St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-11-11
,1sne1 at tho Chandler farm.

aeslred was SO long withheld. Otner
all about him were doing great thing
toward building up the kingdom, yet
search and wait as he would, nothing
ever came in his way.
So the time went on for eight or tel
years, until one day Deacon Chandler
awoke suddenly to the fact that hi
wife was slowly dying. His love fo1
his wife was one of the things that nc
one doubted, and when he noticed how
pale and thin she had become he spok,
to her at once in an unusually anxious
way.
els there anything I can do for you
wife," he asked.
'No--I don't know as there is.
els there anything you want?'
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Shall tell you?" she whispered.
''Yes--do."
Sadly and firmly she told him ther
the whole pitiful story.
Il want my boy. I want Tom tc
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 a boy
loved him still, and my love could have
saved him. But you-yon were 80
hard and cold with him. Conscious
of your own virtue, you could not
pity his infrmity and bear with him,
as I would have done. No, hear me
out, as he would have spoken. "You
have always prayed-prayed to the
Lord for some opportunity 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 smothered sob.
The deacon was surprised. Never
before had his wife questioned his wis
dom or censured him for what he did
But the mother love SO strong in her
had welled up and filled her heart to
overlooking, 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 fervent prayer he had
SO often breathed out to His Heavenly
Father when he was an unmerciful-
nay, even cruel parent. How he had
prayed for an opportunity of doing
good, and when it came let it pass
nay, threw it away willfully. He was
man of few words, azd those he spoke
now carried healing balm to the heart
of the woman who had SO loved, her
hayward boy.
81 have been wrong, wife. Can you
forgive me?'
ooh, freely!' she answered him.
He read in her wistful eyes the I'M
spoken wish and answered it.
II 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 railway station OF
the city of c., inquiring Of the by
ISLANDERS if they knew Thomas Chan
dler.
"Know Thomas Chandler? WAL, 1
reckon J. do, drawled one loafer who
was warming himself in the sun.
Can you tell me where I can find
him. asked the deacon.
''Waal, [ kinder reckon about this
time CT 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 matter He had promised
the mother and then was not here his
opportunity? He would see that he
it now and would save his son
at any cost.
His meditations were cut short by
the gilded sign directly in front of
his eyes and hesaw in large letters Sen
ter House. He was almost ashamed to
0ct nj fo1l h,
erring son, but he did.
II am stranger here, SIR" he be-
gan. "Can you tell me where I can
find Thomas Chandler?"
eyes, SIR answered the brisk clerk.
Then he turned to boy who stood
near and said, $50 and find Mr..
Chandler.
The boy sped away on his errand
and Deacon Chandler waited. Then
he heard steps, mans surprised
voice called, "Father,' and he
looked up and saw his son. But where
was the sinful, dissipated man he had
thought to see? Here was q we'll
dressed and prosperous-l looking man,
holding out his hand to him and bid
ling him welcome. And it was Tom.
That was the funny part of it,
Come, father,'' and he lead the old
man away to private parlor and
closed the door. "Don't you know
ne, father? I would know you any
where"
"Yes---but it's so STRANGE gasped
he old man.
Tom laughed good naturally.
ooh, you mean that I am not what
'ou expected to find? Well, hardly,
Judging from earlv 1n1icatinns hut