The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-09-18
A BANK.NOTE IN TWO HALVES.

the scene is Kirklington, on the London
u Northwestern; the time, a quarter to
eleven, just after the night mail has
flashed through without stopping
bound for Liverpool and the north. The
railway otficials-pointsmen, signal
men. porters, platelayers-are collect
ing preparatory to going off duty for
the night.
Where's DAMP" asks one of the
crowd upon the platform.
6 saw him in the hut just after the
quarter to eleven went through. Can't
have come to any harm surely"
mo; he said he'd seen something
drop from the train, and he went down
the line to pick it up.' s.I-
And Dan had picked up something.
1t was a basket, a common white wick
er basket, with lid fastened down by
a string. What did it contain? Re-
freshnents? Dirty clothes3 What?
A baby-a child half dozen weeks
old, no more. A pink and white piece
of human china as fragile as Dresden,
and as delicately fashioned and tinted
as biscuit or Rose Pompadour.
Where did you come across it?'
asked one?
Lying on the line just where it fell.
Perhaps it didn't fall, perhaps it was
chucked out. What matter? I've got
it, and got to look after it, that's
enough for me. Some day maybe I'll
come across them as owns it, and then
they shall pay me and take it back.''
SIS there nothing about him? Turn
him over"
The little mites linen was white and
of fine material. but he lay upon an old
shawl and a few bits of dirty flannel.
All they found was adilapidated purse,
a common snaplock bag purse of faded
brown leather. Inside was a brass
thimble, pawn ticket and the half of
a Bank of England note for one hum
dred pounds.
what goods half a bank note to
your"
"Half loaf is better than no bread"
eyes. but you can eat one, but you
can't pass the other. Won't you catch
it from your wife? How'll YOU face
her, Dan? What'll she saw"
''She'll say done quite right" re-
piled Dan, stoutly. "She's a good
sort, God bless her.
$50 are you, Dan, that's fact God
bless you, too," said more than one
rough voice in softened accents. "Per-
haps the brat'll bring you luck after
all.''
Winter-tide again six years later, but
this season is wet and slushy.. Once
more we are at Kirklington, long
struggling village, which might have
slumbered on in its obscurity forever,
had not the Northwestern line been car
ried close byit to giveit place in Brad
shaw and certain importance as a
junction and center for goods traffic.
But the activity was all about the sta
ton. All the permanent officials had
houses and cottages there; in the vii
lage lived only the field laborers who
worked at the neighboring estate. or
sometimes lent their hand for q Job of
navvying on the line. These poor folk
had gruesome life of it, a hand-to-
mouth struggle for bare existence
against perpetual privation, accom-
panied by unremitting toll. -
A new arson-Harold Treffry had
come lately to Burlington. He was
an earnest, energetic young man, who
had won his spurs in an East End par
ish, and had now accepted this country
living because it seemed to open up q
new field of usefulness. He had
plunged bravely into the midst of his
work: he was forever going up and
down among his parishioners, solacing
and comforting, preaching manful en-
durance and trustfulness to all.
He is now paying q round of paroch-
lal visits, accompanied by an old col
lege chum, who is spending Christmas
with him.
"Yonder," said Trehry, pointing to
thin thread of smoke which rose from
some gaunt trees into the sullen, wintry
air, "yonder is the house-if, indeed,
it deserves so grand a name-the howell,
rather, of one whose case is the hardest
of all the hard ones in my unhappy
cure This man is q mere hedger and
ditcher, one who works for any master,
most often for the railway, but who is
never certain of q job all the year
round. He has q swarm of Young
children, and he has just lost his wife.
He is absolutely prostrated-aghast
probably at the future before him. and
his utter incapacity to do his dutv bv
his motherless little ones. Jack!n
said the parson, stopping short sud
denly, and looking straight into his
companions face, ~ wonder whether
you could rouse himp II you could
only get him to make a sign; to cry or
laugh, or take the smallest interest in
common affairs. Jack. I.believe you're
the very man. You might get at him
through the children-that marvellous
hanky.panky of yours-those surpris-
ing tricks--a child takes to YOU natur.
ally at once. Try and make friends
with these. Perhaps when the father
sees them interested and amused he
NAV warm a little. sneak norh.r. on