The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-05-31

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A noble fellow the doctor was.
Years of contact with every shade
of accident, misery aud disease among
| the poverty stricken and outcasts oi
poorer precincts of the city had not
dulled his heart to the broad fact OF
| human brotherhood. His touch was
| warm and soft as he wiped away the
| blood from the bruised little brOws,
| and deity felt the bruised little forms.
How it came we know not, but in
moment load was lifted from the
hearts of dozens, and a thrill OF genu-
inc JOY throbbed through even the
most abandoned OF thecuriosity-drawn
spectators, as from mouth to mouth
was passed the word that there was
hope.
Hope! yes hope for life. A nope
that the Pickering little flame, thai
seemed waveripg on the very turn,
might grow and strengthen until once
again it should burn strong and stea-
dy.
The boy revived first.
From the blank darkness of uncOn-
seriousness he bounded once more into
all the trial and pains and troubles OF
life. The look Of fright that had new
er left his face, dcepcned as he saw.
first the plying glance Of dozen sur
rounding men, and heard the surpris-
ed murmurs of dozens more at the
d or beyond, then the motionless form
his side.
With start he raised himself from
the counter on which he was lying.
and attempted to fling himself upon
the breast of his sister. But the pain
was too much for him, and he fell
back again, his right arm lying limp
and powerless by his side.
There was movement and con-
vulsive sob on the part of the girl.
Then, as Johnny whispered MARY,
she whispered in response:
'Here, brother, I am here
I'm 80 glad, Mary, Pm so glad, and
oh, Mary, the three cents.'
'Have you lost it. brother?'
Yes, Mary, it is gone-and, oh,
what will mother do now for the can
die p
Laughable, was thatI Something
for merriment-thatt the two children
right from the jaws of death, only q
hairs breadth escape from the worms
and the mould of the graveyards
should, with their very second breath,
moan for little, pretty. pititnl three
cent piece. My friend,let me tell you,
in the teeth OF your smile that in the
city and in the town, and even in the
highways and hedge rows there are
thousands to whom the loss of as poor
a thing as a three cent piece means
misery-and the gain of dollar al
most utter happiness.
And this was the story thatBachelor
Joe Willis heard from kind-hearted
man, who was accompanying the lit
tie procession bearing the two chill.
dren homeward. The stranger felt
strong enough to force it all upon Mr..
Willis, when that worthy asked III a
casual way what all this meant.
Willis heard rather impatiently Of
the two children and the runaway
horse, the supposed corpses, and their
subsequent vivificatlon; but when he
heard OF the wall of the child over the
lost three cents his heart softened.
The story came home to him-for had
he not passed that very three cent
piece, not half a square back?
He turned and walked with the man.
'And the name of these children,
suggested he. Perhaps you could tell
me that|
'I'm not sure, but think they live
in that large building over there, and
their mother is a rather youngish wild
ow by the name of Johnston, Rachel,
by the way, as l happen to have the
chance of knowing,
Rachel johnson.
That name was sufficient to bring up
q flood of recollections to the mind OF
Willis. He stopped and allowed the
man TO pass on. Then he turned and
strobe slowly in another direction.
Rachel Johnson! Oh, of course not |!
He meyer knew the mother OF those
poor children. But then he once
knew Rachel-Yes, before her name
hoComo Tohusnu
In a twinkling he saw rapidly
moving panorama pass before hinl,ahd
everywhere through it he saw one fair,
pale lace that he found now he re-
membered only to well. lie remem-
bered too, his own mad doubts and
suspicious folly, that tostered by de-
signers. had separated him from her
whom he halt suspected now he had
been unworthy 10 pOssess-Rachel.
They lived in his house, did they ?
lie could not help it; that tenement
drew him like u load-stOne. lie turn
ed once more and began 10 retrace his
steps.
1t had grown dark now, and lamps
were lit. From q neighbOring window
a thread of light shot out and fell up
on little white something that glim-
mered and glowed, and seemed to
sparkle as it caught the eye of Bache-
lor Joe Willis once more. 1t was the
despised three cent piece.
/ lie was in "a different humOr now.
That cellar which his agent lad told
him about and dragged him TO see
should be fixed.