The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1897-06-25

against your win, but she could not
have done greatly wrong, since you ace
knowledge that John Green IS good.
honest, sober, industrious man. But
wrong or not, her crime was not SO
great that You were warranted in maxi
ing her an outcast, while you fill your
house with those who care for you only
so far as your dollars and cents 60. Do
YOU think God viii forgive you
end take you to His bosom so
long. as you remain oblivious
TO your daughter? Never, never If
You ever expect to get to Heaven take
some of the money You are subscribing
here and there, and devote it to Your
child's needs. Better q thousand times,
let the church go Imprinted than to let
that child suffer one moment from
want Now I've had M say, Hiram,
and hope my words Will set you to-
thinking and acting more like a Chris
tian and less like a heather, and that
before you throw away another dollar in
the useless effort TO buy favor of God,
you will act the part of q civilized father.
Woe unto you, Pharisees, hypocrites.' ,"
Having thus brought her lecture to o.
finish and feeling her soul relieved Of a
mighty burden, Aunt Mitchell arose
from her seat and, giving a withering.
look Of scorn and pity to those at the
table, swept from the room, and an
hour later left Blatchford's house.
His sisters words had telling effect
on Blatchford. They cut him deeply, and
he could not rid himself of the uncom-,
Portable feeling they awakened. He.
realized the truth of her words, and
he grew small in his own estimation.
He understood fully the futility of his
liberal financial gifts to the church and
the heather, and he was less inclinedl
to praise and pat himself than he had
been for long time. Sister Blatchford
tried her old tactics to rally him, but
they lacked their old-time efficacy,
and he left tho house that morning in @
sad, detected state of mind.
Reaching dis office he plunged into
his business duties with unusual ener-.
gy, and for little while held to them;
but soon his thoughts wandered back to
the scene at home, and between him
and his papers there fitted pictures Of
his child. Now he saw her face, pale,
sad and sunken, looking reproachfully
into his eyes, and again he caught q
glimpse OF her form, no longer rounded
and plump as of old, but an emaciated
skeleton, telling only too well the story
Of want and suffering For an hour or
more he tried to Danish his daughter
from his thoughts and concentrate his
mind upon the business he had in hand,
but in spite of all his efforts pictures of
his child would dance across his papers
to distract him aud add to his self
accusations,
At last, finding that it was impossible
to control his wandering thoughts and
/. fix them where he wished, and being
unable to longer endure the thoughts
/, his fancy bred, he threw down his pa
pers and pen and fled from the office,
He walked madly down the street. hav-
ing no idea of his destination, having no
care for his course, intent on but one
thing, and that was to escape the
thoughts that haunted him. On and on
he walked until he passed through the
town and out into the country, nor did
he halt until he came to the river bank.
Then he sat down, and removing his
hat felt his burning, throbbing brow.
''My God, my Cod" he murmuredi
''what have I done! My poor, lost child,
how could | ever forget you so! How
have | forgotten your mother ana my
promise to her. Oh, God, spare me and
let me live to undo what | have done,
Let me but see my child once more and
receive. her forgiveness for all OF my
neglect and cruelty"
A long time he sat there gazing down
into the deep flowing water, and more
than once he was inclined to throw him
, self into the current and find relief at
once for his tortured soul. There, he
thought, he could escape the awful
thoughts that haunted him, and he
fancied that the cold water would be
welcome to his burning brow, But
finally the desire to see his daughter
once more and atone to her for his
cruel neglect got the better of him,
and he arose and went toward his Of
fee.
As he walked unsteadily back he
5 wondered why people stared at him so,
l little dreaming what change few
, hours of mental anguish had worked in
! his outward appearance. He did noa
} know that his face had become hag-
] gard. and his eyes bloodshot. He did not
, realize that the fires of hell that burned
within him had scorched and scanned
! him outwardly.
, He was nearing his Office when he
met Rev. Wheedler, and that gentle
man instantly noted the great change
, in his valued parishioner, and imme-
diately sought to assist Brother Batch
ford home. He approached TO take the
old mans arm, but Blatchford waved
him off, and almost fled from the spot.
His action surprised Rev. Wheedler
beyond anything, and he left that gen
3. tleman perfectly dumfounded, Rev.