, 1885-12-25


shs others tina W Fought to DO put some
whore
~ last IL wns decided TO send him to the
~poorhouse.
1t was not that they gudcrd him the littl,
IL cost to supply his necessities; they wanted
him out OF the way. Neither did thew want
to send him to the ulmshouae as a nauu.r.
but as n person of infrm mind-not de
mented enough to be lodged in a hospital for
the insane. but too uncertain to have his
liberty.
The way was perfectly easy. The law was
on their side. though humanity WINS not
They even pluIned themselves upon having
done more than their duty by him. Thew
were TO pay his board and buy his clothes.
The Idea was that they wanted him slookel
after" This was the Language in which
they clothed the very meap,st act of their
lives. They measured out Justice, at a valna-
ton Of dollars aud cents. and took no nc-
count Of most precious thing. They wpre
about to hurt the helpless, forgetting il Is
written that the strong shall share their
strength with the weak.
The evening before Dayy was TO leave an
ominous silence fell on the household. A fir
burned In the CRATE of the pleasant little II.
ting room: the hmm ligbt vas brighter than
ever, but the good rS,er that comes from
we'll doing was absent. Something invisible
but dreadful was there. and all felt its pres.
ence but Davy. The unklnd deed planned
for the morrow had already taken evil shape at
their hearth, intangible. but real. The knowl.
edge OF the invisible spectre, whose name
WAS Injustice. made them strangely silent
all but Davy. He was e~Nncting unlimited
amusement from a toy fox TINT barked weakly
when it was squeezed. At the feeblest sound
that came from the mouth Of the diminutive
] n.-...I - -. -
ter. Curinusly enough. n. NOR. he laupbe,i
the grayer grew the three other faces. Hi
joyou.ness rsbuked them. His innocen hap
pines embarrassed them His perfect trust
put them 10 shame
Outside the wind was making Wild music.
Suddenly It blew open the gate. which swung
shut again with a ~clatter OF its iron latch.
Its mother Its motherrr shouted Davy.
springing to the door and opening It; but
only the raw December night wind rushed
Ia. At least that seemed to be al. but Il
brought with it a chill The word smother,
A. Davy spoke il. had rent her grave and
brought her there-an actual presence. All
felt her calm eyes look into their guilty
hearts with sorrowful surprise aud saw her
wrap her arms lovingly and protectlngly
life n Thousand time. rbes All not - mi
with their natural ave, int their slDmbarIno
,onsciences aroi..i by her name tool nj
shape.
Dayy zbut tba do,r anil at ,loan with q
look of disappointment in Ma face
She didn't com. . he aid. ,but | thonebt
all dev she uunld
He sat silent for a minnie and then said tn
Catherine;
If mother eam.s Ia night vonru wske me
KATY. won't wont She'll h. 50 Glad Ia -
Inc. and at the very thought be WAS all sun
shine again.
This Innocent faith In. his own Importance
touched them Thena wns not one az TN.
three at that moment who would not GLADLY
have undope everything and declared that
Dayy should stay there forever. but no one
out the wish into words 1t is as difficult TO
dive expression to good at first as TO evil
that curious shame which sometimes seals
he lits when the noblest feelings demand
ltterance held them silent And 80 the
,olden moment which might have been 0Iori-
led by a deed of Unreasonable beauty rolled
". and an act Of shameful selashness WINS
pc-orded ia lis stead.
Some of the gloom that sbadovad the
,lace settled uuon Dayy at last and he laid
,s head upon Julia Ian and fell asIeep
1t was ten o'clock the next morning when
John Keller, who drove the wagon from the
poor farm to the town every day halted be
'ore the Carson cottage.
The December sunshine was glorious, the
air fresh and bracing and the sparrows in
navy u-.s newar - militant Ha u.z fnlI