THE TIMES, NEW BLOOMFIELl), PA. DECEMBER 11, 1880.
What a' Listener Heard.
A Slory For Parenlg.
TWENTY years ago Peter Kaymond
owned a hard, stony farm, eighteen
miles from Hartford. Ona September
evening, about nine o'clock, as he was
returning homo from a neighbor's, he
suddenly recollected that he had left Ms
bridle hanging on a bar. post, by his
sheep-bam, when he turned his old
white mare Into pasture that afternoon.
He sprang over the wall and across the
lots, hoping to secure It before any
greedy. mawed bovine should make It
forever useless for bridle purposes. As
he drew near the barn ho thought he
heard voices imslde. What any one
should be there for, he could not con
jecture. He stepped lightly as he could
on the uuuiowed rowen and slipped In
behind the door which was standing
ajar, and listened.
.Philip, his eldest son, was there, and
CJlnton Dexter, a sou of the man at
whose house he had beeu to call. The
lads were about of an age both fifteen.
Philip was talking when his father went
up to the barn, but he finished what he
was saying just as Mr. Kaymond got
into a position to catch the words, and
young Dexter commenced to reply. He
said:
Well, Phil, my father Is just as in
considerate as your father Is. I don't
think he remembers he was ever a boy.
There is scarcely a day in the year he
does not ride out ho rides more'n he
used to before he was selectman, and
you may be sure that he always has
something on hand to be done, just as
your father doe3. Soon as the frost is
out of the ground, in the spring, lie tells
mo before he rides off that I may pick
up stones or spread manure till it is time
to milk and fodder. After that time
plowing and planting. A little later in
the season he tells me to hoe the pota
toes, or weed the garden, till it is time
to get up the cows ; and if he is at home
whenI take up the pails to go out and
milk, he always tells me to be sure and
strip the cows clean, just as though I
should be lazy and dishonest enough to
leave half the milk in their bags if he
did not tell me eo ; and he would be just
as likely to tell me before visitors as
any way makes a fellow feel mighty
uncomfortable, you know. Iu the win
ter I have to chop wood most of the
time that I am not in school ; and I
don't think my father feels quite satis
fied if I don't chop as much as a full
grown man could do In the same time.
I didn't know tiU the other day just
how it was with you, Phil I don't
wonder that your patience is worn out,
and I assure you that I am quite as tired
of living in this way as you are."
"I hesitated a good while, Clint,"
Thil replied, "before I decided to speak
to you about it ; but I made up my
mind in haying timo that it was the
last summer that I should stay at home
and help hay it and fare as I did then.
Father is always ready to find fault he
generally says when he gets home, I
don't think that you've hurt yourself
working to day, Philip.' And some
times he asks me if , my back doesn't
ache, I've chopped so much or hoed so
much, and, no matter if I work as hard
as I can, from sunrise till sundown, I
never hear anything more encouraging
never get one word of praise. I feel
sorry to clear out ou mother's account.
I love her and I believo she loves me:
but if father loves me he never shows it
never speaks a tender, loving word to
me. My mind is fully made up Clint.
