The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-05-23

= , d. -. 80 = - . 49,. "-m "a.
all the afternoon, and John viii water
it with the nose every evening. / am
sure we can G>ake it grow. I'll order
the sods early on Monday, There's no
time to be lost now that We haYedecided
to have them"
The next day was Sunday, As it
chsnced-if there be such n thing as a
chance-a stranger oficiated in the
church to which our young couple had
allied themselves. He was chaplain of
a great Mississippi penitentiary, and
had broken away from his work to beg
help, not for his prisoners only, though
their need was urgent, but for the freed
negroes among whom he lived, and for
whom he had established u school and q
hospital. He told some moving stories,
and he told them well, with a pathos
Of truth, and the force which adeep per-
sonal interest, so deep that it has swal-
lowed up all se~lf-interest, carries with
it. The congregation experienced an
answering throb of sympathy. With
some it was a contagious, superficial
emotion; to others the appeal stirred
into life that deeper pity whose best re-
lief is action. Among those were John
and Meta.
The most generous givers are among
those vino have least to give. A look,
a low-tOned word or two settled the
matter.
eve can do without the sods, john"
whispered Meta, and he nodded assent
with a deep, af~fectionate glance into her
sweet earnest eyes. A Mackinnon pen
that aid torighteousness-was produced,
a cheque hastily filled out, and a mo-
ment later the scrap of paper took its
place in the plate beside bank notes and
silver. Few people in the church had
given quite so much, yet there were
many who could better have afforded to
give more. None beside had given at
the cost of a distinct personal sacrifice;
so true it is that will and wish can make
possible what seems impossible where
will and wish are lacking.
The young husband and wife walked
home rather soberly, their minds full of
what they had heard.
at seems almost wrong to be so hap
Ply and well OF" thought Meta, as she
glanced about the tiny paradise which
represented so many things to her.
Her eyes strayed through the window
to the bare spot where now no grass
would be. She suppressed a sigh. ST
am not sorry, " she said bravely to herself,
1--WE have so much and those poor
creatures have nothing. Johns away
so mnch of the day that he won't notice
it very much, and I'll keep the white
or,pto,n JoOrp utbap I -Sk -, fb;o S;da &c
the room, and then | sl.ell be about as
well off as if the yard was green. Grass
would have been very nice, but this is
nicer" With a resolute smile she ran
to dress the lettuce in the way which
John preferred, to take her blanc
mango from the ice and arrange
a bowl of honeysuckle sprays for
the middle of the table. The house
seemed particularly attractive that day,
dinner unusually good. Nothing en-
hances our own small blessings like
coming into contact with the wants and
needs of others, and out of Il album
dance sparing something with which to
make up their lack of all.
Still it was not possible quite to forget
or overlook the ugly baroness of the
ward, and Meta must be forgiven one
title sigh when Wednesday brought one
plentiful rain and Saturday another.
"How good this would have been for
our sods," she thought, ''they would
have been sure to grew
John was called to Cincinnatiby bust
ness early in the following week, and
Meta spent the days of his absence with
her friend Mrs. Ashurst, who lived a
little way in the country an the oppo-
site side of the city. She hadmeant to
get home some hours In advance of John
to have all things in order to greet him,
but missing the earlier train brought
her into town late, so that their meet
ing after all was in the horse cars, and
they alighted together at the corner
above their house.
Reaching the gate they paused in
amazement, with a sudden mutual ex-
clamation. Behold, the yard was green!
The long since planted and dispaired Of
seed had terminated. A thick fuzz Of
fine. slender points, each of which
was an infantine blade of grass, COW
cred the ground like a transpar-
emit mantle. Already the bare
ness was clothed upon. No one could
call the "lawn" naked any longer.
Scarcely able to believe her eyes, Meta
looked and looked. then turning
to her husband she cried: Its q mir
acIe, John! Such a thing was never
known in this city before, 1 suppose.
| How did it happen2p
@It did not happen" replied John
with a mysterious twinkle in his eyes.
| But how can you account for it?"
"Angelsn-in a low, solemn whisper.
They are so pleased with yon for Civ
ing up your wish SO ~cheerfully am
never T6penting it, and, in short, fd
lIAs.n -nnl : Ior1snm nnnnraIIu 4Laf 81