Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-10-22


of such disinterostcd aflcction-not gen
crously, rs though his companions, like
himself, were boys who were away from
their sisters, and needed all the help
that good woman could give
them. Far from 1t. He read that
sacred letter as though ho wclo
rcciting some ridiculous travesty-
read it as good jokc-and
wound up with n laugh boisterously
loud, and the remark:
isis is getting sentimental; she must
have been reading novels. Wonder il
she forgot to wash the dshcsrh
Edward looked mt Walter and VIII and
saw upon their faces what he had cX-
pccted, smiles of approval OF course,
they would agree with their superior
friend. But nothing short of the super
natural could have prepared him for
Percy's aspect. ltwas terrible to behold.
The boy had sprung to his feet and
now, drawn to his full height, stood
confronting Edward, like an aveng-
ing fate, His white hair, with
his abnormally red face, inyolv-
UNFAIRLY suggested to all, u beacon light
giving warning of danger ahead. One
second only did he glare at Edward
Just long enough TO inspire within him
and his two parasites feeling of won
dcrful awe. Then he exclaimed, his in
tense carncstness killing his customary
drawl:
you're cad, sir! If you had said
about ny sister what you have Just said
about your own, I'd knock you ilatr'
Pcrcy's three auditors could only stare
,, a. t1
until Percy himself felt n reaction and
sank into the nearest chair.
"You all think Fin q fool, don't
you?" he qucricd, iicrcely, rs soon as
he could find voice. "Pcrhaps am.
But, fool or no fool I'd know how to
value sister if | had one. You did
not know that when my twin sister
Nellie and | had scarlet fever she was
taken and l was left as amp Do you
think l can ever forget her? Do you
suppose l have never prayed that L
may meet her againp The one thought
of my life is of her little grave in the
mountains"
The latter part of Pcrcy's speech was
addressed more to himself than the
others, and Mt its conclusion he dropped
his head upon the table and burst into
tears.
But they were not tears of weakness.
Every one of the three bcholdcrs knew
and felt this; within every one was kim
died feeling of involuntary respect.
What they were pleased TO call his
namby-pambyism was really his good
ness, in which he was their superior.
True, any one of the three could have
clicked him, for it was very apparent
that Percy was not strong bodily, but
where they had failed he had bravcly
shown himself the champion of the
weak. Yes, Percy was the best man,
the only gentleman of them all Every
one of the three knew it, and in his own
heart acknowledged that he had been
tried and found wanting.
And now, did Edward feel
like cat in strange garret
He did, and so did Walter and Will
Three cats in strange garret, then. In
this case, the strange garret was Percy's
moral atmospherc-fo do believe that
every soul cXerts an influence which
may be perceived outside of it, just as
the earth is wrapped in an airy robe,
which can be felt, even when it can not
be seen. Had three cats tried to fly up
into the domain of the birds, they could
hardly have been more out of place
than were these three boys in the ele-
waited region of Pcrcy's best thoughts
and feelings.
But this one cat in particular, Ed
ward, had the good sense to feel that he
was in strange garret, SO too, had the
other cats, Walter and Will, in a less
degree. They would have rectiiied their
mistake, if they could, and, thanks to
Pcrcy's suggestion, they found good
way.
''Sit down now," he said, land write
nice letters to your sisters adding bit
terly, "this is a pleasure denied to me,
for have no ster."
They did write letters to their sisters
Edward, Walter and VIII. Edward
really did catch inspiration from Lucy's
letter, wrote her just such an answer as
it deserved-never forgot it rs long as
he lived. Walter and VIII apologized
for neglccting their sister so long, and
did the best they could to get up re-
spectacle missivcs-probably they never
forgot either. But, after Edward had
finished his letter TO Lucy, he still felt
little dissatisfied; he began to realize, as
he never did before, the true worth of
good girl, and, partly with the idea of
working off his dissatisfaction, partly
with that of giving expression to his
new-found thought of good girls
worth, he also wrote a very pretty letter
to his old-time friend, Mary Bell.
should not be surprised if | heard
that he turned out very well, after all.
-Margaret b. HarUc5, m Demoresrs
Magazine.