El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-01-04
From Father to Son


TIE SAT in a third class carriage Of
a local train, lad with a pale
set. face, not well, rather than
badly, dressed. Home for the week
end Dick?" asked another youth with
bag in hand passing the door. He
started and flushed and seemed just
to articulate, yes as his friend went
on The train started and he was
alone in the compartment. When speed
was gathered the puckered brow re-
laXed- The Jug-JuS OF the wheels syn
chrOn1Zed with the mOnOtOnOus repe1
tiuOn Of a thought in the troubled
brain, 4 must tell my father; I must
go through with it, With the grow
ing speed the repetition filed down to
Father, father, father" 1t was an
agony, not OF fear but of sympathy.
Father was to be panied. and il was
the projected hurt that was beating
on the lads brain and pressing out the
cry that repeated itself with every rat
tie of the wheels
Yet 1t was minor and secondary
agony that the lad was suffering. The
mOnOtOnOuS motion, the mOnOtOnOus
mental articulation brought back the
memory of the worst pain which he
mad overcome before the time came TO
tell father. That had been fierce
and prolonged but the memory was
almost soothing because it had been
himself.
The train slowed and stopped, and
Dick jumped out on the platform of the
little station where everyone knew the
minister's son, where all hailed him as
one of themselves, and none-such be-
ing the Scottish fashiOn-doffed hat
or cap to him.
He had to return greetings, to admit
that the session was over, that he was
name again., that he was "gevan
white. He strobe off towards the
manse road as quickly as he could,
"a ion ~s.-a 4
she II be Waitin'." As he turned up
the avenue which brought the old home
In sight he braced himself and waved
a hand gaily to the little figure in a
plain gray dress that came slowly to
meet him. Mother and son embraced.
he answered her first questions about
his health, his landlady, his friends
Many prizes, Dick2"
NO mother, none"
She looked up in his face with quick
alarm at the answer and the changed
Mother, mother, must give you
pain But have done no wrong. You
believe that"
'Dickp'
4 know, know, best of madres. /
on wouldn't believe anything against
me even II John Policeman came to
the manSe TO arrest meZ'
Then hurriedly, Il have left the hall.
mother, for good 1 can't be minis
ter. I can't beHeve-not enough at
least Oh, mother"
The little gray head had drooDed.
the thin blue-veined hand had Tight
ened on his arm
Don't mother You must help me
You will be brave We must save
es, dear" She pulled the quivering
race down to her own, and the lad saw,
amazed that she was smiling through
her tears. He kissed a wet cheek
She took his hand and hurried on.
Just so she had done many a time
when he was little boy. All his
peccadilloes' had been confessed to her
first and his heart now became as /
water as he recalled that just so she /
had always led him into the study TO !
tell Iather. There was no pain in I
the lads breast now. His mother was
mothering him. 1t was her face that |
was fixed nOw-Set in solemn resolve, !
Denlgnant, maternal In the silence /
that fell between them his brain was /
working fancifully. He had to check /
himself humming-
Ny Plaidie to the angry ART
I'll shelter thee"
Again he was framing words for the I
interview to which they were speeding /
the little gray mother and the son /
who oyertopped her by head and shout /
iers. He was under her plaidie.
And so they entered together the /
little sweep that turned the manse i
gable and separated the low, square !
'front.' from the lawn. In the porch the /
minister was standing-tall like his /
son, resh-complexiOned, shaver and 1
with mass of silver hair
He smiled as he saw his wife and son
approach. Handed they went" And |
hey smiled but spoke no word They
,ame near and the minister stretched |
tut both hands and grasped theirs and /
made a circle of love. The union was
10 intimate that the boy shivered and
he fathers first words of greeting
vas: cold, Dick?' Banal as il was
t did not break the high mood of the
meeting The hands still grasped each /
,ther till the mans eyes were salts
led with the vision of his all. and he
,poke almost formally welcome,
Dick, welcome home"
Dicks hand closed hard on his faith /
RS right He would have spoken out
It once and eased his heart but for the
warming pressure on his other hand
-he little mother had smiled from her
yes all the time, but she was on guard Z
IL the time too. Again the Bne passed
through Dicks brain, III shelter
-hee."
They went into the house, through
he dark wainscoted hall with its faint