The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-06-19
HELPING HAND.

HELPING HAND.
There is an old saying that if a dog
gets bad name, he might rs well be
hung. And so he might As a matter
of fact n reputation is the hardest thing
in the world to break away from.
And Mr.. Galespie's neighbOrs early de-
cided that he was cold and morose and
proud-because he was shy and reticent
and awkward, and found it most agree
able to carry on his large charities
through his wife. She, also, always
brought people into his house when the
home had no need of company, and took
him into other homes when they had
need of him, until he never dreamed of
doing anything hospitable of himself.
This was all very well. while the wife
lived, but one day death robbed Mr..
Galespie of his helper and go-between,
and left, instead, tiny mOrsel of a
daughter, who was more innocent of the
ways of society than he. They lived to
themselves for years, but just as the
girl was growing into sweet womanhOod,
and had become a household magnet,
drawing the good of the outside world to
her side, death came again, and robbed
Mr.. Galespie of his daughter, this time
leaving nothing in place of what he had
taken, except very sad heart-and
will saw, too, a very soft one,
When he found himself quite alone,
the old man regretted more than ever
that his nature kept him from the lives
of his neighbors, which he would gladly
have touched; but it seemed even now
more impossible for him to break through
the reserve that had grown up about
him. When he tried, everyone looked at
him askance, as if they were astonished,
or sadly, as if they were thinking,
"Trouble has weakened his mind" and
so he drew each day closer and closer
into himself, though his desolate soul
was aching for something to love and be
tender of. None of the poor inhabitants |
of the little manufacturing town where
his mills stood guessed that the man
who owned the entire village could be
lonely. They were unable to conceive
the fancy that gold fob might cover a
sore heart
But we have thought enough about
how Mr.. Galespie felt; we must think of
what he did.
For several afternoons in succession
he protested that he preferred to walk
home from his office at the mills, and
when the cOachman turned the corner of
Water street with the empty carriage, he |
saw tout of the tail of his eye" as he
said afterward to the butler, his master
standing by a little cottage directly OPP
posite the factory, eagerly scanning the
remarkable bulletin that hung from one
of the upper windows. 1t was a sheet of
coarse paper with sentence upon it in
large, irregularly printed letters. One
day it read, Not much wOrse;" another,
"a little better" several times simply |
Better" and then, "Settin' up"
1t was not that the last announcement
moved him more than the others, but on
the afternoon in which he read it an in
visible voice futtered through the win
dow where it dangled in the words of
song that brought tears to his eyes. 1t
was an old Scotch ballad that his daugh-
ter had sung to him early every day for
years
I'VE Gamma leave the old folks now
We'd better bde vice.
trilled the sweet voice. Mr.. Galespie
darted inside the hall door, which was
open, as such doors always are in sum-
mer.
On went the voice and on went the
lonely old man. He climbed flight of
stairs and came to another open door.
In the middle of bare-looking room sat
small boy with a sleeping baby in his
arms MlOse udhlp Culls Ilo SoHS was
tluttering.
For few minutes the singer stared
silently at Galespie, with fright written
all over his thin face and in the protru-
sion of his soft blue eyes, Finally he
gasped:
"Are you mad about that?" with fin
ger turned in the direction of the bulle- ,
tin. "Ben has to 90 over before Sissy's 4
up mornin's, and she's ben sick teethin', i
so let him know, quick's / find out {
how she feels. He looks over when he {
gets time-street's so narrer he en- see;
couldn't hear, you know, if | yelled, cuz I
the engines make SIGH noise didn't h
think you'd be mad on account of ownin' !
the house" II
Il am not mad" said Mr.. Galespie,
''but I'm awfully hot and tired. Can't G
have a chair?'' II
wait a minute till l lay Sissy down, !
an I'll take tn pail offer that one" /
The boy disappeared into another :
room, coming quickly back empty-hand- a
ed. Mr. Galespie felt very uncomforta- e
BILE under the searching glance of his \
surprised eyes, but he did not finch. g
you were humming favorite ballad a
of mine just now, and / came in to see if
you would sing it for me-" v
'What was it it?' (
WED Better Bide Vice." !,
"Of course will. Do you want the o
whole thing, or only verse;" t,
'"The whole thing" "
After he had finished singing the min n
strel looked at Mr.. Galespie as if he ex- n
pected him to go, but as there was no Il
appearance of departure, he said: II
''P'rhaps I'd better be maxim tn cake n
its gettin so late-for Ben's birthday, II
to s'prise him. l en- keep right on sing o.
in if you want l should" ?
''What else do you know?
Robin Affair." an Annie Laurie,
an Comm Through the Rye all
things that Grace had pleased her faith NJ
er's old-fashioned fancy with. II
Good, good" he cried, and settled z
himself back in his chair while the boy -,
stirred butter and sugar together as he ~ !"
sang. Z,
Mr.. Galespies daughter little suspect al
ed that her simple music would live to ii
bring her father a second measure of d
joy; that the footman, who was supposed
to hear nothing and see nothing outside
of duty, carried the echo of her ten Ter n
friend Ben, when he visited him his III
might out"
Does it tire you to sing?n asked the II, ~
old man, secretly wiping his eyes. ~
'Sometimes-when Sissy makes me do -
it too long" The boy laid his hand
across his chest-'I feel it here. Our I'll
folks all get tn consumption. Mother to
had it, an father an Sid. That's what
Ben's afraid of with me; an so we're b,
gOin' to get tn music-bOx, eight dollars, w
down to Smiths. Plays six tunes. We U
have seventy-two cents saved up. Seel" M
He shook the coin from paste-board hi
box, and spread it in glittering rows
upon the table. 10
That ones a Canadian piece, only -, -,
worth six cents-somebOdy stuck Ben IL
with it. Oh, there's Sissy frettin'. She'll ~
hat to be logged little" ~ ~
He looked in nervous anxietylfrom the ~
cake to the bedroom door. ~ ~
Go on with your work." shouted Mr.. IL
Galespie; II can jog Sissy" But Sissy al
and Mr. Galespie were not of one mind. al
ITS of no use, she won't let mel" w
burst desperately from the old man after
4 moment or two. Perhaps l could Sc
make the cake better, if you'd tell me nc
low" as
The brother, coming to the rescue,
,ound his guest rocking the cradle vio- he
emily with one foot, while both hands
we're planted against Sissy's gingham
hest, in a vain effort to overcome a sit
ing posture. of
rive broken the eggs; you might Sc
peat EN- up. She'll be asleep by that
lime" lei
Mr.. Galespie found cooking moro sa