The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-05-26
Greater Love Hath No Man.

girl CudIRou WIN OuO huA"SA -
Caesar Young, has been dis
charged. For the second time. a
Jury has failed to agree as to her
guilt or innocence, and she will
not be required to undergo an
other trial. The prosecution has
doubtless. concluded that 1t will
be impossible to convict the de.
| PENDANT and so the State Is to be
saved additional expense, while
the public is to be spared further
recital of the details of this dis
graceful affair
But there was one satisfactory
feature to the long drawn out
trials. That was the devotion
displayed by the distracted father
towards his hayward daughter.
When, during her first trial Nan
Patterson stepped from the wit
ness stand after having passed
through the ordeal of relentless
cross examination, the old man
put his arm affectionately around
his child and said: "You did
splendidly little girl" When the
jury returned with the report that
it could not agree, the newspaper
dispatches say:
The father of the accused, who
has been by her side ever since
the trial began and whose tender
care and devotion to her has been
the most touching of the trial,
tried to comfort her, but his sad
dened face and mOurnful express
sion robbed the words he uttered
of force and meaning as he said:
tDon't worry little girl; it will
come out all right yet"
Some one has said that the true
test of love is the willingness to
endure and suffer for another;
that it is the suffering element
that measures love, and that
characters that are great must of
necessity De characters that shall
be willing, patient aud strong to
endure for Others; that to hold
our nature in the willing service of
anOt her is the divine idea of man
hood" UnQuestionably the aver
age parent would successfully
meet the test even as it was met
by the father of Nan Patterson.
Children seldom appreciate the
parents love. Doubtless Nan
Patterson has learned to appre-
ciate it, just as many other way
ward girls have learned it in the
past, and just as many other
girls will learn it in the future.
No human pen can accurately
describe that love. 1t is wonder
fully elastic, and as child after
child is born into the family,
covers them all, giving to the
new born, while lesSening none of
that enjoyed by the others. The
good mother who when asked
which of her children she loved
the best said: 1.-The one who is
sick" pointed out in a happy
way the only difference a parent
can feel in his attitude towards
his children. We love best s'the
one who is Sick" we love best the
one who is crippled in body: we
love best the one who has some
weakness, for which he is not
entirely responsible; we love best
the one who has fallen, even
though he fell as Nan Patterson
fell, even though the doors of
society be closed against him,
even though all but the hope of
heaven has been denied him.
"Don't worry, little girl, 1t will
come out right, yet." said Nan
Patterson'S father; and with all
of her faults, she was his "little
grip then, she is his "little girl"
now, and she will be his "little
girl" until the end. The faithful
father best remembers his daugh-
ter as she was when indeed a
little girl. Although she has
grown into wOmanhOod there is
always in the fathers mind a
portrait of the little girl in frOcks;
there is always picture of the
little innocent playing-or pray
lng-at the mothers knee. That
little girl may have met the
world and been conquered by the
world; her friends one by one
may have turned from her; she
may have fallen even AS Nan
Patterson fell; but at the critical
moment the majesty of parental
love asserts itself; "the divine
idea of manhood" is manifested.
At the critical moment the love
OF the parent for the child is
supreme and arm in arm the
devoted father and the wayward
daughter face a frowniug world
ana walk together through the
dark valley, the one loving as he
always loved, the other appreci.
ative of that majestic affao,;on