Very Strange--a Father Meets His 50-year-old Child For The First Time At A Funeral

A strangf thing happened at Frederick Station, in Montgomery Co., Pa., a few days ago. Aaron Bout, a wellto-do trucker of the neighborhood, a hale oíd man of 50, was introdueed to his father, Aaron Bout, a rich oíd nierchant of 70, who Uves on Heas st., in this city. Neither knew that the other was al i ve. Alihough they have been residiug within two hours' ride of each other for a quarter of a century this was the fitst time they had ever seen each other, and thereby hangs a tale. Fif ty years ago the father was a well-known horse jockey in Montgouiery county, and livfd near ïck. He was a crack rider across country nnd the most popular horseman to be found in a rudius of fifty miles. At all the country fairs young Bout was authority on all matters pertaining to horsellesh, and none dared dispute nis opinión. He was a perfect dare-devil in the saddle, and no one could manage the ribbons of a four-in-hand as gracef ully as he. At 20 he went off with a circus, and ii a few months nis iirst son was bom. He did noc return to Frederick unt.il the da;, fifty years after, when father and son flrst met face to face. Tho mother had died and the father snpposed that the son had also died. But while the one was roaming the eartb, leading an adventurer's life, the boy grew to manhood and to middle age. After many years of vvandering, and when he had been lost to famiiy and friends in Montgomery, Bout, the eider, married and settled in Philadelphia and became a domestic ni:i;i of business, accuniulated property ai d beiame tbe head of a numerous fninily. His last child is now but two ;, ears old, and was boru when the father had reached the ripe old ige of 08. ïhere are twenty-four other children, not iiicluding thesupposed-to-bedeftd ü:st boni. all of them alive. In the Lueaulime, Aaron Bout, jr., had lived an uneventful life, had married, bought a litüe frm and also reared a famlly of children. One day Mrs. Geo. líilger, who was a relativo of Mr. Bout, dit-d añil was taken to Frederiek to be buiieti. Ainong the mourners was the father, and in the company at tlie church was the son. Neither waa a ware of the other's name or identity. Aii oíd patriarch of the neighborhood, met Bout, sen. He had known him when botli were boys, and was amaïed to find him alive. Falling back in the funeral proüessiori he took the sou aside. "Come," said Le, "I will introduce you to your father." "My father," cried out the astonished man. "Impossiblel I ha veno father. He is dead.1' "No, no," replied his friend, "he is here. Come with me." In a few moments the father of 70 and the son of 50 years, each somewhat bewildered, were in a long and warm embrace. For hours the, two sat close together under the friendly shade of a neighbor's vine-clad porcli, al) unconscious of the curious gaze of the country folkn who had aitended the funeral. The son, who has been in Philadelphia but once in his life was piessed to pay a visit to his father's house on Heas street, above Twelfth, and wheu the crops have been harvested on the Frederick hills there wiU be another meeting.-