The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-09-07
EVERY rRIFLE HAS IT'S WEIGHT.
Graney d 90.
Iron Worka.

and sun-tanned, clad in threadbare cloth
ing and wearing q settled look OF meian-
choly-such was George Carleton. thou.
sand might have passed him ana stared nlm
in the face, without ever experise;n n,;H
feeling for him other than tnat Oh olshhe VI
Indeed George as he came over the dusty |
road felt thoroughly dissatisfed with him
self and with every one else for that mat
ter. There he was, a boy who had scarcely
recollections were of poverty and crime.
No one cared for him there was no place
in the wide world he could call his nome.
Yet somehow, as he tramped into Erlston
ann sinking behind the hills away of, he
felt that the good God who had made
world of such beauty and such brightness
must surely have provided place in it for
the meanest of his creatures.
With this thought ia his mind he Quick
ened his gait and came down into the little
town at q brisker pace than his heavy
heart could warrant.
Graney & Co.,
The big, glaring letters were the first
things his eyes rested upen., There they
buildings, with the glare of sunset thrown
upon them and bringing them out against
the blue of the sky beyond.
/" In such big place as that" thought
George, A" there surely should be something
for me to do"
But the red-whiskered man pacing be-
fore the gate drove him away with curse,
and called him " a thieving tramp" How
the words stung poor, sensitive george
cannot be told, and it was with q weary
step and saddened heart he turned to go
away.
Down he strolled past the long, dingy
clubhouse, and the piles of rubbish with.
out, to little stream, and which hurried
along to q mill just in sight, and which at
this place was crossed by one OF those
shaky rustic bridges one meets with in all
country places.
As he stopped to rest on this structure,
he noticed how the balustrade bent out
ward beneath his weight, and looking in
the narrow but deep water beneath he
thought how easily some unwary ,passer
might fall from the unsteady planks and
be borne away to death. And so thinking,
he looked around him for some means of
strengthening the broken balustrade or
warning the wayfarer against the peril that
ments, no materials, but George bad an
active little brain and ten deft fingers,
and with these he made shift, by hammer
ing q stone in here and drawing piece of
bark in there, to restore the yielding balus-
trade to an upright position and to secure
it from topping over. While he was oc
Copying himself in this way, he saw the
red-whiskered man who had driven him
away coming towards him, and . wicked
thought came into his head of leaving his
work incomplete that this man might
some day encounter the danger and per-
ish but his better nature held the advan-
tage and he worked on steadily till his
self. imposed task was finished.
Just as the sun cast its last CLEAN over
the tree-taps upon the old wooden struc-
meath, George rose from his STOPPING pos
ture to survey his work, and an old man of
venerable appearance, who had watched
him from tue opposite bank, approached
and accosted him.
"My young friend" he said, " how is it
you Lave been thus occupying yonr time
Have you nothing to DO but play with these
sticks and pebbles ~
Indeed sir, have nothing else to do
the boy answered I" but was not play
was, and judging some evil might befal
from it, thought could do no better than
fix it." The stranger regarded the boy fol
a few moments and then inquired his name
and condition.
George told him all: his poverty-hii
wanderings-his inability to get employ
ment. His story was listened to atten
lively, and at it's close the stranger said
You have proved yourself a boy of feel
ing, you may be more-a boy of talent.
name lie Graney."
A light broke over Georges face. Herr
was chance to end his wanderiugs ant
have what he had SO long wished for-s
home.
As he passed with his companion the lonl
low buildings of the iron works, the nigh
came on but there was a light as of morn
ing in his heart.
Two years passed and George was still
in the employ of Graney & Co. His kline
patron had always kept watch over his in
terests and afforded him q chance of gath
eripg a little knowledge. 1t was anothe
bright day like that on which he came t.
Eriston when he strolled once more to til
old bridge. He had not passed it for som
time, and as he approached he saw that tn
rotten balustrade he had proped on hi
first arrival had bulged out again. Sittin
and bordering over what had happene
since that fortunate day, lie came to thlnl
about his broken support and from tina
about bridges in general, and, as b
thought, the genius that slumbered in tn
boy awoke and bright idea came into hi
head. He was fancying what kind of
bridge he would build had he to do 80, ant