Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-01-26

faded coat Could the speaker give no hopt
10 the wretched listeners hanging OF his liTsi
Must they eringe forever at the foot Of
powerl Their thin, worn hands made tho
bread, but it was snatched from their mouths
and doled out in scanty allowance as tho
price of hopeless slavery. He had never seen
it before.
"Who is her he whispered TO his compan-
ion. The man did not even turn his face
from the speaker.
at is Curran. He belongs to the Labor
league" This, then, was the agitator his fa-
ther spoke of. And Bertha had pictured him
rightly, with his clustering auburn hair. For
a moment he stood silent, while under the
divine light in his eyes the souls Of each one
ripened for his next words.
"Alone you can do nothing, but united we
can shake the world, and all over the land
the oppressed are banding together. We are
weak now, but when the long stiAed voice of
your Srongs finds uttcrancc, the answering
moan4 of millions will rouse your souls to the
resistleSs martyr pitch. Then it will seem
sweet to die-yes, to starve-with your dear
ones about you inspired with the same en-
thusiasm. When the generation is born
which dare starvc but has forgotten how TO
yield, and even for the bread of life will not
sell its children into eternal slavery, then
will the gold of the rich rot worthless in
their white hands till they divide with us our
common heritage"
He stopped and sat down, and as his en-
thusiasm faded from his face, Philip saw he
was not handsome. The eyes that had seemed
so wonderful were too deep seated beneath
his heavy brows, and his smooth shaved face
was SCARED from exposure tos sun and storm;
yet, while he had been speaking, pity and di
vine wrath in turn melting and burning in
his eyes and lighting up his rugged cheeks,
he had seemed beautiful, like an archangel
The audience sat in silence a moment, then
one man shuifled his feet uneasily, then an
other, and then all rose liStlesSly to their
feet. Philip thought their zest in life had
gone SO long ago that they did not even miss
it; then he remembered what his life was,
bright as a June morning. Did God love
him so much better than these weary crea-
lures, whose only refuge was in hopeless
ness! Then he thought of Bertha waiting
for him, and he hurried out, glad that he
seemed to be escaping notice. Where was
the funny adventure he had to tell his sweet
heart! A new world had been revealed to
nlIl, Il WOflu Wltnln llle NOTlu ue ldu pldSeu
with, that knew no such thing as mirth, but
fed forever on bitter realities, and his little
spark of happiness seemed smothered in its
black night. Each one must have family
circle of his own. There were hungry eyes
that looked to him for the cheer his poor
heart was toodcad to give. Suddenly heavy
hand was laid on his shoulder.
"Praps you Gint got no place to go to,
friend.n 1t was his I'ig whiskercd compan-
ion i'll the hall, Graves.
II sort o liked your looks in the meetin'
tonight, and you're welcome to q bed at my
hoasc if you want it."
"0h, no." stumbled Philip, at his wits end.
ooh, no: Why not, then! Where be you
goin' to stayT and the man took his hand
from the young mans shoulder and eyed him
suspiciously. why, he wanted to go homo
and lay off his masquerade forever Bertha,
all radiant in all that wealth can add to
beauty, was awaiting him. He had SO much
to tell her." but he had nothing to say aloud.
II won't take no refusal, )" insisted the man,
taking Philip by the arm. mo words; Jane
will get along easy with an extra for once.
Ipresumc you've slept in wuss places"
ITO BE CONTINUED