Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1894-08-09


will be a staff to guide us to the grave;
lamp to tighten our last days"
Alas. how bitterly they had been dis
appointed. He had graduated with high
honors-in that he justified their hopes
but he had gradually withdrawn him
self from home influences; had made
more ties to bind him to the outside
world He was ambitious for wide field
Of labor; he could not be content with
small duties; his work must be broad, en-
nobling, bringing fame, he told himself,
forgetting that from small stones are
time-enduring structures made.
He entered the ministry with deter
mination to do great deeds-to make him
self power in the ministerial world
and he saw now that, though his thoughts
had shaped the words, "to bring many
souls to Christ" and there was vague
longing in his heart for that higher good,
worldly things had so filled his mind
that there was little room for else beside.
And he had gained all that he so hoped
for.
Immediately upon his college gradua-
ton he had accepted callt to an excellent
field. caring not how he grieved the
dear ones at home, and they concealed
their disappointment congratulating him
with hearty. goodwill. He would have
been indignant had anyone suggested to
him that he was neglecting a duty to
those who had upheld him i'll the first
struggling years OF his life journey. Had
/ he not gratifed their ambition? And he
intended to make them still more proud
/ by the position he should win; what
greater thing could they expect?
! Steadily he had mounted higher, higher
until men began to speak OF him in ad-
miring tones And now for several years
he had occupied the pulpit of fashion,
able church in large city, while his wife
rode in her carriage, gowned in costly
apparel.
For wears he had not visited the little
country town that WAS once SO dear. lie
had lingering tenderness for 1t yet, but
he preferred having it remain wrapped
in halo Of the past, shrinking from the
irritation the present would produce on
his exquisitely refined, sensitive organ
/
ism. He was no longer one OF them; why
should he 90 to remind himself of what
he had once been, or 10 make visible 70
| his kindred the vast gull between lheiii.
/ sonnet lines he wrote them letters-let-
tiers full of lofty thoughts and fowery
ideas clothed IN language tha' WAS 'iNe
subtle music.
Reautif letters they We're, but they
lacked the true fihS Oh u foN iiis iies' =
needed to make them satisfy the hearts
! to which they were sent
i lie smiled sometimes over 'lie answers
/ sometimes iFoNhea, ana toilS4S iiet' ti'' III
to the fire, for his waste basket might pe
j emPtied by his servant.
/ 1t came TO ham nov with shafp pEhG,
/ how little he had truely sympathlzed IN
their joys and sorrows, in their struggles
to bring themselves TO hlshef p'al'e'
He had penned them an encouraging
word at times, but had never Stretched
| forth hand to ald them; ne Went MS
way, leaving them to falter along as they
! pleased.
But what had he gained?
! Tbs veil dropped from ms eyes III IN us
self-accusing hour, and he saw that III
reaching out toward his goal the greatest
good OF life had passed him by.
He groaned aloud when ne thought no"
few We're the gems set IN the crown ne
hoped to wear. The admiration OF men
was given him; possessed he the loVe Oh
one heart among those around MIN? Dlo
one soul cling to him as-neXt TO Goa
its savior?
He bowed his head aoashed before lhe
King he professed to serve
Forgive Thou my sin, LORD, teach
me to take up Thy cross and follow lhee,
he prayed, and arose comtorted llttle.
In an adjoining room, whittier he WENT
his children We're clustered together at
the window, merry over something lhey
held in their hands, and they called TO
him gaiiy as he entered
"oh, papa. Come and look! we have