Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-04-01
Calls and Sketthts.
From Harper's Bazar.
JOHN CAMPBELL'S CONVERSION.

1t was never quite clear to hr. camp
bell whether it was the sudden bitter cold
draught from the door, or the sweet voice
of the woman, or the surging in of the
do nothings. that caused him to set his cup
of hot soda quickly down and face about.
Mr. Campbell did not drop his cup, for
that would have indicated precipitation.
and John Campbell never did but one pre-
cipitate thing his whole life long. and that
was some months later.
"This poor boy is seriously injured"
SAL the lady to the druggist; 81 fear his
leg is broken. Will you take him into
your private office and examine The hurt ?
Perhaps | can help you dress it. | have
had some experience"
While she spoke the lad was carefully
carried behind the the glass doors at the
rear of the shop, and the crowd, finding
itself deprived of the rich treat of gazing
at fellow-being's suffering, melted away
with the wonderful facility for dispers-
ment that marks the throng that never had
any adequate cause for collecting.
Then John Campbell and the brown
eyed lady were left alone. She uncon-
scious of any presence but her own, her
thoughts thousand miles away he calm
ly finished his interrupted hot soda and
watching his companions face. At last
he ventured sympathetically, docs that
unfortunate little fellow belong to you,
madam ?'' and might be of any service
in helping you home with him ?"
For the first time she looked up at him
brightly, and said, "Oh dear, no, Sir
The child is some poor gamin, l suppose.
He was knocked down just as l came
along; and the men who picked him up
seemed not to know what to do with him
| ventured to direct them here. If his leg
is fractured, he will have to go to the hos
pital and should be glad to pay for a
carriage to take him there, if you would
be good enough to find One."
Before Mr. Campbell could reply, the
druggist came back, said the boy had on
ly badly sprained his ankle, and begged
the kind lady would hold his hand while
the druggist bandaged the leg for by this
time the poor little fellow was crying ner-
vously, as much from pain. She rose at
once to follow the man of potions, while
John Campbell followed her partly from
curiosity, partly from genuine desire to
be of service.
The lady knelt by the child $ side, sooth-
ing him to quietness in that cooling dove
like way peculiar to women whose strong
est instincts are toward motherhood, Then
taking the cloths and lotions from the
apothecarys hand, she quickly and gent
ly bound up the swollen ankle, talking
softly to the boy the while. John Camp
bell looked on wonderingly at the deit
performance, thinking that if he had been
the street Arab, instead OF the heir to the
great Campbell estates, it would be a
strong antidote to pain to be tended by
those long slim fingers that did their work
so swiftly and so well.
Now | must 60" said the lady, rising
and shaking out the folds of her simple
gown. "But wish | could set this boy
on the way to the hospital first He will
get SO much better care there than he will
at home"
IL will take him there myself; my own
carriage is at the door, and can do so
without trouble" returned Mr.. Campbell.
promptly, reused to pitch OF beneyo-
lence he would have regarded as impossi-
BILE two hours before.
Thank you, Sir" responded the little
woman, smiling up into his face with her
beaming brown eyes. II am sure you
couldn't do a kinder act. am sorry can
not 90 with him myself"
And the shadow of regret that had crept
INTO Mr. IampDellS nllnu dlter HahlnS
his offer faded into nothing.
John Campbell wasn't Il bit mean. He
would give you money, and literally too,
for almost any object under the sun; but
there no denying he was chary of him
self, his personal satisfaction. his indiyid-
uality. lie was fastidious also almost to
morbidness. While he would gladly have
paid for dozen carriages, had they been
necessary to remove the injured lad, to
transport him in his own clarence required
degree of self-sacrifice that would have
been incomprehensible to the unknown
woman he wanted to please. Why be
wanted to please her he could not have
told. He had never seen her until an
hour before. He had hardly exchanged
twenty words with her, and those OF the
most ordinary kind. He did not know her
name, even her nationality, though, with
fresh-born patriotism, he decided she
must be his own country-woman. She
was not young nor conventionally pretty,
but there was that in her face he felt to
be more beautiful than beauty. lie should
never see her again, yet he was not only
willing but anxious to do something pos
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