voice,
so pew in it's tones to the ear of Phil |
ip, that it made his heart leap:-
''My son, wish to see you alone"
The deacon went into the next |
room, and Philip followed him. The
deacon sat down and Philip stood be-
fore him.
''Philip, my son''-Deacon Brown
ing took the boys hand in one of his,
and looked him full in the face. The
look was returned-not defiant look,
but of yielding wonder:
"Philip, 1 am not going to send
you to sea with Captain Ellis. in
tended to do so but on reflection, /
think the life will be too hard for
you"
Very firmly, yet kindly, the deacon
tried to speak, but the sister of duty
was playing with his heart strings,
and their tone of pity was echoed
from his voice, that faltered when he
strove to give it firmness.
The eyes of Philip remained fixed
upon the countenance of his father.
Ny son"-Deacon Browning tho't
he had gained sufficient self-control
to utter certain mild forms of admo-
milton; but he was in error; his mild
voice was still less under his control,
and so fully betrayed the newborn
pity and tenderness in his heart, that
Philip, melting into penltence, ex-
claimed, as tears gushed from his
eyes =
ooh, father I've been very wick
ed and am very sorry y
Involuntarily, at this unexpected
confession the arms of Deacon Brown
ing were stretched out toward the re-
pentant boy, and Philip rushed, sob
bling, into them.
The boy was saved. From that
hour his father had him under the
most perfect subordination. But the
twin sister of duty walked ever by his