Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-06-25


again. He felt that the young man
must be lying crushed across those
rails. And it was his doing; he had not
warned the young man OF his DANGER
he had consented TO his death, and,
therefore. he had killed him! Oh, the
horrorI Oh, the pity of i'll
When he reached his lonely lodging IL
was late, and he was dull and tired.
He was conscious of having walked
long way round, and to and fro, put
where he did not know. The strain
was now off his nerves, and dull oeaa
misery was upon him. He mechanical
ly undressed, and went to bed and sank
TO sleep at once; but his sleep was IN
refreshing; it was troubled all the
night through with alarms and terrors'
with screening and roaring trains
and falling bodies; and when in the
morning he was fully awake, his misery
settled upon him like a dense fog OF
death.
The morning postman brought let
Ter from his wife. She was IN good
spirits, and the boy was improving rap
idly. Then tears-bitter, bitter tears
came to his relief, and he sobbed In
agony. What had possessed hlmF
What fiend of anger and hate had en-
tered into him to make him commit
that deed? He was aghast at the afro
cious possibilities of his own nature.
He felt as if he could not look in the
face of his wife again, or again ven
ture to take her in his arms Would
she not shrink from him with horror
when she knew? And would not his
bov-his little Jimi-when he grew up
IF he ever grew up) be ashamed Of
the father who had so dishonored his
name?
md and Sti e let fas beN TIC StnoE
punishment Of my sin, but spare them
Punish not the innocent with the guilty
15et my dear wife and child live in peaes
and honor before Theer'
He could not eat 4 morsel of break
fast-he had scarcely tasted food o.
drink for two whole days-and be
could not rest in the lodgings. He wan
dered out with his load of misery upoi
him. He was a man who seldom rea'
the newspapers, and he did not think o
buvinp one now, nor did 1t even occu
To him to scan the contents-bills set out
side the news-venders' shops. He mere
Nv wandered on and round, revolving
the horrible business that had brough
him SO low. and then he wandered bacl
In the afternoon faint with exhaustion
When he entered the sitting-room n
saw a letter set for him on the mantel
piece. 1t was from his friend at Upton
and it declared with delight that
after the stirring debate on Thursda,
evening, he Murray had been ''unan
mously elected" minister. That was tn
unlooked-for stroke of retributionl /
think that he had committed his sin
nav, his crimel-in headlong wantoI
nessl To think that at the very m'
ment when he had committed it he wa
being elected to the place which he ha
believed the young man had been emo
en- to fill Bitter, bitter was his pun
ishment beginning to be; for, of cours
he could not, with the stain Of crime
his soul. if not on his hands, accept u
place-not even to save his wife al
child from want.
The writer further said that it wi
desired that he Murray should occur
next Sunday the pulpit which WI
henceforward to be his. What was
be done? Clesrly but one thing-at q
costs to occupy the pulpit on sund'
morning TO lay bare his soul TO the pc
ple who had unanimously" invit'
him, and to tell them he could nev
more be minister either there or els
where.
He sat thus with the letter in
hand, when the door opened and }
wife came in with the boy asleep in h
arms; he had omitted to write to h
since Wednesday. He rose to his fe
and stood back against the fireplace.
''oh, my poor dearl' she cried, VIII
she saw him. "How terribly i'll y
look. Why didn't you tell me9 ! Il
there was something wrong with y
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