Devotion.
BY 8. D. BURCHARD.
'Tin not beneath the freted dome
Alone, God listens to our prayer;
'Tis not when crowds behold us kneel,
To pour our spirit's incense there.
•Tis not when wealth, and joy, and iovc,
Leave lifcs gay path without a thorn :
Or pleasure with her honied cup
An early offering brings each inorn.
'Tis when the spirit lowly heads,
Unseen by eye, unheard by ear;
'Tis in Ihe hour of grief and pain
We feel His gracious presence near.
An humble heart and spirit meek
Are all He asks for all nis care,
In any clime, in any tongue,
For God, our God, is everywhere.
He sits in majesty enthroned;
But not the slightest breath of prayer
Is lost, for angels hover round
To waft it up for record there.
SOWING AND REAPING.
Howard Simpson and Loraine Bliss,
two young men of great intimacy and
dissipated habits, were on their way to a
gambling saloon, where the night previ
ous they had won considerable, and on
passing a church, the doors of which
were opened, paused a moment by the
steps, peering out of curiosity, just tis
the minister was giving out the text:
"As yo sow, so shall ye reap."
"Wc are not farmers, so we do not
sow anything to reap," said Howard, the
elder and most profligate of the two; but
Loraine looked thoughtful, and kept si
lent as they walked along toward the
place of their night's debauch. And of
ten during the jubilant gaycty of the re
velers that passage, "As ye sow, so shall
yc reap," flashed into his mind.
"It Is as my good mother tells me,"
thought he: "we must suffer for evil
deeds done in the body, and my deeds are
constantly evil. But from this night I
will do differently. I will not be caught
in this place again."
"What ails you, Bliss? You are as dull
as a November hoc," said Gaybrig'ut' one
of the ringleaders of the company.
"Guess he's thinking about reaping
what he sows," answered Simpson, and
then about a dozen rude men burst into
a loud fit of laughter
"Wliat did you mean by that temark?"
one of them presently asked.
lie then told them of the text given
out by the minister as they were passing
the church.
"The minieter go to and he surely
will," said Roardou, one of the most
blastphemous of the whole gang.
This profane remark, with others no
better,, grated harshly on the mind of
Tjoraiue, for he was really feeling more
serious than he ever had felt before; but
he made 110 reply, knowing if lie did it
would only serve to call forth still harsh
er language, lie left as early as lie could,
which was not till 1 o'clock, and after he
he got home crept to his chamber and
noiselessly as possible, least lie might
awakeu his father, who at times, was
very harsh to hiin. Then, for the first
time in his life, he offered a sincere pray
er to God, beseeching him to give him
strength to turu from the evil way into
which he had been led.
Mcautime, his father having heard him
enter the house, was denouncing him in
tho severest terms.
"Do not be harsh with him," pleaded
tho mother. "I hope he will soon learn
to do better; he is youug and wild,
though not vicious, 1 trust."
Rut the old gentleman could see naught
but wrong in his boy.
"He shall leave the house! I will dis
inherit him il he docs not stay at home
nights; ho is a disgrace to the family.
Think of the money I have paid out for
him —seut him to college, given him the
pslvilcgoof studying law with me in my
office. But no, he chooses to spend his
time carousing with a set of loafers,"
"Perhaps if we are gentle with him—"
tremblingly whispered his mother.
But the old gentleman did not heed
this advice, for the next morning his first
salutation to Loraine was :
"Where did you stay so late last night,
you young serapegrace! Unless you
mend your ways you'll leave thesv prem
ises for good and all,"
Loraine, who had been penitent
through the night, resolving to do better
in future, now felt his temper rising and
his resolutions melting away, and lie sat
down to the table in a sullen mood. But
lie shortly after made up his mind to go
to meeting that evening and return home
at half-past 11 or 10 o'clock. Therefore at
half-past 7 he stated for church, and
on meeting three or four of his old as
sociates, told them of his plan.
"Well ,come with us first, just for a
few minutes to the club rooms," said
they.
"No, no, not to-night," he replied.
"I have to go home early and I cannot
possibly go with you."
But they dragged him along and it was
impossible to get away from them; and
once there, there was on such thing as
leaving, for in the excitement of the
place he was induced to drink, and as the
liquor was drugged he felt no inclination
to move from the charmed spot.
So the hours moved on until* late into
the night before he went heme. When
lie reached that place it was 3 o,clock.
His mother was at the door; she had not
slept a moment, she said, from watching
for him, and his father had awakened
three or four times, angrily inquiring
of him. But he was now asleep, and she
wanted Loraiiic to creep noiselessly to
bed, so he might not awaken him. But
alas! he did awake, and the scene that
ensued was awful.
Meeting the stupefied boy on the stair
landing, he ordered him to ieave the
house at once; he. eould stay only at the
peril of his life. The poor mother beg
ged that lie might be allowed to remain
until morning; but no, into the street he
was driven, with the threat that if he
ever entered the house again lie should
be expelled with still greater harshness.
