Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1904-02-25
4 SKETCH FROM LIFE.

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wasonlyquiefly waiting till he shoulS
oe summoned home; though toprac
tical John, his son, or Martha. Johns
energetic wife. he seldom Of lats
had spoken concerning this. for hs
had overheard them talking OF hin
70 each other, with compassionate
pity. Childish. I" they said he was
growing, "and . little Troublesome
withal-, So be had got In the way
OF remaining On the sunny piazza Id
nne weather; sitting there with the
open Bible TIL the rays Of the set-
ung sun threw their fading CLEAN
oFsx khe r'm = fl1e ResIern hll
wnen ne quietly went 70 bis own
room.
Not that they were unkind tohim
oh mol Only John said that faith
er's faculties are not what they used
to BE-" and Martha, who was order
ly TO q painful degree, was "wor-
rfed when she found his cane or
his spectacles misplaced and then
ne often forgot TO bring the easy
cnair ID from the portico, or omitted
70 nang MS hat on its customary nail
In the entry.
L 90 wish you would be more
particular, father, she had said,
rather sharply; you left the west
door open twice today, and you al
ways forges to wipe your feet on the
husk mat.
IL was not the words that touched
him so deeply, but the tone.
As he took his accustomed place,
after dinner, on the pleasant porti-
CO. he felt o greater degree of Ian
guor steal over him than usual, so
much so that he he said rather feeb-
ly to Martha, who was vigorously
sweeping the little entry:
Il guess. Martha, il you'll give
me your arm, I'll lay down q spell
on the sofy in the dinin room; ]
don't feel as though | could get up
stairs TO bed"
Nonsense, father. was Martha s
careless answer, "dinin' rooms got
to be swept and aired, the furniture
busted and the drugget put down;
you'd better sit q spell, and II you
don't feel better, III come out and
help you upstairs. !"
The afternoon waned; and as the
old man watched the shadows creep
over the purple hills, a golden ray
fingered for q moment on the open
leaf OF his Bible, by whose softened
light his dimmed eyes read.
He giveth power to the faint; and
70 them that nave no might. He in
creaseth strength. Even the youth
shall De faint and De weary, and the
young man shall utterly fail. "
Tne toe OF years rolled back, and
ne saw himself, young, willful and
pieasure-loving, casting behind him
all restraint, taxing his own path,
that Leo through the howery mead
ows' Out oIseness over steep noun
taans ana oy tne edge oil the terrible
aoysses, piucking from overhanging
oougns fair fruits which nauseated.
aho Vainiy attempting TO siake his
thirst win bitter waters. always
STRIVING 70 reach the gorgeous city
whose palaced domes appeared ever
anead-the city OF cioudland. And
then he saw hand outstretched.
leading the wayward youth, from
the road ne had chosen, and with o
thrill OF fuilness OF JOY he saw him
Him crucified. saying: Follow
Me-" and in spirit he again rose up
and followed; leaving the past with
its sins in the hand that had guided
him; no tears might avail to blot
them out, no remorse could atone for
them only in God s keeping was
the past lost 70 view.
Oftentimes fainting, with feet wea-
~ and sometimes bleeding, be fol-
lowed the divine footsteps through
the wears: sometimes SO nigh him
that he could almost touch his gar