Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-12-25

He knocked, and the thin little girl with
the pale, delicate face opened the door, came
out. and shut it behind her. The tract dis
tributor took of his hat, she looked up at
him. and I knew she spoke, though l was not
near enough to hear what she said. no
ticed, too, that abe raised her hand In ges-
ture-a solemn M intensely dramatic ges-
ture, it seemed to me, for one so young to
make unconscjously. A queer sort Of chill
crept over me. The tract distributor opened
the door and went in. but she stood outside.
and was still standing there when I reached
the door.
Somehow, when I was quite near her 1
could find no words to utter. She seemed to
understand, and pointing to the door, said:
"You can go in if you want TO-. Father died
this morning!"
l stood speeches. in the presence of that
chlld's fearless sorrow.
"Dut help came to you yesterdayr I said,
my heart sinking as a possit ility l had never
thought OF flashed into my mind.
"Yes, he-tho man who has just gone in
came and was very kind. He stayed by
father all night, and was only away a little
while; but father died while he was gone"
Observation-Disclosures else como yester-
days" / stammcred.
"Nobouy else" said the child, looking up
surprised at tho question.
felt ashamed to 60 in and face the tract
distributor in the presence OF the dead he had
comfortcd and whom l had left for others to
comfort-otaers who never came.
Tic greeted mo with gentle kindness, and as
l claspcd his hand in That woaful dwelling l
inwardly bent before him in establishment.
We o out together to plan for the
funeral and procure further aid for tho liv-
ing.
"You did a good work when you wrote
about these people," no said, "and I thank
you, for otherwise I should not have known
of their existence in time to be of help when
they needed it most"
With what shame l remembered my article
on religious frauds. of which I had been so
proud only two days before.
From that Jour We became warm friends
AS l learned to know him well I looked back
i'll amazenlent at my former conclusions in
:rcsard to him. calamity" Parker, indeeds
1t would have been moro fitting had I named
him Beneficent Parker. His life was a benc.
Observation-Disclosures and self-denying; Le
:Earo Of bis abundant sympathy and slender
worldly means without reserve. Nor was his
never failing patience and sweetness of spirit
the cloak of hypocrisy, but the result of years
Of spiritual aspiration and discipline, which 1
haso never yet begun to attain. His habit Of
distributing tracts was merely the outward
manifestation of a helpful spirit-a habit
contracted in a bygone day among simple
people. It hurt no one. For aught I know
it may have benefited some. Why should I
a~sil;ne that because a man had all inoffen-
!ivc habit, Of which I disapproved, that he
was ~ fit subject to be insulted in the public
prints, derided behind his back and sneered
&; then be was present? 1t was the igno-
l:.s.ceof youth, my c~hildren-youth, overcon.
dat youth, which thinks it knows every
: 5 and often knows nothing. I had not
;&c.4 learned that each one has his own way
%. @oing COOL, and has his rights, too. Neither
maj 1 learned that it Is foolish and wicked to
.;:As5e people whose real lives we do hot know
and cannot know-or to judge at oil.
1t was some time before l got over my sur
1":is, at the apathy of the philan:hropists of
D>oavillo i'll regard to that wretched family.
J. was ut q loss to understand how they could
ea5 their Christmas dinners in comfort, after
reading about the distress of the poor SOUL in
~ old house. l did not then lSaow that
r2Qp.o unused to seeing poverty arc slower to
.:::: u helping hand than they who sec it
c"r.,y day; that when we have not tho poor
aisTaSs with US We forget how to be benevo-
!>::: and sometimes grow very selfish.
GERTRUDE GARRISON.