Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1884-04-01

"Hs aid ], woaldn', pain you much Of
any more Il yOa didn', try to s,raigh,sn
IL"
(Which can, help doing, "in,erPola,.
el Joe.
"And be explained how !, was tina, TIE
cords had contracted and all that, Ba,I
DON, think | quite understood. vas
thinking Of you. Joe"
EYE" JOss eyes brimmed with q iek
tears. which he turned hi. face away TO
eonoeal IL can't make up my mind to
bsa sriPPle," he said slowly,
What God wills is best. /" uttered Mrs,
Hine, aevotedly though !, seem. very
hard"
Joe looked up with Aquick determined
CLEAN in bis eyes. II won, believe Il
i Gods will that should Be crippled,
Away. crippled. cried he Almos, hsrcely.
IL knos there. q way out. and I'm 90.
ing 20 Try 20 find IL. MOTHER"
"Ies. Joe"
NAV | use the old beds,ead ," Joe's
inspiration was besiains to take firm.
And when Mr. FAun's boys 70 by
there they arr nov -
They came a, Mr. Hines call the
two s,Alwaft FArrar boys. boys still
though grown to the stature Of men.
They had seen the wrestling match a,
muster. and they looked q, Joe with
.orrowfal pity depicted on their faces.
The doctor says IN never pat my
too, do-n again" laughed Joe hys,eri-
cally "ba, mean to show him be
don, knos everything. Just fetch in
tia, plank out By the shed. will yoa ?"
They obeyed saeL sholdsrias a lsns,h
q the heavy plank.
"Now Jay il on the Old beds,eai.
aid Joe. "and I'm much obliged"
Next morning Joe. with a laughing
grimAce. shut himself in the inner room
whence. later. be hobblei forth on his
cruichs.. With a face 80 fall Of pain ,ha'
IL startled HI. mother into sNclAiming
Joe. my BOY Via, have you been
dong 10 Yourself ?"
lit, my only chance" Joe almost
fell into the nearcs, chair. "Dla's you
think anything abou, Il. mother, except
iha, yea may have a. able boy asAia."
Day after day. Pune,sAlly At ten
o'elock ,''I have Sc, tims," aid he.
''else would shrink. Aad pa, Il Of M.
Ill dark. Joe would stretch himself fat
o. hi. back upon the hard Plaak. and.
having rubbed bis iajarei limb with a
simple ungasa, prepared by his mother
would prs, il do-n. down with all the
strength he could bring 20 bear upon It.
For two long hours he would lie there,
b, face white and Piaehsi With Plin,hi'
lip. drawn. his ,e,,h set. % terrible wa'
The effort.
Oas week passed and then another.
yet be could see no improvement.
I'm pretty nigh discouraged" he
.ail one day ~iih a weary smile. May
Be the doctor Was righ, AFTER al"
Bat tia, afernooa there came Aloag
an Old tln.pcdiler. a Friend WHO had
travelled over the rocky hills Of Oxford
Coz years. and Who. when he bad heard
The story, brushed away tear Aad pat.
ted Joe's shoulder enooaragingly.
"Do thee perS,ysrs. lad Do thee
psreyer, feel certain ,hA, ,hee'll
succeed
And Joe perse vered. always With the
haunting fear ,ha, he nigh, be a cripple.
and often the cheering hope that be
nigh, not Gradually the hope become
assurance. though there in,erveEed
dark days Of doub, and sorrow and des-
pair day. when !, seemed to the boy
that he could bear this crucial ties, no
longer day. whea the mother "a, with
ou, the closed door. her fingers busted
with her work. and tears raining over
Der face As she sen, up voieeless prayers
% God. Bl, the time came a, length
when. hmpiag 10 be sure. bu, wi,hoa,
AID Of eru,eh OF cane, Joe walked out
TO bis mother, and going down upon bis
knees by her side. burst into q passion Of
grea,fal. happy tears. !, seemed almOs,
too good to Be true.
Joe grew stronger rapidly after that
time. The fame Of bis self-eure went
abroad and when he va. once more
able to work he found no lack Of il, and
no lack Of friends to help him in adyane-
ing. SO through tribula,iOn his good
fortune came TO him or perhaps !, was
tha, be possessed ,ha, indOmi,able cOar-
age which i. friend and companion Of
good fortune everywhere.
TOO Nfrrru EnR HIM