Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-01-24

I
his dead wife
Precious cid, amt it, Dick," sh,
said
Precious u ings are generally scarce
Polly he saii. "and as for cold, we have
plenty of it,
Il like the snow," said Polly, "if only Il
didn't get into your boots"
polly" he said, touching her eyel
with his fingers, @you've been crying"
AOh, you don't know, Dick she said
her large eyes growing larger @Pool
Mrs. Pink died in the hospital thi.
morning
"Poor creaturei it's happy release
She had more than her share Of suffer
ing. And the children
His hand sought the wall. He had lost
his breath, and he was compelled to
cling to something for support
you're awful bad" said Polly
presently That's just how Mrs. Pinl
went on. A churchyard cough Dick"
Il fear so, Polly"
~You'n be better when summer
comes
Yes he said with a bright smile; a
shall be better when summer comes. ]
think it will come soon."
Il hope So, Dick"
Thank you, Polly But Mrs. Pink'f
children-tell me OF them"
They're in a dreadful way. They
amt got friend in the world now And
Dick, do you know don't believe they've
had anything to eat the ivelong day.
Why, here they aret' Eek
There they were indeed, at Mr.
Richards knees. He looked down and
saw two mites, pallid, hungry, ragged,
their lips quivering from yearning de-
sire, their eyes filed with bewildesing
despair. He stopped, and placing his
hand beneath their chins, raised their
faces to the light.
$50 poor mothers dead'" hc asked
They nodded vacantly Their minds
were blank. They had something far
more pressing than death to trouble
them-their stomachs.
"And you're all alone. little ones,-
They nodded again, as vacantly as De-
fore. Bitterly cold as was the night,
they were oblivious Of 1t. They did not
feel the snow falling upon their white
upturned faces. The fight within their
little bodies was so absorbing that, like
Aaron's rod, it swallowed up all minor
evils. The loss of mother-a good mother
SO far as health and means permitted
the grave which lay open in their young
lives, their being orphaned, the desolate
future that stretched before them-all
was nothing to them. 1t was the present
which oppressed them, the terrible, tear
ing, hungry present. Great heavens!
Why had these innocent little creatures
been born with appetites, What wrong
had they committed that man and nature
should be SO cruel to them, If they could
only bite the air! They opened their
mouths and gasped
children said Mr.. Richard i'm gen.
tie tone, what would you like better than
anything else in the worlds"
Wide awake now, with all their intel
lect ual forces sharpened, with hands i'm
ploringly stretched forth, with eyes that
SHINE with keen desire, they answered in
ere voice as it We're:
Something to eatl"
-And you shall have It. What are you
screaming for, little ones. That's a
igerish way of expressing Joy. Keep
still. will your Polly, take hold of them,
and don't let them go. You, too, Polly,
you look as IL you wouldn't say non
Ia PACSiOuS
Precious again, eh, You see, Polly,
my landlady told me when l went out
this afternoon, that I couldn't get into
my room again unless i paid her the
three weeks rent owe her. So went
to friend and made bargain with him.
Look here. Ten bright shillingsl You
don't mind eating out in the cold, do you,
little ones,- You know Paradise court,
Polly,-Great God! how this cough
tears my chesti Take the little ones
there and wait for me by the side of the
dead wall. It's nice and quiet there-no
one to disturb us. I'll soon be with you
Away you 60"
He watched them depart-Polly In the
middle, holding the children each by the
hand. Then he gazed around and looked
up at the stars.
angels Of heaven he murmured,
@here in these haunts find you your fitting
work! Here is the true wilderness. II
you could change the snow to manna"-
He tottered away, coughing violently,
and smiled in pity for himself as he saw
the white snow stained by the blood
which dropped from his mouth.
Ten minutes later he stood by the dead
wall in Paradise court, the children by
his side. He had brought with him some
meat pies, highly favored, and a capfull
of baked potatoes, smoking hot They
warmed the children inside and out.
Color came to their cheeks. And now
that natural forces had fair play, and
could find natural currents, tears oozed
from their eyes at the thought of the
mother lying dead in the hospital
II n. g. II
Ever so much, Mr.. Richard-Oh, ever
80 much"
@very well. then. Go away now.
want to rest And, Polly, here are some
and some odd coppers. Don't
spend it all at once Kiss me, Polly; and
God bless you and guard you, child! You
need His blessing and His care"
He was alone, standing propped up by
the wall The forms Of the children
faded from his sight, and as he sank
slowly to the ground, he saw the snow
flakes fading and changing. A faint, rosy
hue stole into the air; the white light be-
came suffused with color.
1T is lovely and peaceful sunset" he
murmured as he closed his eyes. -Ah, if
1 could but have left my legacy Of love
behind me-"
At midnight Polly and the two or
phaned children crept to the dead wall,
and knelt by the side of their friend.
whose form was covered with snow.
.He's tired out, said Polly. He must
be dead beat He's q good sort, amt he,
Come away. We won't wake him"
They crept slowly and softly away; and
all night long the white snow kissed his
face-B. l.. Farjeon in Illustrated Lon
don News.
Alaska the Paradise Of Mosquitoes.
Alaska is the paradise Of mosquitoes,
and, to judge from Lieut.. Schwatka's
frequent remarks about them, it seems