Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-05-26
For His Sake.

JACK nau never fcdOl OhO SOHSliOu
ton which secures equal rights to al
persons, nor the Declartion of indie
pendence which declares that all mel
are born free and equal. In fact ht
could not read at all. Just at thi:
time his great problem was to sell {
few newspapers, so that he might buy
his supper, and find shelter of some
kind.
1t was cold, cold as "Greenland's
lev mountains which was being
sung at the opening of q missionary
meeting in a large stone church.
while Jack was passing with his pa
pers under his arm. He was cold and
hungry. Nobody wanted his papers.
The music attracted him as he
paused to see the people go in. Per
haps he could get warm, so he pushed
open the door, and entered the large
church. He had not the least idea
that the hymn had any reference to
him, when the congregation sang:
| The heather in their blindness
Bow down to wood and stone.
He was a heather, but he did not
know it. He was as blind and ignor-
ant as if he were picking golden
sands from Africa's sunny mountains.
Just now he bowed over the register,
and warmed his hands, while he look
ed around, wondering what was 60
ing on.
Nobody noticed him; so when be
felt warmed he entered pew near
the door, and sat down. Possibly if
Jack had been a little Chinese boy
from far off China, or a little Japan
from New Guinea, or young negro
from the Dark Continent, or even a
Greenlander from those famous icy
mountains, some good Christian would
have seen him, brought him forward,
and increased the enthusiasm of the
congregation by placing real, live
specimen of heathendom before them.
Unfortunately Jack was only an Or
binary little American newsboy. We
pass many of them in the business
streets of our cities every day, with
out wasting much consideration upon
them.
Jack understood as much of the
address as if it were given in Hebrew,
as probably the first great missionary
address was. Very soon hunger, heat
and fatigue overcame him. He had
just sense enough to lie down on the
floor, his head sting on his arm, be-
fore sleep overpowered him. He was
unusually comfortable. When his
finances permitted he paid few cents
for nights lodging in the News
boys lodging House. Generally he
was happy if good stableman of
his own acquaintance allowed him to
sleep in the stable. Often he slept
out of doors, in doorway, under a
wagon or in one, anywhere that pre-
sented fiat surface large enough to
hold his small body. Anti-poverty
societies were not formed then. Even
if they had been Jack would not have
known of their existence. He was
only eight years old, and rather small
for his age. He remembered his
mother because he was separated
from her little more than year.
As to his father-of course, there
must have been a father-Jack knew
nothing. He was homeless waif,
alone among the million inhabitants
of our metropolis. Yet not alone,
for an omnipotent Father was watch
ING him, and his Elder Brother sat
beside him.
The missionary meeting was long
one. Several ministers presented the
spiritual needs of as many distant
places. Last of all, home mission
ary spoke of the heather at our
doors, the thousands who never en-
tered place of worship, never read
a page of Gods Holy Bible, to whom
the old, old story of Jesus and His
love would be quite new.
Meanwhile Jack slept, and just as
the people stood for the last hymn he
began to dream. The poet says,
ssDreams are but interludes which
Fancy makes. Fancy spread ban
uuet of bread and meat before the
hungry child. A cup of steaming
coffee was just in his hand, and he
was raising it to his lips when he
awoke. People always awake just at
the point of enjoyment or realization.
The congregation was singing with
deep feeling:
Blessings abound where'er lie reigns,
The prisoner leaps to burst his chains,
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the souls of want are blest.
Then with hearts filled with enthu-
siasm for the ignorant ones in distant
countries and in their own city, the
congregation stood in silence to re-
ceive the benediction.
There was cry of some kind from
the rear of the church as the minis
ter finished his blessing. The peo-
pie all looked towards the corner pew
as they passed out, for the sound of
half-suppressed crying continued.
There was nobody in the pew, at
least there was nobody on the seat,
and the supposition was the crying
was outside.
One of the assembly looked in and
saw the child. He stopped, lifted