The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-06-08

ming Of winter, and in ten DAYS ,
mon. his rent would fall due. Worst oi
all. his late charge we're angry that he
did not leave town. They had new
preacher. who recited his sermons even
moro glibly than DR.. Bland. and hi.
black side-whiskers gave him mos,
stylish appearance. He was too. in.
vesting in corner lots. 1t was cmbar
RAISING to have Mr.. Downey goins
about secdy and sorrowiul.
II s'pose you'll so home pretty
soon:" said Deacon Padget.. that fate
full morning. II think myself YOU
can't 60 too SOON"
Il have no home to go to-" said
Ephraim. thinking with a swelling
heart Of the little house at Smyrne,
now closed to him forever.
Then you ought to have some place
you call home, said the deacon. wrath.
fully.
When evening came. feeling the
house was too small to hold him, cum.
bered as he was with worries. Ephraim
went out for . walk. He was soon
striding along in the open country. bu,
what to do was as impossible to decide
as ever. The strident rustling of the
dry leaves accented the mournful sigh.
ing Of the north wind. which still had
the herby fragrance Of iron.weed, as
ters and golden-rod. At last he stood
on the narrow bridge that spanned
North creek, and rs he looked down
into the still blnckness of the pool the
stream made at this point, the tempter
of souls assailed him. "Why not leave
the question to be solved by others?"
was breathed in his scar. Down in that
quiet spot. where the eddy holds all
that comes to it for weeks. you will lie
long undisturbed. A mist obscured
the stars Not one was reflected. a
glimmering shadow. in the dark depths.
Lower and lower he bent. drawn by
something he could not resist Rest
was just beneath him. and he was very
tired. His hands hung limp, one foot
was over the bridge. when sleepy
bird called family to its mate in the
cedarA Instantly y brave. clear an
swer came. 1t had been one of Eph-
rains few pleasures to note the WAYS
Of birds. and his attention was aroused
in an instant. Then great wave of
shame came over him. and crying
aloud. he fell upon his knees in the
dust of the bridge.
Il asked the Lord what I ought to
do" he explained to his wife the next
day. when he had told her that he had
spent half of his precious hoard Of
money for quantity of wares to stock
his father-ir-law's old rag-cart, which
mother Foster. quite regardless of pub
lie opinion. had brought with her from
Smyrne. He heard me. Ruth dear.
and ! saw fathers old cart as plainly
rs l see you"
The Annex Chronicle. being on the
spot and 'eeling sympathy in its plural
bosom, said nothing. The Church Or
gan. being far from the spot, and quite
ignorant of the circumstances, and
irritated perhaps by the publicity given
the step by the Zoar Scraper. which
never reelected the making of a para
graph at any cost to other people. if at
small cost to itself. made Ephraim the
text on which depended biting
Kind hearted. stupid
Twacker. now DR.. Twackcr, asked the
reason.
ut is because my father-in-law is
dead" wrote Ephraim, humbly. 81
always had a refuge under his roof.
Vacations. when people expected me
to leave town. and I had no money.
and always when I was without a
charge. we went to fathers. My sal
ary has never been beyond the point of
our living expenses. You will there
fore understand. without my going
further into detail. that when father
Foster died. and his home went into
other hands. with no money. no
charge, and no trade, had no choice,
since seven helpless beings depended |
upon me for suppor:."
The first week on the rag-cart Mr.
Downey earned fifteen dollars above
expenses and his independence and
worldly career began. H. sends out
men himself row, ard keeps smar:
buggy in his barn beside the red cart !
'e:ired to honorable desuetude. But
hough he is a busy man. as the firm
If Downey. Badger & Co.. rag-dealers.
n Zoar. ought to be, he still finds time
o DO special work for the Master. and
nbcrs in mission schools and charities.
10 is generous, too. and seeds a snug
um each year to his beloved alma ma
CT. Waterbury. But though the course
# his lifo has been rs open as the day,
hough he has he'd himself above Re.
'roach in every relation. public and
private. the question is ST. II asked sus-
';cious y behind his back: what do
ou think is the r-al reason he left the
Weekly.
Woman's 6ew.tehing Laugh.