The Helena independent., 1894-01-01

4 bWACC AAOAAA 500 NAAAkASy ~ = 49,
| way into circus.
| Could those deeds be now called vii
lainys Pshawl They were the raw act,
of an uniformed animal, q mellusk, Q
tiinid, wistful child. He had put temp
tatiou under his feet long ago and re-
solved never to lie nor evade nor to ttakS
mean advantage, and had lived up to his
second life till frankness 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 tho 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 q woman's,
an erring woman's. head all the weak
traits of his boy and reserve to himself
rectitude he had this instant found three
exceptions to?
All at once a feeling Of pity for the
erring boys or women came into DR..
Pierce Stielson's perception, peeped into
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 blameless father he
could not forgive his child.
As thief, a 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 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. man! Oh. embryol Oh, fellow
laborers and coveters upon the planet"
the doctor thought, like prayer. 'For-
give each otherl Let me by charity be-
come god and cast out every hate!'
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 thief. You are all I
have left; Arthur has gone"
They sobbed without hope. It 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? Ihave remembered, sister,
when was no better than Arthur
'Iremember, 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
had 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 in the world.
Young fellows are hardly responsible at
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 closely!''
"He shall have an allowances large
one. What else do live for?'
''Brother, listen! That is his key!'
"My son! Come, come to mey' loudly
cried DIR. Stielson.
The son appeared, His handsome face
expressed woe. He stood awhile silent,
looking to the floor.
81 have one regret, father" finally
said Arthur. lyon will be unhappy.
Like all who are dishonest, suppose,
thought to return my stolen goods, be-
fore they could be missed"
cts all right, my boy. l so far for
give you that will invite the young
woman you like to our New Years din
ner."
''Sir, I love you dearly, and my aunt
also I love. And yet there is a dearer
one. l must eat my New Years dinner
there"
ooh, infatuated son! / thought you
pure as crystal
''The lady l love, my father, loved me
first. She cannot live without me. Sir.
am without otfense, except that took
your tools and sold them. No one can
know this lady speak of and not be
pure"
He now raised his eyes and looked at
his father. He dropped tears of real
emotion.
"Pierce, you have suspected him where
he is blameless," Miss Sue said, trem-
bling.
"Oh, they all think that. Our med
ica' students think all these harpy wild
ows of their predecessors to be pure
mere victims Of circumstance"
SIS not that as we'll as to believe no.
body pureT' cried Aunt Sue, kissing her