The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-04-17

III that Deautl1ul nome one night tn0t0
was great cutlery. The young man
of the house ran down to open the door
to see what was the matter. It was
midnight. The. rest of the family
were asleep There were the, vito
and children Of this prodlgal young
man. Thesfac was he had come home
and driven them out. He said: 'Out
OF this house. Away with these chill
dren; will dash their brains out. Out
into the STORM" The mother gathered
them up and fed. The next morning
the brother, the young man who had
staid at home, went out TO find this
prodigal brother and son, and he
\ came where he was, and saw him
wandering up and down in front OF the
place where he had been staying, and
the young man who had kept his in
| tegrity said to the older brother;
Here, what does all this mean? What
is the matter with you? Why do you
act in this way?" The prodigal
looked at him and said: WHO
am II Who do you take me to be?" He
said: "You are my brother. mo, II
am not. I ain brute. Have You seen
anything of my wife and children?
Are they dead? drove them out
last night in the storm. am
brute. John, do you think there Is
any help for me. Do you think |
will ever get oyer this life, Of dissipa-
tion?" He said: John, there is one
thing that will stop this" The prod
igal ran his fingers across his throat
and said: "That will stop it, and !
will stop it before night Oh, my
brain; / can stand it no long,
err" That prodigal never got home.
But I win tell you Of q prod
igal that did get home. In
England two young men started from
their fathers house and went down to-
Portsmouth, have been there-a
beautiful seaport. Some Of you have
been there. The father could not pur-
sue his children-for some reason he
could not leave home-and so he wrote
a letter down to Mr.. Griffin, saying:
''Mr. Griffin, wish you would 60
and see my two sons. They have ar
rived in Portsmouth and they are go
ing to take ship, and going away from
home. I wish you would persuade
them back"
Mr.. Griffin went and tried to per-
suade them back. He persuaded one
to 60 He went with very easy per-
suasion, because he was very homesiclx
already. The other young man said:
~ will not 60. I have had enough Of
home, I'll never go home" .Well" said
Mr.. Griffin. ..sthen if you won't go home,
I'll get you respectable position on 2
respectable ship" mo, You
WON'T" said the prodigal; no
you won't. am geing
as private sailor; asa common saEor;
that will plague my father most, and
what will do most to tantalize, and
worry him will please me best" Years
passed on, and Mr.. Griffin was seated
in his study one day when a messen-
ger came to him, saying there was
young man in irons on ship at the
dock-a young man condemned to
wished to see this clergy
man, Mr.. Griffin went down to the
dock and went on shipboard. The
young man said to him: "You don't
know me, do your "No," he said.
II don't know you" 'sWhy, don't
you remember that young man
you tried to persuade 10 go
home and he wouldn't go?" 'Oh,
yes" said Mr.. Griffin, ''are you that
MANI" Eyes, / am that man, said the
other. II would like to have you pray
for me. Ihave committed murder, but
must die; but / don't want to go oug
Of this world until someone prays for
me. You are my fathers friend, and
would like to have you pray for me-"
Mr.. Griffin went from Judicial aua
thority to judicial authority to get
that young mans pardon. He slept
not night nor day. He went from in
luential person to. influential person.
until in some way he got that young
mans pardon. He came down on the
lock, and as he arrived on the dock with
The pardon the father came He had
heard that his SON, under disguised
name, had been committing crime and
vas going to be, put to death. So Mr..
Griffin and the father went to thu
ships deck, and at the very moment
Mr.. Griffin offered the pardon to Tho
young man, the old father threw his
arms around the sons neck, and the son
aid: Father, have done very wrong
md I am very sorry, I wish had
never broken your heart am very
'orryi" ''Oh," said the father, "don't
mention it. IL won't make any differ.
,nce now. 1t isallover. Iforgive youj
ny son. and he kissed him, and kissed
him, and kissed him. To-day offef
you the pardon of the Gospel-fun
PARDON, free pardon. / do not care
What your crime has been. Though
vou say you have committed a crimei