The Van Buren press., 1894-12-01
THE WISE SON.
He Knew His Own Father and Thus Pre-
aerved ITS Good Name with His Parent.

served Hts Good Name with His Parent.
Primus pere was the son and grand
son of Presbyterian ministers. He had
inherited his religion as he had his
moderate wealth. He had been ac-
customed to both since his youth, SO
that he never made display of either.
Though reasonable share Of his in
come was subject to the calls OF chari-
ties, benevolenees, and public-spirited
movements, he was never ostentatious
in his subscriptions for such purposes.
He dealt with his religion very much
as he did with his estate-there was a
moderate supply for every day use, but
he never indulged himself with any
lavish or spectacular displays with it.
He attended church regularly, was one
OF the trustees, and passed the plate
for the offertory. But he was never
known to pray in public, nor was
he ever very prominent during revivals
or special occasions of devotional senti-
ment.
Primus fills was graceless youth
who had not yet come into his patri-
mony either of religion or worldly
goods. At the time of this history he
was away from home at a preparatory
school learning the necessary Greek
and Latin and other things,
as his parents fondly believed, to en-
able him to enter the freshman class
at Yale, OF which institution his
father, his grandfather, his great
grandfather, and several other ances-
tors were alumni. But Primus fills had
a greater faculty for breaking acad-
envy rules than he had for mastering
the Latin dative or the Greek aorist-
There never was Friday passed that
his name was not read off in chapel at
the head of the list of those students
whose department caused great anxi-
ETY. to the principal and professors who
considered themselves as standing In
loco PARENTS to all the boys under
their charge.
It was on one of these fatal Fridays
that Primus pere came to visit Prilnus
tils at the academy. He came on an
early train, gave his parental greet
ings before recitations began, and
then proceeded to interest himself
about the academy grounds while
Primus fils attended his daily recita-
tions. Those over, the two met in the
short interim between the last recita-
ton and the hour for the daily chapel
exercises in the young mans room.
Mutual inquiries of family and school
matters engrossed their attention un-
til the chapel bell rang.
"I'll have to go to chapel now for
4
who had been revolving in his mind
all morning how he could keep his
father away from chapel and the NOR
tifving announcement of his shortcom-
ings in department
'sI'll be back here in about fifteen
minutes and then we'll go to dinner"
"What's the matter with me going
with you?" asked Primus perc. Its
good while since went to chapel
exercise at college and I'd like to sec
how it seems"
"Oh, you're tired now, and you'd
better stay here and rest. You
wouldn't be interested, anyway.
There's nothing there but lot of boys
and some old professors. It's pretty
dull affair. Besides you must be pretty
tired after your ride on the train and
roaming around the campus all morn
ing"
81 don't know about that" replied
Primus pere, slightly piqued at his
sons implication that he was no longer
so young and vigorous as he once was
in spite of the filial language in which
it was couched..
I'm not tired, and besides I'd like
to see all there is to be seen while TN
here.
Primus fils was in cold sweat. He
dared not permit his father to be pres
cnt when his own shortcomings would
be made public. But how to prevent
itp He played his trump card.
'Well, all right; but if you go they'll
call on you to lead in prayer. They
always do when any of the boys
fathers visit chapel"
1t won.
swell, don't know, George, but l
am feeling a little tired. guess l
will stay here and rest, and then we'll
have the whole afternoon together.
You won't be gone long, will you?"-
Charles L. Rhodes, in Chicago Times.