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

experiment, as the mother had urge
And now, very OPPORTUNITY, lie;
in the book of his memory was turf
ed on which was written the story
a poor boys wrongs and suffering
at sea. Many years ago his hea1
had grown sick over the record. II
tried to look away from the page, BIT
could not. Tt seemed to hold hi
eye by kind of fascination.
Still he did not relent. Duty re
quired him to go steadily forward
and execute his purpose. There wa
no other hope for the boy.
''Philip!'' 1t was thus that he an
nounced his determination. 81 an
going to send you to sea with Cap
tain Ellis. It's my last hope. Stead
lily bent, as you are, on evil, / cal
no longer suffer you to remain a
home. The boy who begins with rob
bling his heighbor's garden,is in great
danger of ending his career on the
gallows. To save you, if possible,
from fate like this, / now send you
to sea-
Very sternly, very harshly, almost
angrily, was this said. Not the small
est impression did it seem to make
upon the boy, who stood with his
eyes cast down, an image of stubborn
self-will and persistent rebellion.
With still deeper denunciation did
the father speak, striving in this way
to shock the feelings of his child, and
extort signs Of penitence. But it was
the hammer and the anvil-blow and
rebound. Very different were the
mothers efforts with the child. Tear
fully she pleaded with him-earnest-
ty she besought him to ask his faith
er's forgiveness for the evil he had
done. But Philip said:
''No, mother. 1 would rather go
to sea. Father don't love me, he
don't care for me. He hates me,
believe"
"Philip! Philip! Don't speak in
that way of your father. He does
love you; and it is only for your
good that he is going to send you to
sea. Oh, how could you do so wick
ed thing?"
Tears were in the mothers eyes.
But the boy had something of the ia
theirs stern spirit in him, and showed
no weakness.
cit isn't any worse than he did
when he was boy" was his answer.
'Philip!''
"Well, it isn't; for I heard Mr..
Freeman say that father and he rob-
bed orchards and hens nests, and did
worse things than that when they
were boys"
Poor Mrs. Browning was silent.
Well did she remember how wild
boy Jonas Browning was and how,
when she was a little girl, she had
heard all manner of evil laid to his
charge.
Very unexpectedly-at least to Mr..
Browning-the minister called in on
the evening of that troubled day. At
ter some general conversation with
the family, he asked to have few
words with the deacon, alone.
SIS it true. Mr.. Browning he
said, after they had retired to an adj
joining room, "that you are going to
send Philip to sea %
"Too true replied the father So
berly. "It is my last hope. From
the beginning that boy has been a
rebel against just authority; and
though 1 have never relaxed disci-
pine through the weakness of natur-
al feelings, yet resistance has grown
with his growth, and strengthened
with his strength, until duty requires
me to use desperate remedy for a
desperate disease. 1t is a painful
trial; but the path of duty is the only
path of safety. What we see to be
right, we must execute with unfiinch-
ing courage. | can not look back
and excuse myself of any neglect of
duty towards this boy, through weak
ness of the flesh. From the begin
ming, / have made obedience the law
Of my household, and suffered no de-
Walton therefrom to go UNPUBLISHED.
"Duty,' said the minister, ''has a
twin sister,
He spoke in a changed voice, and
with a manner that arrested the at
tention of Deacon Browning, who
looked at him with glance of inqui-
~.
"She is as lovely and gentle, as he
is hard and unyielding."
The deacon looked curious.
"When the twin sister of duty is
away from his side, he loses more
than half his influence but, in her
beautiful presence, he gains dignity
and power that makes his precepts
avs of life to all who hear them.
The stubborn heart, the iron will is
the spirit of evil shrinks
away from the human SOUL" There
was pause.
'.The name of that twin sister is
The eyes of Deacon Browning fell
away from the minister's countenance,
md dropped until they rested upon
he floor. Conviction flashed upon
lis heart He had always been stern
n executing the law-but never kind.
elias that beautiful twin sister