Year: 1867




b "a man." says the Rev. ]. Todd,
"who is now minister of the Gospel,
gave me the following account ii
had one of the kindest and best of
fathers, and when | was a little white
headed boy about six years old, he
used to carry me before him On his
horse to school, to help me in my little
plans, and always seemed trying to
make me happy; and he never seemed
SO happy himself as when making me
happy. When / was six years old, he
came home one day very sick. My
mother, too, was sick, and thus there
was nobody but my two sisters could
take care of my father. In few
days he was worse, very sick, and all
the physicians in that region were
called in to see him. The next Sab.
bath morning early, he was evidently
much worse. As / went into his room
he stretched out his hand to me and
said :sMy little boy, I am very sick. I
wish you to take that paper on the
stand and run to Mr.. C.'s and get me
the medicine written on that paper"
Itook the paper and went to the apoth-
ecary's shop,as IIhad often done before.
1t was about half a mile of: and when
| got there / found it shut, and as Mr..
G. lived a quarter of mile further
off, I concluded I would not go to find
him. l then set out for home. On
my way backI contrived what to say.
l knew how wicked it was to tell
lie, but one sin always leads to anoth-
er. On going in to my father l saw
that he was in great pain; and though
pale and weak, l could see great drops
of sweat standing on his forehead,
forced out by the pain o, then I was
sorry that l had not gone and found
the apothecary. At length he said to
me: any son has got the medicine,
hope, for l am in great pain Ihung
my head and muttered, for my con-
science smote me, No, sir. Mr.. Car
ter says he has got nonep HAS got
none! Is this possible?' He then
cast keen eye upon me, and seeing
my head hang, and probably suspect
ing my falsehood, said in his mildest,
kindest tone: my little boy ,oi1 see
has father suffer great pam for the ,cant
Of that medicine 2 went out of the
room, and alone, and cried. Twas
soon called back. Ny brothers had
come an d were standing-a the
children were standing round his bed,
and he was committing my poor moth
er to their care, and giving them his
last advice. 1 was the youngest, and
when he laid his hand on my head and
told me that 'in few hours l should
have no father; that in a day or two
he would be buried up that I must
now make God my father, love him
and always do right, and speak the
truth, because the eye of God was al
ways upon met seemed as if l
should sink; and when he laid his
hand upon my head again and prayed
for the blessing of God the Redeemer
to rest upon me, soon to be a father
less orphan, l dared not look in his
face, l felt so guilty. Sobbing,
rushed from the bedside, and thought
wished I could die. They soon told
me he could not speak. o how much
would l have given to 60 in and tell
him that l had told a lie, and ask him
once more to lay his hand on my
head and forgive me! Icrept in once
more and heard the minister praying
for the dying man. o how my heart
ached. snatched up my hat and ran
to the apothecary's house and got the
medicine. ran home with all my
might, ran in, and ran up to my faith
er's bedside to confess my sin, crying
out: 20 here father but I was hush
ed, and l then saw that he was pale,
and that all in the room were weeping.
My father auas dead! And the last
time | ever spoke to him was to tell
HE! l sobbed as if my heart would
break, for kindnesses, his tender looks
and my own sin all rushed upon
my mind. And as l gazed upon his
cold, pale face, and saw his eyes shut
and his lips closed, could help think
ling of his last words: MY little boy
will see his father suffer great deal
for the want of that medicine p 1
could not know but that he died for
1.-THE want of it.


"1n day or two he was put into
1.-THE ground and covered up. There
|were several ministers at the funeral,
land each spoke kindly to me, but they
could not comfort me. My father was
buried, and the children all scattered
abroad, for my mother was too feeble
to take care of them.


"It was twelve years after this,
while in college, that l went alone to
the grave of my father. 1t took me a
lgood while to find it; but there it was
with its humble tombstone, and as /
stood over it, l seemed to be back at
his bedside, to see his pale face and
hear his voice. Oil how the thought
of that sin and wickedness cut me to
the heart. It seemed as if worlds
would not be too much to give, could
l then only have called loud enough
to have him hear me ask his forgive
mess. But it was too late. He had
been in the grave twelve years, and I
must live and die, weeping over the
Iungrateful falsehood. May God for
lgive me.'a's & @
| A good thing is told of the Presi-
dent in Raleigh. While responding
] lin feeling manner to the welcome
|given him, he used the expression =
m - l. L.