The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1886-12-24


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 ges-
ture, it seemed to me, for one so young to
make unconsciously, A queer sort of chill
crept over me. Tho tract distributor opened
the door and went in, but she stood outside,
and was still standing there when 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;
aYou can go in IL you want to- Father died
this morning!"
stood speechless in the presence of that
chlld's fearless sorrow.
"But help came to you yesterday" said,
my heart sinking as possibility had never
thought of flashed into my mind.
ayes, he-the man who has just gone in
came and was very kind. He stayed by
father all night, and was only away little
while; but father died while he was gone"
"Aild-did-did-no else como yestcr-
Qdy! SIaNHlereu-
Nobody else" said the child, looking up
surprised ut 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. - t ,.
He greeted me with gentle kindness, and as
clasped his hand i'll that woeful dwelling
inwardly bent before him in self-abasemens
We went out together to plan for the
funeral and procure further aid for the liv-
ing.
"You did good work when you wrote
about these people," he said, sand 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 I had been so
proud only two days before.
From that hour we became warm friends
As learned to know him well looked back
in amazement at my former conclusions in
regard to him. Calamity" Parker, indecl!
1t 1t would thave been 11oro fitting hatt named
him Beneficent Parker. His life was bene-
diction-unobtrusiye and self-denyins; 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, wi..@!i
have never yet begun to attain. His lub:sof
distributing tracts was merely the outward
manifestation of helpful spirit-a habit
contracted in bygone day among simple
people. It hurt no one. For aught l know
it may have benefited some. Why. should
assume that because a. man had an inoffen-
r.~t.s@ -, ~, n 1,
was fit subject to be insulted ain the public
prints, derided behind his back and sneered
ut when he was present? It was the igno-
rance of youth, my childrcn-youth, over-con-
tident 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 learned that it is foolish and wicked to
judge people whose real lives we do not know
and cannot Enow-or to judge at all. 5g
It was some time before got over my sur
prise at the apathy of the philanthropists of
Doonville in regard to that wretched family.
was at loss to understand how they could
eat their Christmas dinners in comfort, after
reading about the distress of tho poor souls in
the old house. / did not then know that
people unused to seeing poverty are slowerto
leLd U nelplMS uauO LQaU tney VINO See IL
every day; that when we have not tho poor
always with us we forget how to be benevo-
lent and sometimes grow very selfish
GERTRUDE GARRISON.
Happiness as 1t Is in Youth and Maturity,
Isn't 1t q little queer that as we grow from
youth to manhood the objects change which
bring us pleasure? The amount of happi-
ness realized varies but little? There seems
to be certain amount of the article implanted
in us; no more, no less. The bows sled gives
place to the richly caparisoned sleigh, the toy
house TO the imposing residence, the toy
watch to real one, tue toy boat to an ocean
yacht-but the first yielded quite as much
pleasure as the last
The Christmas gifts and pleasures of youth
brought as much happiness as houses and
lands, hanprs and fame do in after years
Dur happiness is ali relative, anyway. We
enjoy hF comparison. The boys sled Is big
enough TO fill his mind. The mans yacht Is .
merely toy, which has its use for time
and then ceases to ampse. Christmas is a
reality to the young-a definite pleasure
point. To the full grown boys and girls 1t is
an attempt 70 arouse the old enthusiasm. the
belief In Santa Claus. the enjoyment in Gift
giving and gift receiving. It comes and GOES.
and they try hard to persuade themselves
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