Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1911-05-12

"No; can't say that l ever gave
such a subject thought"
well, we do plan things; we do
not have any work to do, you know;
you poor, earth bound creatures, clog
ged with the weight of mortality, do
the work; but we plan just the same.
We gather about tombstones in the
time of night to arrange our plans;
some have plans concerning war,
peace, business, love, ambition, and
some, am sorry to say, have criminal
plans, just the same as when they
were on earth and alive. Nehemiah,
have come back after staying away
from you for twenty years, to tell you
of great weakness that exists in
your nature"
"Well, advice from such judicious
man as you were once"
"And now remember son, am pos
sessed of the same strong points that
had such telling effect when had this
establishment in charge"
81 await your advice" uttered Ne
hemiah, as he drew nearer And then
he saw what he had failed to observe
at a distance; at distance, the fig
ure of his father possessed the density
of mortality; now, as he draws near
er, he sees that the face. form. limbs,
hands are semi-transparent, and that
objects back, and beyond, and be-
meath, show through the person of his
father like things through a veil Of
thin smoke. And it seems very
strange, startling and grotesque to
note a rat-trap hanging from a peg
right through the spirits face; and 1t
seems as strange, uncanny and be-
wildering to see fishhooks, fiddle
bridges and other notions appearing
through his fathers hands spread on
the showcase. But ghosts will be
ghosts, so why bother about 1t OF
question it? What he wants to know
is, what is this particular weakness
made mention of by his father?
Nehemiah, did you ever give away
anything in all your life?"
"He, he, he!" cackled the son, as
the ridiculous idea came to him. ''No!
Why should l? This is all mine; paid
for. and to sell again. | give away
er's own son if | should give away
! anything"
"Ah!" sighed the spirit-and a
nickel-plated watch shone through his
very mouth as he opened his lips.
THAT was my weakness, Nehemiah,
my weakness. l was close-fisted,
grinding, tight, cruel, mean, sordid. l
was called clever man at making
bargain; / never cheated single hui
man being out of penny; yes, very
successful business man was l. But
/ never gave anything away. l never
added one cent to heap the poor
store Of charity; no loaves and fishes
were dispensed by these hands to re-
lieve the hunger and still the ap-
peals of distress. l owned what l
had; all was paid for; all was for sale
and to be turned into money. I can
not rest now, my son; l did not think
l was doing a wise thing when l stood
at your elbow and prompted you to
drive good and close bargains-al-
my mind Nehemiah, son. prosperous
man that you are, want you to help
me out of my troubles. l want you
to show some degree Of charity to-
ward humanity. Turn not deaf ear
toward the pleading of want look not
with cold cruel, >pitiless unconcern
upon woe; be ready to give some Of
Remember"
Nehemiah had closed his eyes when
his father began; it was habit Of his
for with closed eyes he was better
able to comprehend, draw conclusions,
solve knotty points, and thus mako
things clear.
"Well, are you through, father"
No answer greeted him. He opened
his eyes, The figure had disappeared,
but out of the gloom beyond came the
| one word:
Remember"
He shook himself together, pulled
his hat over his brow, locked the
! lighted street toward his bachelor
quarters. What his dreams were it
does not matter, only that they were
not unpleasant, for before retiring he
resolved to turn over page in his
| life-book, wipe off the old slate and
begin with a clean score in the morn
ing.
Early the next morning Nehemiah
almost startled little girl out of her
wits when he handed her an orange
and said, kindly:
Oranges are very good for little
girls; here is your tea and change,
and here Is box of cough-drops for
your grandma"
And the child ran home with her
treasures as rapidly as her little legs
could take her.
All day long Nehemiah astonished
the good people by giving things
| AWAY. and in the aVening he drOnDad