The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-06-09

often breathed out TO his Heavenly Fathu
when he was an unmerciful-nay, even cru
parent. How he had prayed for an oppa
tunity Of doing good and when it c1ue l.
It pass-nay, threw It away will'u'y ID
was a man Of few words, and those hsspa.
now carried healing balm to the heart &,
the woman who had so loved her wayward
boy.
Il have been wrong, wife. Can you for
give me?"
"Oh, freely, freelyp she answered him.
He read in her wstful eyes the uHspoRen
wish and answered it.
Twill 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 motherW
81 will" And she was satisfied.
To those who wish to learn, all things are
plain, and Deacon Chandler traced hi ON,
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 a railway
station of the city of c., inquiring of the
bystanders If they knew Thomas Chandler.
"Know Thomas Chandler WAL, recl-
on ! do,n drawled one loafer who was
warming himself in the sun.
"Can you tell me where / can find himf"
asked the deacon.
"Waal, / 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 well kept western
city How should be find TOm2 He i'm
ferred, 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 oppor
| tunity2 He would see that he grasped 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
/ he saw in large letters Senter House. He
| entered and made his way up to the clerk
/ He was almost ashamed to ask this gentle
manly fellow about his erring son, but he
| did.
/ ~ am a stranger here, sir" he began.
"Can you tell me where can find Thomas
! Chandler"
"Yes, sir" answered the brisk clerk.
Then he turned to a boy who stood near
and said, "Go and find Mr.. Chandler"
The boy sped away on his errand, and
Deacon Chandler waited. Then he heard
steps, a mans surprised voice called "Fa-
ther," and he looked up and saw his son.
But where was the sinful, dissipated man
he had thought to see? Here was a well
dressed and prosperous looking man, hold
ing 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 a private parlor and closed the
door Don't you know me, father2
should know you anywhere"
''Yes-but it's so strange, ," gasped the old
man.
Tom laughed good naturedly.
"Oh, you mean that l am not what you
expected to fnd9 Well, hardly, judging
from early indications; but, father-I must
say it''-and the young mans eyes grew
moist-"all that / am owe TO my mother.
God bless her. Tom" heartily responded
his father. Then after a pause, Can you
forgive me, my son, for my harshness~
"Ihere is no more for me to forgive than
YOU" returned his son. 81 have lived all
these years to learn, and ] think l may
safely say now that | am an honest man.
This house is mine-and, God willing, |
mean III JHe luIuie 10 De an nOuOf ana not
a disgrace to the old home"
So, after all, Deacon Chandler's opportu-
nifty was a wasted one, for now there was
no need Of any effort ON his part in his sons
case. The opportunity had come to him in
his sons youth, and he had neglected it.
AS it happened, everything had turned
out right, but the chances for that had been
so few and for another and more painful
. one so many that he cOul1 only thank God
that be had taken into his own hands the
most successful working out of Deacon
Chandler's opportunity.-Exc