Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-12-25
IN A POCKET.


swell, WE'LL" said good Adonijah
Courtney, raising his eyes heavenward,
ssProvidence has indeed afflicted us; but
should we mourn as those without hope?
Nay, surely not, since all flesh is weak
and unable to meet and withstand temp
tation in its own strength; and our dear
boy, Lionel-ah, why did our brother,
Reuben, bestow upon his offspring that
british name, though he has made us
to grieve for his shortcoming still
gives us hope of his repentance. All IS
not lost, sister Keziah, and he pressed
his spinster companions withered and
trembling hand reassuringly, as he babe
his pretty, fearful niece (the culprlt's
sister,, to re-read the letter OF confess
sion that had that evening burst like a
bombshell in their midst and caused the
good and simple minded people great
sorrow and anxiety of mind.
Lilly Courtney held her brothers sim
gularly jerky and illegibly-written epistle
open before her. Indeed she had never
closed it since it came, but continued to
pore over its shaky characters in the
vague hope of cleaning ray of light
to illumine the murky record. At her
uncle's request, she tried hard to swal-
low the painful lump that had been APP
parently growing in her throat ever
since her startled mind took IN the
wretched tidings. She was q gentle,
shy hammered girl, of great personal
beauty and (wondrous combination)
equal modesty; but her strong, and as
vet untried, trait of character was un-
selfish devotion. She loved the dear
old pair who had received her brother
and herself in their early orphanage,
and who had given their every energy
and thought to the education ard moral
training OF the otherwise friendless
children. Without ever having been
outside of Greenville-since she came
there little girl ten years before-Lly
knew quite well that her aunt and uncle
were singularly innocent and unworldly
people, and, though she could not help
but fall into many of their primitive
ways and illogical views, she was quite
sure that neither of them was fitted to
start out in winter and travel to the
great city where her poor brother was
In trouble. She had quite resolved
from the first that she would go to him
herself, and when her voice trembled
and the choking sensation oppressed her
most as she read on, it was when the
conflict between her native timidity and
courageous sense of duty occurred.
The note was dated day or two be-
fore Christmas and written in pencil so
badly that it was difficult to read. Its
style, too, was unlike Lionel's; in fact,
there was no way to account for it's alb
rupt and uneven character except the
true one. The dreadful snares and
temptations of that frightfnl city, against
which the elder pair, who had never
passed night in its polluted air, had so
faithfully warned him-had seized him
in their Elusive grasp. He had sue
cumbed; he hai strayed and fallen from
grace; some evil being had robbed him,
and now, contrite and helpless, he
called homewards for relief His
scrawling epistle ran thus:
ssMY DEAR UNCLE AND aunt don't
want Lily to be alarmed Cpoor child, it
was she who had opened the note), so 1
do not include her. / have had mis-
fortune-I trusted to myself in these
slippery ways. was a fool not to lis
ten to counsel-but I thought knew it
all; the result is, I became lost, grew
confused and fell. Do not alarm your
self, dear uncle and aunt; might have
been much worse. AS it is, bin the con-
fusion, I lost my pocketbook. The
people among whom, on coming to my
self, I proved to be, are not of the class
for me to remain dependent on for a
single day. Please send or come. In
close address, Regret to alarm you.
With love, LIONEL.
In different hand was complicated
direction, which Lily carefully detached
and put in her pocketbook.
That was the first step taken-the
rest followed quickly:
seUncle and aunt, am going to the
city. My mind is quite made up, and
please do not say No. You, dear uncle,
are suffering with one of your worst at
tacks of rheumatism, and aunt's head is
threatened with her January neuralgia.
Martha is needed to look after you both,
and Simon can't leave the barn, poor old
man. As for me, was nine years old
when was there last, but remember
the streets perfectly. I could even go
to this place, she pointed to the direc-
ton in the pocketbook- after little
studying of the localities. "
She spoke so confident, looked SO
brave, and withal SO hopeful, that the
good couple could only accept her
strength Of purpose as providential, and
sssent" for the trying occasion.
They had many doubts and anxieties
still, but feeling of thankfulness pre-
vailed over all the rest.
ssThe child is wonderfully led, it
seems" said Adonijah; 'sshe speaks as If
she was sure of the way before her, and
Ibelieved that she will be sustained,
Keziah."
eyes," affirmed the good spinster,
though she spoke little TREMENDOUSLY.