Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-04-16
a D D Be E}l ] 1, III a Nd

"a DIM LED B a B ] s Il 4 Nd
s sE* Every body WAS afraid of the old Gov ~
sernor because he was 80 cross and surly.:
And one morning he was scrosser and
surlier than ever. because he had been
troubled for several days with a matter
which he had already decided. but. which
many people wished to have reversed. A
man found guilty of a crime had been
imprisoned, and there were those who,
convinced Of his pelitence and knowing
that his family needed his support, earn
;estly sought his pardon. 10 all these
solicitations the old Governor replied t.no q,
sand, having made up his mind, the old
! Governor had no patience with those who
persisted in their intercessions, So chs
old Governor was in high dudgeon one
morning, and when he cannettO his Office
/ be said to the secretary .sAdmit no one
to see me; am weary Of thesescdnstant
and senseless imI Urtu mites = s5 5ss
II Now, the secretary had ta discreet regard
for the old Governors feelings, and it was
seldom that his presence 'bf mind 80 far
deserted him as to admitsof his suffering
the old Governors wishes to be sdisre-
garded. He, bolted the door and sat HIM
self down at his modest desk and :simula-
ted intense enthusiasm in hts work His
stimulation was more intense than usual,
for never before had the secretary seen the
old Governor in such harsh mood = a.
''Has the mail come-where are the
papers and the letters?'' demanded the
old Governor, in a gruff voice.
s:Herc they are, sir" said tho secretary,
as he put the bundle on the old Governor S
table s'These are addressed to you pri-
vately; the business letters are on my
desk. Would you like to see them now?''
r, ~ No, not ;now," Erowledsthe old Gov
ernor:.I will read the papers and my
private cores pont1ence first"
But the old Governor found cause for
snneaslness in this employment. The
! papers discussed the affair of the i'm
5sprisoned man, and these private letters
came from certain Of the old Governors
!; friends, who, strangely enough, exhibited
! an interest in the self-same prisoners
affair. The old Governor was highly
disgusted.
''They should mind their own business ~
muttered the cid Governor. ''rhe papers
are very oficious, and these other people
are simply impertinent My mind is made
? up---nothing shall change me-"
Then the old Governor turned to his pri-
waite secretary aAd ;.atle him bring the
: business letters, aid presently the private
Secretary could hear the old Governor
growing and fumbling over the pile OF
correspondence He knew why the old
i.:Governor was so excited; many of these
IS letters were petitions from the people
( touching The affair Of the imprisoned
man. Oh, how they angered the old
Governor!
, "Humph p said the old Governor, at
last "Tm glad Pm done with them
There are no more, I suppose"
When the secretary made no reply the
A:old Governor was surprised. He wheeled
in his chair and searchiugly regarded the
secretary over his spectacles. He saw
that the secretary was strangely embar
raised.
| s'You have not:shown me ALL" said the
/ old Governor, sternly sWhat is it you
have kept back?"
Then the secretary said: 81 had not
thought to show it to you. 1t is nothing
but @ little chi1d's letter. thought ]
should not bother you with it'' -.
The Old Governor wis interested. A
chi]d's letter to hin1-what could it be
about? Such thing had never happened
to him before.
ga child's letter; let me see it," SAID
the Old Governor, and, although his voice
was harsh. somewhat of q tender light
came into his eyes. -
alt is nothing but scrawl," explained
the secretary, "and it comes from the
prisoners child-Monckton's little girl
Monckton, the forger, you know. OF
course there's nothing : to it--1a mere
scrawl; for the child is only 4 years old
But the gentleman who sends it says the
child brought it to him and asked him Il
send it to the Governor, and then, per
haps, the Governor would send her papa
home"
The old Governor took the letter, and h
| scanned it curiously. What a wonderful
letter it was, and who but little child
could have written it,. Such strange
iaieroglyphics and such crooked lines
oh! it was;a wonderful letter, as you. car
imagine.
But the old Governor saw something
more than the strange hieroglyphics anc
| crooked lines and rude pencilings. HI
could see in and between the lines of thu
l. little child's letter a sweetness and {
| pathos he had never seen before, and or
the crumpletl sheet ne found a love like
| the love his bareaVed heart had vainl1
yearned for, oh! SO many years.
He saw, Or seemed to see, a little heaC
bending over the crumpled page, adimpled
! hand toiling at it's rude labor of love, anC
an earnest little face smiling at thu
thought that this labor would not be ii
vain. And how wearied the little HAND
grew and how sleepy the little head be
came, but the loyal little heart throbbe6
on and on with patient JOY, and neither
| hand nor head rested till the task was
| done.
Sweet Innocence of childhood! Wh<
would modest thee-who bring thee ont
| shadow of sorrow? Who would not rathe1
| brave all dangers, endure all fatigues AMI
| bear all burdens to shield thee from thu
| worldly ills thou dream:st not of "
| So thought the. old Governor, as hi
| looked upon the crumpled page and saw
and heard the pleadings of the ohild'i
letter; for you must know that from tht
crumpled page there stole Thousand
| gentle voices that 1nur1nured in his ears sc
sweetly that his heart seemed fullo tears
And the old Governor thought, of his own
little one-God rest her innocent soul
And it seemed to him as if he could heal
her dear baby voice joining with thi
Others, in :trustfn pleading. \ ....>S =.
The secretary was amazed when the ole
Governor said to him: 'sGNe me a blank
But what most amazed the secretary was
the tremulous tenderness in the old Gov
;erner's voice and the mistiness behind th'
old. Governors spectaclessas he folded th,
crumpled page reverently and putt it care
! fully in the breast pocket of his great coat
/ ..dumph," thought the secretary, 9TH
/ old Governor hasa kinder heart than an,
OF us suspected ..<zsls 81 szssa4s .s:. 5=
/ Then, when the prisoner was :pardonet
| and caran fror, h;c sca11 ne0Y,lp rrssnnf