Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-03-04
A Helping Hand.

Every mans Nemean Lion lies in wait
for him somewhere. -[Ruskin.
There was small crowd of boys and
men congregated upon an uptown cor
ner the other morning, and the occasion
of it was horse fallen in the harness. =.
respectable.looking horse drawing Q
respectable. looking milk wagon, and
driven by q boy, who now tug led at
his head, vainly urging him to rise.
Jerk him up" called . man who
stood on the sidewalk with both hands
in his pockets. "Give him the whip!'
Each one shouted out some advice,
but no one volunteered to assist the
boy, who was Just far enough away
from his childhood to feel like having o
good cry; but he coaxed and pulled at
the horse that now lay quite still, and
with horse sense did not try to move on
the slippery ice, but stretched his neck
out in a way that brought despair to
the heart of the boy, Who believed he
was going to die on his hands.
Just then man came walking briskly
along and saw the PROSTATE horse, and
the disconsolate- looking boy; he car
ried heavy piece Of machinery in one
hand, but this he laid aside az he
stepped out to the horse and began to
take eff the harness. In a moment he
had run the shafts back and left the
horse free. Then he took the bride.
rein, gave a quick, sharp chirrup and
the animal sprung to his feet and gave
himself great shake; the man helped
the boy reharness him, the two ex.
changed smile of thanks and welcome,
and then the man picked up his ma.
chinery and walked cheerily off one
way, as the boy drove on another. He
had slain the Nemean lion to begin his
day, and we may we'll believe that when
evening came he would be one of those
who can sing:
Something accomplished, something done,
Has earned nights repose."
An old colored woman stopped at a
corner of one of the most fashionable
thoroughfares the other afternoon, Just
before nightfall, and looked disconso
lately up and down the street; then she
appealed to q beautiful girl in Raphael
hat, and with eyes like some pictured
saint. who tripped along in rich and
costly attire: "Please, miss, mought
this be Anthony street. dearyt?" but only
look from the beautiful eyes was
vouchsafed her. Then came some fair
and prosperous matrons, all laughing
and chattering over their Christmas
purchases. The old aunty, with Der
withered face. stood in the way.
"Plcase, honeys, will ye direct me to
Anthony street Use done got lost"
"We never heard of such street."
they said, and went laughing on. It
was weary professor going home from
instrumental lesson-giving, with the
merest breath Of life left in him, who
stopped and said: " You mean Antoiae
street, Aunty," and he turned her in
the right direction, and saw that she
followed it. And 80 he had slain his
Nemean lion before he slept.
For the difficulty of moment in the
path OF everybody. is the small, homely,
unheroic duty, which is so unbeauGful
we will not see it, and has 20 little
grandeur with which to invest US when
We have performed il. Who of us
cares to be seen assisting an old woman
with an overburl len of unwsshsd
clothes, or blind man cropping behind
o wheelbarrow, The fear CT ridicule 10
stronger than the creed Of ages De-
troit Free Press.