The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-04-01

and then she had a summer kitchen built
and they sat in the old kitchen to save the
dining groom. Then young Willie, who was
home from college, said a bad word, slam
med the door and went to the tavern
Her husband was old and feeble and
went to bed to escape her fretting. But
young Willie went from bad to worse He
had spent too much money, he had played
cards and lost, then had drank and gone
utterly wrong. The lad was young and it
was the first time he had utterly broken
over the traces. He spent miserable
night. He had not been fit to 90 home,
and with the morning came acknowledge
and repentance.
When he got to his home, however, it
was an unlucky time 1t was the general
house cleaning, and it was also the day
before Easter. His mother, his sisters and
the maids were armed with mops and
brooms and brushes, and all the parapher-
MALTA of cleaning. So full were his mind
and his heart with his errand that he ran
up the front steps, through the hall and
into the best parlor, where stood his mother
She gave him reproving glance, as she
said
'-Oh, Willie; you have not cleaned your
feet r
Mother, never mind my feet. want
to see you
Child, child, how thoughtess you are!
Don't you know this is cleaning day, and
am busy, clean up to my eyes p
But mother, tell you I must see you.
Is there not some place where we can be
alone2'
She gave sigh and started, he follow
ing. As they reached the dining room he
toek Il chair and was about to sit down,
when she gasped
Willie, not that chair 1t belongs to
the parlor, and, Willie, don lean on the
table cover, you Ii muss it And now,
child, if there is anything you want to tell
me, be quick, as I've got to 20 back to the
girls Willie Willie don't you know
better than to open that window? There's
no screen and every fly in the neighborhood
will be in the house r
The boy was young in years and young
in wrong doing. Jumping to his feet, he
gave the table shove, threw the chair
into corner and stepped in trent of his
mother
Mother, | came to make man of me-
You have turned me away Now don t
care what becomes Of me. You prefer
your housekeeping to your only son, so
make the most oft hope may never
see the old house again.
He then strobe from the house, and as
Aunt Harriet threw herself into 4 chair
panorama Of her life seemed to spead out
before her
She saw her young married life, when
she tried to bury her heartaches under her
household cares She had lost her chance
/ He was gone forever.
From that time ON her one purpose in
/ life was to find him, but it was of no avail
She would hear from him, though always
indirectly He was going from worse to
worse. He was like a will-o' -the-wisp,
first in one city then in another Letters
came back unopened and there seemed no
way to reach him.
During this time the two other girls got
married and James Thompson, Sr, died.
Five years wore away. and the anniversary
I of her de>ertion came around once more
The earth was beginning to put on her
green mantle and the old homestead looked
very cheerful Harriet Thomspon was
/ Young woman for her years, albeit near
sixty and with her years had come wisdom.
Ever since that DAY. which was a sore
spot in her memory, she had thrown wide
] open the doors and the windows, taken the
covers of the furniture tried to make the
/ house cheerful and thought of the home
eoming of her boy 1t had been the day
before Easter when he went away, and
now she remembered that the next day
would be Easter Sunday, She went down
the broad walk. bordered with boxwood
that led TO the gate, and gathered great
punches Of datiodils, which she placed in
the parlor windows and on the table.
rs the evening grew on she looked at
the old clock in the corner and saw 1t was
/ . clock, and Just then the old knocker
clanged She almost tainted Then she
looked up with thrill Of disappointment
as the maid ushered tall, heavy bearded
stranger into the ROOM He took but two
steps to reach her-and then, clasping her
l in his arms, said:
Mother, you don't know me, but |
aud James Thompson. | have come to
bring YOU an Faster present which hope
YOU will accept as a proof of the love and
gratitude have always felt for you.
The mother heart grasped at what she
had 50 louged for, and as she returned his
caress she hardly dared ask
Ny Willie You have heard of him?
Is he dead?
The door opened again and another
stranger, only younger and more blonde
than the other, came in.
Mother Mother Can you take
back your wandering son ?
The dark head, now nearly white, was
bent over the blonde as he knelt by her
side. while the elder brother leaned over
the two with his blessing.
Then the three drew near together,
while the fire and the candle light and the
golden flowers shone around them, and
James Thompson told how, in one of the
cases before him for trial, he had recoguiz-
ed Willie: how he had taken the boy home
and done everything for him. And now
he was started on the right way and wished
to live and make her happy.
Then, as Aunt Harriet clasped her boys,
as she called them, by the hand, she look
ed first at enc aud then at the other, and
said with proud and happy glances from
her eyes.
My children, east your bread upon
the waters and after many days it will re-
turn to you.
The Pernicious Grumbling Habit.