The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-08-29

WHO nerbuaucu nc To no and Dny d
long deferred visit 10 his homo In d i,ol.
low tree on the adjoining estate.
Thithcr l accompanied him. and owing
TO his ~oynpnthy and genial companion.
shln, became gradually rcconcilcd Il
ne as 1t was, Instead OF ns It might
be.
It In q Lesson We have most OF us Il
learn, my friends. even We owls: and II
i only helps us grow more iovIng,morl
humble, and more thankful for wlHt
We nave. why, then. come what may,
We hhnll DO In tls, right spirit to receive
u. but am DEPRESSING from my story,
and must not weary you.
When | returned Mt length TO tho old
hnunt oil my former intCreatS revived
within me, and, nnSiously, when Sun.
day arrlxtd, did I scar tho famlliat
races and note the changes that Time
haM effected during my long absence.
Ths HIGHT In our church, an you mas
nave observed, In always II subducd
o~nc--partly owing to the dark glass
window there above tho nliCr-so tim
d frequently moving the debating
membrane OF the eye ] nm enabled Il
Observe what passes pretty clearly.
wei. TO my surprise. the old pew
ABOUT which | nm telling You remain,
ed that day empty: and remembering
tssir previous regularity. | grew more
and more nnprchcnsivc MS to what
might have befallcn Its Joint occupants
However, on the following Sunday
morning loon discovered that my
~fnvorltes were there. But. mas, how
altered from the blithc and llGht-heart.
ed young couple whom | can even yc,
recall. Clothed In black and with
heavy. downcast eyes, their lined and
harasscd faces bore evidence to some
bitter anguish within.
ut once cOnjecturCd that their son
must be dead. But. no, I VAS mistaken.
From ON scraps Of talk let fall by the
sexton In the vestry ] gathered that he
had been found guilty OF n crime, and
had been condemned to penal servltude
FOR several years, That innocent babe,
whom | saw baptized Mt the sacred
FONT, Ind attempted to commit n muir
dcr-hnd tried TO kill n man!
was o astonIshed now ut the
striking chnnge produced In his par
entS; nor that after this they seemed
10 wax older and fecbler every Sun
uay, their hair turning whittier md
their frames moro Ehaky. They were
among the saddest sights that IL has
ever been my lot to witness.
NJ length there came n Sunday when
the old man appeared alone. and from
his deep mourning and w%OebcgOnr as.
nect knew that his wife must be dead
Her funeral took place the next day,
ana the old man was there. But. as
had anticipated, Judging from my ow,
parents case, he was not long In fol.
lowing her 20 the grave.
Three Sundays later his place was
also vacant. and the pew stood desc.
late and empty. The three rcd has.
socks and the three hymn books still
remained. as you see them at present;
Tor believe that the old couple had al.
ways cherished n hope that their boy
might some day be restored 10 them
and once more occupy his old seat in
the old pew.
They were buried side by side. I car
point out the graves to you In the church
yard. for l attended the old mans fu
neral. A pretty time I had OF 1t too, 10,
when II was over. and ] was returning
home. fitting nOlsclessly as usual. ant
blinking In the strong sunlight. / wa!
attacked by a whole army OF birds
among whom, OF course. the blue tit an
ctafllnch proved the most aggressive
Glad enough was TO reach the church Il
SAFETY n don't think ! have ever beer
Jul IN the anytime since.
The old couple died about q Year afte,
the conviction OF their son, and II wa,
some years later that 1 witnessed III,
END OF my story. which l will now relate
II wnS New Years We, anu there haC
been e~vcnsong-at the usual hour, 10
our god old rector was getting too in
firm to undertake a midnight service
How VOL | remember the sermon tina
evening! 1t was n OF the most clio
Queht that he ever preached.
The ground was white with snow
which wa lying deep. and was till fall
Ing. oh, so fast. The church door wa.
~standinGp nrtly open, the sexton beinj
busted In the vestry.
The lights were burning low. and al
was very calm and still. when ! saw ant
heard q man creep softly through I'll,
door and into the church. Bowed. ut
tcnuated, and ragged with his hair crop
ped quite close. some instinct told m
TINT this could only be one MAINLAND h,
once h little boy with the curly hrat
and bright blue eyes. SO like what hi
mother had been when she was still
pretty RoGc.
l watched him intently as he stole III
the aisle cautiously and slowly. until h
reached the well known rev.. Then
when he had stood there, some minutes
l observed by the shaking OF his Shout
ders-for his face was turned ava,
from me-thnt the man was weeping. I'll
dtd not venture to seat himself therein
but hesltat!ngly and with feeble step, h,
again moved up the aisle and toward thu
altar. just beneath the beam upon which
l was perchcd.
Il saw that he was gazing up at thu
painted window. where the CrucItiXio,
Is depleted. In the dim light OF tn
church the surrounding figures wer'
vividly dark against the white landScap
beyond. Then the man crouched lowe
and lower, until he. reached the ground
and lay there PROSTATE on the chance
steps. close to the altar.
Suddenly the lights were turned out,
heard the sexton 20 away, locking III,
door behind him. and It became ccrtal.
that the man was shut In for the nigh,
From the side MISUNDERSTANDING wa:
white, but the snow had ceased to fall
and the stars were shining brightly.
1t seemed to me that hours must hav,
elapsed before the mnn slowly raiser
HIS head and stared blankly around him
as II he Ind forgotten what were his sur
~roundlnge, and n Wondering how h
had got there. Then his eyes were nj
tracted by and rested on Inc black cross
thrown Into relief by the background o
pure white snow.
But 10 his confused sight the color.
evidently appeared confused. ! iey
down to n small projection in the wall
for ! felt curious to hear his mutterlnE}
AN blood" he gasped, brcathlcSsly
BLOOD, blood-evcrywhcrc blood"
He threw back his head with n frenzlct
action, and 1 conld Imagine that hi
couDtcnancc must be fearful In it's terror
Still, apparently under this hallucIna
ton, he wrIthcd Into n kncclIng posture
lnv%Oluntarily his hands were EXTENDED
upward to tho cross, with n gesture .
frantic pleading.
Thnn IL Erpnt sob echoed thro,,rb ~,