The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-08-16

| ened Amid all the voices detected that
which had stirred me In tho morning and was
glad when heard It and sorry when it
ceased. They werc the first humanizlng sem
| sations / had experienced for many months.
The service ended, and all was again silent
| 1t was fine evening, and resolved to pass
| the night In the wood, and recommence my
wanderings In the early morning. Ireckoned
upon complete solitude. but 1t was not to be
| mine.
| Three persons strolled In the direction Of
| the spot upon which 1 was lying, and stopped
within u short distance of me. A ciump Of
trees and tho gathering darkness concealed
me from their observation. One Of the per-
sons began to speak, and 1 recognized his
voice. 1t was that Of the man who had spo-
ken to ME so kindly in the churchyard. I
raised myself Into a sitting posture, and btnt
| forward to see. In the mans company were
| a woman and young GIRL whose face l could
| not distinguish. and whose form reminded
| mo OF Eunice. The father was telling them
OF hie meeting with me. and the manner in
which had met his kind words.
HE is a stranger here" the man said; 81
have never seen his face before. Indeed
saw but little of it now, 1t was SO covered with
tangled hair, Poor follow! Some deep
trouble is weighing upon him."
Perhaps, father" said the young girl, "he
| was hungry
Il think not, was the fathers answer, "or
he would have behaved differently. Hunger
is sharp monitor, my dear. He was not
hungry; he was defiant thought at first he
must bo beggar, but was mistaken. He
looked to me more like hunted animal than
| a human being"
"a man escaped from prison. perhaps" !"
suggested the mother
"It may be; but if 50. a long time must
have elapsed since he made his escape other
wise his hair would not have been 80 abund-
ant. Before spoke to him I noticed in his
eyes (he was not aware that was observing
him) look Of singular refinement, and am
sure that at some period OF his life sho has
moved in good position. Perhaps he had a
happy homo, like ours perhaps he had wife
and child whom he loved as I love you. To
have enjoyed such happiness and to have lost
it-ah, my dears, 1t Is q sad thought II that
poor mans heart were laid bare before us
we should see 1t throbbing with suffering
unmerted mayhap, but likely, too, to have
been created by error or sin. Should meet
him again will strive to learn his story. and
will help him if he will let me-"
They passed On, with further words Of pity
for me. waited till the earth was shrouded
in darkness, and then fed from the wood.
There was terror IN the idea OF meeting
that kind OF heart again.
From the gloomy months could pluck
other records, btft they would not help my
story. More and more insensible did be-
come to influences Of O humanizing nature |;
harder and harder grew my heart and there
oame periods Of savage delirium, when In my
desolation, raised my ciinched hand heav-
onward, and cried, "There Is no Godl" For
the bitter question forced itself upon me,
Why should be thus punished2 The evil
within me was not Of my creating; the Sleep
ing instinct of sayagery which had led me to
the unconscious committal OF q decd of blood
was not of my planting. In my waking hours
had lived good life. and had held deserv-
edly an honored and beloved position In my
home. Twas kind to the poor, and my heart
was always open to the call Of charity. Why.
then, should be compelled to wander through
the world "more like a hunted animal than
human beingT II there was a God, and he
was good. would he have permitted it2 In
the peril of these thoughts lay deeper dan
ger than that which sprang from the sin
which weighed upon my SOUL