The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-12-24


| @lpg1rfNNt--'' '-'-ygg. ps->---,-
what are vou dong, DaryI'
Being ashamed Of him they tried to keep
him hlden and assumed 10 have forgotten
bis existonH, They were never uulind TO
him, but by and by there seemed 10 be no
place for him,
He didn't notice tho change In his simple
soul there was neither suspicion nor discon,
tent lie rocked his dolls, talked 10 the birds
and dogs, stll watched At tho CUTE at times
for his mother and father and stll loved all
the world
They couh never afterward tell who ag-
gested IL Perhaps IL wN Catherine, who
had grown less kind Of late, or perhaps II
was George, WHOSE pursuit Of money grew
more engro,sing eyory day; or II might have
been julia, who was continually sought after
by what they were pleased 10 call society
They had all thought Of H. but Just who
had dared 10 first utter II they could never
afterward quito determine, After II had
been spoken, however, II was easy enough TO
give II shape aud development II IL tho
first expression Of evil that Is difficult After
that tho way Ia smooth, Al last II was talked
Of quito plainly Davy was In the wny, lie
was discredit 10 thom and an obstacle 10
tloir advancement They were ashamed OF
him
Something ought 10 DO done with him.
That was the verdict They talked 70 over
until they really felt like martyrs, and actu.
ally persuaded themselves ~ people often
will wh.n they are about 10 do something
very mean, that they are doing II for the
victims good,
Catherine urged that Davy wandered away
10 much that sho was always uneasy about
him, and shc was too busy 20 be- continually
hunting him up Besides, she thought h'
was growing more peculiar and ought not 10
have 40 much freedom, She couldn't answer
for what he might do
George was absorbed In tho great business
Of getting rich aud nd not dissent Julia,
too, seemed 20 have given up all weakness In
the shape OF love for Dayy, aud agreed with
The Others that no fought 70 be put somo-
whcren
Al last II was decided to send him to tho
poorhouW.
II was not that they grudgrd him the little
II cost 10 supply his necessities; they wanted
him out Of the way Neither did they want
20 send him 20 tho almshou,c ~ paupcr,
but nt person Of innrm m nd-not do
meut enough 70 bc lodged In a hospital for
The insane, but too uncertain 20 have his
liberty,
The way was perfectly easy The law was
on their side, though humanity was not
They even plumcd themselves upon having
done more than their duty by him, They
were 10 pay his board and buy his clothes
The idea was that they wanted him "lookcd
Nftcr' This waa the language In which
they clothed the very mcNncst act Of their
lives They measured out Justice NJ q valua-
ton OF dollars and cents, and took no Nc-
count n most precious things They were
about TO hurt the helpless, forgetting II Is
wrlitcn that tho strong shall share thoir
strength with the weak
Tho evening before Davy was 10 leave an
ominoug silence fell ON the household A fro
burned In the grato OF tho pleasant little Et.
ting room; the lamp light was brighter than
ever, but the good cheer that comes from
wcll.doing was absent Something invisible
but dreadful was thcrc and all felt its pros.
cnco but Davy, The unlind deed planned
for the morrow had already taken evil shapoOt
their hearth, intangible, but real The knowl'
edge OF tho invisible spectre, whose namG
was Injustice, made them strangely SILENT
MI but Dayy, Ilo was Gxacting unlimited
amusement from toy fox that barlcd weakly
when II was squeezed Az the fooblost sound
that came from the mouth Of the diminutiyo
Rcynard ho would break into peals Of l0ugh.
ter Curously enough, tho more hc laughed
tho grayor grew the three other faces, His
ioyouncw rchukcd thom, His innocont hap.
pI s embarrassed them, His perfect trust
put them 10 shame
Outside the wind waa making wild music,
Suddenly II blow open the gntc, which swung
shut again with clottcr Of lts iron latch,
"lta mothcrl lt's mother" shouted Davy,
prlnFng TO the door and opening it but
only the raw December night wind rushed
IN, Az lcngt that seemed 70 be all but II
brought with II n chill Thcword mother
M Dnvy sroko II, had rent her grave and
brought her thero--Hn nctunl presence All
felt her calm eyes look into their guilty
hearts with eoiTowful surprise and saw her
wrap her nrms lovingly and protoctIngly
around Dayy, m they had seen her do In
life thousand times They did not SEQ this
with their natural eyes, but their sumbcrng
consclcnces aroused 10y her nOmo took this
shape
Dnyy shut the doors and sat down with
look Of disappointment In his fncc,
"Shc didn't come hc HId, "but thought
all day she wouldn
He sot silent for minute aud then said 10
GATHERINGS
''lf mother comes tonight yon'll wake me,
Katy won't youi Shell bo 10 ghd 10 SEQ
mo-" and NJ the very thought ho was all sun.
shine again
touched them There wns not ono OF tho
three NJ that moment who would not gladly
have undonc everything and declared that
Davy should stay there forever, but no ono
put the wish into word, II Is os difficult 10
give expression to gool NJ first as 10 evil
That curious shame which sometimes seals
tho lips when tho noblest feelings demand
utterance held them silent Anl 80 the
golden moment which might have heen glori.
fled by decd OF impcrishable benuty rolled
by aud an act 81 shameful Selllshness was
recorded In la stoad.
Some OF the gloom that shadowed Tho
place settled upon Davy at last, aud ho laid
his bead upon Julia's lap and fell asleep,
II was ten o'clock the noxt morning when
John Keller, who drove the wagon from tho
poor farm 10 tho town overy day halted DO
fore tho Carson cottage.
The December sunshine was glorious, tho
air fresh aud bracing and the srarrom In
tho leancss vines were holding lvoly matt
pee.
psvy w@ never % iuhilanL He was full