The Penn's Grove record., 1896-10-30
cRODIGAL'S RETURN.

Eyes, mother, he win come. OF
course, he will comet" and the girl
turned her drawn and anxious young
face toward the cottage door, just as
II her blind mother could see the ac-
ton.
1t is probable that the old woman
OWNED the longing glance from the
change In the girls tone, for she. too,
half turned toward the door. 1t was a
habit these two women had acquired.
They constantly looked toward the
door for the arrival OF one who never
came through the long summer days,
through the quiet winter evenings;
moreover they rarely spoke of other
things; this arrival was the topic OK
their lives. And now the old woman's
life was drawing to a close, as some
lives do. without its object. She her
self felt 1t. and her daughter knew 1t.
There was in both of them a subtle
sense of clinging. 1t was hard to die
without touching the reward Of a
wondrous patience. 1t was cruel TO
deprive the girl of this burden, for in
most burdens there Is a safeguard, In
all a duty, and in ZONE the greatest
happiness allotted to human exist
ence,
1t was no new thing, this waiting
for the scapegrace SON.; the girl had
grown up to 1t, for she would not know
her brother should she meet him In
the street. Since sight had left the
old mothers eyes she had fed her heart
upon this hope.
He had left them eighteen years be-
fore In a fit of passionate resentment
against his father, whose only fault had
been too great indulgence for the son
of his old age. Nothing had been too
good for dear Stephen-hardly any
thing had been good enough. Edu-
Gated at a charity school himself. the
simple old clergyman held the mis-
taken view that no man can be edu-
Gated above his station.
There are some people who hold this
view still, but they cannot do SO much
longer. Strikes, labor troubles and
the difficulties Of domestic service; So
called gentleman farmers, gentleman
s~hopkeepers and lady milliners-aboye
all, a few colonies peopled by univer-
sity failures-will teach US In time
that to educate our sons above their
station is to handicap them cruelty in
the race for life.
Stephen Leach was one Of the early
victims to this "a His father, hav-
ing risen by the force of his own Will
and the capabilities Of his own mind
from the people to the church, held,
as such men do, that he had only to
give his son a good education to in
sure his career in life. SO everything
even to the old parsons sense Of
right and wrong-was sacrificed to the
education of Stephen Leach at public
school and university. Here he met
and selected for his friends youths
whose futures were insured, and who
were only passing through the for
mula Of an education so that no one
could say that they were unfit for the
snug government appointment, living
or Inheritance Of a more substantial
sort that might be waiting for them.
Stephen acquired their ways OF life
without possessing their advantages,
and the consequence was something
very nearly approaching to ruin for
the little country rectory. Not having
been a university man himself, the rec
tor did not know that at Oxford or
Cambridge. as in the army, one may
1--we according to ones tastes. Stephen
Leach had expensive tastes, and he
unscrupulously traded on his fathers
ignorance. He was good-lookIng, and
had a certain brilliancy of manner
which goes down" well al the var
sity. Everything was against him,
and at last the end came. At last the
rector's eyes were opened, and when
\ narrow-minded mans eyes are once
opened he usually becomes stony at
the heart.
Stephen Leach left England, and be-
fore he landed In America his father
had departed on a longer journey. The
ns'er-do-well had the good grace to
send back the little sums of money
saved by his mother In her widow.
hood, and gradually his letters ceased.
It was known that he was in Chill.
and there was war going on there.
and yet the good old lady's faith never
wavered.
He viii come. Joyce" abe would
ssy. che will surely come"
And the girl would 60 to the window
and draw aside the curtainA looking
down the quiet country road toward the
village.
Eyes, mother, he will come" was her
usual answer; and one day che gave a
little exclamation OF surprise and al.
most Of fear.
Mother" she exclaimed. there is
someone coming along the road"
The old lady was already sitting Up
in bed staring with her slghtless orbs
toward the window.
Thus they waited. The mar stopped
opposite the cottage, and the two wom-
en- heard the latch of the gate. Then
Joyce, turning, saw that her mother
had tainted. But 1t was only momen-
tary. By the time she reached the bed
her mother had recovered conscious
ness.
60" said the old lady, breathlessly,
$50 and let him in yourself"
Downstairs on the doorstep the girl
found a tall man Of 80 or Whereabouts
with a brcwner face than English suns
could account for. He looked down
into her eager eyes with a strange
questioning wonder.
cam l too later he asked in a voice
which almost seemed to indicate a hope
that It might be so.
mo. Stephen" she answered. "Bui
mother cannot live much longer. You
are just In time"
The young man made a hesitatIng lit.
tie movement with his right hand and
shufied uneasily on the clean stone
step. he was like an actor called sud.
denly upon the stage, having no knowl.
edge Of his part. The return Of thls
prodigal was o a dramatic success.
No n seemed DESTROYS Of lesrnins