I am going to run away and I want to
get off to-night. Never mind about
your clothes I've got shirts, handker
chiefs and stockings enough put up and
I'll divide with you until we can earn
more. Last week I thought it over and
thought it would grieve mother, so I
pretty much decided to give it up ; but I
got so provoked the day father went to
IlartfordI determined that I would go
anyway. You see, here I've lived ever
eince I was born, within eighteen miles
of Hartford, but I never was there, nor
in any other city. I asked father If I
might go with him last June, when he
was going, and he said I couldn't go
very well then, but I should go with
him the very first time he went after
haying. Well, when he spoke of going
last week I asked him If he was going
to take me along and be answered pretty
crabbedly: 'No, sir; pretty time to
think of going when the hired man U
gone I' I told him I would get you to
come and do the chores and you would
be as faithful in doing them as I would
be; but he wouldn't hear a word about
it. I didn't feel very light-hearted after
he was gone, but I tried to brave It out
the best that I could and I worked hard
all day. That afternoon was a dark,
cloudy one and I got up the cows and
milked them a little earlier than I sup
posed I did, but don't think the sun was
five minutes high when I got the chores
done. I took the newspaper and sat
down in the doorway o as to be on
hand to take care of the horse when
father came, and I hadn't read a quarter
of a column when he drove up. Well,
Clinton, as true as I live and breathe,
after his promising that I should go to
Hartford with him the first time that lie
went after haying and then breaking
his word and leaving me to work hard
all day, the first thing he said to me
was! ' What are you slttlug there read
lngfor? Why aren't you doing your
chores V It galled mo, I tell you, hut I
replied that the chores were all done,
and he said : O, ho, that Is It. You do
the chores in the middle of the after
noon when I am gone, and then sit
down and read, do you V" It was con
founded cutting ; If he had stuck a knife
Into me It wouldn't have hurt any
worse. I vowed then I would see Hart
ford on my birthday, and I shall be
much mistaken if I am not there to
morrow morning, and if my father sees
me again for a year he will seo more'n I
think he will. I will bo at the barn
just at midnight. My bundle of clothes
is here now in the oat-bln. Don't fail
to be on time, Clint. We nitiBt pot a
single pllmpse of the city befpr the
steamboat goes out. I don't know A-hat
the fare is to New York. I doubt if we
have money enough to take us there.
If we haven't we can stop at some of
the lauding places on the way."
What a variety of feelings Peter Ray
mond had In the fifteen minutes he
stood behind that barn door and listen
ed. At first he was utterly surprised,
he could hardly believe his own ears,
but as he took It all in as he compre
hended what his son contemplated
doing, he was in high dudgeon ; he un
consciously clenched his teeth very
firmly aud clenched his right fist
tightly. He could hardly refrain from
pouncing upon his son then and there
and giving him a sound drubbing; but
be decided that it would be wise to hear
the boys' talk out, and learn all their
plans and then confront them. But as
Philip talked on Ilaymoud's teeth were
less firmly closed and his fist relaxed,
aud when Philip said In a half sad tone,
" I doubt If my father loves me at all,"
a dozen different feelings strove for the
mastery.
"Don't love him 1"' he repeated to
himself, "the ungrateful rascal 1 Haven't
I been scrubbing along as savingly as
possible and privately putting little
sums in the savings bank bo that 1
could send him away in a year or two,
and give him a better chance for an
education than I ever had t Haven't I
often said to my friends that he was one
of the most faithful, trusty boys In the
world V and that I could leave home
any time, day or night, and never worry
about things as long as he was there to
take care? If he does doubt my love,
up to this time I have loved him and
have been proud of him. I haven't
been very demonstrative about it, to be
sure. I never thought It was wise to
pet and praise children. Perhaps I have
been a little too unsocial and cold and
straight-laced with him. Maybe I'd
better not let him know I've heard this
talk about their running away ; but I
shall of course do something to prevent
their going. I'll go up to the house and
think over what course to take." .
And Peter Raymond crept away from
the barn as though he was a sneak
thief and hurried home as fast as he
could, not once thinking of his bridle.
He had hardly got seated In his big arm
chair before Philip came In. Philip ex
expected his father would say, gruffly :
" It is high time you were In bed." And
so lie was quite taken by surprise when
he said gently:
"Won't you hand me the almanac
before you sit down, Philip K"
Philip's mother raised her eyes from
her sewing and glanced at her husband
as though She wondered what had called
forth such unusual gentleness. Ray
mond opened the almanao at September
and after glancing down the page he
turned to his wife and asked :
" la to-day the third or fourth Tuesday
of the month V"
" The fourth," she replied. " To-morrow
Is the last day of the month."
"Are you quite sure about It?" he
queried. " If you are correct, I am a
week behindhand In my reckoning.
I've had so many things crowding upon
me lately, I've hardly known which
way to turn first. I promised Mr. Skid
more that I would take the two-year-old
heifer away that I bought of him before
the first of October. .She must be got
home to-morrow."
