The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1886-12-23

/ to ne frisntful excrescence on society. al
though lie had tho discretion to say but little.
1t fretted my progressive spirit to see him
crawling around thrusting his weak itera-
ture under more intelligent and buster poo
pies eyes "The day AMI generation are be-
yond tracts" said to myself, @and kers Is
this tkrcadbare fraud EeepiEg uD this relic of
fogyisInr ] despised him SO heartily could
hur,iiy speak decent gco,l morning as he
passed me | think ho felt that 1 di;likcd
Linn; but he had cultivated The unctuous af-
fectation of godiiness and an appearance of
Tya;icnce and sweetness uaGer siishts and
tc:.ats, and invariably returned g smile for
frowlI. That very habit made him dctes.able
to Inc.
beean to think about him as I went
along. He had only Iecn il Doonviiie a
couple OF years, and 1 had never heard OF his
doing anything but distribute tracts a8i
preach on the street corners down by tho
I..ilis. concluded that it was tima hs was
abolished Accordingly my first worl, on
reaching tho Office was to writc half
column editorial article on "religioas
frauds" in which the practice Of tact
distributing received merited castisation.
drew picture of the typical tract man, Of
which Parker was tie model, which wasn't
calculated to make his pcth in Doonville any
smoother. This incisive, and I may say
aable," article, which was certainly h1sails
sword of righteous wrath against tho tract
fraternity, was to edorn the Christmas num-
ber.
Then started out in E1y search for pow
erty in q self satisfied spirit. 1t is delightful
to do sometf ,ng that wins one's own appro-
bation. found the row Of old houses all
locked and tenartless save one, the last one
and the worst one 1t was in state OF
dilapidation so hopeless that its owner hadn't
even thought it worth while to shut it up.
| The result was that it was tenanted without
his permission having been asked. A family
Of dull Drained, saliow skinned, chronically
INDECENT, half dead creatures who had been
crawling westward in worn out wagons
drawn by dying horses, had taken possession
of it by permission of necessity. They lad
reached Doonville just ns their horses suc-
cumbed TO tho inexorafle, and there they
were, sick, freezing, starving and dying in
a state OF destitution unspeakable.
saw through the windows that thc hclse
was inhabited, though the only figure could
see moving about was more ghostlille than
human. On pretense Of borrowing match
| knocked for adrnittance. a natch such
| thing was far off, undreamed of luxury to
| tho family within. There was neither fire
nor food in the house, and the wind, the rain
and the SHOW caIne in at will through the
| classics windows. Haven't you noticed that
the very elements conspire with poverty to
make his victims wretched!
A skeleton men sick unto death lay CT tho
floor, his head on bundle of dry leaves.
| Two furnished children, III and feeble, were
on tho scriblGnce Of . bed il another corner
OF the room. A very oil woman sat helpless
by the SIDE OF tho sick children, whose emeci-
a.ed and miserable mother Groped about
fce6ly trying to give help to the others. TIE
only orc who seemed to have eny lie to
speak of left was 4 wan and ragged fttie fsi-i
with delicate features end big, old eyes.
l got Ere and food FOR them, and did al /
coull for their immediate relief. Then /
rushed to the oiIice CT The Trumpet and
wrote such an account Of them as would be
s.ro to send tho good people of Doonviile to
their door with abundant relief. 1t was g
| lo,;s; and graphic article, and realistic to q
startling degree We were not illustrating
nov. papers then rs now, SO could only pic
turc the suffering of this family in words.
However, gavo tho article tremendous head
lines and q prominent Place. The Trumpet
was issued the next day, which was the day
before Christmas, and it went forth on its
work OF arousiDg the pity Of Doonviile for
the family in the old house by the river. l
was very busy all that day and could not go
to see them. But when night came and lay
down to rest had the satisfaction OF feeling
| that they were provided fo-, and that had
beei the insti5ating causo Of their relief. l
fa,icied the surprise and sorrow the benevo-
lent Mrs. Barclay would feel when she visited
-, <rx IL
| after reading rly article. And how dis
tressed, 1 thought, Mr.. Archibald Doom
would DO when he Tealized that so sad c case
OF want existed in the town Of which he WIS
SO proud. And others-ever SO many others
-woUid be equally interested and equally
helpful. In imagination / saw the philan-
throriStS OF the the community, ono after en-
other, going down to the old house by tie
river sidc carrying aid and sympathy.
The next morning was Christmas Il w4s
ccld and clear, with q sharp wind blowing
traditional Christmas weather, called chccry
il stories, 1 think, but very uncomfortable
for those who arc thiniy clad After break
fast ! started down to see my poor friends by
tie river. 1 wanted 70 help them, but ell 1
could do would be but cipher in coupari-
son with what had already been done. Dut
l thrilled with the pleasure would exl,e-
rience i'll seeing their improved condition,
knowing had had hand in it.
How forlorn and desclatc the house was,
even rs seen from cfar OFT And OIL the
dreariness OF Christmas to those withinl
man approached the house just ahead OF
me. a second glance told me that i. was the
tract distributor. I fels spas,n of wrath az
sight of him. Eow dare lie mock those
wretched people with his printed twafdle
about the preciousness Of their souls when
their bodies needed food, ard fire and cloth
inCl