Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-06-06
LIGHT DEMPSTER.
Mrs. Christine Seeger. in Springfield Repub-
ican

--~N--~ DNSeN'- - ~fAAAeANA| As-pNO
8 Delight Dempster was but 12 years old,
yet size had learned what many older people
1 never knew-how to wait
So, though the potatoes, which came
plump and appetizing from the oven an hour
: before, lay lukewarm and shriveled upon
f; the hearth and the toast had dried t. a crisp,
0 she sat patiently mending a sock for Tim
sleepy Tim. who had eaten his supper long
A., ago and been tucked into bed-and waiting
for the door of the workshop to open and
> her father TO appear. This shop had once
: been the wood-house, and opened directly out
of the kitchen; but the potatoes often grew
l cold before John Dempster remembered to
leave the model Of the engine he had in
vented and go and eat them.
Ii was not Ealf so bad Delight reasoned
when there was nothing but potatoes, as
when a bit of meat lost its Juiciness and
flavor through long delay; and after all it
was not ordinary, trivial waiting SUI as
the mlikmans hardness might occasion, or
any unruly sh0estring Of Tims-but what
that lent an atmosphere Of importance to
the poor little house, and even TO Delight
herself, who believed that great things vera
some day coming as the direct result OF it.
She gloried in the fact that the bakers wife.
whenever she entered the house, was filed
with tumultuous apprehension lest that
en-jine" should blow up; and a red flush of
pride wonli stain her cheeks whenever she
heard herself characterized, as she some
times did, as Light Dempster, the child Of
that crazy inventor
Some day she would say to herself, with
an unqu .stioning faith, They Will not call
him crazy
a strange mixture of fear and expectation
rl,rf.l - lar
when the latch clicked on the door of the
little shop-iear lest her lifted eyes might
r. al tine old story of futile struggle and
fallure-expectatlon of better day Even
the tagging step that approached the door
| from the other side had become the fore
runner Of tidings 10 be- read in the tired
| face, AMI the brave little heart would brace
itself to meet discuuragement with extra
| cheerfulness. How the strain wore upul
| the child no one knew. Her father called
her coniidentially:
~Lighf-licht o the house." his Aittle
hol-ekceper,T unaware, in his self-absor1,-
| tom Of the burden he WAS putting upon her
young shoulders
John DempSter had no faculty the
neighbOrs said, among themselves: he was
| always putierin, and that 1T was hard for a
child like light to plan and work for three;
1 H. Oil-"Oil
| her years"-ani She loved the little brown
house where her mother had died anIl.-
lievei i'm her IA theirs dreams of futur.. ri,sas
| and spenIor. without realizing the chances
| they implied
All the same. yyha,eyar ,nig;,t he il, stora
| there was Tins ipterrnjnahIe stocking II
/: al teen darned 50 MANY time, that but
| little Of the original texture remained. and
| She wondered As She worked how much
| longer il could b., uade Ia Iost-if ,bav
| would be rich in tim. To oct him nav o,cs
| for Christmas
| The kettle was hummin.r YEARLY unon tho
| stove. There was a srIbiued his hiss from
| the little worksbon that had , droy.v otf,.c,
| ~, r., -. ~, !; -
up " q" '
rather' she Said, rousihs herself ana g"
ing to the door; father, amt You coming 10
supper" She noticed, he turned toward
her that he trenbled with excitement.
There was "A crimson spot ON either check
,r,d hi. ay,,s .rioyvoi lilo star,
aI,,- al -, IN
- az ~ iis'' nc ciied'
MOI nav hot Il hltci' Knew IL must be
shy ,eii''i"i engine "aKe UP, lim
NJ called; come and see how well she does (
her work Nv tet nv beauty,7 and he ca !
rcssed the shining metal as lovingly rs n (
mother would her child
H. :, 49,, - ., ,;,
- IL: -, -, Il. I
"''''-" anu i1i :" eAcitedis' (
an 'Ae years Oh Struggle anu denial To sue /
coed at last Now, my little Delight, you |
shall ride III your carriage, wear silks and /
Diamonds every day-and on Tim-you /
can 90 to college"
Tn ,,b, ,,,,,,,,,d I,. bo,f Do, $50,
ne - iiite,;.'o. -. -, '1---
az ~ ""i 'ii's siailOe
from us sister suppressed a very scornful
~fiuinph. The engine that she regarded
with such reverent eyes was to him the de
mon that mad devoured their substance ever
since he could remember; that had compelled
hIm often AMI often I" go supperless to bed,
and To 80 bare-iooiei IN cold weather
don care he insisted IN stubborn
In,ia nave seen one just IKE IT,
.Tip,o,b,- D.r,,star,r
81 have. too. when went with Jim Wbite
to visit his grandfather There was lust
a queer thing that fixed up and down. and
another one that whopped round"
i1,iothy Denpster, go directly TO oeh!
n,i ~ oiuer WHICH he
In bng Ioy,,l bnar+ r., 10. sh,,
louis. nor i,,-,,s.' fa;th 81 ,,naa'.;,,,, -
terest had been to her father CONSTANT
source of Inspiration 1t had been other
wise in the days of the palefacad mother.
who had built hopes upon one invention
sl ah"I 1D 1niy 10 see them 90 down IN
"a tr-i,1,,i,,i, r'r ','I .iii oiiidieu
strength until ana day sha ia;i bar .;rad
hands together. and never lifted them ia
work OF 10 pray again Her long continued
sadness had had depressing. even paralyz-
ins effect upon her husband durl"s her life
bu ai'er Hie ctaSel 20 me- among 'hein'
,i','' nv ~ 49, iaush'
srepped mt her place. he became posSessei
NTH the idea OF an aIonement that was to bs
effected by his ultimate success, With the
fatal eyotlsm Of a dreamer tie .uIi 10 himself
DAILY;
w hen succeed, when my engine is COM
pleta, when can give the children every
hing she desires for them, she viii forgive
M, ana lie glad of the old, hard years
And while h. dreamed he worked, earning
something each day ami spending all but The
barest pit'ance upon his invention. Day by
lay the house grew shahbier. The deft and
dainty fingers of tie little housekeeper
toilad harder t" keep not only body and soul
L Ecthar. but things looking neat and taste
lul a in her mothers time Morning glories
We're trained II screen the windows IN sum
mHr' mat the White cotton curtains. with
Their "idfashioned trimming of knitted
Lace might b. lail 10y 10 last another win
ter if''t she >h''rri her iather dreams u
future nagnihcence al not prevent the
da!ly recurrence q PRACTICAL shifts Ike this
Al length patience had had her perfect
work; tie ldea that had hiied her fathers
tangible |