Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-02-12
4: 4, Il =

| lear aIteT year Sllppeu away. duu no one
heard a word from Gavin Irwin. The ren,
of the house was remitted to a firm he had
chosen in Liverpool for FIVE years; then
the tenant left, and for three years more
the Irwin place stood empty. In those
three years the minister often wondered
where the lost lad was. The rent Of the
homestead while 1t was rented was enough
for life's necessities. but now-what was
he doing?
He was seeing many extremes. He had
been as supercargo to the tropics, and In q
whaling ship to the Atlantic Ocean. He
had been a successful speculator in New
York, and he had been digging for gold in
Australia. He had been gambling with
princes in Baden Baden, and lighting foI
his rights with the roughs of Nevada. But
one night. ten years after his fathers
death, when he was just recovering from
an attack of the terrible vomito In Mata
moras, he suddenly bethought him of the
pleasant old home among the breezy hills.
He heard in his soul the chime Of the
church bells, and the faint sweet music OF
the people singing psalms, just as he heard
them on that morning when he went fish
ing to please the fair and fickle Jessie
Grief; and an intense desire for those
cool, old rooms and scented garden ways,
covered hills possessed him.
He feebly sought for bis purse and count
ed his money. Yes, there was enough left
to clothe him decently and carry him
home; and he would be content hepcefor-
ward to farm his fathers acres and live
and worship As his father had done. He
had to travel slowly, but one evening, ten
weeks afterward, he got of Clyde steam
er, and stood once more on the little
| Campsale pier. No one knew him.
He stopped little girl to ask if DR.. An
derson still lived at the manse. and then
took his way quietly toward ii. As be
opened the garden gate, lovely girl look
ed up from her carnations at him. He
asked tmidly for the minister and she led
him into the welI-knoSn parlor, with its
low roof and old-fashioned furniture. DIR.
Anderson came thoughtfully in, looked at
Gavin curiously, held out his hand. and
the moment he spoke. said =
Il thought so, Welcome home, Wei
| come home! l promised your father to
say this much for him when this glad day
! came round I'm proud man TO do ii,
| sir. Lucy Lucy bring some cakes and
glass of cream. You'll he glad, Gavin.
| know you will to taste the wholesome
oatmeal again"
And SO he ran on while he took Gavin :
hat and coat, and gave score of hospita-
Bile orders.
SO Gavin stayed at the manse for some
| weeks. and what passed between the MN
lister and him no one ever knew: but
| thiuk Gavin told him most of those ten
| years sins and failures. But he had come
home now, he said, to repair his father :
house aud live in it; perhaps IN time he
might win again the respect of his faith
| els friends.
DR.. Anderson heard and rejoiced He
gave Gavin 500. which he said was rent
due him, and advised him to begin at once
putting the place in oIder. 1t would en-
ploy him while he looked around. and it
was best not to be in hurry with any
plan. SO Gavin stayed all summer with
the minister, aud by the end of it-as any
one might have foreseen-he had hut one
thought In life-Lucy Anderson He was
almost sure Lucy loved him, too but he
had never dared to speak to her But one
night. As he sat full of dreamy thoughts
about his wasted past, Lucy came, and
touched him.
MIR. Irwin" she said, you are sad, and
you make me miserable. What is the mat
ter?"
II loye-and am unworthy to love"
Did she say so!'
Lucy, Oh. Lucy"
Love has manifold ways of explaining
itself. These two looked into each other $
eyes, and saw all they wanted But the
father was not so sangune. He remem-
bered the past ten years, and tremoled for
Lucy's happiness.
I'm tell you, Gavin. what | will do.
You shall perform thing ask of you,
and then will say amen 10 Lucy. yes
Il will do anything within the power OF
man to do"
MY request may be eccentric aud pur-
poseless, but have good reasons for max
ing it. 1t is now the end Of August; YOU
shall 90 every night to your fathers house
at ten O'Clock and sit in his chair until
midnight strikes-every night mind-and
will give You an answer at the New
Year"
Your wish is singular one, but l will
fudll it,
You are to take no company--no slim
ulant-and no light of any kind; and you
are to keep your tryst in spite Of wind and
/ weather"
Il will strictly fulfill your orders"
No one spoke more of the strange com
pact. but it was silently fulfilled to the let
ter. Only on Christmas eve, the old man
pressed his hand as he left, and said BE
content; your trial is nearly oyer"
SO Gavin went out of the coy, lighted
parlor into the dark cold lonely house
with happy heart. He had sat alone an
hour when he heard footsteps aud saw the
glimmer of a light. The door opened and
the minister and Lucy entered; but it was
Lucy that kissed him and said
Come home, Gavin! Come home Papa
says so. and am yours, darling, forever
from this hour"
Yes, Gavin" said the doctor, as they
talked together afterward, II thought to-
night is Christmas eve; no better time to
forgive and forget. to trust and love; and
when asked Lucy, she said it was God
put the thought into my heart, and so we
both came for you"
And now, my dear second father, tell
me why you put me through such an or
deal?"
because l wanted first that you should
think we'll over your past, and knew that
the lonely walk in all weathers and the
lonely house SO full of tender memories
WAS the best place for thought. Secondly
l knew if you had the resolution and the
love to keep promise extending over
four months, you might be trusted with a
graver promise. And now have double
reward for you. Here is the order for
father left them with me for you. We
both knew you would waste the first fl0,
900, and, very likely, also, would wander
into the very far countries, and feed upon
husks before you would come home again
but we also knew you would come. sooner
or later, for you were well brought up in
the way you should go; and this was to
be the portion of your second state, Ga.
vim"
And Lucy, father?"
Lucy gave herself to you, and I'm wei
enough content. ! am proud of the way
you kept your bargain, and everybody has
the good word for you now, Gavin
"And am glad enough of their good
word and kind greetings. father. I'll dc
all man may do to deserve BOTH
That's right Gavin Irwin! If a mar
doesn't care for the respect of his fellow.
creatures, he will very soon lose respec
. for himself; and when self-respect is once
gone, the devil has good lien on every
, thing else. ~. Y. Ledger.
Patents Granted