The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-10-17
Select gtorg.
A BANK NOTE, IN HALVES.
From CasseUs Magazine.
FIRST HALF.

TTOW CUSSeJ 4uuyu~"O'
FIRST HALF.
Wet and dreary. 1t is midwinter; the
scene Kirklington, on the London and
Northwestern; the time, 10.45, just after
the night mail has flashed through without
stopping, bound for Liverpool and the
North. The railway officials-pointsmen,
signalmen, porters, platelayers-are collect
ing preparatory to going off duty for the
night.
sWhere's Dan ?" asks one of the crowd
upon the platform.
II saw him in the hut just after the lO.45
went through. Cant have come to any
harm, surely ?"
No; he said he seen something drop from
the train, and he went down the line to
pick it up"
And Dan had picked up something. 1t
was basket, common white wicker basket
with lid fastened down by string. What
did it contain? Refreshments Dirty
clothes? What?
A baby-a child half dozen weeks old,
no more A pink and white piece of hu-
man china as fragile as Dresden and as de-
licately fashioned and tinted as biscuit or
Rose Pompadour.
"Where did you come across it !? asked
one.
"Lying on the line, just where it fell.
Perhaps it didn't fall, perhaps itwa chuck
ed out. What matter? I've got it and
got to look after it, that's enough for me.
Some day maybe I'll come across them as
owns it and then they shall pay me and
take it back
''Is there nothing about him? Turn
him over"
The little mites linen was white and OF
fine material but he lay on an old shawl
and few bits of dirty flannel. All they
found was dilapidated purse, a common
snaplock bag purse of faded brown leather.
Inside was brass thimble, pawn ticket
and the half of bank of England note for
e1O0.
"What good s half bank-note to you. "
"Half loaf s better than no bread"
eyes, but you can eat one and you can't
pass the other Won't you catch it from
your wife? How'll you face her, Dan ?
Whatll she say ?"
SShe'll say [ done quite right" replied
Dan, stoutly. "She's a good sort, God
bless her."
$50 are you, Dan, that's fact. God
bless YOU, too" said more than one rough
voice in softened accents. perhaps the
bratll bring you luck after all }"
Wintertide again six years later but this
season is wet and slushy. Once more we
are at Kirklington, long, struggling vii
lage, which might have slumbered on in
obscurity forever had not the northwestern
line been carried close by it to give it a
place in Bradshaw and certain Importance
as junction and center for good traffic.
But the activity was all about the station.
All the permanent officials had houses and
cottages there; in the village lived only the
field Iaborers, who worked at the neighbor-
ing estate or sometimes lent their hand for
Job of surveying on the line The poor
folks had a gruesome life of it-a hard,
hand-to-mouth struggle for bare existence
against perpetual privation, accompanied by
unremitting toll. A new parson-Harold
Trefry-had come lately to Kirklington.
He was an earnest, energetic young man,
who had won his spurs in an East-end
parish, and had now accepted this country
living because it seemed to open up new
field of usefulness. He had plunged brave
ly into the midst of his work. he was for
ever going up and down among his parish.
toners, solacing and comforting, preaching
manful endurance and trustfulness to all
He is now paying round of parochial Wis
its, accompanied by an old college chum
who is spending Christmas with him.
"Yonder," said Treffry, pointing to a thir
Unread OF smoke which rose from some
gaunt tree into the sullen wintry air, lyon
der is the house-if, indeed, it deserves sc
grand name-the howell rather, of one
whose case is the hardest of the hard ones
in my unhappy cure. This man is mere
hedger and ditcher, one who works for my
master, most often for the railway but who
is never certain of job all the year round
He has swarm of young children and he
has just lost wife. He is absolutely pros
trated, aghast probably at the future before
him and his utter incapacity to do his duty
by his motherless little ones. Jack !" said
the parson, stopping short suddenly and
looking straight into his companions face
81 wonder whether you could rouse him
If you could only get him to make sign
cry or laugh, or take the smallest interest
in common affairs. Jack, l believe you re
the very man. You might get at him
through the children-that marvellous
hanky-panky of yours, those surprising
tricks; child takes to you naturally al
once. Try and make friends with these
Perhaps when the father sees them inter
ested and amused he may warm little
speak perhaps, approve, perhaps smile, anc
in the end give in. Jack, will you try z
Jack Newbiggin was by profession
conveyancer, but nature had intended hin
for new Houdin, or wizard of the North
He was more than half professional by
the time he was full grown. In addition
to the quick eye and the facile wrist he hac
the rarer gifts of the suave manner and th'
face of brass. He had even studied mes
merism and clairvoyance and could upoI
occasion surprise his audience considerably
by his power. They entered the miserable
| dwelling together. The children-eight o
them-were skirmishing all over the floor
| They were quite unmanageable and beyons