Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-05-24
The Invisible Guest.

The Invisible Guest.
Il don't believe one of those bows
knows what 1t is to have pain or an
ache, sighed a pale little fellow, whose
only practical legs were pair of
wooden crutches leaning against the
window-sill where he was lying.
1t was warm day, and a party of
happy school-fellows We're on their way
to the river for row. There was Ned
johnson, Will Fairfax, and True Ste
vens; and so full of nonsense and fun
were they that none of them noticed
the wistful gaze Of poor little Perry
Evans as he followed them with brown
eyes only, while they went laughing
down the lane.
Besides being lame, Perry was lonely;
for he had no brothers and sisters, and
his mother had to go to work. So he
found the summer days long and wear
isome. Fortunately he had some talent
for making little toys and trifes, which
was an occupation, but often he was
not we'll enough to work: and to-day
he was mourning the loss of his only
tool of Importance, an old knife, which
had been so often sharpened that it
had at last snapped in two.
Perhaps this was why his eyes were
SO quick to detect something shining in
the road--something that True Stevens
had pulled out Of his pocket with his
handkerchief, as he went laughing
along in his careless fashion, and had
left it lying there, to be crunched by
the first cart-wheel that passed.
Perry reached for his cruches and,
hobbled out to where this shining
object lay; and his heart gave bound
OF delight as he picked upa brand
new knife with big and little blades.
what a beauty" he said to himself
as he turned itover and over, and forth
with drew from his pocket piece of
wood, at which he had been ineffectu-
ally hacking. The new knife cut the
pine wood as if it had been cheese, and
in less than no time Perry had the hulk
of small schooner on the bench beside
him.
The morning was gone before he
knew it, and the bench was full Of
chips, while a fleet Of little boats stood
in trim array on the window-sill by the
time Perry remembered that his dinner
must be eaten.
He thought he was alone as he UNI
covered the plate of cold meat and
bread which his mother had left for
him, and so would any one else have
thought had that person looked in the
neat and tidy place which was parlor,
bedroom and kitchen all in one; but,
all the same, he was not alone. I'm
known to Perry, strange guest was
beside him, one who comes llnbidden to
many feast where wine sparkles and
fruit and flowers blush and glow. Sin
gular that he should take poor little
cripple for his host when he can have
kings and emperors for the choosing.
But here he was, close beside Perry,
whispering in the child's ear; and this
was what he said:
THAT knife is yours. It is just what
you need. 1t might have been twisted
into uselessness or rusted and broken
before any one saw it, had you not been
at the window. It was Just chance
that made you aware who dropped it;
and that careless boy can buy as many
as he wants, while you suffer for the
need of one. How foolish you are to
think for o moment of returning it!
Take my advice; keep it. Say nothing
to anybody about it, and no one will be
the wiser.
Perry pushed his plate away, saying
to himself, I'm not bit hungry;
guess I've worked too hard"
just then a small brown wren began
twittering on the maple tree, and a
sweet scent of honeysuckle was waited
in from the vine outside. Perry loved
birds and flowers more than most BOYS,
perhaps because he was so much alone
that he had observed them more close
ly; but to-day the burden Of the wren's
song seemed to be:
Don't, don't do it, You know why.
You know why"
The tired little fellow curled him.
self up on his bed and went to sleep.
The strange, invisible dinner guest
went away. The wren flew to her nest.
Late in the afternoon Ned and Will
and True, who had not only rowed, but
swan and tished for hours on the river,
were sauntering home in the tired, list
less ways that boys fall into when
their days sport is over, when they
heard some one hallooing to them.
who's that ?" said Ned, shifting the
oar he was carrying from one shoulder
to the other.
"Only one of those little pests of
Mickletown, answered Will. "Come
on, boys. Don't notice him. Look out
for your fish, True, or before you know
it, the scamp will cut your string"
just as he spoke, there, sure enough,
stood little chap with knife in his