, 1885-12-25

years, noticed the change in tho boys -
meanor. He looked at his white face and 7
membered that it had been round al slo,
Ing a short time before and understood IL
he suffered. He was too old and imbecile
have the cause Of 1t all straight in his mi ..
but sorrow has Its own language more elo.
quent than words, and this he understood.
Poor Davyi Poor Davy!' he muttered.
as he patted the boys head. Then a. hi
sympathies overwhelmed him he bent ana
kissed the shiny face OF Days doll. leaving
its painted cheek stained with the tears thar
rolled from his witherei ones.
They all gathered around Davy-urpriseI
and pleased at his silence and patience. They
were a strange company of consolers-
cra1ed, crippled, woe begone. clad in mean
garments and owning nothing hut their ir1-
Isrishable souls and their battered bodice.
Yet all that they hnd-kindness-they gave.
Each one forgot his own grief, whatever Il.
was, in the presence OF the boy's mora IN.
bearable one.
He only held Lizzie Ann Close TO his breast.
as though there was comfort in her cotnpar..
iorship, and rocked the harder
The next morning he ru-, with dry eyes
and made a heroic effort to he hopeful. as
1t to-day | 20 homer was his first question.
His lips trembled when told TINT il was no..
but he shed no tears. John Keller appearl
early on the scene and removed one OF Ia,
black beans from the string, which nov
ornamented Days person as "a necklace.
Yet the boy did not seem hopeful He wis
only quiet. His tears fell no more. but hi,
silent patience was even saddle than hi4 r.
bellious lamentations Not being "A creature
OF stout will, his spirit was Us wretched in
woe as it had been buoyant in happiness lie
seemed to have suffered beyond the poiu'
where a ray OF hope brings strength. lie al
changed his wall, ~ want to go home. 10
I'm going home but he said It, without
spirit and apparently without hope: aud IL
was If possible, more h~eartrending than ht.
first wall.
His spirit was broken and - was hi, ph,s
ical health He had grown - weak he couli
not sit up long at a time, and 50 would III.
hours OF every day on his cot. staring AZ III,
wall, though seeing il not. His eye erp
looking Into some realm outside OF all ma. a.
rial things, for they had changed strangely.
Instead of the simple, vacant l,nk 81 his
pleasant days, they had grown deep und
luminous, with that wonderful beauty which
Is seen in the eyes OF those who irtye suffered
great anguish OF spirit.
And so the days went on until all the hsnus
"ere gone from the string but onr. and tiLs
next day would be Christmas.
John Keller had counted the hour NJ tho
long week with even greater Impotence tlmn
Davy. He had grown into the thought that
he would rather set that homesick boy down
on the doorstep OF his old home than To some
in for a princely inheritance. Before he
started to town in his wagon that morning
he had said to Davy when arranging the
bean necklace, Tomorrow You 20. my
boy; tomorrow" and Davy had repeated
his usual refrain. I'm going home.
Keller brought letters home with him that
evening, which was nothing unusual; but
among them WIS one that took all the life
out of his face when he heard its contents.
IL was from Davys brother and counter
manded the order to bring Dayy into town
on Christmas. They had decided not to have
him come until New Years Unforeseen
circumstance made the delay necessary.
To atone for the delay he should ''stay a iay
or two when he lid come etc.
Some tears were shed over the cruel news
but not by Davy. Hours before the letter
arrived he had been lying IN his cot. his sad
eyes staring through the walls that impri~-
oned him into the land Of his dreams. When
they went TO tell him they found him asleep.
tho now crumpled but comforting don
clutched in one hand and held close to his
~woe-begone face.