Year: 1875

The Young man bent his head and an
swered sorrowfully, "I have not yet for
gotten, sir, that have been forbidden
to do so. / await your permission 10
enter"


"You had your choice between going
and staying once. And you went readily
enough. If you made o sorry bargain,
that is your affair, not mine. have done
with it.


"Father fatherl" cried his children
in concert.


"Be silent, all of ysu," was the COM
manding answer.


With low moan of pain the mother
sank back upon her chair. She had
waited, and hoped, and feared so long.
Hard was her husbands nature, and
deeply as she knew his sons disobedi-
ence had wounded him, she had trusted
the sight of the once-loved face, the
sound of the unforgotten voice, would
have conquered him.


The young man crossed the threshold,
and fastened to his mothers side, and
Hepsa, stepping in behind him, triumph
antly shut and bolted the door.


Darling mother, / am sorry to give
you pain. Your pale face has been a
constant reproof to me through all these
long months. Say you forgive me,
mother. That is what L came for; Just
to take one look at your sweet face and
to hear your dear voice call me son once
more


"My son my son =! the mother bent
over him, reading eagerly the open, hon
est face, uplifted to meet her scrutiny.
"You have been good boy, haven't
youg" Oh, holy mother love unselfish
and unworldly asking gifts for its
loved ones beyond the power of earth
to give, and seeing them granted in an
swer to its faith.


"Oh, mother, l have never forgotten
you an instant"


Then he rose and stood before his
father.


81 do not come to disturb your Thanks
giving festival sir. / will go away
again. But | think we shall both be
happier if you will forgive my past dis
obedience. / am not sorry went away.
1t is best for us both, as was not born
for farmers life. But / am sorry ]
left you in anger. am sorry for the
disrespectful words / have said TO you,
and have come here tonight to ask YOU
TO forgive Them"


He bent his head toward the stern old
man and awaited his answer.


"Oh, father, he says nothing of how
he risked his life to bring me Lack TO
you" said Hope.


"Hush, sister That has nothing to
do with this matter | have sinned
eoA l,a
ing can atone for it but the sincere re-
pentance / offer. -


" / told you when you left me, John,
(the fathers voice was somewhat shaken)
"that / forgave you, and left you to
travel the road You had chosen, since
you scorned oil counsel of mine. Let
that end the matter. Stay with us to-
morrow, if you will. 1t will make the
day happier for your mother and sisters.
AS for me, L harbor no resentment
against any one, but was forced to cast
you of, and l have no SON"


The young man raised his 'head.
"Then, sir, as a stranger, will not in
trude on your family gathering. My
mother and sisters / have seen. Nor will
it prove pleasure to them to have me
remain here an element of discord. But
/ must think your forgiveness is mere
matter of words. Tell me, sir, does
your God, when He forgives your tres
passes, put you out of His heart and
away from His presence?"


"John is right, my husband, said a
clear, solemn voice. "Do not deceive
yourself. You have not forgiven him."


A sudden stiffness fell upon the wait
ing group. The son bent his head again
waiting for the storm of wrath he had
expected his words to evoke. The sis
ters hushed their sobs, awed into silence,
while Hepsa dropped the corner of the
apron upoD which she had been polish
ing her face and stared aghast. The
fire light famed up and touched reverent-
ly the lips of the mother as they moved
in prayer. 1t touched upon the old por-
trait hanging upon the wall opposite it.
The portrait of the father of the man
who could not forgive his son. His eyes
followed the CLEAN of light from the pale
lips of his wife to the stern, unforgiving
face Of his father. Had he never in the
days gone by sinned against the obedi-
ence due to himl Then the sudden
light ffickered and fell, resting for one
moment upon the little stand where lay
the Book of Books. Fascinated, the
man watched the glimmer upon its gilt
edges until il faded away. The words of
his Heavenly Father Had he not dis
obeyed his commands again and again
What if forgiveness had been withheld
from him


He went to the window and looked
out. Just across the road stood the
pride of every well-ordered New England
farmers heart-his barn. This was a
new one, built during the last season,
because the smaller one would not hold
his abundant and ver-increasing crops.
He had been looking at it that very day,
noting with pride the fact that, notwith.
standing its dimensions, it was filed al
most to overflowing with the garnered
wealth of the harvest fields. He had
thought it scemly that he should give
thanks to the Lord of the harvest; that
one day should be set apart for that pur.
pose.


Nowl He looked at il in silence. The
thought which had sprung up in his
heart, I'm answer to the daring words of