News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1893-12-28

If he could almost wish his son would
read of his fathers suicide and become
penitent, there was woman who might
think the love of her had caused it and
exult!
How honorable, he thought, had been
his life; the uniform meeting of his bills,
the apprehension of debt, the fidelity of
his contracts, his disregard of avarice
while accImulsting prosperity. And
yet his sister had but now thrown il up
&c him that he might once have been a
thief.
He thief? Now he did weep in in
dignation
''Never, never
Oh, memory!
He faltercd to say "never" again, for
there crept into his mind the memory of
two distinct acts of dishonesty committed
in childhood, which he had forgotten for
80 years.
He had played truant from school in
his parents absence and meanly put the
excuse for it upon his orphan cousin, a
helpless ward in his fathers house.
There also arose before him a moment
when he had taken Il quarter of dollar
,wice from his employers till to buy his
way into circus.
Could those deeds be now called viii
lainy? Pshaw! They We're the raw acts
of an uniformed animal, mollusk, a
timid, wistful child. He had put temp
tation under his feet long ago and re-
solved never to lie nor evade nor to take
mean advantage, and had lived up to his
second life till franl1ness and courage
were as natural to the great surgeon as
to his faithful mastiff dog.
Yet he was not giving anybody else the
chance to reform. His son was the off
spring of that earlier life-not this Sec
ond and better birth of the upright man
in the slippery lad.
Could he say that his were not the
traits which had descended to his child?
Could he again lay upon a wOman's,
an erring wOman's, head all the weak
traits of his boy and reserve to himself a
rectitude he had this instant found three
exceptions to?
All at once feeling of pity for the
erring boys or women came into DR..
his heart and fingered there.
He began to feel glad that he had
committed two thefts and one dastardly
mean act, else he would be above mag
nanimity As a blameless father he
could not forgive his child.
As thief, thief upon the cross of
pain and woe, he could look over into
the kingdom of thieves and almost think
''Ye poor Robin Hoods of the world, en-
ter into my paradise. ...
As a recreant cousin to his older play
mate, he now could forgive Peter, who
denied his master like perjurer till re-
proved by the growing of the wanton
bird.
Dishonesty might be congenial, he
reditary, but it was the most general of
offenses. How had he dared to liken it
to Cain spilling his brothers blood, or
the fell incendiary's destruction of house,
city or ones country?
He, the anatOmist, the materialist,
who had traced the folds of the brain,
the exact workshops of motion, memory,
speech. love, ecstasy, felony-was he to
drive his son away for an act he would
forgive his dog?
The weaker the son, the greater should
be the fathers love.
The gnawing torture of the doctors
heart seemed to feel the sedative COM
fort of this counsel, and far beyond his
sons offense he almost felt forgiveness
for that one which had dealt him the
fouler blow.
"Oh, mani Oh embryo! Oh, fellow
laborers and coveters upon the planet!
the doctor thought, like prayer. ''For-
give each other! Let me by charity be-
come god and cast out every hatew
His sister entered-a grim woman, dis
appointed in love. She took his head in
her lap and sat upon the floor.
''Pierce, am ashamed of myself to
have called you a thief. You are all
have left; Arthur has gone.
They sobbed without hope. 1t was long
before the doctor could even repeat,
"Gone?'
eyes, he admitted it all. A woman
had fascinated him. To make her pres
ent for Christmas he took off that old case
of tools He says he cannot look you in
the face"
"Why not? have remembered, sister,
when was no better than Arthur"
remember my brother" spoke Sister
Sue, ''when you were no example to his
mother, nor an example for my lover,
whose follies you would not forgive. If
Ihad my lover back, God knows would
forgive him We drove him away Ar
thur has been as weak. If live life over
again, shall not strain to find everybody
perfect and be the only perfect one, left
desolate and alone"
"A woman infatuated Arthur? Why
| that is the commonest case i'll the world
Young fellows are hardly responsible al
such times | don't think it is so very
bad. I'll give Arthur an allowance and
call him home"
THAT was your mistake before, Pierce
He had no money. You questioned him
too closelyr'
"He shall have an allowance large
one. What else do | live for:"
Brother, listen! That is his bey|
my son! Come, come to me!'' loudly
cried DR.. Stielson. .H,.
The SON appeared. His handsome face
expressed woe. He stood awhile silent
| looking to the tloor.
81 have one regret, father" finally
said Arthur. You will be unhappy
Like all who are dishonest. l suppose,
thought to return my stolen goods be
fore they could be missed
Its all right, my boy. | so far for
| give you that | will invite the young
woman you like to our New Years din
ner."
''Sir, love you dearly, and my aun
also love. And yet there is a dearel
one. I must eat my New Years dinnei
there"
"Oh, infatuated son! 1 thought yol
pure as crystal.
1.-The lady love, my faiths, loved mi
Gl,c, Iir-n Si,.