Connecticut western news., 1895-07-04

CT wants any allusion to the fact that one had gone away, and the mere sug- gestion that it was the anniversary of that sad event made him quite rough, although the tears ran down his cheeks. The old house dog that had played with the wanderer when she was child comes up and puts his head on the old mans knee, but he roughly repulses the dog. He wants nothing to remind him of the anniversary day.
 A cold winter night in city church. It is Christmas night. They have been decorating the sanctuary. A lost wan derer of the street, with thin shawl about her, attracted by the warmth and light, comes in and sits near the door. The minister of religion is preaching of him who was wounded for our trans gressions and bruised for our iniquities, and the poor soul by the door said: "Why, that must mean me! Mercy for the chief of sinners; bruised for our in iquities; wounded for our transgres- sions.
 The music that night in the sanctuary brought back the old hymn which she used to sing when, with father and mother, she worshiped God in the will lage church. The service over, the min ister went down the aisle. She said to him: "Were those words for me? Wounded for our transgressions. Was that for me?" The man of God under stood her not. He knew not how to com fort shipwrecked soul, and he passed on. and he passed out. The poor wander CT followed into the street.
 Return of the Lost.
 "What are you doing here, Meg?" said the police. ."What are you doing here tonight?' "Oh," she replied, "I was in to warm myself " And then the rattling cough came, and she held to the railing until the paroxysm was over She passed on down the street, falling from exhaustion, recovering herself again, until after awhile she reached the outskirts of the city, and passed on into the country road. It seemed so familiar. She kept on the road, and she saw in the distance a light in the window. An, that light had been gleaming there ev- cry night since she went away. On that country road she passed until she came
 
 passed up the path where she played in childhood. She came to the steps and looked in at the fire on the hearth. Then she put her fingers to the latch. Oh, if that door had been locked she would have perished on the threshold, for she was near to deathl But that door had not been locked since the time she went away. She pushed open the door. She went in and lay down on the hearth by the fire The old house dog growled as he saw her enter, but there was some thing in the voice he recognized, and he frisked about her until he almost pushed her down in his joy.
 In the morning the mother came down. and she saw bundle of rags on the hearth, but when the face was up lifted, she knew it, and it was no more old Meg of the street. Throwing her arms around the returned prodigal, she cried, "Oh, Maggiep' The child threw her arms around her mothers neck and said, "Oh, mother'' And while they were embraced a rugged form lowered above them. It was the father. The se- verity all gone out of his face, he stoop- ed and took her up tenderly and carried her to mothers room and laid her down on mothers bed, for she was dying. Then the lost one, looking up into her mothers face, said: "'Wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our in- iquitiesl Mother, do you think that means mel" "Oh, yes, my darling" said the mother. "If mother is so glad tp get you back, don't you think God is glad to get you back?"
 And there she lay dying, and all their dreams and all their prayers were filled with the words, Wounded for our trans gressions, and bruised for our iniqui- ties, ." until, just before the moment of her departure, her face lighted up, show ing the pardon of God had dropped upon her soul And there she slept away on the bosom of a pardoning Jesus. So the Lord took back one whom the world re- iected.