The Washington herald., 1909-04-18

| talk. Look there. look al him, That
man was your son. and re is dead, Why2
/ Because he was your son, because ne had
you for a father, You gave him life.
but you killed him. you killed him.
You are crazy, the old man said.
The woman ignored his words. I
know all about you" she said L know
I what sort OF a father you were. You be-
gan 10 Kill Ralph the day you took him
away from school because you wanted
/ him 10 be under you You were afraid he
might become a man. with viii Of his
own, and you wanted him 10 be like your
cattle. just 10 belong 10 you. On. know
what he did then, But who could blame
him? You had never taught him better
way, and you would not let him 90 away
TO learn one. And you-you, who set your
self up as a model the deacon, the man
of God. the fine example for the neighbor-
hoOd-yOu would rather have him a
drunkard than give him a chance to be
come anything else. because if he were
10 become anything else he would not
be a possession OF yours Haven't you
known that 10 be the truth? You have.
you havei II IL were anybody else YOU
would be the first 10 say that he did
wrong; but you won't admit that YOU
could do wrong. So you let Ralph become
I
scOrn. rather than give him a chance 20
get beyond you, Besides. having him
near you Ike that made you seem al the
finer. The deacon's son, the drunkard-
the scapegoati The poor deac0n-such
model such a good man 10 be afflicted
with such a son That's what YOU
thought. wasn't it2 II wasn't 50 bad
being a martyr. was it,
The old man was glaring al her, TOO
angry. and too bewildered to speak. But
she did not pause Ions. She clasped her
hands before her, and moved a step
nearer, her shabby black skirt touching
the dead mans couch.
And when he did finally have courage
enough to break away from that what
did you do? Did you offer him helping
hand? Did you tell him his father would
stand back Of him? Did II ever occur. TO
you that he might be going away 20 try
10 do better? Did you ever ask him.
No. you only thought that ne was going
away from you. when he ought 10 have
stayed and become hired man without
pay; you thought he was going away 10
find larger opportunities 70 be WICKED. It
didn't occur to the deacon that his son
could wish 20 20 20 a place where eyerv-
body would not point at him. where he
wouldn't be the black sheep Of the neigh
borhOOd, where he might have some
chance OF becoming man. You'd think
any father would have given his son a
chance for that: but what did you do?
You said he was dead 10 you, Every time
you heard anything bad about him. didn't
you feel yourself that much the better
because you thought him that much the
worse? That was your idea Of being a
father, wasn't IL? You wouldn't help him
when he wanted to try you only said he
was dead"
Asa Cutters head had dropped. and he
was looking up al her from beneath his
brows. the fingers OF one hand moving
across his lips. He was keen enough TO
realize that much Of what she said was
true; his own virtue had. indeed. seemed
TO him greater by comparison with the
vice of his son. The anger her words
caused at first only made him the more
vulnerable 20 the points she afterward
scored Besides, there had been times.
after the death OF the younger son. when
he had wondered whether he had done
right by Ralph That was partly the rea-
son for his coming to rescue Ralph's. son
II he was determined 10 snatch him as
brand from the burning. he also meant
TO do for him what he had not done for
Ralph: make him heir of his accumulated
fortune. which was rot small. by country
reckoning. More than that Asa Cutler
had not thought Il possible TO do for anv
one As his sons widow poured forth
her reproaches and accusations, there