The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-12-25

AIM ihi-N ulitis oIENED LIE Do'h
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 Off his hat, she looked up at
him, and knew she spoke, though was Not
near enough to hear what she said no
ticed, too, that she raised her hand in geS-
| ture--a solemn and intensely dramatic GEES
ture, it seemed TO me, for one so young to
make unconsciously. 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 l reached
the door.
Somehow when | was quite near her
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"
stood speechless in the presence Of that
chlld's fearless sorrow.
But help came to you yesterday" l said,
my heart sinking as possibility had never
thought Of flashed into my mind.
"Yes, he-the 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"
And-did-did- nobody else come ycster-
day." stammered.
Nobody else" said the child, looking up
surprised at the question.
felt ashamed to go in and face the tract
distributor in the presence Of the dead he had
comforted and whom / had left for Others to
eomfort-others who never came.
lie greeted me with gentle kindness, and as
/ casped his hand i'll that woeful dwelling
inwarCily bent before him in sc,f.abascmeut.
We went out together to plan for the
funeral and procure further aid for the liy-
ing.
"You did II good work when You wrote
about these people, he said, land | thank
you, for otherwise / should not have known
of their existence in time TO be Of help when
they needed it most"
With what shame remembered my article
on religious frauds. of which | had been 50
proud only two days before.
From that hour we became warm friends.
As learned to know him well | looked back
in amammcnt at my former conclusions in
regard to him. "Caamity' Parker, indcell
1t would have been more fitting had named
him Dcneiicent Parker. Ills life was bone
diction-unobtrusiv and sclf-denying; lie
gave of his 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
have never yet begun to attain. His habit Of
distributing tracts was merely the outward
manifestation Of n helpful spirit-a habit
contracted in a bygone day among simple
people. IL hurt no one. For aught | know
it may have benefited some. Why should
sive habit, of which I disapproved, that he
was fit subject 10 be inSulted in the public
prints, derided behind his back and sneered
at when he was PRESENT. IL was the igno-
rance Of youth, my children-youth, oyer-con-
fident youth, which thinks it knows every
thing and often knows nothing. | had not
then learned that each one has his own way
of doing good, and has his rights, too. Neither
had l learned that it Is foolish and wicked TO
judge people whose real lives we do lot know
and cannot know-or to judge at all
1t was some time before got over my sur
prise at the apathy Of the philanthropists Of
Doonvills In regard to that wretched family.
/ was at a loss 10 understand how they could
eat their Christmas dinners in comfort, after
reading about the distress of the poor souls in
the old house. l did not then know that
people unused to seeing poverty are slower to
lend helping hand than they who SEE it
every day; that when we have not tho poor
always with US We forget how 10 lie benevo-
lent and sometimes grow very selfish.
GERTRUDE GARRISON.