Philip got up to go to bed. Mr. Ray
mond Bald :
" Don't hurry, Philip, I'm thinking
how to get that heifer home. I believe
I will take you down there early in the
morning and leave you to drive her up.
It is nine miles there, but you can come
back leisurely and let her feed alongside
the road. You'd like it as well as to
stay, home and work, wouldn't you,
Philip Y"
" Yes, sir."
Phi'Jp replied in an absent-minded
way. He was in a quandary. Perhaps
he had better try to stay at home a little
longer and tee If things didn't seem
more agreeable to him. Maybe he had
judged his father a little too harshly.
Clinton Dexter would come to the ham
at midnight, and ;
riilllp was arrested In his cogitations
by his father's saying :
"I have so many cares, so many
things to think of that I can hardly
keep track of my children's ages. I
believe, rhllip, your birthday conies the
thirtieth day of Heptember, doesn't It V"
" Yes, sir."
"And so you will be fifteen years old
to morrow. Well, well, It does beat all
how the time flies. Fifteen yeira I It
doesn't Beem more than half that time
since you were a baby. Let me see, I
believe I promised ' to let you go to
Hartford this fall, didn't I V We shall
be half. way there when we get to Hkld
more's, seeing to-morrow is your birth
day, perhaps we had better keep on, I
don't know as we shall have any better
time to leave. We can start have
breakfast at half-past five, and get off by
six, and by nine, If we have good luck,
we shall be there. We can stay there
till three o'clock In the afternoon and
then you wouldn't be late home. It
will be light to-morrow evening there
is a good moon now. Well, you may as
well go to bed and get all the sleep that
you can. I Bhall call you up at four
o'clock."
Philip started the second time to go,
but just as lie got his hand on the door
latch, his father said :
" Walt a minute, Philip. If you had
some one to keep your company from
Skidmore's aud help you drive the
heifer, I wouldn't mind staying till
night before we left the city. Perhaps'
Clinton Dexter would be willing to walk
up from there with you and help drive
her, If he could go with us to Hartford
and spend the day. If you think that
he would, and you would like to have
him go, you may run over to Mr. Dex
ter's and tell him if It Is convenient for
him to spare Clinton, I would like to
have him go to Hartford with us to
morrow, and walk home from Skid
more's with you In the evening. Aud
be sure to tell Clinton, if his father
consents to his going, that we will call
for him as early as six o'clock."
Philip said: " Yes, sir," and took up
his hat and went Into the hall; but
before he got to the outside door, his
father called out :
" One thing more, Philip. I left my
bridle hanging on a bar-post down by
the sheep-barn this afternoon. If you'll
come back across lots and bring It up,
It'll save going for it In the morning. I
intended to get it myself, when I came
home from Mr. Dexter's, but it slipped
my mind."
" Lucky thing it did," Philip said to
himself, as he stepped out of the door.
" If he had come around that way and
heard Clint and me talking iu that
barn, I guess he wouldn't be In so gentle
a mood to-night. He would have given
me Hail Columbia,' right and left, and
Clint would have fared worse than I ;
for when his father's back is up, he's
as savage as a tiger. Strange what has
come over father to-night. I noticed
that mother was surprised to see him bo
much more social and gentle than com
mon." On his way over to Mr. Dexter's,
Philip had a great variety of feelings
and as great a conflict with them as his
father had while standing behind the
bam door; but before he got there, the
summing up was, that he was an un
grateful scamp and that his father was
all right, only he had bo many cares and
anxieties that it sometimes made him a
little stern and crabbed.
Mr. Dexter was always ready to oblige
his neighbor Raymond and he cheerfully
gave hU consent to Clinton's going.
Clinton didn't know what to make of
this sudden turn of affairs. As he went
with Philip to the door, he whispered :
" What's up, rhil P What has hap
pened? Has your father found out
anything?"
