Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-05-23

Again the prayer he had been silently
praying all the morning went up out Of
his heart, Almighty God, show me
how to use the seven days most wise
ly."
Father" said Bess suddenly, what
will you do about Jim and Clara? Did
you know they were engaged"
"Bessp' said Clara passionately. Then
she stopped suddenly. and, seeing her
fathers brow grow dark, she covered,
afraid of what was coming.
But Mr.. Hardy looked at the world
differently this morning. Twenty-four
hours before he would have treated
Bessie's remark as he usually treated
her surprising revelations Of the Sc
crets of the family. He would have
laughed at 1t little and sternly COM
manded Clara to break the engage
ment If there was one at once. for
James Caxton was not at all the sort
Of man Mr.. Hardy wanted to have
come into the family. He was poor,
to begin with. and. more than all, his
father had been the means Of defeating
Mr.. Hardy In municipal election
where a place Of influence and honor
was in dispute. Mr.. Hardy had never
forgotten or forgiven it. When he be-
gan to see his children intimate with
the Caxtons. he tried to forbid their
going to the house.. with the result al
ready described.
Mr.. Hardy looked at Clara and said
very tenderly: "Clara, we must have q
good talk about this. You know your
father loves you and wants you to be
happy. and"- Mr.. Hardy stopped In
his emotion, and Clara burst into tears
and left the table.
Come" cried Mr.. Hardy after mo-
ment, during which no one seemed In
clined to speak. ''let us ask God to give
us all wisdom at this time"
George made motion as If to 60 out.
"My son." called Mr.. Hardy after
him gently, won't you stay with the
rest Of us?'
George sat down with shamefaced
look, Alice and Clara came back, and
Mr.. Hardy read that famous sixth
chapter Of Ephesians, beginning "Chil-
dren. obey your parents in the Lord"
Then in a brief but earnest prayer he
asked Coils help and blessing on all
the day and rose to face 1t, the great
burden Of his responsibility beginning
to rest upon him for the first time. He
sat down for a moment by his wife
and kissed her. putting his arms about
her, while Bess climbed up on the side
of the couch, and the boys stood irreso-
lutte and wondering. Any outward
mark Of affection was so unusual on
the part of their father that they felt
awkward in the presence Of it Mrs.
Hardy was almost overcome.
"Oh, Robert, l cannot bear 1t! Surely
it was nothing more than dream. 1t
couldn't have been anything more.
You are not going to be called away
from us so Soon."
"Mary, | would to God that l had
seven years to atone for my neglect and
selfishness toward you alone. But am
certain that God has granted me but
seven days. l must act, God help me.
Boys, you will be late. We will all be
at home this evening. Alice. care for
your mother and cheer her up. You
are a good girl and"-
Again Mr. Hardy broke down as he
thought Of the many years he had
practically ignored this brave, strong,
accomplishing nature In his own
house. and remorse tore him fercely
as he recalled how he had practically
discouraged all the poor girls ambl-
tious efforts to make her way Us an
artist, not on account Of the expense.
for Mr.. Hardy was not a niggard In
that respect, but because he had
false idea concerning the profession.
He looked ut the girl now as she limp
ed across the floor to her mother, her
pale, intellectual face frightened by
her love and her eyes shining with
tears at her fathers unusual praise.
20 God" was the inner cry Of Mr.
Hardy's heart, what have | not neg.
lected when l had 1t in my power to
create so much happiness!
The thought almost unnerved him.
and for q moment he felt like sitting
down to do nothing. But only for q
moment He rose brlskly, went out
into the hall and put on his overcoat
and, coming back q moment. said: 81
am going down to see poor Scoville the
first thing. shall be so busy you must
not look for me at lunch. But | will
be back to 6 o'clock dinner. Goodby."
He kissed his wife tenderly. and she
clung to him. sobbing. Then he kissed
his daughters. a thing he had not done
since they were babies, and shook
hands with the boys and marched out
like one gong to execution. something
bright glistening In his own eyes.
All, We fathers and husbands, you
who are toiling for the dear ones at
home, how many Of you have grown
so unaccustomed to the tender affcc-
tions Of home that your own wife
would almost faint and think some
thing was going to happen to you II
you kissed her goodby when you went
away to your work In the morning?
How do you know that she who has
been your faithful friend and lover all
these years and nursed you through
peevish sickness and done thousand
things every day for-you without SO