Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-21

You cannot go anywhere among peo-
ple!' Pardon me. but l fail to under
stand. The silence grew oppressive AT
last In sort of cold desperation the
young man said:
Il cannot meet any one - There is
something that happened. Some
thing 1 did. Nothing can make it
right. All 1 can do is to lose myself
In the widest. grimmest wilderness In
the world. and fight my pain my
shame ~
A long silence. Then the old man
voice came clear and sweet, something
like music, in the shelter from the storm ::
But perhaps time may mend things.
Harold answered out of the bitterness
of his heart:
Nothing can mend this thing, 1t is at
the farthest point of evil. and there is no
going on or coming back. Nothing can
wipe out what is done: what is past!
Again silence. and again the strong,
gentle voice:
God can do much. Oh. my dear young
friend. you who have been such a friend
to me and mine. think of this.
God himself can do nothing here. 1t
is done! And that is the end" He
turned away his head and held his body
tense: 1T was all he could do to keep from
grooming. The old mans voice vibrated
with earnest conviction as he spoke:
DO not say that! Do not think of It,.
1t is not worthy Of Him-of you!'
1T is true. sir. There is no way out Of
the past"
True, the past cannot be undone And
Yet may it not be that God in His wisdom
has meaning in even that past? He
works often with tools that are not per-
feet. and which are yet adapted to His
special ends God forbid that 1 should
pain you. but oh, sir. Just think In His
great scheme are many purposes that we
cannot see all at once or in the near per-
spective. Remember. that the very pain
that sent you by this ship in your seek
~ a mil ~ IF
storing our dear child to my wife and
me. You are too much a man. l know.
not to feel some comfort from that; even
If it only comes to you in moments Of
what this day would have been to that
poor broken-hearted mother, and to me
also. What bitter thoughts would be of
our little one dead, swaying in these icy
waves her golden hair tossing in the
deeps. I" 1" And it was this brave heart
and this strong arm that won her back
for us 80! y"
AS he spoke he laid his right hand on
Harold's breast and his left on his sleeve.
He was so moved and his hands so trem-
bled that Harold could not but feel his
heart melted. His head bowed and his
shoulders shook with emotion. Once again
he felt that inward thrill so poignantly
painful-like the agony of thawing frozen
flesh, or of coming back to life from the
dark confine of deatt-which he had felt
on the previous night when the little
child lay dreaming in his arms. The old
man saw and rejoced. With more conf
dence than he had heretofore felt he
went on:
You are young and strong and brave!
Your heart is noble! You can think quick
ly in moments of peril: therefore your
brain is sound and alert Now. may
ask you a favor? 1t is not much. Only
that you will listen. without interruption.
to what, if / have your permission, am
going to say. Do not ask me anything:
do not deny: do not interrupt! Only
listen. May I ask this?"
almost felt like smiling as he spoke. Mr..
Stonehouse. after a short pause. as If
arranging his thoughts. spoke:
Let me tell you what / am l began
such as all our American boys get. But
from a good mother l got an idea that
to be honest was the best of all things;
from a strenuous father. who. however.
could not do we'll for himself, / learned
application to work and how best to use
l found there was place in the world
for such qualities From the start things
prospered with me. Men who knew me
trusted me; some of them came with
offers to share in my enterprise. Thus
had command of what capital l could
use: was able to undertake great works
and to carry them through. Fortune kept
growing and growing: for as l got
L
more productive uses for my money. And
in all my work I can say before my God
/ never willingly wronged any man. l
am proud to be able TO say that my name
stands good wherever 1t has been used.
No man will doubt it; no man will OPP
pose it: no man will suspect any poor
motive from me. 1t may seem egotistical
that l say such things of myself 1t may
seem bad taste. but l speak it because /
have motive in SO doing. / want you to
nv dor OF md of cot ha N NUN
country. wherever l am known and in my
own work, my name is strength 1t can
protect"
He paused while. Harold sat still: he
knew that such a man would not, could
not. speak in such way without strong
motive. 1t was with a sense OF relief, so
great was the tensity, that Harold heard
him proceed:
when you were in the water making
what Roadway you could in that awful
sea-when my little child's life hung in
the balance. and the anguish OF my wife's
heart nearly tore my heart in two, l said
to myself, If we had a son l should
wish him to be like that 1 meant it
then. and I mean it now! Come to me
as you are: Faults, and past and all.
Forget the past Whatever it was we will
together try to wipe it out. Much may
be done in restoring where there has been
own. 1t will protect you from the result
of whatever has been. and give you an
opportunity to find your place again.
Whatever you have done has not. l am
certain, been from base motive. Few of
us are spOtless as to facts You and
will show-for we shall confide in none
other-that a strong. brave man may win
back all that was lost. Let me call you
by my name and hold you as the son of
my heart. and 1t will be joy and
pleasure to my declining years."
AS he had spoken Harold's thoughts had
at first followed in some wonderment a
to what result he might be driving at.
But gradually as his noble purpose I'M
folded itself. based 1t was on mis-
conception as to the misdoing Of which
he himself had spoken. he had been al
ton of what was intended he could not
have spoken had he tried. but at the end
he had regained his thoughts and his
voice. There was still wOnderment in it.
as realizing from the long pause that the
old man had completed his suggestion, he
spoke:
IF l understand Alright you are Offer
ing to share your honor with me. With
me. whom, If again l understand, YOU
take having committed some crime?''
Il inferred from what you said and
from your sadness. your gloom, your de-
sire to shun your kind. that there was.
II not a crime, some fault which needed
eXpiatOn."
But your honor. sir: your honor!
There was a proud look In the old mans
eyes as he said, quietly:
1T was my desire. is my desire, to
share with you what l have that is best;
and that. take 1t. is not the least valu-
able of my possessions, such as they are!
And why not? You have given to me all
that makes life sweet, without which it
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