Loraine crept silently to the most con.
venient shfclter, which was the carriage
house, and there slept 011 the carrirge
cushions till morning. There his mother
found him, as she arose before her hus
band.
"My dear bov" she said, winding her
arms about his neck, "it will not answer
for your father to find you here, so I will
bring you out some breakfast, and some
money with which to get out of this town,
where you have so many vile associates;
and 1 hope you will find something to do
and become good and steady* After a
few days write me where you are, and I
will send you a trunk of clothes and an
other of books. In future shuu all evil
company, and when you next meet your
father let him see one who has entirely
reformed, and who will bring him 110
ftrther dishonor."
"I will, dear mother, do just as you
say. I did not mean to get into disgrace
last night. I started for church and
should have been at home at an early
hour, only 1 was fairly dragged in anoth
er direction by my companions. I think
if father had taken a different course with
me I would not be where lam now. You
know how stern and crabbed lie has been,
and never since I left college have I felt
that I could enter his office and study un
der his tuition. Had he been kinder and
gentle like you, dear mother," said Lor
aine, kissing her tearful cheek, "he might
have induced me to do just what lie wish
ed ; but after this I will endeavor to do
right. That text, 'As ye sow, so shall ye
reap,' is continually in my mind, and I
am going to begin anew and try to do
right."
Four years passed, and his name had
never been mentioned in his father's
household to his hearing. And just four
years from the day he left his home a
Mr, Bliss, from 110 one knew whither,
had an appointment to preach at the Con
gregational church, which Loraine's par-
ents usually attended. On this occasion
the old gentleman said to his wife :
"We must go, I suppose, to hear this
Bliss; prehaps he may be some relation
of ours} 110 telling, although I have uever
known a relative of mine to be a minis
ter."
"Yes, we will go," Mrs. Bliss replied,
"and if we learn that he is a relative, it
would be very proper to ask him to come
home with us and spend the night."
"I do not know that I would have any
objections to that," her husband an
swered.
Somehow lie appeared to be in more
melting mood than common; probably he
was reminded that it was the anniversa
ry of the fourth year since his son left
them; at all events, lie this evening, on
his way to church, spoke Loraine's name
for the first time in his wife's hearing.
"It is four years to-day," he said,
"since Loraine went away, isn't it?"
"Yes," she said, mournfully.
"Wonder where he is now? Sometimes
wife, I think I was a little hasty with
him."
"Then yon would he glad to see him,
perhaps?"
"If I could be sure he had reformed."
By this time they had reached the
church, finding they were a little late, as
the minister was giving out his text;"As
ye sow, so shall ye reap." Quietly they
entered the door, and there for a moment
Mr. liliss speechless stood, and then
tremblingly moved along to his scat,
where his wife was sitting with her head
leaning on the seat ahead of her. Could
it be possible, he asked himself, that tne
long lost one stood before him—that he
really beheld him again—not as before
hut still tlie same? Yes, it was most as
suredly his son, whom lie drove as a vag
abond from his door, clothed in the garb
of holiness, a commissioner from God.
And he, listening to him, stood like a
guilty wretch, transfixed to the spot.
His injustice toward the one now so su
perior to him rose before him and lie felt
condemned.
It was observed by the audience that
the preacher was becoming deeply affect
ed as he looked in the direction of the old
remembered pew, and each moment wax
ed more and more eloquent as he enlarged
upon the subject of his text: "As ye
shall sow, so shall ye reap."
"Yes," thought the old gentleman, "as
I sowed, so I have reaped. For the last
four years I have lived in constant regret
of my unjust treatment, my harsh lan
guage to thee, my son. Had I been kind
and forbearing with him from the first he
would not have been led away to the
hauuts of dissipation which came so near
proving his ruin. But by his mother's
gentle conduct and the grace of God his
feet have been arrested in the slippery
downward course he once pursued."
After the service was ended Mr. and
Mrs. Bliss remained in their pew until a
part of the congregation had left the
aisles, and then moved forward to the
pulpit to meet their son and pour their
tears upon his neck. Then all was for
gotten, and lie went to their home, never
to be turned from their door again.
DI S SO L UTI O N.—The partnership
heretofore existing between Bam 1. Woodford
and Jno. VanDorn under the firm name of
Woodford 8c VanDorn, is this day dissolved liy mu
tual consent.
The books and papers of the late firm are left in
the hands of Saml. VVoodford, to whom all debts
due the firm must be paid and by whom all debts
owing by the firm will be settled.
SAMUEL WOODFORD.
JOHN VANDORN.
Towanda, March 18, 1881.
QPECIAL NOTICE!
THE NEW YORK, LAKE ERIE & WESTERN R. R.
Ever mindful of the interests of its patrons, has
established a CITY
Ticket Office at Towanda.
REDUCED RATES to all principal points WEST.
For passage tickets, colonists' tickets, or tickets for
a party of passengers, apply at the office of the.New
York, Lake Erie Sc Western R. It., Ward House,
Towaada, Pa. Luggage chocked to all points.
JOHN E. WARI), Agent.
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