Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-01-14
THE GOVERNOR.

ablaze with light, and a long line of carri-
ages filed up to the entrance and dajntily
slippered feet sprang out upon the rich car
pet stretched from curb to door, as women
in evening dress and glitterng jewels pass
ed into the house, followed by their male at
tendants, along the wide hall, between rows
of hot-house plants in urns and vases, and
footmen, in crimson and gold livery, into
geld and white room, lined from floor to
ceiling with mirrors and rare paintings, aud
with exquisite roses and orchids everywhere.
At one end of the long room, with great
mass of rich red jacqueminot roses banked
behind them, stood Governor Waring and
his wife.
The former stood head and shoulders
above the most of his guests, and the snowy
whiteness ofthe hair, brushed straight back
from the high, wide forehead was the only
token of the sixty five years which had
passed over his head. There was no stoop
in the broad shoulders, no sign of the pas
sage of years in the dark proud face, clean
" slaven, with the stern gray eyes, the
firm, thin-lipped mouth, ard the strongly.
nodded china face at which one involun-
tarily turned to look again, strong, proud,
fascinating, and yet how little emotion or
feeling it ever showed; stern and cold and
naughty always, except, perhaps, to her
who stood by his side, who had been the one
and only love ofhis life; and yet, when once,
and once only, in an hour of supreme
agony, she had tried to break down that in
domitable pride and iron will, she had
found them even stronger than her tears,
her agony. And yet they had been moth
er's tears, mothers agony pleading for
her child.
1t was the nOt..uncommon story of an only
son, on whom were centered mothers
tenderest love, fathers proudest hopes,
bringing sorrow to the one, and bitter dis
appointment to the other. Upon the boy 3
wayward and high strung nature the faith
er s sternness and severity acted as goad.
Things grew worse as the boy reached man
hood. Wounded in his strongest attribute,
his pride, by his SON. s waywarduess and dis
sipation, Andrew Waring grew more stern
ly intolerant of the formers offenses, until
one day, after drunken brawl on the streets
in which young Waring figured conspicu-
ouely, his father called him into his pres
encs, and coldly, sternly told him he was
no longer son of his, and that his house
would shelter him no longer. II was then
in vain the mother pleaded, the son who
had no love for bis father 10 cause him to
appeal to him, VAS sullenly silent, and there
was only muttered cnrse on his lips as he
went f;om his fathers presence to enter II
no more.
ssNever speak his name to me again."
said Andrew WariDg to his wife; s'renem-
ber that henceforth have no son."
She obeyed him, but her mothers heart
could not forget or cease to ache in agony
and longing.
Time went oD, years passed. and no It'd
ings ever came of young Andrew Waring;
whether he were living or dead they knew
not. In the fifteen years that had elapsed
since he closed his doors upon that repro
bate SOD, the older man had risen in his
career until he held the highest office the
State could bestow. Many had forgotten
that he ever had a son he, himself, seemed
Ito have forgotten it the mother, who always
remem bered and sorrowed, often thought
a. she stood by her husbands side, in her
silks and rare old laces, with diamonds fash
| log on her breast, and in the fair hair which
had grown SO gray within the lsst fifteen
years, far too e, ag, for she was many years
youuger than her husband, many in the
brilliant throng envied her, little guessing
how empty it all was to her, how gladly she
would have relinquished it all for some ii.
diBgs os that absent son, or just to look once
again on his facs.
Somewhat late in the evening little old
man, With sharp features, aud a bald head,
! made his way to whore the Governor and
his wife stood. Both greeted him with
evident pleasure, for Henry Holton, one Of
- Smnst cesebsa.ed lawyers of his time,
N q, FIJI many years, been intimate ia The
SSAsing family, he and the Governor having
bsen college caums In their young days.
! Il AN delighted to see you,' Mrs. War
iue said, with hcr soft, gsntle smile. Il wal
nct often the old lawyer ever attended any
fss., enable entertainments.
!" must confess to combining business
WITH pleasure even now," he replied, ''tha
is, ii fhs Governor can spare me few mo
M nts; aloue.s
| Il den 70 about an hours time, Holton
and wifl Join you tth hI in the library"
Z, The Noxernor ano1his wife then mingled
with thspx guests a4lton stood for Will,