The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-03-06
ssStraightenfng Out the FurrOws."
cAP'N SANS LITTLE SERMON TO TIL

cAP'N SANS LITTLE SERMON TO THE
BOYS.
"Boys," he said, live been trying
every day of my life for the last two
years to stra'ghten out furrows-and
1 can't do it ~
One boy turned his head in surprise
toward the captains neatly kept
place.
"Oh, don't mean that kind lad.
ed the captain, so soberly that the
attention Of the boys became breath
less as he went on:
"When I was a lad about the age of
you boys I was what they called "a
hard CASE not exactly bad or vicious,
but wayward and wild. Well, my
dear old mother used to coax, pray
and punish-my father was dead,
making it all the harder for her, but
she never got impatient. How in the
world she bore with all my stubborn,
vexing ways so patiently will always
,be 10 me one of the mysteries Of life.
knew it was troubling her, knew ii
was changing her pretty face, making
it look anxious and old. After a
while, firing Iof all restraint, ran
away, went off to sea-and q rough
time L had of it at first. Still I liked
the water, and liked journeyipg around
from place to place. Then I settled
down to business in foreign land, and
soon became prosperous, and now
began sending her something besides
empty letters. And such beautiful
letters as she always wrote me during
those years of my cruel absence. At
length + noticed how longing they
grew-longing for the presence of tn
son who used to try her 80, and il
awoke corresponding longing in my
own heart to 60 back to the dear wait
ing soul; ~
I came back, and such welcome, and
such surprise My mother is not a
very old lady, boys, but the first thing
I noticed was the whiteness Of her
hair and the deep furrows on her brow,
and I knew I had blanched that hair
to its snowy whiteness and had drawn
those lines in that smooth forehead.
And those are the furrows I've been
trying to straighten out.
"But last night, while mother was
sleeping iu her chair, 1 sat thinking it
all over, and looked to see what pro-
gress had made"
"Her face was very peaceful and the
expression contented as possible, but
the furrows were still there! 1 hadn't
-ucceeded in Strengthening them out
and-I-never-shall never
"When they lay my mother-my
fair old sweetheart-in her casket,
there will be furrows in her brow !;
and think it o wholesome lesson to
teach you, that the Deglect you offer
your parents counsel now, and the
trouble you cause them, will abide,
my lads, it will abide !'
"But," broke in Freddie Hollis,
with great troubled eyes, II should
think if you're 80 kind and good now
it needn't matter 80 much ~
"Ah, Freddie, my boy" said the
quavery voice of the strong man, "you
cannot undo the past. You may do
much to atone for it, do much to make
the rough path smooth, but you can't
straighten out the old furrows, my
laddies, remember that %
"Guess I'll 60 and chop some wood
mother spoke of; I'd most forgotten"
said lively Jim Hollis, in strangely
quiet tone for him.
"Yes, and I've some errands to do"
suddenly remembered Billy Bowles.
Touched and taken !" said the
kindly captain to himself, as the boys
tramped off, keeping step in thought
full, soldier-like way.
And Mrs. BowIes declared a fort
night afterwards that Billy was really
getting to be a comfort instead of
pest; guess he was copying the cap
lain, trying to be good to his ma
Lord bless the dear, good man !"
Then Mrs. Hollis meeting the cap
tain about that time, remarked that
Jimmy always meant to be good boy,
but.he was actually being one.
"Guess your stories they like so
much must have morals to them now
and then," added the gratified mother,
with a smile.
AS Mrs. Hollis passed, Cap'n Sam,
with folded arms and head bent down
said softly tie himself:
"Well Ishall be thankful if words of
mine Will help the dear boys to keep
the furrows away from their mothers
brow for once there, it is difficult
ask Strengthening out the furrows."
The New Testament Manuscrlpts.