The Republican., 1892-10-14

still offered his accustomed prayer,
only now there was no Tom to make
fun of him, for since that night Tom
Chandler had not been seen. Deacon
Chandler was still waiting for his op-
portunity, and still wondering, too,
why chance SO earnestly desired was
SO long withheld. Others all about him
were doing great things toward build
ing up the kingdom, yet, search and
wait as he would, nothing ever came in
his way.
So the time went on for eight or ten
years, until one day Deacon Chandler
awolSe suddenly to the fact that his
wife was slowly but surely dying. His
love for his wife was one Of the things
that no one doubted, and when he no.
ticed how pale and thin she had be-
come, he spoke to her at once, in an
unusually anxious way.
SIS there anything can do for you,
wife?" he asked.
"No-I don't know as there is"
''Is there anything you want?"
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Shall tell you?" she whispered.
"Yes-do."
Sadly and firmly she told him the
whole pitiful story.
II want my boy. l want Tom to
come back to me. He was my first
born, and cannot forget how loved
him when he was baby in my arms.
Yes, and when he grew to be boy,
loved him still, and my love could have
saved him. But you-you were so cold
and hard with him. Conscious of your
own virtue, you could not pity his in
trinity and bear with him as l would
have done. No, hear me out" as he
would have spoken. "You have always
prayed-prayed to the Lord for an op-
portunity to do some great good, and
when it was here, inyour own son, you
neglected it. You might have been
more gentle; you might have led him
out of his evil ways; but you would
not, and all these years my heart has
been aching for sight of my SONNY
eldest born"
The words came sharp and fast now,
and ended in a smothered sob.
The deacon was surprised. Never
before had his wife questioned his wis
dom, or censured him for anything he
did But the mother love so strong in
her had welled up and filled her heart
to overflowing, and she must be heard.
Her words had their effect, too, for
Deacon Chandler saw, as he had never
seen before this, his mistake, and the
hypocrisy of the ferveDt prayer he had
so often brcathed out to his Heavenly
Father. How often had he addressed
the Deity as his merciful Father, when
he was an unmerciful, nay. a cruel
parent. How he had prayed for an op-
portunity of doing good, and when it
came, let it pass, nay thrown it away
willfully. He was man of few words,
and those he spoke now carried healing
balm to the heart of the woman who
had halted so long between wifely duty
and motherly love.
II have been wrong, wife; can you
forgive me?"
"Oh! freely, freely" she answered
him.
He read in her wistful eyes the un-
spoken wish, and answered it.
~ will find our boy and bring him
home," he said.
And no matter how sinful he is, or
how he has fallen, you will bring him
home to his mother?"
II will" and she was satisfied.
To those who wish to learn, all
things are plain, and Deacon Chandler
traced his son, by constant effort, to
small western city. OF the fact that he
was there, he became convinced, but
could learn nothing more. A week
found him standing in the railway sta
ton of the city of c, inquiring of
the bystanders if they knew Thomas
Chandler
know Tom Chandler? Wall, reck-
on do" drawled one loafer, who was
warming himself in the sun.
Can you tell me where shall find
him?" asked the deacon
wall, | kinder reckon about this
time er day he's ter be found over to
the Senter house"
Having learned where the Senter
house was, Deacon Chandler walked
slowly up the main street of the we'll
kept western city. How should he find
Tom? He inferred from the manner of
the man with whom he had just talked
that his son was still the wild young
man he had turned from home SO many
weary years ago. But it did not mat
ter. He had promised the mother--and
then was not there his opportunity? He
| would see that he grasped it now, and
would save his son at any cost.
His meditations were cut short by
the glitter of gilded sign directly in
front of his eyes, and he saw, in large
letters, "Senter house" He entered
and made his way up to the clerk. He
was almost ashamed to ask this gen.
tlemanly fellow after his erring son.
But he did.
| 81 am stranger here, SIR" he began.
Can you tell me where l shall find
Thomas Chandler?"
| "Ies, sir" ans wered the brisk clerk
Then he turned to a boy who stood
near and said: "Go and find Mr.. Chand.
| ler."
The boy sped away on his errand
and Deacon Chandler waited. Then he
heard steps. A mans surprised voice
called Father" and he looked up anG
saw his son. But where was the sin