The Red Cloud chief., 1880-04-08

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running both hands nervously up and
down through his hair, there sat Dir.
John Claverhouse.
Suddenly there was . gentle tap at
his ofice-door; bot Nfr. John Claycr.
house did not hear il. How could hea
He was buried in himself, trying TO
solve q problem, while he twitched his
hair, rs II to straighten out the thoughts
that thronged his brain.
"He's in there. know be is, " said
little, funny-looking old woman.
"And I'm going to make him answer
this knock With this she applied her
knuckles vigorously to the door. and
in an instant came the response:
"Oh! oh! Whoever you are, do
come in; and don't stand there, batter
ing nv door DOWN."
Aunt Prilly (for it was no other than
the I'M known all over town as
Aunt Prilly) walked in. Mr.. Claver-
house asked her TO be seated and even
pushed q chair toward her; but Aunt
Prilly, who had the keenest pair OF lit
tie brown eyes in her head that ever .
woman had, perceived at once that
Mr.. John Clavcrhouse was not in his
best mood, which was very unfortunate,
she thought, for she had come on q
begging errand; "and q begging er-
rand, Z" she said TO herself, "stands no
chance at all when q man isn't in his
best mood" Down she dropped into the
offered chair-a little, weird old woman:
so very small that people sometimes
said there couldn't be a smaller woman.
But she had a heart large enough for
two such women, and in all kinds OF
weather she was out on some errand fer
the poor.
"This is what / call an easy-chair,
Mr.. john" she said, as she leaned back,
with a smile. But she searched his face
in vain for a responsive look. "a beau
tiful day, Mr.. john" she added. "The
sun has been shining the whole blessed
time. Hasn't gone under a cloud for n
minute"
"Sun! Sun been shining2" answered
Mr.. John Claverhouse, making an effort
to be pleasant, while he could not con-
ceal that he was very much out of hu-
NOR. "Who knew that the sun had been
shining? A poor fellow like me cant
see the sun in such days as these. Banks
breaking! Stock companies going up
so high you can't see 'em! All kinds of
investments coming to nothing! / tell
you what it is, Aunt Prilly, if things go
on much longer as they have lately, the
door of the almshOuse will open some
day, and Mr.. John ClaverhOuse will
walk in"
"Thank you, MI. John, for letting me
know that my time for getting hold of
z.-, &c 4kat x.,r. - Ghost ~
replied Aunt Prilly, shaking her funny
little head and twinkling her funny
little brown eyes. sim glad l hap
pened in this afternoon, TO catch it
while it's flying. l want all 1 can get of
it for my poor people in Water Street.
How much would you like to give me,
Mr.. JOhnP"
"My good woman" exclaimed Mr.
John, in . short, twitching voice, "don't
ask me for any thing now. Never did
see such times. The bottom is falling
out of every thing. You don't know
how much money I've lost lately. Why,
if there isn't a turn in my affairs pretty
soon, I'm a ruined man. I'm sorry,
Aunt Prilly; but l haven't a cent for
you to-day. Not a cent"
"kh! now, Mr.. john" said Aunt
Prilly, lowering her voice to . very ten
der tone, 81 wan You to lay up treas
ure in Heaven, and you can't do it if
you turn back or the Lords poor.
They are his poor, Mr.. John-His
poor; and 1 want you to help them
along in this world, so that when the
Lord of the poor comes in the clouds of
Heaven He will say to you: "My be-
loved John, inasmuch as you did it into
one of the least of these my brethren,
you did it unto me- And it will be a
happy day for you, Mr.. John, when the
Lord blesses you for blessing his poor.
You used to be a generous little fellow"
continued Aunt Prilly. 81 remember
exactly how you looked, running round
the streets, giving away every thing you
had to any poor body that needed it.
But when you grew up you made money.
All! Mr.. John, you made money; and
money don't always open the heart
wide, the Lord knows"
Mr.. John Claverhouse was q money
grinder, and the world said truly when
it said that he was ga hard listed man."
But the tender voice of q tender
woman was always a little disturbing to
him, and Aunt Prilly's voice was spe-
cially tender that bright, sunny spring
afternoon.
"What a bother these ome are,
sometimes" he thought to himself.
"They do so stir up a man."
But, determined to shake off Aunt
Prilly," he said. "You pet and coddle
them, and teach them to live on charity,
when they ought to do more to help
themselves. You know, as well as 1 do,
that they are a miserable crew. Water
Street is the worst street in town. You
can't find any worthy poor there; but
you spend on them all the money you
can get"
eff you won't give me any money"
answered Aunt Prilly, quietly, "will
You do something else for me, Mr..
John?"
eyes, yes; any thing to please YOU.
Any thing but money. What is itp"
"Will you 60 out tonight in the
moonlight (you have no wife and chill.
dren to keep you at home), and 60
through Water Street, and up two flights
of stairs, where the poorest of the poor
live, and"
"Yes, yes, 1 WILL" interrupted Mr..
John. al like to air my brain at night,
after working it all day over my money
troubles. And III take a run up the
two flights of stairs. And I'll do some
thing more for you, Aunt Prilly, I" added
John Clayerhouse, now actually smiling
and trying to make himself agreeable.
"n I find q saint, one genuine saint,
such as you talk about, up those two
flights of stairs, I'll pull your bell be-
fore l 60 to sleep and empty my wallet
into your lap. As sure as my name is
John Claverhouse, l will"
"Give me your hand on that" ex-
claimed Aunt Prilly, rising from her
chair and stepping up to Mr.. John.
Mr.. Claverhouse extended his hand,
but with a knowing smile, as he said:
"You needn't talk to me about your
worthy poor in Water Street. Not q
saint will I find there"
"Well. goodbye for to-day, Mr..
John. I'll leave it with you to decide
. 49, NJ