The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-14

Condemned the Minister, but Which
His Love for His Son Made Pardon
abls-The Problem of Right and
Wrong Still Unsolved.
From the Philadelphia Times.
There had been two days of fog, fol-
lowed by two or more tempestuous winds
with a high sea breaking ever and anon
over the deck of the ship, making it al
most impossible for those passengers who
were unfortunate enough to escape the
miseries of NAL de mer to indulge in those
daily promenades that are so invigora-
| ting a portion of an ocean voyage. The
! few who were able to be about were nat
urally thrown more or less in each
weather called the invalids from below
the coterie Of good sailors were pretty
! thoroughly acquainted.
had crossed many times, and cyclone
or calm made no difference to me, and
though l should have preferred good
weather, owing TO the pleasant atnos-
| phere contingent upon natures caprices,
l was still not altogether in the dumps
when our first four days were such as to
give me an opportunity to revel in the
| treasures Of the very complete library l
IOund on board the IeutOnlc.
During my many trips to and from the
| book cases l came in constant contact
with a pleasant-faced man whom, from
the cut of his clothes, / judged to be a
minister. Nor was / mistaken in my sur
mise, for later on in one of our moments
of acrobatic agility caused by a sudden
lurch of the ship he entered into CONVEX
sation about the weather, and after few
moments talk presented me with his
90 nd Vfrhi l,1r. flr ,el -
Boswell, d. D." | gave him mine in eX-
change and found that it was a lucky
lurch of the ship that had thus thrown
us together, for he proved a most delight
full companion, whose views were broad,
whose intelligence was far above the
average, and whose opinion of men and
affairs was based upod rare knowledge
of human nature and a more than ordi-
dairy keenness of perception.
He had read much, and in our daily
talks was constantly charmed by the
clear and incisive criticisms that he
brought to bear upon the products of
master minds and whether it were prose
or poety, abstruse treatises or the latest
airy bit of fiction, he appeared to be con-
yersant with them all, and in his gentle
unassuming way led me daily into un-
accustomed paths of literature and opened
my eyes to the depth and richness of a
mind that was a veritable storehouse of
learning.
Little by little he told me of himself,
saying that he had a charge in a far
away country town and that in that lit
tie hamlet he had left his mOtherless son,
a boy of II. When he mentioned the
lads name light came into his eyes
and a tremOr into his voice that proved
10 me the wealth of affection conferred in
his heart for this one treasure whom
every revolution Of the giant paddles was
being separated farther and farther from
him.
Though surprised to hear that his was
small church, and a cOngrega ton COM
posed largely of plain farmers and their
wives, l knew that sooner or later he
would tell me why his wealth of intellect
was, as it seemed to me, wasted upon
those so little able to appreciate it. The
confidence came before I expected it, for
Seeing, perhaps, the open question in my
eyes, with the frankness that was a part
of his nature he answered it at once.
Il know you wonder why l accepted a
charge in that wild unsettled section of
the west, but it was a matter of con-
science and | have never regretted the
step took but once, and that was when
my wife sickened and died" Here his
voice broke, and though my heart was
full'of sympathy, manlike could do notl-
ing but grasp his hand and in voice
gruffer than usual say, Go on" Some
how my touch seemed to do him good, for
he braced himself up and with a forced
calm went on with his recital
1T is all very well for me out there
I'm a man, and don't mind roughing it a
bit, but my wife used to pine for the civ
ilization we had left behind I knew,
though she never said a word, but bore
all the hardships with almost divine sub
mission. The people are honest, we'll
meaning folks, but they don't know how
to show what they feel, and we were
more or less isolated, and though man
fiatters himself that he can fill a woman's
life, he can't do it, for she yearns for wo-
manly sympathy and wOmanly inter
course, though she may love him with her
whole heart. OF course, in such a region
skillful physicians are scarce, and after
the baby came, whether from neglect or
through ignorance, something wrong was
done, and in two short days l was left
that most helpless of helpless beingS-a
widower with tiny child to bring up.
when l looked around me at the care
lined faces and wOrk-hardened hands l
pressed the little form to my breast, and
in my anguish thanked God that the child
given to my keeping was not a girl
Since then ! have worked for my people
and my son. He is the one bit of bright
ness in my life. We are companions in
every sense of the word, and the greatest
grief of my life, next to parting with his
mother, was the parting from him, but
did it for the best, and hope to be re-
warded for the sacrifice"
l did not pry into the meaning of these
last words and in the excitement of the
next twentv-four hours forgot all about
them. Just off the Banks of Newfound-
land the fog thickened and then broke
only to throw us into terrific cyclone
that tossed the giant vessel about as
though it was mere straw. With every
lHrch crockery would crash and the ropes
and cables snap and creak as though
about to burst their bonds and throw life
boats and other deck lparaphernalia into