Year: 1867

ed for years, for sentence is not Away
executed speedily against an evi
work, but at last his goods and pos
sessions began to fall away from him


lie had passed the meridian of Iif,
when mistortunes overlook him. Then
his wife, and one another of his chill.
dren, died. Ill health came upon the
strong man, and the lonely log cabin
on the plains, where he had buried
himself for couple of years, and the
one little sallow checked daughter on
ly remained of all the brave sons and
fair girls who had called him father, to
tell the rest of the sad story of Josiah
Keep.


In later life, the partner, whose
young manhood he had so cruelty
bllghted, had prospered on every hand
"a good man, with ripe, tender ma
ture, full of broad sympathies, such as
one does not often see. Every body
said this of Benjamin May.


And two or three weeks before. the
sick man had learned through neigh
Dor that business had brought his for
mcr partner to the town nearest his
log cabin, and only fifty miles away
At first 1T seemed as if the world itself
could not hire him to look in the face
OF one whom he had so wronged; but
as the end drew near, and remorseful
memories crowded fast upon him, this
first feeling was superseded by great
hunger and craving to hear Benjamin
Mays voice say that he torgave him,
'tor God is more merciful than man.
thought Josiah Keep.


So, two days before, he had hired
neighbor to go in quest of Benia
min May, desiring the latter to come
to him, as he hoped for mercy in his
last extremity, and not daring even
then to disclose his real name, lest the
old bitterness should rise up in the soul
Of the other, and he would refuse to
grant what he would deny to no other
man-the prayer of Josiah Keep.


SO he lay there, with the tide OF his
life going out, and the lights burning
low, while the storm shouted fiercely
outside, and death and that young girl
watched by the sick man


Bessie, he called at last, and she
was at his side in moment.


How sick you do look, father
smoothing the iron-gray hair with one
hand, and looking at him, her small,
sallow face full of great pity and
grief, although Bessie Keep had no
idea of that unseen presence just now
crossing the threshold


Bessie, poor little Bessie, what will
become of your said the dying man,
looking with a craving tenderness,
which it seemed must have turned
stones to pity, on the little girl.


What's 1eyer his faults had been, he
had loved her, the last of mis- family,
the delicate, clinging, helpless child,
who still of all the world clung fast TO
him in unwavering faith and tender
ness.


'Ah, never mind me, father dear.
shall get along well enough if you will
only grow better


Tears strained themselves into the
child's eyes; she put her cheek down
to her fathers, and wondered that it
felt SO cold, and drew the coverlet clo-
ser around him, and the storm thun-
dered on outside, and the wind flap
ped white banners of snow through
the air, and Josiah Keep lay dying!


Suddenly the child lifted her head.
Il hear something, father, that is not
like the wind she said; sit sounds like
horses feet and she sprang to the
window.


There, close at hand, toiling through
the boating wind and driving snow,
she saw sleigh and two occupants
The men, worn out and half frozen,
sprang from the sleigh just after Bes
sizes joyful shrek, that reached them
above the bowling of the storm. They
are here! Oh, father, they are here


A man little past his prime, strong
and hale, with white hair about face
which never left any one who studied
it a doubt of the heart beneath it, was
Benjamin May.


He came up now to the bedside, and |
with his first glance at the face lying
there, the face dropped and drawn in
the ashy pallor of death, Benjamin
May forgot all the chill and WEAKNESS
which had possessed him.


My friend, | have come to hear
what you have to say he answered,
bending tenderly over the dying man.


Josiah Keep looked up into the face
of the man be had wronged so vitality
more than score of years ago. De
spite the cheerful, kindly countenance,
there were lines there which he had
helped to carve.


DO you know me?'


Benjami May looked at the ghast-
ly face. Something familiar struck
him in the Sharp features. His mem
ory half cleared up, yet he shook his
head. NO


Il am-Josiah Keep


The listener covered his face with
his hands u moment.


Il have sent for you, Benjamin May,
to hear whether you will look on me,
lying here, and say you forgive me for
all the evil | once did you and yours.
l want Gods mercy now, and it seems
to me | cannot lay hold of any hope
for that until have first had yours


1t was an awful moment for Benja-
min May All his life long he had
carried the fire of one bitterness burn