Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1876-02-10
OUT OF THE STORM.

OUT OF THE STORM.
1t was cold, dreary night will
out. The wind blew in wild, heav
gusts, as though it reigned kins
Men hurried on, with heads bowe
and thrust forward to cut their wa,
through the storm; little childre
skunk under the protecting shadow
of doorways and such rude sllelte
as could he found; while poor
wretched women braved the horro
of that terrible night from dire ne
cessity. One among them-a pale
faced creature, with a look of mort;i
terror in her countenancc, and VIII,
seemed to have known more chez
nv :imes-lifted her head from
time to time. scanning the faces sh'
met in an anxious questioning way
that seemed to meet with no respons
from the passers-by.
AT last, as though she felt it use
less TO hope longer, she turned aside
to wait under tine princely caves of :
large church. To wait. as we al
come to do when the flush o
youthful expectancy has passed on
of our lives. 'He will not come; per
haps the weather is too severe, vet il
could not keep me within doors" she
murmured, desolation and weariness
creeping over her face; land ther
there remains but one thing to do,
and the sooner that is done the better
it will be for me; but oh, it is so hard
to beg! Only twenty-five, alone
without friends, and what is far more
necessary-money"
She started forward to meet the
glance of n man with kind, pleas.
ant face, gentle almost as a woman's.
She noted it even then; she remem-
bered it through all the years that
came after. "Sir, am starving.
For the love of Heaven. give me
enough to buy a single loaf OF
breadw
He was generous man, as men go
one who gave largely to charita-
BILE nstitutions-andh his name stood
first on the church list; but he was
man who knew nothing of real
poverty, and withal did not know how
many of the refuse Of society obtain
ed livelihood by begging. So he
passed by as others had done. Sud
denly out Of his memory crept the
words, "Inasmuch az We have done it
unto one of these We have done it
unto me-"
Back through the rain and slush
he made his way to find something
buried under heap of clothes. He
touched it, but there was no move
lnent; he spoke and tried to push a
bank note into the open hand, but
the woman lay where she had fallen
apparently dead.
0What a brute | have been. How
could / have forgotten so soonr' he
spoke aloud, and the only answer he
had was from the wind and rain. A
policeman passing on his round was
hailed, a carriage called, and he lift
ed the inanimate form in his arms,
saying to the driver, No. los Airing
ton Place. Drive fast, and l double
your fare"
81 wonder if she will die; if she
does it will seem like a just retribu-
tion for that other" Then a tear
came into the eyes and fell on the
fair face of the girl. She was still
unconscious, but moment after and
his home was reached.
"Helen, I've done an odd thing to-
night; picked up a woman on the
street and brought her home with me !;
the why and wherefore l have not at
tempted to analyze. Get her to bed,
send Frank for DR.. Grey, and then
let us have dinner, for | am as hun
CRY as wolf, aud after fashion un
nerved. How long is it since-since
that time, Helen?"
Mrs. Arnold was not young wo-
man, but there was Il look in her
sweet, beautiful face, that age alone
had never brought look that told
of some grief that had been wrought
by her own handsome act which
was now irretrieveable, but which
she sought to atone for in every
thought and word and deed. She
was a proud woman, but now her
pride was all forgotten, and her voice
trembled and her lips qulvered as she
answered, at will be ten years the
sixteenth of this month, Harvey
DEAR" then hesitatingly, "why have
you broken the silence to-nisht?''
81 hardly know, but if he were
not dead, l should believe that in
some way news was coming to us of
our lost ones; yes, both, Helen--af.
ter all these years.
An hour later a servant en-
tered the room, and announced
.Dr. Grey" Mr.. Arnold rose to
meet him, while his wife extended
her hand, with, swell, Doctor, zoe
are not in need of your services, but
Harvey has concluded to open hos
pital for the poor, aged and infirm,
and has desired to obtain your as
slstance as head physician-with an
opening case up stairs
'sMrs. Arnold, 1 wait your pleas
ure, refusing for the present all the
hospitality you offer here below