The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-03-27

He went out after a few words with
the family and saw all the other injur-
ed men. By the time he had finished
these visits it was dark, and he eager
ly turned home, exhausted with the
days experience, feeling as if he had
lived in a new world and at the same
time wondering at the rapidity with
which the time had fed
He sighed almost contentedly to him
self as he thought of the evening with
his family and how he would enjoy it
after the disquiet of the day. His wife
was there to greet him, and Alice and
Clara and Bess chung about him as he
took off his coat and came into the
beautiful room where a cheerful fire
was blazing. Will came down stairs
as his father came in, and In the brief
interval before supper was ready Mr..
Hardy related the scenes Of the day.
They were all shocked to hear of
Scoville's death, and Mrs. Hardy at
once began to discuss some plans for
relieving the family. Bess volunteered
to give up half her room to one of the
children, and Alice quietly outlined a
plan which Immediately appeared to
her father businesslike and feasible.
In the midst of this discussion supper
was announced, and they all sat down.
"Where is Georgew asked-Mr. Hardy.
Ordinarily he would have gone on with
the meal without any reference to the
boy, because he was SO often absent
from the table. Tonight he felt an ir-
resistible longing to have all his chill,
dren with him.
"He said he was invited out to sup
per with the Bramleys," said Clara.
Mr.. Hardy received the announce
ment in silence. He felt the bitterness
of such Indifference on the part of his
older son. WHAT" he said to himself.
when he knows had such little
while left, could he not be at homer"
Then almost Immediately flashed into
him the self reproach even stronger
than his condemnation of his boy.
How much have done for him these
last ten years to win his love and pro-
tect him from evil?''
After supper Mr.. Hardy sat down by
his wife, and in the very act he blush
ed with shame at the thought that he
could not recall when he had spent an
evening thus. He looked into her face
and asked gently:
Mary, what do you want me to do?
Shall read as we used to in the old
days?''
"No; let us talk together" replied
Mrs. Hardy, brayely driving back her
tears. 81 cannot realize what it all
means. have been praying all day.
Do you still have the impression you
had this morning?'
'Mary, am if anything even more
convinced that God has spoken to me.
sion has been deepening
WIN LIS All day. When l looked into
poor Scoyille's face, the terrible nature
of my past selfish life almost over
whelmed me. Oh, why have abused
Gods goodness to me so awfully %
There was silence moment. Then
Mr.. Hardy grew more calm. He began
to discuss what he would do the second
day. He related. more fully the inter
view with the men in the shop and his
visits to the injured. He drew Clara to
him and began to inquire into her trou-
bles in such a tender, loving way that
Clara's proud, passionate. willful ma
ture broke down. and she sobbed out
her story to him as she had to her
mother the night before
Mr.. Hardy promised Clara that he
would see James the next day. 1t was
true that James CaXton had only q
week before approached Mr.. Hardy
and told him in very manful fashion of
his love for his daughter, but Mr.. Har
dy had treated it as child's affair, and
in accordance with his usual policy il
family matters had simply told Clara
and Bess to discontinue their visits al
the old neighbours. But now that he
heard the story from the lips Of his
own daughter he saw the seriousness
of it, and crowding back all his former
pride and hatred of the elder Caxton he
promised Clara to see James the mex
day.
Clara chung to her father in loving
surprise. She was bewildered, as were
all the rest, by the strange event tina
had happened to her father, but sh,
never had so felt his love before, and
forgetting for awhile the Significance
of his wonderful dream, she felt happ,
in his presence and in his affection 70
her.
The evening had sped on with sur
prising rapidity while all these matters
/ R'771I28B