The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-05-06

1t is q difficult thing to crneh az
heart. Pile up years of wrong-doings
Gpon it, years of giving way weakly
to appetite and sinful indulgence,
steep 1t in sin, and drown it In drink.
and yet where least exdected it comes;
to the surface and asserts itself
Would we could make our Young Peo-s
pie readers realize this, and realize ass
we'll the worth of living In such way
as to give sustenance and life to the
best that is implanted within them.
One summer, at a time when in thes
densely-populated districts of Phila-;
delphia children of the poor were dy-s
ing by the score weekly, man whose
face showed plainly the ravages Of the
drink curse, staggered one morning
up the steps of physicians dwelling.
In the neighborhood he was known
as "Old Bourbon" and q boy passing
tossed the name at him deristvely.
The door was opened by the physf-.
clan.
"The baby's worse" said the man.
"You've been here for me every day
for week." exclaimed the Doctor
II cannot 60 again to-day. I told the
child's mother there was no chance
this mor ming. 1t was dying then. 5S rs
Wont you come now ?"
mo; have not q minute to spare.
There are patients waiting whom e
"Old Bourbon" followed him tohis
carriage door, twisting his rag Of
hat in his shaking hands. "She's
she's all I've got, doctor ~
But the doctor, with a plying noe,
drove away, and the old man, nearly
sobered by his keen distress, crept
home to the attic where his little
grandchild lay dying. Whatever
nursing or kindness little Mary had;
known had come from "Old Bour-s
bon.n Her mother had six other
children, and went out washing every
day. The poor old drunkard and the
innocent baby were left to form O.
strange friendship for each other.
She called fer him now feebly, as she.
lay on her mothers lap. .,s5
Daddy daddy! Gene to me n,e
He kneeled down and put bis fn-.
ger into the tiny withered hand
The tears ran down his bloated
cheeks.
"God, leave her to me God, leave
her to mew he muttered.
Daddy, come to Mary!" she cried.
once more, and then the little SOU,
whose taste of life had been 80 bltter,S
passed on into the unseen.
1t was only baby. It's mother,
who had six other half-starved ehil-;
dren to feed, shed but few tears over
it. The doctor sent in a certificate Of
it's death with dozen others. In the
weekly bill Of mortality there was ans
item. "Of cholera infantum, seven-s
ty." Little Mary was one of the sew
enty. That was all. Her record was
ended. The world had done with
her. ~
But an old trembling man crept
next Sunday into the back pew Of the
little mission church, not far from the:
attic in which he lived. He stopped 5
the clergyman when service was
over.
"Why, is this you, Bour-I beg
your I9 pardon What is your real
"John Black, sir. want you to-
take my name again. Pm thinkin,
of signin' the pledge an pullin' up
for the rest of the time left" stam.
mered the poor wretch.
The clergyman was wise and help.
full. John did "pull up." He lived
but a few months after that, but he
did what he coald to live q decent,
honest Christian life in that time.
1.-The Lord is merciful, John" his
friend said to him as he lay dy-:
ing.
II know it, sir. Pm not much ae--
quainted with Him, but I've been try
in to foller little Mary. hear her al
ways cryin,' Daddy, come to me.t
Pm comm, an I reckon He'll not
turn me back" @
Even the baby had its work to do,
and had done it.