Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-03-16
SAVED BY A FALL.

"Oh, mother! such dreadful thing
has happened, and I'm so sorry for Mrs
Slade. Can't you go right down there:
| know that you can help and comfor,
her if any one cam
Paul Howell came rushing into the
room where his mother was sitting, his
blue eyes all ablaze with excitement,
and his breath coming and going very
fast as he delivered his message. Mrs.
Howell looked up from her sewing and
said:
''What is it, my son? You are so es-
cited that | cannot understand what you
are trying to tell me. What has hap
pened, and who is Mrs. Sladep''
''Mrs. Slade is the woman who moved
into the old foundry building two or
three weeks ago. answered the boy,
"and oh, mother! you can't think how
bare and cherries it is there, and now
Jimmy's hurt, l don't know what Mrs.
Slade will ever do.''
''How did you come to be at Mrs.
SHADES, Paul, and who is Jimmy?''
Il forgot that you don't know JIM
my. Jimmy is Mrs. SHADES boy, the
only one left, she said, when they
brought him home. He's only two or
three years older than I am, but lie
drinks awfully sometimes. He had been
drinking to-day SO that his head was un-
steady, and when Mr.. Morton, the man
he works for, sent him up on the roof to
fix place that leaks, he somehow fell
and broke his leg. saw him when he
fell, and was SO excited that followed
along when they carried him home.
When his poor mother saw him, and
e., <l,o+ !, -. ] <J,,.x. IL
sobbed and cried like everything, and
said that she had hoped God would spare
her this one; but that he was going like
the rest, and they all went drunkards. "
cit is too late for me to venture out
tonight, but 1 will go with you in the
morning, and we will see if there is any
thing we can do for the poor mother
and her unfortunate son." said Mrs.
Howell, resuming her work.
1t looks ever so much like snow"
said Paul, going over to the window
and examining the sky critically. 1--WE
boys have planned a famous game of
SNOWFALL if the snow comes nice and
moist. 1 like to play SNOWFALL, and
I've been watching for the snow for a
long time; but I'm afraid that Mrs.
Slade will have a hard time to keep
warm if it comes now, for she has not
any wood in the shed, nor in the back
yard. The doctors were setting JIM
my leg in the front room, as | came
out the back way, and there was only
little pile of chips and old boards in the
corner of the shed.'
While Paul was standing at the Win
dow watching the gray clouds grow
heavier and darker, strange thoughts
entirely new to him, fitted through his
boyish brain. His sympathies were all
aroused for the mother whose cry of an
guish, when she learned the sad truth
that her boy had been drinking, seemed
still to echo in his ears.
That night the snow came, as Paul
had predicted, and in the morning it lay
beside fences and across paths, in great
banks and drifts. But the snow did not
prevent Paul and his mother from call
ing on their unfortunate neighbor.
Mrs. Howell made quite a call, and
had a long conversation with the unhap
ply mother and her repentant son.
''lt's a shame, ma am, said Jimmy,
as his mother went into the Darkroom
for moment. Its burnin' shame
that mothers life is so cursed by rum
first father went, and then the two old
er boys. I suppose that mother really.
set her heart on my bein' temperance
boy. an she never knew that | drank
what shouldn't until this happened.
He drew one rough hand across his
eyes, then continued:
81 never thought she cared so much.
Why, ma am, her heart was well nigh |
broke when she found I'd been a-drink- |
- 1, L
Down, poor mother! an I've just made |
up my mind never to touch the dread
jul stuff again.
''May God help you to keep that res
olution, my dear boy" said Mrs. How
I'll, solemnly, as his mother entered the |
,oom. She then arose to take her leave,
to send some plain sewing to |
Mrs. Slade, and to interest her friends
n the poor woman's behalf.
Paul had slipped out few minutes
after his mother had entered into con-
7ersation with the widow and her son.
Mrs. Howell had allowed him to go,
that the call had become tire
some to the active boy; but as she
opened the door she saw that the SHOW
lad disappeared from the paths about
he cottage as if by magic. As she
reared the gate she beheld Paul, with a
rery red face and a very old broom. en-
to clean the walk outside.
''You see, MOTHER he began, breath
NC hard and fast, g there no one to
weep the snow away now Jimmy's t
lex, and besides / didn't want YOU to
wade in all this deep snow to reach the
Dad again. May [ stop in on my way !
lome from school tonight and ask Mrs.
'lade if there is anything that can do
o help her while Jimmy is sick?''
Eyes, DEAR answered his mother,
With fond glance toward her thought !