Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-05-29

''eoD WILL NOT FORGET YOUR KINDNESS
for the present we had better stay At
home and raise something upon which
20 feed our soldiers
Jack listened quietly. and then with
out word went back to the pillow he had
left standing in the furrow.
A year passed away, and with il
poor Jacks bright hopes of the future
A hundred dollars that Mr.. Gibbons
had placed in the desk in the room ad-
joining his disappeared mysteriOusly.
and circumstances pointed suspiciOusly
towards him as the thief Though oDe-
dent and trzctable. the boy was high
spirited. and resented. as base. any in
situations that called his honesty in
question His indignant denial would
have Lad much weight with the consci-
ensiOus farmer had not Ben. the Glib
hons baby, asserted boldly that be had
seen Jack --fOOling round the desk more
than once
IN the eyes Of the parents this prof
was conclusive. besides il accounted for
tho many petty thefts that. in the last
few months. had sOrely puzzled the
worthy couple. The soul Of honor him
self, Mr.. Gibbons would not tolerate
any departure from recfi tade. especially
in one for whom he had done 50 much
The result of the trouble was that Jack
packed up what few things he needed
for q change. and went ont from the
hone where his hsppiest days had been
spent
God viii not forget your kindness to
a poor. frlendless orphan he said. as
he took mother Gibbons hand at par
ting
Going directly to recruiting Office,
he enlisted in a Michigan regiment.
and in less than twenty-fOur hours he
was on his way to Tennessee, where
General Halleck was Just then laying
siege 70 COrinth. In spite Of his youth
and consumptive tendencies Jack made
. good soldier and came out Of the
bloody conflict without his fair name
being tarnished-
Instead Of returning to the home that
had sheltered his bOyhOod, ne went
West and settled upon 4 claim taking
mp his lonely life as a rightful heritage.
Not so kindly did the four years Of
warfare deal with the poor old farmers
lads. for when the boys IN blue came
marching home. not one OF the stall
wart sons who had gone forth to battle
walked in the ranks George and Ben
had come home in pine collins many
days before. while Dan was left sleeping
beneath the bright Southern skies
After Jack had gone away Ben gained
his fathers consent 70 become a soldier !
but before a year had passed he sick I
ened and died, but not until he had I
taken upon him self the theft that had I
sent the orphan boy alone into the world. 1
More than a score Of years afterwards T.
an irresistible desire TO look upon the /.
faces Of the friends Of his youth sent 1
Jack back 70 catch a glimpse of the old /
familiar walks. IL was OF the 30th of /
May that he arrived. and the little town 1
was gay with flowers and banners Join /
ing in the processson that was vending /
its way to thecemetery he passed quiet /
ly to the grave of his father. now /
marked by marble slab In the same /
row, little TO the east he read the /
names of George and Ben Gibbons. and 4
an old veteran who was scattering flOw- 4
ers on the graves Of the brothers in
formed him that Dan closed his life in a
Southern prison and that the twOdaugh-
ters Of the same household had died
within 4 week Of each ether. leaving
the old folks childless and almost pen
niless- Waiting 70 hear no more. Jack
FASTENED to the old farmhouse. and
without making himself known listened
to the pitiful story OF the old people.
who upon the mOrrOw would be turned
out of the house where all their welded
life had been spent I'VE gave our
boys all to our country, but now we are
forgotten both by God and man, mur-
INJURED the old man.
Father. God never fOrgets-- said the
good wife. tenderly. Don't you re-
member poor Jacks last words-Tod
viii not forget your kindness to poor
orphan bOy2'-
''Ah, but did | not send the poor lad
away for a crime our own boy CON-
mitted2 God is furnishing us for this
sin. Mary, and tomorrow night we will
sleep in a pauper's bed
God never fOrgets. said the stranger.
and then came the most joyful moment
Of his life, when he was able TO reveal
himself 10 them and assure them that
he boy whom they had saved from the
alnshOuse had come blck just in tine
70 render them like service
Jack did not leave them again. except
or few days &c arrange his business in
he West and bring back the money TO
ave the old home from the auctioneer's
hammer God did not forget them
Ind after many days the bread which
hey had cast upon the waters came
lsck to them--Belle V. Chisholm, IL
,hristian Inquirer