Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-04-10

Is the poor rlch man. The man In aDSO-
Lutte poverty can be helped; but for the
man who is poor with his Golfers full
of gold there is no earthly help-n0ne,
unless something can get way down lnto
his heart and open the way for the IN
coming of sunlight and warmth. oucn
a transformation once knew, and Will
tell how it was wrought. Itwas done by
only little child.
miser. though he had probably never ac-
kn0Wiedged the fact to himself. At the
ace of 60 he lived in a close, small,
shabby house, in a narrow street down
town, though up town where the streets
were broad, and where green trees grew,
he owned a whole block, the rental of
which yielded what might have been
muniticent income for any man. In early
life Rufus GrOte had been disappointed;
so while yet young man he had shut
himself up within his shell and through
all the years of his manhood he had
neither asked nor given love or friend
ship. He took his uSance even to the
pound of flesh, if it was due him by the
bond, and he was as ready to discharge
all bonded obligations.
One evening just at dusk coach stop
ped at Rufus GrOte's door and a lady,
dressed i'm black, and accompanied by
child, alighted therefrOm, and piled the
rusty iron knOcker. The miser answered
the summons, and demanded to know
the applicants business.
"Uncle Rufus" said the woman, 81 am
Mary Sanford. and this is my child.
Will you give me shelter until l can find
work?''
Mary Sanford was the only daughter
of Rufus GrOte's dead sister. He had
heard of her husbands death and he had
shudderingly asked himself more than
once if it might not be possible that his
widowed niece would call upon him for
assistance. And now the dreaded blow
had fallen. What was he to do? Had
he followed the first impulse, he would
have turned the woman and her child
away with word; but that would have
been inhuman. He was caught in trap.
He had to open his door wider, and let
them in. And when they were in he was
forced, in common decency, to 60 out
and buy a loaf of bread and some
cheese.
Mary Sanford was So; a slight, pale
faced, pretty woman; and what of beauty
she possessed was due more to the reflex
action upon her face and manner of her
native goodness than to any outward
grace of feature.
Her child-a girl of nine years-was
called Flora. She was plump, dimpled,
.sunny-haired and sunny-faced child,
with the light of tender loving heart
sparkling in every feature. She was
really and truly thing of beauty and a
perfect joy.
After eating the bread and cheese, and
drinking cold water with it, Mary San
ford told to Rufus GrOte the story of her
husbands death-hOw he had suffered
long. and how he had left her in utter
destitutiOn.
But" she concluded, as she saw a
cloud upon her uncle's face, Il am not
come to be a burden upon you. Mrs.
Maynard will be in the city in few
days, and will give me work.
ugh! What kind of work." grunted
Rufus.
II shall keep house for her."
Later i'm the evening. by the dim light
of single tallOw candle, Flora crept to
the old mans side, and climbed up into
his lap. For the moment he had thought
of putting her away, as he would have
put away an insinuating eat, but he did
not do it. So she kept on until she had
got both hands upon his shoulders.
"YOu are my uncle Rufus?" she said,
with quivering, eager smile.
II suppose So" answered the man,
forcing out the reluctant words.
81 haven't got papa any more. Mayn't
kiss you before go to bed?"
The little warm arms were around his
neck, and the kiss was upon his cheek.
The child waited a moment as though
for kiss i'm return, bit she did not get
it, and she slipped down and went with
her mother to the little dark room where
Rufus GrOte had given up to their use
his own hard, poor bed.
For himself the host had planned to
spread a blanket upon the floor in the
living room. He had slept so before,
and he could sleep so again.
The soil of Rufus GrOte's heart was
like the soil of other hearts. Aseed once
forced through the crust would find root
there-either good or evil. In all his
manhOOd's life so warm a thing as that
childish kiss had not touched his cheek.
He did not think of it so much until he
was alone in the dense darkness; and
then when he could see nothing else, he
could see that sunny face, and the must
cal chirrup sounded again in his ears.
At first he would have been glad to be-
lieve that the child's mother had in
structed her in this, but when he looked
over all the circumstances, he knew it
could not have been; and before he slept
he was glad the child had come to him
of her own sweet impulse.
Upon the hard floor, with only single
blanket for bedding, Rufus GrOte did not
sleep so sOundly as was his wont. He
dreamed, and in his dreams he saw a
cherrub and felt cherubic arms about
his neck, with kisses upon his cheek,
and he said to himself i'm his dreams:
Surely, cannot be such an ogre if
these sweet beings can love me"
In the morning Rufus GrOte was up
very early. He had thought the night
before that he had bread and cheese
enough for breakfast; but after the
nights rest-perhaps after the nights
'dream-he took new thoughts. With
out compromising the feeling, the sense
of utter loneliness and selfshness had
given place to warmer sense of COM
partnership and fraternity. He put his
hand to the cheek where the impress of
the child's kiss had fallen, and new
resolution came to his mind. He went
out to neighbOring street corner and
purchased tea and sugar, and butter, and
new warm breakfast rolls, and small
can of milk.
He had just deposited these articles
upon the table when Mrs. Sanford made
her appearance.
"GOOd morning, Uncle Rufus"
Had the host caught that sound when
he first arose it would have startled him;
but it fell very softly upon his ears now.
de had been exercising and earned the
salute.