The Benton weekly record., 1880-02-13
A BANK. NOTE TN TWO
HALVES.

scene Is hlrkiington, on the London ant
Northwestern; the time 0:45, lust after
the night mail has flashed through with
out stopping--bound for Liverpool and the
north. The railroad officials, pontsmen
signalmcn, porters, plate-layers, are col
lectng preparatory to going OFF duty dur
ing the night, ~.... ..
"Wherc's Dan?' asked one of the crowd
upon the platform.
Il saw him in the hut just after the
lo45 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"
And Dan had picked up something. 1t
was basket, common white wicker
basket, with a lid fastened down by a
string. What did it contain? Refresh
mcnts? Dirty clothes? What?
A baby-a child half dozen weeks old,
no more. a pink and white piece of hui
man china as fragile as Dresden and as
delicatcly fashioned and tinted as biscuit
or Rose PompadouT.
''Whcrc did you come across % asked
bne. u"4>
Lying Oh the line just where it fell,
Perhaps it didn't fall. Perhaps it was
chucked ont. What matter? I've cot it
and got to le0k after il, and that's enough
for me. Some day maybe I'll come across
those who OWNS it, and then they shall pay
me and take it back.'r
SIS there nothing about him? Turn
him ovcr.''
The little mites linen was white and of
fine material, but he lay upon an old
shawl and and q few bits of dirty flannel. |
All they found was a dilapidated purse, Il
common snap-lock bag purse of faded
Brown leather. Inside was a brass thin
bic, pawn ticket, and the half of Bank
Of England note for E1O0.
''What goods half a bank note to you?'
'IIalf a loaf's better than no hread''
Eyes, but you can eat one, butyou can't
pass the other, Won't you catch it from
your wife? How'll" you face her, Dan?
What'll she say?"
"She'll SLY Idonc quite right replied
Dan stoutly. "Shc's a good sort. God
bless herr"
$50 are you, Dan, that's a fact. God
bless you too,'' said more than one voice
in softened accent. s'Perhaps the brat'il
bring you luck after ALL"
X < ;.
Winter-tide again six years later, but
this season is wet and Sluslly. Once more
we are at kirlzlington, a long, Struggling
village, which might have slumbercd on in
obscurity forever, had not the Northwest
eln line been carried close to it, to give it a
place in Bradshaw and a certain import
ance as a junction and centre for goods
traffic. But the activity was all about the
station. All the permanent officials had
houses and cottages there; in the village
lived only the field laborers who worked at
theneighboring estate, Or sometimes lend
their hand for u job Of nayVying on the /
line. The poor folks had gruesome life
ofit hand-to-mouth struggle for bare
existence against perpetual privation, ac- {
eompanied by unremitting toll '
A new parson-fIarrold Trcffy--had /
come to Kirklington. He was an earnest,
energetic young man, who had won his {
spurs i'll the East End parish, and had now
accepted country living. because it seemed
toopen mp new fields Of usefulness. Tie
had plunged bravey into the midst Of his 1
work; he was forever going up and down i
among his palishoncrs, sOlacing and conl- &
iortins, preaching manful endurance and h
trulIltuncss to all 7
lie Is now paying a round Of social
visits, accompanied by an old college chum h
VINO Is spending Christmas with him.
Wonder, . said freely, pointing to Il thin 1
thread of smoke which rose from some '
gannt trees into the srilen, wintry air, v
"yonder is the houst-if, indeed, it de- ]
serves so grand Il name-the hoye1, rath- s
'F'oi one whose case is the hardest of all G
s"e hard ones or my unhappy cure. This
man Is mere hedger and ditchcr, lone i
%'o works for any master, most s1ffenslbr S
u'e railway, but who is never certaitI Of a II
joo alt the year round. He has d swarm \
VI young children, and has just lost his v
"ile' He'is absolutely prostrateG, aghast, 8
pl0oa9ty, ut the future before him, and his il
0'Eer lacapacity to do his duty by his C
."oSheress little ones. Jack = said the n
latson, stopping short suddenly and look Y
'Hs straight into his companlon's face, 81 D
"9iael whether you could rouse him? If
S'H could only got him to make sign; to il
Iy or laugh or take the smallest interest 3
" common affairs. Jack, l believe you s.
1ie very man. You might get at him Il
afqash The children-thaS marvellous \
hanky-panly of yours-taose surprising Ii
0leks-a child takes to yon naturally at Ii
onse. Try ami make friends with these. q
ieFhaps When the father sees them inter d
sSlsd and amused he may warm 4 little,
PStlaps approve, perhaps smile, and ii THE p
'N,t give in Jack, will you try it?'' ri
'aek NeWbiggin was by profession con- n
Seyaneer, bnt nature had intended him for st
qneE hoadin, or a Wizard Of the North L
=, a9 was more than half a professional by IA
-, 5'e tiiAe ne was ffill grown In addition ny
Il ~ 4'lick eye and faeile wrist, he had ~
~ iafef Sltts OF the sauye manner and the re
ace Of brass. He had even studied mes v.
@.st1En III. ani clairvoyaHce, and qoula oIl. oe-
aa,oh surprise bis audience considerably III
9a ms power Yheyentered The miserable m
II. siiilAg together The children eight off a
m sia were skirmishfng III oyer the foor. hi
t4s 4sy were unmanageable, and beyond con- d,
A., y llie eldest sister, who was busy set "
tnI Ilh E II E,8+5 v n E,8 8& Il Z Is a