Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1892-10-13
were doing great things toward build.
ing up the kingdom, yet, search and
wait as he would, nothing ever came in

tlced 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-1 don't know as there is"
as there anything you want?"
! Her eyes filed with tears.
''Shall tell your" she whispered.
"Yes--do"
! Sadly and firmly she told him the
whole pitiful story.
Il want my boy. 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 would
have done. No, hear me out" as he
would have spoken. "You have always
prayed-prayed to the Lord for an OPP
| portunity to do some great good, and
when it was here, in your 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 ana filed her heart
to overlooking, and she must be heard
Her worls had their effect, too, for
Deacon Chandler saw, as he had never
seen before this, his mistake. and the
hypocrisy of the fervent prayer he had
so often breathed out to his Heavelsy
Father. How often had he addressed
the Deity as his merciful Father, when
he was an unmerciful, nay, 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 a 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.
IL 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 Lotller?''
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 a
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, rcck-
on do" drawled one loafer, who was
warming himself in the sun.
Can you tell me where shall find
him?' asked the deacon.
"Wall, l 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 a gilded sign directly in
I 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 a stranger here, SIR" he began
'Can you tell me where l shall find
Thomas Chandler?''
eyes, 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 and
saw his son. But where was the sin
full, dissipated man he had thought to
see? Here was well-dressed and
prosperous-looking man holding out his
hand to him and bidding him welcome.
And it was Tom. That was the funny
part of it.
'Come, father" and he led the old
man away to private parlor and
closed the door. Don't you know me,
father? should have known you any
where"
"Yes-but it's SO strange" gasped
the old man.
Tom laughed good-naturedly.
"Oh! you mean that am not what
You expected to find? Well, hardly
judging from early indications; but,
father must say it. and the young
mans eyes grew moist. Cali that I
am owe to my mother"
GOD bless her, Tom, 9 heartily re-
sponded his father. Then, after
pause: ''Can You forgive me, my son,
for my harshness?"
There is no more for me to forgive
than for you," returned his son. ''I
have lived all these years to learn, and
think may safely say now, that
am an honest man. This house is
mine-and, God willing, mean in the
future to be an honor, not disgrace,
to the old home"
So, after all, Deacon Chandeliers OPP
portunity was wasted one, Tor now
there was no need of any effort on his
part in his sons case. The opportun-
ity had come to him in his sons youth.
and he had neglected it.
AS it happened, everything had
turned ont RIGHT hit tho ob,nno, s..