" Not a thing not a thing," Philip
hurriedly whispered back. " You don't
suppose, Clint, he'd be taking us to
Hartford to-morrow if he had V It's all
right, but it's the strangest thing that
ever happened I'll tell you all about it
to-morrow can't stay long enough
now."
Mr. Raymond took up a newspaper
and bowed his head over it as Boon as
his eon started for Mr. Dexter's, but if
his wife bad observed him closely she
would have seen that he did very little
reading and there was a troubled ex.
presslon on bis countenance. He did
not raise his eyes from the paper when
he heard returning footsteps, but he
listened very Intently and he knew that
Philip stole softly and hurriedly to the
back end of the hall and opened the
chamber-door before he came into the
Bitting-room. A look of relief came
over his face and he straightened upas
if a great burden had been lifted from
him. He had no doubt that the bundle
of clothing bad been brought up from
the oat-bln and left on the chamber
stairs till Philip should go up to bed.
That Is what he hoped his boy would do
when be asked him to come around by
the barn and get the halter. He had no
further fear that he would attempt to
give him the slip that night.
Mr. Raymond and Phi lip rode up to
Mr. Dexter's door for Clinton the next
morning, Just as the sun was peeping
over the hills. It was as delightful a
September morning as they could desire.
As soon as they were all well on the
road, Mr. Raymond said :
"Now, boys, you must keep your
eyes open see all there is to be seeu and
get all the enjoyment out of going that
you can. We don't have holidays very
often and we must make the most of
them when we do have them. Philip
and I have worked pretty hard lately
and I guess, Clinton, you have. I be
lieve a play will do us all good. I made
up my mind, this morning, to try and
leave all my cares and business behind
me, for once ; so you may ask me as
many questions as you wish and you
need have no fears that it will disturb
me at all."
It did not escape Mr. Raymond's ob
servation that his remarks caused the
lads to glance at each other In blank
astonishment, and it cut him to the
quick. " What kind of a father have I
been," he asked himself, "not to be able
to speak a few civil and kind words to
my sou without having it received with
such surprise. Poor boy I Wonder,
pleasure, guilt and grief are all depicted
in his countenance to-day. After this,
with God's help, I'll so manage that
he'll never doubt my loving him never
plan to run away from his father's
again."
Mr. Raymond spared no pains to have
the boys enjoy their first trip to Hart
ford He called their attention to every
thing that he thought would Interest
them on their way. He told them who
owned such and such a farm when he
was a boy what the land was worth an
acre then, and what was its market
value now who built this house and
that, and he pointed out where General
was born, and where Hon.
lived till he went to college. He was no
less painstaking when they got to the
city. He took them past Trinity College,
the State House, the High School ; he
pointed out the different churches and
told who preached In them ; he went
with them to the Atheuicum and spent
an hour with them there.
Sometimes Philip looked at his father
In dumb bewilderment, wondering if
they really were In Hartrord or if It
were all a dream. How social and Inter
esting his father was t He felt as If he
was never acquainted with him before.
What a delightful time he should have
If he had not been planning to do so
mean a thing. If father knew it how
he would despise him ; he looked at him
so earnestly sometimes, he was afraid
that he saw guilt in his countenance. If
he could only get up the courage he
would confess the whole to his father
and Implore his forglvehess.
Thus the day wore away and Philip
was not sorry when it was time to start
for home. After Mr. Raymond had left
the lads to follow ou with a heifer they
talked over the events of the last twenty
four hours together, and they were both
very decidedly of the opinion that they
had a very narrow aud providential
escape from committing a very disgrace
ful act ; and they both agreed, after a
little discussion on that point, that they
would never divulge to any human
being that they had ever dreamed of
running away.
It was half-past nine when Philip
drove the heifer into his father's barn
yard. After he had his supper, his
father asked him to step out to the shed
and get a paokage that was under the
wagon-seat. When he brought It, Mr.
Raymond opened it and took from It
"Webster's Unabridged Dictionary,"
and sat down aud wrote on the fly
leaf:
" Presented to Philip C. Raymond on
his fifteenth birthday, by his father,
Peter Raymond," and then without
closing the book he passed it over to
Philip.
