Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-01-15
SINS OF THE FATHERS
BY GEORGE A. PARKER.
iCuryrigtt. 1909. by American Press Asso.
citation

"af born and reared ON thc Goa Z
~ Norway iu. W.s twenty years
o} I.d r.H.r H..r bon . town. and
! tr. 'ry u small village Ny as
sHci"tH vc.e untutorel people. and /
+ received lUt tIc elements Of cduca.
| Ton nevertheless rhcy seemed TO look
tUDOn me rs superior 10 themselves.
/ Whether that was because bore the
morS of having been born OF superior
| stock or that my name was English
| did not know. My father died when /
! was ten years old, and remembered
] him as always with 4 sad look on his
face, Which was reflected in my moth
er'sh When L grew older l asked her
why my father and she had always ap
| peared sad. She could not bring her.
self TO tell me the reason, and re-
! NAMED in ignorance.
When was twenty my mother died,
/ and ! resolved to leave the desolate
| place where I had been born and seek
Il more active fed. Before going !
made Inquiries of nelghbor concern-
/ ing my parents sojourn in those parts
and was told that they had come there
several years before my birth and had
fora time lived as gentle folk, but sub
sequently they dwelt as did their
neighbors. My father had from his
, coming appeared to have a cloud on
his mind. My mother had told me be.
fore her death that sum OF money
had been put i'm a bank for me at the
nearest town, and, going there. |
claimed it and took passage for Eng
J land.
On my arrival I'm London | went
about looking for work. Going into
| the Office Of n merchant for the pur.
pose, nc asked me my name When (!
! tV'd him he looked UP nc me In sur
prise.
Where were you bornT' ne asked.
told him all knew about myself
Tie REGARDED me with compassion and
cave me employment
At intervals when introduced TO a
person l was roeardcd with q certain
interest or CUriosity--t could not tell
which noticed that such persons
were always of superior education
No li!iteratc person even manifested
ANY especial interest in me. Some.
times these people VINO did would turn
/ away from me with apparent disgust.
! Will" others regarded me compassion.
otcly one day J asked my employer
for an explanation OF the mystery that
hung over me. After thinking some
time he toIu uc that it would be bet
ter for me not TO know it, lie advised
ne to change ray name.
tried TO be contented t0 remain IN
Ignorance. Lut the secret weighed upon
inc, oud / lOu.cd, vet dreaded, 10 know
il. FINALLY / decided To- try another
country. thinking that whatever it was
hung over me would not be known
there. America seemed the most in
wiling ground. ana 1 went TO New
YorI, reaching there shortly before the
| breaking out OF the second war with
England. Registering at hotel, the
clerk looked up from my name 10 me
I'm establishment.
"ECn" 1 exclaimed iritatcd. "Whm
Is il?'
"What is il? why. nothing. VIII
ln go Co your ro.u ing"
found .u America tllt iIorc people
showed chat dreaded interest i'm my
name than i'm England, and q different
! interest On being introduced to me
most persons showed rcpulsiOn.
| though many strovc to conceal it.
burned with desire to know what it
all meant; but. remembering the advice
OF my London employer, 1 refraned
from asking, and no one offered 10 en-
/ Tighten me. TO occupy my mind
went to library to read. There
stumbled on the secret.
The wisdom OF the advice given me
by my former employer was now ap-
parent. Under an assumed name
| enlisted in the American army TO fight
against England. knew now that.
| though had been born abroad. Amer
/ lea was my native land. / burned to
| do some important work for her. to
! die for her on the field of battle.
! There were no important engagements
except that at New Orleans, which was
| fought after peace was declared. As
| had entered the army, a private, ]
came out a private. Under my as.
sumed name l went into business and
! prospered.
| Then 1 fell in love. 1 had vowed
that 1 would never bring a child into
the world to suffer the blight under
which suffered, and strove to crush
the natural longing that had taken pos
session OF ne. Ny su1erings were
teDfOld what they bad been before
Meanwhile 1T was evident that I had
won the heart OF the girl ] loved. q.
was essential that should explain my
, conduct toward lor ] told her my