River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-12-19


you go to the Judgment they won't ask
for your rent-rOll, but therell be ques-
tions hard to answer. Can you answer
when the King shall say:
Twas a-hungered and ye gave me meat;
was thirsty and ye gave me drink;
was q stranger and ye took me in"
'Get right out, / tell you'll" shrieked
Silas, but he did not lay the weight Of
his lean finger on the beggar child.
"How will you meet that dear mother
who fed the hungry and clothed the
naked, and that other-I see her now
your poor, unhappy wife?"
Silas Marks turned in such mortal
fright that the candle fell from his
trembling hand and went out on the
floor.
"You have time to repent" came the
voice, and it sounded supernatural in
the dark. 'COme down to the narrow
river streets tomorrow and find the
people who have no food and no fire
the little children with not enough to
eat and shivering in their wretched
homes-the sick and deformed and
wretched, whom God gives to you and
such as you for an Offering, in the name
of Him who was once a homeless child.
1t is only what you give that you can
take with you beyond this life"
The door closed and all was silent.
Trembling in every limb, Silas Marks
hurried to relight the candle. Yes, she
had been there. The miserable, rickety
basket with crust of bread and sod
den potato in it was left behind.
The next day Bessie Van Pelt was laid
up on the sofa in the library at home
suffering from slight cold when Uncle
Silas walked in.
"How bright an cheerful you do look, !"
he said, warming his numbed hands over
the light coal fire.
What's to hinder" laughed Bessie.
''Why shouldn't we be warm and coy
and comfortable?"
She was reading a new book and turned
the leaves with lazy satisfaction.
well, that's SO. l s'pose; but then
there's-ahem-some folks that don't
seem to have the wherewithal," drawled
Uncle Silas.
"Oh, there are lots OF good people in
the world who at this time of year re-
member the poor. Let me see. Where
was l reading Oh, yes! He gave
her check for fifty dollars, and told her
to buy load OF coal, barrel OF -four, a
quarter of beef and some bedding for the
poor family in the alley. Uncle Silas,
what does ffty-dollar check look like?
/ never saw one"
ut looks like this" said Uncle Silas,
taking out strip of lavender-colored
paper. ''Seel This is one, signed and
ready to be indorsed."
"Why, Uncle Marks, that is my name!'
cried Bessie.
Eyes. and you must indorse it right
here, and I'll go with you to IDENTIFY
you"
"But what am / to do with it?"
whatever you want TO, miss. Here
you've badgered my life out for money
for your poor folks on Christmas trees,
an now you want to know what you've
to do with it. II that amt jest like
woman"
"But, uncle"
"Yes, / know. I'm a mean old cur
mudgeon, skinflint, miser, but I've
got a heart somewhere. and guess I've
found it. Don't ask me any more,
child"
Bessie's eyes dropped, flush came
into her cheeks. She rose from the
sofa and put two loving arms about her
gruff old uncle's neck.
"You are a dear" she said, as she
kissed his rugged cheek, land you shall
just see for yourself the happiness you
have made"
There, there, child, get on your
things, and we'll go and get the cash. I
feel as IL somehow / want to spend tho
whole day in the open air."
And wicked, wicked, designing Bes-
sic gave him another hug before she
went to get ready, singing under her
breath:
what saved spent,
What spent lost,
What gave had"
Mrs. l. NJ. Rayne, in Detroit Free