Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-11-04
-HODIGAL'S RETURN.

turned her drawn and anxious youns
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 o.
their lives. And now the old woman
life was drawing to close, as some
lives do, without It's object. She her
self felt It, and her daughter knew II.
There was in both of them 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 ip
most burdens there Is safeguard, IN
all a duty, and in some the greatest
happiness allotted to human exist
epce.
1t was no new thing, this waiting
for the scapegrace son; the girl had
grown up TO II. 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 ln a Git 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 miz-
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
shopkeepers and lady milIiners-above
ell, few colonies peOpled by unlver-
sity failureS-will teach US in time
that to educate our sons above their
station j. to handicap them cruelty in
the race for life.
Stephen Leach was one of the early
victims TO this craze. 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 10 in
sure his career IN life. So everything
-eveD TO the old parsons sense of
right and wrong-was sacrificed 10 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, a ) in the army, one may
live 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 at the var
s,ty. Everything was against him,
and at last the end came. At last the
rector's eyes were opened, and when
q narro w-minded mans eyes are once
1pened he usually becomes stony at
the heart.
Stephen Leach left England, and be-
fore he landed In America his father
had departed on longer journey. The
ne'er-do-weu 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.
II was known that be was in Chill,
and there was war going on there,
Aud yet the good old lady's faith never
wsvered.
"Ie will come. Joyce" she would
say. "he viii surely come"
And the girl would go to the window
and draw aside the curtains, looking
down the quiet country road toward the
village
Yes, mother, he will come" was her
usual answer; and one day she 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 sightless orba
toward the window.
Thus they waited. The man stopped
opposite the cottage, and the two won.
en- heard the latch of the gate. Then
Joyce. turning, saw that her mother
had tainted. But ii was only momen-
tary. By the time she reached the bed
her mother had recovered conscious
ress.
Co said the old lady, breathlessly,
"go and let him in yourself"
Downstairs on the doorstep the girl
found a tall man of 80 or thereabouts
with brcwner face than English suns
could account for He looked down
into her eager eyes with q strange,
questioning wonder.
"Am too late?" he asked in a voice
which almost seemed to indicate hope
that 1t might be so.
mo, Stephen" she answered. But
mother cannot live much longer. You
are just in time"
The young man made hesitating lit
tie movement with his right hand and
shuffled 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 this
prodigal WAS not dramatic success.
No one seemed desirous e1 learning