The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-12-26
he was bright. Iovable anectionate:

tToaty-GTst year. Ii was his desire
TO study Law, so he entered the of
ice Of a prominent lawyer in this
city. He had only been there a few
months, when through q young man
in the Office, he was introduced into
a fast set, and in a short time was
plunged into dissipation. When
realized this, / was nearly crazed
with fear and pain. / implored, re-
monstrated, wept. He would be sor-
rOwfully repentant for awhile; then
90 back again. This state of things
went on for six months; then came
the end. involved in money difficult
ties, debts of honor, gambling debts,
driven beside himself, reckless, des-
perate, this poor, misguided boy rob-
bed his employer, took a large sum
of money from the safe, to which he
had always had access. This was
soon discovered by the man he had
robbed, who taxed him with it, pri-
yately, but sternly, and threatening
~, and my poor boy, madly letting
his quick temper get the best of him,
answered insolently. High words fol-
lowed. Robert solemnly asserted that
the lawyer struck him first; how
ever, Robert picked up a heavy chair
and felled him to the ground with it.
And in a weeks time he died from
the effects of the blow Her voice
faiteTcd, she paused: l could only
press her hands in silent sympathy
You can guess, dear, what followed"
demned to Is years Imprisonment,
which in this state means solitary
confinement. Oh, child, child, shall
[ ever forget that mOrning-it was
the first day of June-when he stood
in the prisoners dock, so young, so
rarely handsome, and listened with
a white, set face and quivering lips
to that sentence? l nearly went mad
then. l fell on my knees with wild
sobs and means; then l tainted, and
when l had recovered they had
taken him away.
Il saw him once again to bid him
farewell. l was calm then with the
calmness of woe too deep for utter
ance. He also was silent, numbed
with a terrible, sullen despair Dear
| said to him, pillowing his head on
my breast as I had so often done,
the years must pass. | will pray and
wait for you in our little home. and,
should Heaven spare us both, some
day you will come to me, there to
begin a new life together And, dear,
| have been waiting 10 long years; I
have counted each day. each week,
each month of them as they glided
by, and now, but two more years re-
main, and my waiting will be over"
She paused, her cheeks grew soft
,y flushed. her eyes sparkled with an
intense and rapturous joy. Two
years, she repeated. only two years
OF waiting"
Only two more years but one
had hardly past when Miss Molly's
cheeks grew paler and thinner, her
step slow and languid. This was
the beginning, and from that time
her health began steadily to decline.
and with bitter pain, l realized she
was slowly fading out Of life.
One evening. as | knelt beside her
easy chair. where she now sat all
day, she laid her thin hand gently
on nv head and said. Dear, YOU
know that | am going to leave YOU
before long?" | hid NV face in her
lap and burst into tears. You must
not grieve too much nv child" she
went on. 1t is Gods will: | shall
not be here to make his life happy
and bright; but | shall live to see
him once more. NV boy. nv Rob
ert.
The weeks and months glided by:
daily she grew weaker, Trailer grew
her hold on life. The year was near
" m. but never thought she wouId
live to see it; but she did. The
first day Of June came, such a sunny,
beautiful day. | had been with her
all night. and when the first rays of
the sun shone into her room, ra-
diant smile lighted up her sweet
white face. and | heard her whisper:
The years of waiting are over" She
hardly spoke the rest of the day, but
lay with listening look on her face,
and the faint smile lingering about
her lips. My heart was nearly burst