Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1895-06-27
@f1IH77 ],

lie knew understood. | nearly died my
self when you were born. Oh, Rody.
what you must have suffered this day!
Let me look at you, my boy-my dearest
boyw
1t was a sorrowful gaze for both moth
err and son, Gradually Roderick's man
ner hardened, and he loosed himself from
her clinging hands.
"Never mind me; it is my wife we must
think about beg your pardon, mother,
but must go and see her-my wife whom
you hate, whom you were so cruel to.
But love her She is more to me than
anything or anybody in this world /
don't know why you come here. l never
asked you to come. Still, thank you for
coming. But there is not the least occa-
sion for you to stay"
He rose up, with his cold proud man
ner, so like his fathers. His mother,
half frightened, as if she thought he
hardly knew what he was about--perhaps
he did not, poor fellow!-stood before
him silently wringing her hands.
81 repeat there is no need for you to
trouble yourself about us in any way.
If my wife lives, and you say she will
live, she and | are quite sufficient to one
another viii you sit down? Can l
get you anything? Or shall l order
carriage, that you may go home at once"
"Oh, Rody, Rody! Me-your mother"
She burst into tears, such tears as it is
terrible to see an old woman shed.
And Mrs. Jardine was an old woman
now. The struggle between her heart
and it was good honest heart, after
all-and her fierce indomitable will had
told upon her severely. Could her son
have seen her face he might have traced
there the wrinkles Of many added years.
As it was, he felt that the hand which
grasped him shook as with palsy.
"Rody, wish you to say one word"
Could Il son expect his mother to beg his
pardon? Would he not have been an
unworthy son to have let her do any
such thing? Was it not far better for
him, under any circumstances-to have
done just what he did?
He dropped on his knees beside her,
and laid his head in her lap, exactly as
when he was her little boy.
"Mother, mother, forgive me! Let us
forgive one another"
"Oh, yes, yes! Come back to me, my
son, my only sOn!'
There was no other apology or eXplana-
ton than this, neither now or at any flu
ture time between them. Both avoided
it, and so best 1t is always safer not
to touch a half-healed wound. Besides,
we are none of us perfect, God knows;
and some of us see our faults all the plain
err when no one points them out, but they
are left entirely between ourselves and
Him.
"And now" said Roderick, anXiocsly,
"tell me about my wife"
"Poor lamb! poor lamb! / have been
with her these two hours. She thought
il was her own mother, for she spoke a
few words in French and called me
mamma Tell her, Rody, that"
Mrs. Jardine turned away, and again
burst into honest irrepressible tears.
"But still, mother, how did you come?
How did you hear?'
She could not speak, but she put into
his hand a little note, dated two days be-
fore, written in pencil, and in hand very
feeble, very shaky, but neat and clear.
Dear Mr.. Black: If you should hear
I am likely to die, will you go at once to
Richerden and fetch Mrs. Jardine? You
know her No one will comfort my hus-
band like his mother. Yours truly,
"SILENCE JARDlNE."
"And now," said Mrs. Jardine, smiling
through her tears, the brightest, sweet
est smile, Frederick thought, that he had
ever seen on her face, go to your wife,
and let me go to my grandson. My son
will not now want his mother to comfort
him, thank the Lord!"