The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-07-10

tears ran Gown 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.
4 cold winter mig ght in city church.
1t is Christmas night. They have
been decorating the sanctuary. a lost
wanderer Of the street, with thin
shawl about her, attracted by the
warmth and light, comes in and sits
near the door, The minister of reli-
gion is preaching of him who was
wounded for our transgessions 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 iniquities
wounded for our transgressions.
The music that night in thesanctua-
ry brought back the old hymn which
she used to sing when with father and
mother, she worshipped God in the
village church. The service over, the
minister went down the aisle. She
said to him: "Were those words for
me? Wounded for our transgres-
sions. Was that for meI" The man
of God understood her not. He knew
not how to comfort a shipwrecked
soul, and he passed on, and he passed
out. The poor wanderer followed into
the street.
"What are you doing here, Meg2'
said the police. What are you doing
here tonight?' "Oh," she replied, Il
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. 1t
seemed so familiar. She kept on the
road, and she saw in the distance a
light in the window. All, that light
had been cleaning there every night
since she went away. On that coun-
try road she passed until she came to
the garden gate She opened it and
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 death. 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 something 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
uplifted, she knew it. and it was nc
more old Meg of the street. Throwing
her arms around the returned prodi.
gal, she cried, "Oh, Maggie'' The
child threw her arms around her
mothers neck and said, "Oh, moth.
err" And while they were embraced
| a rugged form lowered above them. II
was the father. The severity all gone
out of his face, he stopped and took her
up tenderly and carried her to moth
er's room and laid her down on moth
er's bed, for she was dying. Then the
lost one, looking up into her mothers
face said: Wounded for our trans
gressions, and bruised for iniquitiesn
Mother, do you think that means me?'
"Oh, yes, my darling" said the moth
er. IF mother is SO glad to get you
back, don't you think God is glad tc
get you back2"
And there she lay dying, and al.
their dreams and al their prayers were
filed with the words, Wounded fo1
our transgressions, and bruised fol
our iniduities,'" u-t:! lust before The
moment OF her departure, her face
lighted up, showing the pardon O.
God had dropped upon her soul. Anc
there she slept away on the bosom of s
pardoning Jesus. So the Lord took
back one whom the world rejected.