St. Landry democrat., 1882-03-18
A FORTUNATE FALL.

VII, iAotueI. Stcu u dreadful tnlng
has happened, and I'm SO sorry for Mrs.
Slade, Can't you 90 right down there:
| know that you can help and comfort
her if any one can.' t1"7 s2..,~i
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: t.' -r.5 80. -s'.'
"What is it, my SON. You are so ex-
cited that | cannot understand what YOU
are trying to tell me- What has hap
pened, and who is Mrs. Slade2'
Mrs. Slade is the woman who moved
into the old foundry building two or
three weeks ago. answered the boy,
g and oh, mother! you can't think how
bare and cherries it is there, and now
Jimmys hurt, | don't know what Mrs.
Slade will ever do"
: =" How did you come to be at Mrs
SHADES, Paul, and who is Jimmy?'
81 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 / am, but he
drinks awfully sometimes. He had been
drinking to-day so that his head was I'M
steady, and when Mr.. Morton, the man
he works for, sent him up on the roof to
fix a 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
found out that he'd been drinking, she
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."
'lt is too late for me to venture out
tonight, but | will 90 with you in the
morning, and we will see if there's any,
thing we can do for the poor mother
and her unfortunate son. said Mrs
Howell, resuming her work.
sit looks ever so much like snow"
said Paul. going over to the window
and examining the sky critically. eve
boys have planned a famous game of
SNOWFALL if the snow comes nice and
moist. | 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 We're setting jim
my s leg in the front room, as [ came
out the back way, and there was only a
little pile of chips and old boardsin the
corner of the shed. "..5,ts t3t .a.44.5 1~..lt.
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. 4 =
Mrs. Howell made quite a call, and
had long conversation with the11nhap-
Ply mother and her repentant sonv4t. .f
It's shame, ma am said Jimmy,
as his mother went into the Darkroom
for moment. s.It's a. burnin' shame
that mothers life is so cursed by rum.
First father went, and then the two old
er boys. { suppose that mother really
set her heart on my bein' temperance
boy, an she. never knew that | drank
what I shouldn't until this happened.
He drew one rough hand across his
eyes, then continued: Il '''''' ~ - ssta'
! 81 never thought she cared so much.
Why ma am, her heart WasHwen nigh
broke when she, found I'd been a-drink-
in 1T wasn't the accident as broke her
down, poor mother! an I've just made
up my mind never to touch the dread
full stuff again. y
- May God help you to keep that res
olution, my dear boy" said Mrs. How
ell, solemnly, as his mother entered the
room. She then arose to take her leave,
promising to send some plain sewing to
Mrs. Slade, and to interest her friends
in the poor woman's behalf.
Paul had slipped out few minutes
after his mother had entered into con-
versation with the widow and her son.
Mrs. Howell. had allowed him to go,
thinking that the call had become tire
some to the active boy; but as she