The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-03-28

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dwelt upon, this poor mourner felt her
self creeping little closer to the cross.
She had never been either hard or
rebellious mourner at any time; but
Johnnie had been the last great Joy left
to life which had known much sor-
row, and she had found it impossible to
realize greater anguish than that of
parting with him, until, in that solemn
monday quiet she looked on Calvary,
and realized, as never before, what
that other mother must have felt to see
her stainless Firstborn stretched before
her on the cross-realized as never be-
fore the infinite compassion of the
Firstborn's entreaty: woman, be-
hold thy son"
'Oh, if he would only say that to me"
the sore heart murmured, chow thank
fully would obey him!''
And then again she looked at Antho-
ny and wondered inconsequently
whether the beloved disciple had borne
any outward resemblance to his master.
After the service she still knelt on,
until one by one the congregation be-
came dispersed, and there were left in
the church only herself, the organist
and two of the choir boys. One of the
two she saw was her boys successor,
and with hungry intensity she watched
the little cassocRed figure fitting noise
lessly about the chancel, then coming
down the nave, past the pew in which
she sat, until with unwilling steps he
reached the one great tragedy of his
life-a tragedy which had for it's herald
a small boy, who, eager with impor-
tance, whispered hoarsely, yet distinctly
enough to reach even Mrs. Scott
Payne's ears:
"Tony, your mothers burst blood
vessel, or something. Anyway, the
blood's pouring out of her mouth, and
the doctor says she may die any min
ute"
The path by which divine love leads us
is often a misty one to our mortal eyes,
| but from that moment wounded hand
seemed to point the way from that
childless mother to that almost moth
erless child, and by and by, when
joy and peace had come as the fruition
of obedience, it gave Helen Scott-Payne
unspeakable comfort to remember how
unfalteringly she had followed it from
the first.
81 will take him." she said, as the
organist, the other choir boy and the
messenger bent over the limp little fig
ure which had fallen as though slain
before that cruel message. MY car
riage is waiting and / will take him
home. Mr.. Whiting has told me all
about him. know where he lives"
Thus, as one chapter of Anthony
Kramer's life was finished, another one
began, and the poor young mother,
waiting to feast her dying eyes for the
last time on her only child, saw at the
same time the illumined face of hel
child's new mother, and, perhaps, be-
cause the eyes of the dying are so much
sharper than ours, which still look
earthward, she seemed to read, as if by
intuition, the thought and purpose
which illumined it.
sob, mother, mother, you cannot
leave me! / cannot let you go!" walled
poor little Anthony, throwing himselt
down beside her; but though the nerve
less arm instantly encircled him, it wa,
to this embodiment of a new hope the
mothers failing voice first addressed
itself.
"Will you care for him?" she said
"Will you watch over him when an
gone? He is a good boy now-he haj
brought nothing but gladness to m!
heart. Will you help him to become /
good man? / know who you are, bu
death makes me bold, and do not be
lieve you would come to me as you hay,
. if you meant to refuse me-"
J The doctor standing at the foot of tn
bed shook his head fearfully Her re
quest seemed SO wild, and he was afrait
of the issue; but down on her knees a
, the poor bedside, in the sha6biest room
] of the shabby west end clearinghouse
fell Helen Scott-Payne, and withou
J either fear or faltering made reply:
81 did not come here OF myself
| think our dear Lord has been leadin,
: me all through this day, and now He i
t saying to me, as He said to His owl
, mother: Woman, behold thy son!'
"Do you think would even dare t,
, disobey Him? / will do for your bo,
/ exactly what 1 would do for my own
| and oh, when you meet my boy in Par
adise, l know he will be glad to hea
that his mother is no longer desolate.
81 will surely tell him." the poo
: weak voice whispered, and then, softll
pressing the little tear-stained cheel
} beside her, the mother said: san,
} Anthony, you will DC to her all that yo
7 would have been TO lne-more II poGsi