Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-05-04
The V|RG|N|AK-P|LOT'S
HOME STUDY CIRCLE
Continued from Fourth Pagc.)

of God. of death and eternity came To be
almost habltually in his thoughts. The
death OF his father, also during his
early childhood, added new fuel to the
flame of his grief. This father he had
never known. lie was afflicted with
pulmonary consumption and had lived
abroad during almost the whole period
OF the boys life. In Portugal, at LIS
Don. In Madeira, the West Indies, ia
moica, he had sought for health, but
round it not. He returned at intervals
70 the south coast of England and met
his wife there, but Thomas. as one OF
the younger children, had never been
taken to meet him. This father was Il
merchant. who had built up a COM
portable fortune from his trade. He
oled In his 39th year, leaving n family
OF six chlldren-two deaths having al
ready occurred. as related. He came
nome from his wanderirgs to die, and
1homas describes In detail their watch
Tor the travelling carriage which was
10 prlng him there. All the long even
ing the children and servants had been
waiting for Its approach. From sun
set until midnight they had strained
their eyes In the direction from which
1t would come, and were worn ont with
the watch. Then:
The first notice of the approach was
me sudden emerging OF horses heads
from the deep gloom OF the shady lane:
the next was the mass of white pillows
against which the dying patient was re-
Ginning. Tho hearse-lilse pace at which
the carriage moved recalled the over
whelming spectacle OF the funeral
which had SO lately formed n part of
The most memorable event of my life
but these clements OF awe that might
at any rate. have struck forcibly upon
the mind of q child, were for me in my
CONDITION OF morbid nervousness raised
81 y..r 4.
experiences OF that particular summer
nght.p
he had already begun his classical
studies. and they saved him from even
worse consequences attending his NOR
pa condition of mind. AT IL he was
p.aceu at great public school-the
grammar school of Bath Here he dis
tnguished himself by his Latin verses,
ana excited the cnmity of older bovs
ana lie waecd fierce war with them for
over year. Tho feud cmbittcred his
ne. ana he was removed from the
s .,,. on account OF very threatening
illness affecting his head In the sprinp
OF iSoo when Is years old, he was sent
10 ttoa. From there he went to Dub-
I'm win his new-mado friend Lord
Ncstpoft for his vacation, the family
nome at Greenhay having been given
X. re disiiked the weary round of
School duties incXprcssibly, and tho
odious society of schooi-boys became
a'nost unbearable to him. He despised
me mead master as his inferior as n
eIecian. and begged his guardian to re-
move him from the school This re-
Guest not being complied with led to the
most serious consequences. He ron
away. and after wandering in Wales for
Two months. living on u weekly allow
ance given him by his mother. he wont
up to London and lost himself amid lie
uproars and rcrils. lie would not com
municate with his family for fear OF
peinE forced to return TO school, and
DcinS almost pcnniiess when he reached
the city, lie suffered the horrors of al
most absolute starvation For four
months lie wandered about the CITY
living upon few fragments of hro,,d
given him by n person who did nor
Know OF his utter extremity, but sun
posed MN 10 be Ill and Door. lie very
seldom slept under n roof until the cold
winter came on.-Then- ha-s-.att-:., nm
unoccupied house with n bundle of old
law papers for a pillow. and had ms n
companion in his forsaken loneliness =
chlid who had already found this shcI-
Ter, Inc miserable child suffered un-
oui9 dgony through her fear OF ghosts
ana nailed his appearance with wild
demonstrations of Joy. She regarded
MIN as her protector, and their sorrows
united them in the very closest honds
OF aHection. During the last two
months OF his Drivations he silent bnt
httuiIy' and was besct by even more
strange and fearful dreams than ware
hiter "drd evoked by opium. His NIGHTS
were one long horror, and his DAYS he
set with empowering languor ana the
keenest gnawing of hunger. Dnr,n :,
this dreadful period he made friends
with an outcast girl named Ann who
showed MIN some trining Kindness
ana "hom he held in grateful rnen,or,,
ever after. This poor child nor x,ot -.
years OF age, was an utter outcast ond
almost as near the point of storv,tinn
as hlmself.' yet she saved his life bo
thinks by procuring him a glass or ,o,,
wine one night when he had collapsad
Utterly from long fasting. Many years
after he wrote thus of her:
% youthful benefactress, How of,or
IN succeeding years, standing IN soli-
tary places and thinking OF thee win
Grier or heart and perfect loye-how,
OFTEN have ! wished that as in ancIent
times the curse of father was believed
TO nave supernatural power and RI
pursue Its object with fatal necessitv
OF et-fulfllment-even so the benedic-
t non OF heart oppressed with graft
~Lhue might have 4 like prerogatiye.
mignt nave power given to 1t from
apove 10 chase. to haunt. to waylay. to
oVertake, to pursue thee into the CEN
tTai darkness of a London brotheI. or
VI IL were poseible) into the darkness
OF inc grave, there to awaken thee with
ITS authentic message of peace and for
6iVeness. and OF final reconciliation"
But he was never able to find her
though he searched for wears
tomorrow.