River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-08-31


doing it for love of her.
"Mr. Wendover's a good man,
Katie" she said, softly.
The child nodded. "He's the best
man in sl the world" she declared
"Mother says he makes her think oil
Samson, cause he knows so much; but
I never think Of him, Miss, without
thinking she hesitated for an in
slant.
"Without thinking of what, DEAR
The child's great eyes looked up
with an awed expression; the thin little
voice sank a reverent whisper-"With-
out thinking, Miss-of the Lord Jesus.
For an instant Millicent's heart stood
still. Was it not shockingly irreligious?
Ought not the child to be rebuked
But before Millicent could command
words Katie had gone on
Cause you know" she said, "he's
alters goin' about dom good. Your
folks don't know of it. He amt the
kind as goes round blabbin' what they
does but t'day you'll find him in Mrs.
Raffety's and tmorrer in Mrs. Bourk' s
and the next day at the Kittendorf's /;
and it's tay he'll be bfingin' 'em one
day, and the rint he'll be payin' the
next, and last week when the praste
wouldn't bury Mrs. MuldOon's hus-
band, cause he pizened hisself, it was
Mr.. VIEWER as read the sarvice and
paid for the buryin'" The cnild's
tongue was now fairly loosed. "And
then, Miss, when every Sunday comes
there's little top room over where
Mrs. Mooney lives, and US children all
goes there and Mr.. VIEWER he comes
and teackes US, and he's fixed it up
that nice There's a melojcon, and
some chromos, and three or four tixts /;
and we sing songs, and Mr.. Weaver he
plays on the mclojson, and ne reads
us out of the Bible all about David and
Collar, and Jonah and the whale, and
the Lord Jesus too, and tells us what it
all means. And oh, Miss Broom dyer
think He's goin' to take us on a
picnic !"
BY this time Millicent had recovered
her II lights. In the light OF Katie's
explain stion the comparison did not
seem so startling. But admitting the
comparison, where were the ideals she
had been so fondly cherishing? If peo-
pie were to be measured by Katie's
standard, what of Sydney and Bayard,
Sir Percival and Sir GalahadP The
thought was perfectly bewildering.
She looked down humbly into the
child's face. her eyes moist and her
voice a little tremulous as she said:
"And Mr.. Wendover brought you
your shoes and dress ?"
Katie nodded. "He's KEEP us out of
the pOor-house, mamma says"
1t was Just what her father had told
her he had done for them; and the re-
mainder was almost enough to upset
Millicent's composure. Perhaps all
her notions Of what hero ought to be
were radically wrong, and she might,
as Jack had said, fail to recognize him
when ne came. Perhaps there was
the same kind of her5ism in jack
keeping people out of the poor-house
and supplying their needs as in Sgd
ney's giving the cup of water to the
dying man. And maybe both were
initiating higher example-a pattern
of heroism which this little child had
led her to discover. She leaned over
kissed the pale little face.
"Good bye, my DEAR" she said, "Im
glad you've found SO good a friend"
When the child was gone and Mil
licent was left alone, all she could do
was to go over the problem again; and
yet without coming to any satisfactory
conclusion. 1t involved mental revo-
ln:ion to substitute for the tall elegant
man with brown flowing locks, Van
Dyck beard and symmetrical nous
tache, who was the Sidney of her mag
nation, the figure of Jack Wendover,
tall and stalwart it is true, but without
a aace of sentiment in the firm set
mouth, or u particle OF elegance about
the smooth shaven face, the short black
hair or the steel-framed glasses which
repaired his undeniabie near sighted
ness.
1t now drew near the summer time
when Millicent and all her friends would
go away from New York. Once out
of the city she need not expect to see
Jack in more than three months. In
deed she had quite given up expecting
to see him at all. In her sober judge
ment she did not biame him. There
had been no promise made that he
would keep up the acquaintance. 81
shall always be your frend," he had
said. And so he might, without seeing
her for the rest Of his life.
One of the last days that she pro
posed spending in the city, Millicent
on her way down town. turned into
Fifth Avenue from one of the side
streets that enthr into the park. 1t was
cool afternoon in the middle of June
the roadway was crowded with car
riages and the sidewalk filled with 6
double line of people passing each
other on their respective ways up anC
down town. At the corner of Fifty fifth
street Millicent met friend, and drew
aside by the railing of the great Presby
terrain church for moments gossip
While so employed she found herse,
sill at once crowded back against the
railing by a purly market woman, who
explained apologetically that it was tC
''make room for the percession."
What was the procession" Mill
cent looked down the street, and here
is what she saw:
Two dozen children-girls and boys
ragged, barefooted, hatless. some o
them, but an attempt at cleanliness anC
a general air of good humor that made
up for all DEFICIENCIES. They were
walking two by two in tolerable gooC
order, except that half dozen sur
rounded their leader, walking sideways
backward, anyway, so they might keel
in his immediate vicinity and look uI
in his kindly face. And the leader, ;
tall young man with eye glasses, whC
led by one hand very tattered look
ing little boy and the other a more de
cent-appearine little girl, Millicent will
a start recognized. The boy she dix
not know; but the little girl was Kati
Fnnegan, and the young man was NJ
one else than Jack Wendover. Clear
" the procession was Katie's picnic
In all her own wonderment Millicen
sould not escape hearing the expires
sions from the hystanders. 1t was thu
warm hearted market woman WHIT
spoke first
"Bless his honest face !" said th'
hearty voice. otis good man he is
or the childer'd never set such store by
him"
The next comment was from Mill
cents friend.
Glow queer, Milly! Fancy you an(
me exhibiting ourselves that way. AnC
| dare say he's respectable.
And then there was voice from
behind to identify which Milly did not
need 10 see the SPEAKER She haC