The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1896-01-02

be affected. The watch was there,
1t is no use to anybody" That is
what the little man thinks, but he is
moved nevertheless.
Bracing up, he begins 60 set the
table. From the sideboard, he takes
old relics. A tablecloth, the only
one which remains from the house,
hold which the good wife has left.
Napkins are added; they belong to
the same time, hemmed and marked
by the absent one. There is the
plated caster which was given him
on his birthday; the other things of
small ouvenirs-which the
lone man carefully puts down, look.
ing at the picture that is watching
him, aud seeming TO smile rs II she
whom it T, preseuts wso alto awr #ng
= "a ''-sii z II
ready.'
He will not delay much longer. 10
is SIX o'o.ock. In the meantime the
old man sits down, looks at the
waiting table and thinks, remembers,
sees again in his mind the New Year
Of former days. The mother was
seated opposite him; the youngster
between them, perched on his high
chair, Parents, dead also, and
friends, scattered now, came to ex-
change greetings. They are happy;
they are hopeful; they thought life
would go on in the same way; and
them
"Why, it's half past six. Can IL
by poss BILE for the boy to be detained
at the shop? And yet he was COM
pla ming the other day of the little
work there was. If he is late, the
fine dinner will not be 30 good. Oh,
he'll come; he never fails. Let's
wait"
And while the hand pushes on over
the dial of the old clock a painful
SUSPICION takes root in the father's
mind. If his son were not comingl
Where is he? What detains him?
I he ck-tick of the time piece re-
sounds like SO many blows in the
heart Of the old man. His breathing
becomes shorter in his unspeakable
agony. Suddenly, crash resounds
in the mournful silence OF the room,
and seven times the gong strikes
seven o'clockl
Intently listening to every noise
from outside, the poor man starts
every time the street door is shut.
He seeks to recognize the ascending
step. "Is it he?" No, it stops ON
the fourth floor. He rebels ag ainst
the despair which slowly overw helms
him. He wishes the clock were fast
he would wish to stop the flight of
time-but it is quarter past. The
....rocious truth imposes itself, and,
Ss broken, the poog. pan thinks:
sis y q ret NapinglnHlssst ls Is he .t
the csacaR asahdf sahdf coz inys Orr
God!-if he were sickl" Itss the
last hope, cruel as it ;s; but the old
man tortures his mind to find an ex-
cuse for his son. He wishes to go
and find out. Mol IL he were to
come while his father is away!
Everything becomes confused and
seems to crumble down; his bewil-
derm ent is complete. The poor man
no onger struggles against his sor-
row. Crushed, he yields to the Bit
terness of b 8 abandonment, and the
only thing that subsists in him is the
regret of having lived 30 long-the
desire to go away to die. "What is
he to do henceforth? Who thinks Of
him? Who loves himP No one any
more. He is de tropi"
Without expectations, tired Of the
present, he has but one refuge: the
past. He wishes to take down his
wife's picture, to place it opposite
him at the table, to try to eat. "Eat!
When ones heart is so heavy there
is no room for food. No, it's all
over with him-it's all over!" And
he keeps on repeating this. strug-
Cling aga nst the sob which rises,
contracts his throat, strangles him,
is going to burst forth, when
The key CRATES in the keyhole, the
door flies open, showing q tall, lusty
fellow, who shouts;
"Happy New Year, popl I am
late! But Tll tell you"
"Nothing, my son, my boyl You
are here; have you, that's enoughl
For now, you see, my whole life can
be told in on word: You'll"