News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1900-04-04

! Stall not nave 10 take time Tor tNoSe
matters that ought TO give TO more
serious and important duties"
It was true that Mr.. Hardy, always
man Of very methodical habits in a
business way had always arranged his
affairs with reference 10 accidental re
moyal His business as manager ne
cessltated his being on the road great
deal ana he realized. as many railroad
men do realize, the liability of sudden
death.
But such a thought had not had any
influence on his actions to make him
less selfish. He thought as all men do,
that he should probably live right
along after all; that death might take
the engineer or conductor or fireman.
but would pass him by.
Suddenly Win spoke up: Father, do
you want George and me to leave col
lege|
Certainly not, my boy What would
be gained by that? want you to keep
right on just as if were going to live
80 years more"
George did not say anything. He
looked at his father as if he doubted
his sanity.
His father noticed the look, and
terrible wave of anguish swept over
him as he recalled the part of his vi
sion in which he had seen his oldest
son in the gambling room.
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 engagedT'
"Bess!' 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
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 it 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 n 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
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 a mo-
ment, during which no one seemed in
clined to speak, "let us ask God to give
us all wisdom at this time"
HtUl sc LlddC u llOllOh IL W 81 Ohls
"My son." called Mr.. Hardy after
him gently, won't you stay with the
rest of usY
George sat down with a shamefaced
look, Alice and Clara came back, and
Mr.. Hardy read that famous sixth
i, chapter of Ephesians, beginning "Chil-
dren, obey your parents in the Lord"
Then in brief but earnest prayer he
| asked Gods help and blessing on all
the day and rose to face it, 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, cannot bear it! 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 | had
seven years to atone for my neglect and
seltishness toward you alone. But | am
certain that God has granted me but
seven days. | 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 ambi-
tious efforts to make her way as an
artist, not on account of the expense,
for Mr.. Hardy was not a niggard in
that respect, but because he had q
false idea concerning the profession.
He looked at 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 Cod" was the inner cry of Mr..