Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-09-22
JUDGE BLAkE'S HARD TINE.

JUDGE BLAkE'S HARD TINE.
The thought often comes to me that
Gilbert was born with a genius for find
ing out people who have hard time.
One day last week new family ap-
peared down on the bottoms. put up a
tent, moved into it for the winter. hung
out sign bearing the words: .Wash-
ing, Ironing and Mending," and before
Saturday night Gilbert knew all about
their hardships. and had dropped so
much of the oil of comfort and good
cheer into the lives of the shrinking, dis
Couraged man and woman that, as they
told NE to-day when called upon them
at Gilbert's suygestion-''lt seems > s
II the Lord amt altogether forgot us
yet, though we had jest about reached
the pint Of givin' up and not believin'
in nothin' nohow."
Hans Hansen, Swedish express
driver, who has had one misfortune after
another during the past year-first it
was sickness and death in his family,
then an unpriucipled brother cheated
him out of something or other that of
right belonged to him; then COW that
excelled all other cows in the neighhor-
hood fell sick one night and died before
morning-added another hardship to the
list last week by breaking his leg, and
Gilbert heard of it in less than an hour
and gave up an evening of comfort at
home to 60 over on the North Side to
see tho unfortunate man. And now he
has just been telling us of another man
who has been having hard time.
" called on Judge Blake this morn
Ing" Gilbert began rs we sat down to
the supper-table this evening. 81
thought I'd just run in and talk over
that mining business a little, though
don't suppose We can do much with
those new claims before spring; but
didn't get chance to say word of the
matter went to talk about. The Judge
was having one of his unhappy-state-
of-mind SPELLS as old Aunt Clarndy
would say, and so put in the forenoon
trying to get him under the influence of
something that would give pleasure to
himself and more comfort to those about
him."
II suppose you found tho Judge
packing up his pile of deeds, notes, Ger
tificates and what not of that ilk, pre-
paratory to his long-anticipa.ed advent
into the county poor-house, didn't you?"
! remarked. attempting facetiousness.
for knew Judge Blake, or thought
knew him, about as well as any man of
my acquaintance.
mot exactly" laughed Gilbert, in
reply; "bnt that which you have sug-
gested would hardly have been any more
foolish, to my mind, than was the unwar-
ranted grumbling mood in which l
found that man. sitting as he was in his
warm, CHEEKY Ii liorary-a perfect picture
OF comfort and quiet it was. but for the
scowl ON the brow of the man who calls
that fine house his own. He grumbled
about this. that and the other. until one
might have thought the woe of the world
rested on Judge Blake alone. His
mines had not yielded during the year
all he expected; rents are lower than
they were two months ago; two of his
downtown Store-roOmS have been va
cant for week. and one of his tenants
could pay him only two-thirds of his
rent the first of the month, promising
the other third, however. by the tenth.
He went on at such rate that l began
to think if dyspepsia were catching it
were best for me either to attempt to
cure the Judge at once or not expose
myself further to what might prove q
calamitous result; so / said to him:
Judge, YOU have q horse in the
stable and fine sleigh, haven't you?'
"'Yes.' he replied; do you want to
borrow the rig to give some miserable
invalid sleigh-ride?'
"' was going to propose that you
and I take little drive out together
this morning. said. 1t will do you
good to get out of DOORS and l want
you to make a call or two with me-
"'On some of your hard-time folks,
] 1presume. to teach me that there are
trials and tears in this world which l
know not Of he snapped. at the same
time going to the door and calling TO
his man to bring around the sleigh.
well. 1 suppose I do grumble more
than there is anv need of doing, but l
tell you what tits, Gilbert, those miser-
cradle people down on the bottoms am t
the only ones that have hard time of
il In this world
1.-The Judges fine turnout was soon
in readiness, and. putting on his heavy
evercoat. fur cap and gloves, he an
nounced himself at my service.
Il drove down town. occasionally
giving him sort of good-fellow pat on
the back as We passed certain blocks
which bear his name, and then we went
over to the North Side and stopped at
Mrs. Mallory's.
Now for tears and trouble. and a
long-faced recital of lifelong trials,
said the Judge. as we alighted.
II did not say word, for just then
We caught the sound Of Mrs. Mallory's s
voice. singing:
The trivial round. the common task
Will furnish a!l we ought 10 ask:
Room to deny ourselves. a road
10 lead us daily nearer God.
al knocked, and we were admitted
BY the CHEEKY little washer-woman her
self. who. as she said. had just stopped
rubbing to sing out d verse that had been
in her mind ever since she got up that
morning.
well. we chatted with Mrs Mallory
for an hour, and before we left, the
Judge. in his shrewd, lawysr-like way,
began to question the good woman as