McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-07-24

chance-a stranger ofhclated IN the
church TO which our young couple had
allied themselves. He was chaplain of
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 school and
hospital. He told some moving
stories, and he told them well, with a
pathos of truth, and the force which
deep personal interest, so deep that it
has swallowed up all self interest, car
ries with it. The congregation expert
enced an answering throb of sympathy.
With some it was contagious, super
fetal emotion; to others the appeal STIR
red into life that deeper pity whose best
relief is action. Among those were
John and Meta.
The most generous givers are among
those who have least to give. A look,
a low toned word or two settled the
matter. ave can do without the sods.
john" whispered Meta, and he nodded
assent with deep, affectionate glance
into her sweet, earnest eyes. A pen
was produced, check hastily filed out,
and moment 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 distinct per-
sonal sacrifice; so true it is that will and
wish can make possible what seems i'm
possible where will and wish are lack
ing. it.
The young husband and wife walked
homeward rather soberly, their minds
full of what they had heard.
"It seems almost wrong to be so hap
py and well off," thought Meta, as she
glanced about the tiny paradise which
represented so many things sto1 her.
Her eyes strayed through the window
to the bare spot where now no grass
would be. She suppressed sigh.
s'I'm not sorry" she said bravely to
herself; "we have so much and those
poor people have nothing. Johns
away so much IF the dav that he won't
notice it very much, and I'll keep the
white curtain down when sit on this
side of the room, and then shall be
about as well off as if the yard were
green. Grass would have been very
nice, but this is nicer" With a reso-
lutte smile she ran down to dress the
lettuce in the way which John pre-
ferred, to take the blanc mango from
the ice and arrange bowl of honey
suckle sprays for the middle of the
table. The house seemed particularly
attractive that day, dinner unusually
good. Nothing enhances our own small
blessings like coming into contact with
the wants and needs of others, and out
of our abundance, sparing something
with which to make up their lack of all.
Still it was not possible quite to for
get or overlook the baroness of the
yard, and Meta must be forgiven one
little sigh when Wednesday brought
one plentiful rain and Saturday an
other. SHOW good this would have
been for our sod," she thought, "they
would have been sure to grow"
John was called to Cincinnati by
business early in the following week,
and Meta spent the days of his absence
with her friend, Mrs. Ashurst, who
lived little way in the country on the
opposite side of the city. She had
meant to get home some hours in adj
vance of John to have all things in
order to greet him, but missing the
earlier train brought her into town late,
so that their meeting after all was in
the horse cars, and they alighted to-
gether at the corner above their home.
Reaching the gate they paused in
amazement, with sudden mutual ex-
clamation. Behold, the yard was green!
The long since planted and despaired
of seed had germinat-d A thick fuzz
of fine, slender points, each of which
was an infantine blade of grass, cover
ed the ground Like transparent man.
tie. Already the baroness was closed
upon. No one could call the dawn
naked any longer. Scarcely able to be-
lieve her eyes, Meta looked and looked.
Then, turning to her husband, she
cried: ssIt's a miracle, John. Such a
thing was never known in this city be-
fore, 1 suppose. How did it happen?"
eft didn't happen," replied John,
with mysterious twinkle in his eyes.
'sBut how can you account for it P"
ssAngels''-in a low, solemn whis-
per. SThey are so pleased with you
for giving up your wish so cheerfully
and never repenting it, and, in short,
for being such darling generally, that
to reward your virtue they just took
the matter in hand themselves, and it
is they who have made the grass
grow"
Meta blushed, and laughed and pro.
tested, and reminded John that he had
given up the grass as well as she; but
he adhered to his conclusion. People |
wondered exceedingly at the self-sown
lawn, and it certainly fourished in a
wonderful manner-perhaps because of
the frequent "cuttings by moonlight"
bestowed upon it by its owners, or the
night douches with the hose. sit Is a
duty to cooperate with Heaven" John
answered, but all the same he held to
his opinion, and when people said it
was unaccountable, that grass never
did so in St. Louis before, he always