The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-01-05

me Knee 7ss which she was 10 kneel. and
Il seemed % IL the dear childish prayer
, must find . response in each wandering
but not yet hardened heart.
But four days before Christmas
Chrissy, for some unaccountsble res
son, wouldn't eat the nice dinner pre-
pared for her, and ss she was seldom
forced to do anything against her will.
being q remarkably good, yielding
child, not much notice was taken of the
fact.
1t was quite q different thing, how.
ever, when 1t night she lsnguidly 70
fused to knesl at Shepleigh's knee, it
being his turn TO listen while she said
the little prayer. But il struck sud-
den chill to his very heart when she
kept repeating: Too sick; Chrissy too
sick; poor Chrissy too sick"
Say, mates, the child's head is hot,
and her little hands like fire; she
breathes too quickly, too. What ought
fellow to doe" asked poor Shepleigh.
in distress.
In few moments the child was lying
in her little homemade bed, muttering
uneasily, while a group of rough but
intelligent-looking men were holding
low conference with sober faces.
my mother always gave me rhu-
barb when was a youngster and had
fever turns, if twas caused by indiges-
ton, and castor-oil If twas q cold,"
said Argos.
Over to FIoxsorrs. however, was a
man they called doctor" who had 4
sort of dispensary in small apart
ment, and was supposed to possess
considerable knowledge of medical lore.
When he stood beside Chrissy, in
answer TO a hasty summons, he said
the child had . high fever, too well
under way to be checked; and for the
next three days it was one unremittipg
watch over the little sick darling. Hot
baths were resorted to to prevent
spasms, and everything done that men
could think of TO relieve her; but
Christmas Eve the fires of the fever
had spent themselves and the little
frame was about worn out.
In the evening the doctor called, and
to the grief and dismay of every man at
the house, instead of still speaking
hopefully, he only gazed long and pity
ingly at the little wasting form.
"Why don't you speak, Docs" said
Shepleigh, sharply; ''anything's better
n nothing when the whole crowd s. q
gazing at YOU"
"Well, boys, the truth is" said the
man, slowly. "I'ye nothing particu-
larly pleasin' to say. There'l be q
change about midnight; you might as
well be prepared for il" Then, with
some attempt at reverence and conso-
lstion, eff q minister was round now ]
suppose k's one of those times when
he'd say the will of the Lord must be
done"
Then the doctor went away and the
men avoided looking into each Others
faces.
Shepleigb, with his hands in hi.
pockets and eyes cast down, walked &c
and fro through the long room, while
Argos in precisely the same attitude,
with eyes on the floor, walked also,
meeting Shepleigh each time midway,
but neither noticed the other.
Smithson, with hands in his pockets,
was looking out into the darkness at o
window at one end of the long hall.
Worston, In the same apathetic atti-
tude, hooked dejectedly out at the other
far window.
Sitting on the edge of the cots were
six or eight others, and not q sound in
the room save the fitful signs at inter-
walls from the little bed and the muffled
fall OF those troubled feet pacing to and
fro.
Pretty soon the tapping of rain and
sleet came on the window-pane.
'Just such q night as when she
came, isn't it," said Argos, softly, as
Shepleigh came up to him in their
solemn march.
1t seemed a relief thss any one broke
the dreadful silence.
YES" said Shepleigh, "the little
thing has been here just a year to
Iwouldn't take on too bitterly, Shep.
You know 'tiAn't as If we'd neglected
our baby"
Shepleigh went over to the little bed
scious little figure. Then. as if the
sight were too much for him, he turned
away.
Argos mao stopped IN the middle OF
the floor, and without much motive in
the action the others had joined him,
and the men were standing in group
as Shepleigh approached them
81 believe" be said, pausing, 81 be.
lieve if God had spared that little tot,
I'd have had minister of some sort
come here and set up little service on
the Sabbath. Fact is, / had Christian
trainin', but when my parents died /
drifted off from all that sort o. thing;
but the worst of it is / never forgot my
teachings in that line; simply neg
lected them. Now, you see, the Al
mighty don't think I'm fit for such a
responsibility like that''-he turned
his head in the direction of the little
sufferer-''so He's takin' matters into
His own hands"