Year: 1873

had done this thing because it was
pleasure, and not trial. I felt as if L
were cheating the public in leading
them to think it was a goodness in me.
Goodnesses and kindnesses come with
denials.


Some one, probably Dougal, sent the
paper to the postmaster of Hamilton,
Canada, requesting him, if any family
by that name lived there, to send them
the paper. And it was not many weeks
before I received a letter from the
mother of Johnston King, saying they
had got the paper announcing the death
of their only son, and thanking me, in
words that seemed to be full of tears,
for the interest in linn I had shown.
The letter was beautifully written, evi-
IDENTIFY by a woman of culture and re-
fnement. She told me something of
the grief their sons life had been to
them, and vet they had loved him de-
votedly, and his two sisters were
nearly crushed under the blow. II
answered the letter, and we kept up the
correspondence for several months and
I never received better letters in my
ife,-fun of truth and comfort. They
made the days brighter than they came
into. I learned to know herself, her
husband and her daughters through
them. One day received one, in
which she asked me for my photograph,
telling me she felt as if she knew us all,
my wife, my two boys and myself, but
she wanted to see my proxy, if in no
otl.er way, one who had been SO much to
them. Now, I am an elderly man, and
not remarkably good looking. though
one of my young lady friends for I
have always had liking for young
ladies), tells me my face is better than a
handsome one,-that it is genial and
honest, and always carries a good SER
mon in it. Even if this were true
(which of course / do not beheve), it
would not come out in the picture, and
didn't just like to have them see my
gray hairs, and find out what an old
man L was. But in my next letter I sent
one, for who can help minding
woman? And when her next letter
came, there came with it photograph,
and as it dropped out of the envelope I
was rather surprised to see a fresh,
bright, pretty face before me of young
lady. I had of course picture of Mrs.
King in my own mind as a lady in mid
die life, with pufs of gray hair tucked
under white cap, rather large in figure.
with matronly air and motherly face.
We all make pictures, to comfort our
selves with, of friends we have not seen,
and are often strangely deceived when





wonder that at first should have been
somewhat surprised to see this sweet
young face before me? But on reading
the letter, found Mrs. King had sent
me her daughter Ruth's picture, as
neither she nor her husband had any of
their own at that time. OF course I
must needs answer by little note of
thanks to Miss Ruth, for this picture,
and then came in return a bright, CHEEKY
letter, such as young ladies know well
how to write, and after that the mothers
correspondence dropped into the daugh
ter's hands.


One evening about this time our
hearts were all made glad by Ned's (my
oldest boy's) return from Ann Arbor,
for his summer vacation. And the week
passed by with rides and visits, trips out
into the country, ETC.; for I always
take my vacation with Ned, and when
my boys are at home with me, / forget
my gray hairs, and the years that have
made my shoulders stoop, and am a boy
| again. And 1 do not believe my boys
are afraid of their father, though L know
there are times when the chaps like to
be by themselves, and always have an
intuition, or is it the boy feeling left
behind ?-that tells me when the old man
is better off at home or in his office.
|
| company of boys, with Ned in the van,
started off for hunt, into the country
So I declined their urgent invitation to
join them, going to my Office instead,
and, sitting down at my desk, took up a
pile of unanswered letters, that had been
accumulating during my vacation, and
among them I found letter from Ruth
King.


! I was kept busy during the day
answering business letters, leaving
Ruth's, being the pleasanter-duty, till
| the rest were off my mind. What with
Interruptions, I didn't get to it that day,
and when Ned came into the Office the
next morning, I tossed it over to him,
asking him to answer it for me. He
took it up, and seeing lady's hand.
writing, look of dismay came over his
face. told him to open and read it
lookout over my shoulder, to see how he


got on with it. His face lighted up as
| he read, but as he finished and laid il


down, L could see nothing in it but


despair.


/ Why, father, I never wrote to
girl in my life. How to you expect mt
| to answer such letter as that ?''


I got up, and going out to my desk


took out of one of the pigeon-hole


Ruth's picture, and laying it befor,


him, told him its history, and that per


haps it might inspire him, anyway, t.


do the best he could. The letter hae


been neglected long time, and coult


not answer it that day, nor the next, ane


so left him.


Had any designs on these youn,


people? How can tell? An old man


heart is past finding out. But 1 believ
there is in every loving human heart
desire for the happiness of others, an,
, if person can help it along, is he t
blame for doing it !? Well, Ned answer
, ed the letter, and very soon after wen
back to college; but 1 have never bee
able to find that photograph from tina
, day to this. Whenever L allude to it i


Ned's presence, sudden fit of abstrae
, ton comes over the boy, which prevent
} his understanding ordinary conversation
1 At the fall vacation company of th
| students went to Niagara, and Ne
a wrote, saying he would like to take


trip over into Canada, as it was quit
s the talk nowadays, and it might be
Y good plan to take it in at the same time
: As closed the letter which / had bee
q reading aloud at the tea table, my vii
n spoke up from the depths of "a mother
heart.