The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-09-28

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PEN eia foods aid ffeeIIess lor
ds'f q supply tim Win 6e fiia:
teflf ply his trade, e6ic IL liz
oesf As never very fen5nnerafiVe.
5bs' iowever. was hot asIy worse
off were many others Nko fos'-
low sfe same oceupation and rived
alon he river. above and below
hid 61a who we're liis constant
EcN,ls mons fz .e 9xefz Wa
Saan f0F d ere were Fllsl-
TRts in his life when something
FAin him reyolted against the con-
dliIIs that bound him to their level
and % the miserable life he was
leadin.
Whe thoughts took possession of
him hegenerally sought consolation
and forstfulness in drink, or lacking
the wheewithaI to procure it. he
would q down to the shed on the
rivers bak and work with a will
until he n earned enough to buy
the liquorfor which he Ionged.
Soyers had one of his moody
spells the day that little Annette
came to hb home. He bad been
down on thtriver until late that day.
1t had raind and drizzled all the af-
ternoon. AMI the sky and the water
and the earh and the trees had look
ed dark AMI sorrowful, and the birds
with drooling pIumage. had twit-
tered and 0mplained sadly as they
hoped from bough to bough. The
scene had brought dark thoughts to
SOyers, andhis heart was heavy and
full of discoltent.
When he ueared his house, how
ever. that evening, the last rays OF
the setting sun burst through the
clouds and were reflected against the
one window of his humble home.
the light was so brilliant that it
blinded him for moment. and caus.
ed him to put his hands to his eyes.
When he looked again the last
rays were just leaving the upper
panes of the window. and in a mo,
ekSt moro. were gone. But they
yet flashed in the tops of the tall
mgnoIias. and sparkled in the raih
dDps that hung to the edges of the
smooth green leaves, until they
seemed as if bespattered with bril-
liant jewels,
Soyers saw il all. His soul drank
in the beauty of the scene; for to-
getber with his faults and failings, he
was Furthermore afflicted with an APP
probation of the splendor that nature
takes on in joyous momeuts.
For a minute he stood motionless
with his eyes on the ground. Then
he shook his head sadly and mutter.
ed: ut is no use. l am only Soy.
ers, and haven't right to look for
anything better and brighter than
what 1 am enjoying from day to
day."
And so he walked slowly toward
the house. When he reached it the
clouds in the west were tinted with
gold and crimson, and were filled
with bright promises of a glorious
morrow.
That evening Annette was born
When the little one was placed IN
Sover's arms, his lips quivered with
emotion. He bent to kiss the little
face, but checked himself in a mo.
ment. and hastily putting the baby
back into her mothers arms he left
the room.
He betook himself to the place
where he kept small Jug in the outel
room, He shook it and found thai
iv-was empty. Then. pulling the ha
down over his face, and with the jus
in his hand. he walked to the door
Then he placed his foot on the out
SIDE. The steps gave away and HI
was precipitated to the ground. A
he fell the jug flew out of his hant
and rolled away into the darkeness
But Soyers got to his feet again, anC
finding the jug he started for tn,
rumseller's. When he arrived there
and presented the jug to be filled h
found that the bottom of it, some
how, had been knocked out.
They offered to fill a new jug fo
him, for he had been a good custo
mer. but he only shook his head, an,
taking the bottomless jug with him
he left the place and trudged ava.
to his nome.