Philip could bear no more. Tears
that had come to his eyes twenty times
had been forced back, now overflowed
his eye lids had ran down his cheeks.
He stammered :
" You are too kind to me, father; I do
not deserve this."
" Do not deserve it, Philip !" exclaim,
ed Mr. Raymond, with apparent sur
prise. " I think you'd better leave that
to my judgment. I should like to know
what boy does not deserve the kindness
from his father If you don't? If I had
a dozen sons I could not ask them to be
more faithful and industrious than you
have been. There, there I don't shed
any tears over it you're tired better
get to bed soon, so as to feel fresh.
in the morning. If it's a cood
day
to-morrow we must secure that rowen
"Thank you, father," Philip said,
with a quivering voice, and went imme
diately up stairs. If he had been a lit
tle less overcome himself he would have
noticed that his father's voice was
a little shaky ; and if he had looked back
as he passed out of the door he would
have seen his father hastily brush a tear
or two from his own eyes.
Henceforth there was no lack of con.
fidence, sympathy and affection be
tween Mr. Raymond and Philip, and,
by reason of a private interview that
Mr. Raymond had with Clinton Dexter's
father, Clinton's life was much moro
agreeable than heretofore.
Philip has always looked back to his
fifteenth birthday as a remarkable epoch
in his life; aud he never ceased until
his aged father recently visited him
and heard him speak rather harshly to
his own little son to marvel at the
wonderful change that came over his
father, himself, or both at that time.
Then his father told him the Btory, and
cautioned him against growing Into the
habit of speaking In that way to his
children.
"Always remember, Philip," he said,
"that crustiness and unhapplness are
no more agreeable to a child's feelings
that they are to a grown person's and
that they are more likely to lead any
one out of the right path than into it,
and they never will forget love."
jypSSER & ALLEN
CENTRAL STORE
NEWPORT, TENN'A.
Mow offer tlie public
A HARK AND ELEGANT ASSORTMENT OF
DRESS GOODS
Consisting sf all shades suitable (or the season
BLACK ALB AC CAS
AND
Mourning Goods
A SPECIALITY.
BLEACHED AND UNBLEACHED
M TJ 8 L 1 1ST B ,
AT VARIOUS PRICES.
AN ENDLESS SELECTION OF PRINTS'
We sell and do keep a good quality of
SUGARS, COFFEES & SYRUPS
And everything under the head of
GROCERIES I
Machine needles and oil for all makes of
Machines.
To be convinced that our goods are
CHEAP AS THE CHEAPEST,
IS TO CALL AND EXAMINE STOCK.
No trouble to show goods.
Don't forget the
CENTRAL STORE,
Newport, Perry County, Pa.
NOTICE!
THE undersigned would respectfully call the
attention oT the citizens of Perry ootinty.
that he hits a large and well delected stock ol
HARDWARE,
GROOKKIES,
DKUOH.
WINES & LIQUORS.
IKON.
NAILS,
HORSE and MULE SHOES,
BTHEL.
IRON AXLES,
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HUBS,
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SHAFTS.
POLES ft BOWS.
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WIRE.
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ALSO,
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SOLE, CALF, KIP and UPPER LEATHER,
FISIT. SALT, SUGARS, SYRUPS, TEAH.SPICE3.
TOBACCO, CIGARS, and SMITH COAL.
John Lucas &Co.,
MIXED TAINTS,
(ready for use.)
The best la the CHEAPEST.
,, .And a large variety of goods not mentioned,
nllof which were bought at the Lowest Cash
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the Very Lowest Prices for Cash or approved
trade. Ills mottoLow prices, and Fair dealinK
to all. Go and sed him.
Kespeotfully, .
8. M. 8HULER.
Liverpool, Perry Co. Pa.
la iParat aad Baat Msulcine enr Bad.
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lor Circular. Bap knaan ara. e
FrMhiMitr If Y and Toronto, Ont.
December J.1880-U