Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-05-13
OUT ON STRIKE.

Little one, little one, said he, 1t is
come to this at last
Nancy could but partly understand
him. She was so wee, only four, and
this speech of fathers puzzled her. The
little one was motherleSs. Quite two
years ago they laid her mother 10 rest
in the lonely churchyard, and now the
grass grown mound was a haunt OF
springs first daisies, and by strange
chance few frail snowdropS lifted
their heads above the swad.
'It is come to this at last y sighed
Ned
What at last p asked Nancy.
That there's no help for it. Father
must-must CO. Ned broke down
with sobs.
Go where p asked Nancy.
Far away-away to look for work,
my darling.'
without me p
Yes, even without you; and, childie,
| could better bear death than this
parting Ned turned away TO hide his
tears from Nancy's 9az..
Don't cry, father she said. And
the poor wee one had not tasted aught
/ but dry crusts for many days besides
which, they failed to keep fire now. So
the room was cold and comfortless, and
Ned's Nancy was starving. But oh !
the wee darlng's patience.
1t seems as though she knew all a
bout it, said Ned to himself.
Don't cry said Nancy, soothingly,
'but come by the lireside an sit on
your chair. take me on your knees, and
I'll tell you what we'll do
So Ned took her.
Father she said, looking up into
his face, and, with her glance, a heaven
of light seemed to fill her fathers heart.
Father, we must sell the chair, and
and sell Bob the cat, and
Tears choked Nancy's utterance.
She could better spare the chair than
her cat. There she exclaimed, DASH
ing her tears away, Il mustn't cry, for
Pm big girl now
Ned clasped her closely to him.
We'll, father added Nancy, If we
sold the chair Git was their last piece OF
furniture,) and-and Bob, we'd have
enough money to CO.
Where ? asked Ned
To Heaven, replied Nancy. There's
bread in Heaven. Dosen't our hymn
say so, an that would feed us till we'd
want no more.'
With that Nancy tried to sing the
hymn, and she never knew the ang uish
of heart which seized her father.
Bread y he gasped. Ned bowed his
head. Poverty -merciless, cruel pOv-
erty-and the helplessness that comes
with the want of food, caused the
stlOng man to tremble ana weep like a
child. A man 'on strike' in the face
of myriads of unemployed, a man
whose life, even though honest, tenn
perate aud upright, was not worth liv.
ing. how could he look upward ?
Nay he muttered Il have cried a.
loud to the walls, GIVE me bread or ]
die ana nobody has heard. | have
pleaded for her, ay and to no purpose
The rich heed no., the poor are often
meiciles5 and jealous Of their fellows
and who cares that one grave more
shall be dug, in yone ohurchyard, even
though two be put in 1t one morning {
Let us sleep and die-.and wake
'Where p asked Nancy.
Wake repeated Ned, as oLe.in g
dream. Wake where p
Yes said Nancy in Heaven, !
s'pose.'
That was enough. The factory hand
among the trees turned to the open
door. Far out from oyer the hills q
CLEAN of sunshine darted down into the
valleys, and, at the same moment, a
sunbeam entered Ned's wintry.c cold
heart and cheered it. Ned took cour
age, comforted by his wee ones words.
Better days came for Ned's Nancy, but
her father never forgot the dark days
when he was out 'on strike. .'-M,n
yon'S illustrated World.
EirSt. class inh rnnrlr lana OF th.