San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-10-08


And Dick, too, had been taken from
school and placed in the chemical works
of the town. They were both earning
little, but it was pang at Hannah's
heart when she thought that Dick must
be kept from his books. The boy had
real passion for mathematics, and nights
after her labor. with u stocking to mend
on her hand, the mother bent with her
boy over his slate trying vainly to help
him with the knotty problems.
Mr.. Rand had no head for figures. He
acknowledged it with sorrow. 1t was
singular defect in his constitution that
had led to the wreck of his worldly aS-
fairs AS he said, he could not compre-
bend why two and two should invariably
make four. Bat the old man had tried
to form Dicks literary taste on the best
models. He had recommended to him,
us entertaining reading of the savoriest
kind, Burton's "Melancholia, " Sir Thorn
as Brownies Essay on Burial Uns,"
Moore's Utopia" and laaak Walton's
Gentle Angler" The boy had come near
breaking his mental teeth on these hard
nuts, ana had failed to crack any OF
them except Walton, who is meat for
all ages.
Now we must go back to Hannah
where she stood testing the hot iron close
to her brown cheek, there III the little
kitchen where the fresh clothes had be.
gun to drift like snow banks in January,
filling chairs, baskets and tables with
their dantineSs. In handsome pile
We're Judge Rivers Washington shirts,
| shining with elbow gloss and the high
splendor of the iron. Hannah had paused
| for a moment to listen at the old mans
| door. The doctor was within, and she
| heard the two old fellows laughing to-
| gether, and the sound warmed the cookies
/ of her heart. Presently the doctor came
into the kitchen and closed the door be-
hind him. He was a very large man, the
heaviest, it was said. in Littlefeld, and
pursy to degree that when he tried to
get through Hannah's small doors he
was obliged to turn edgewise. His ire
mendous nose, of no particular shape.
was matched by great double chin and
heavy hanging cheeks. But above rose
one of the best and soundest of heads.
noble forehead. with an eye like an
eagles, piercing, dark, terrible or benig-
nant. 1t saw straight through all shams
and could shine in tears or laughter, or
chastise with whip of scorpions,
The doctors head was immense above
his great, generous ears, and his capa-
cious, shabby hat was set far back upon
it. His clothes were rusty and spotted
with chemicals, and he carried about
with him the odor of the drug shop, as
doctors often do. His hands, strange to
say, were small and fine, and seemed al
ways involuntarily lingering weak
pulse A sixth sense seemed to residein
those supprsensitive hands He came up
to Hannah's ironing table, and a little
furtive smile began to curl round her
thin lips and light up her dark face, for
she knew what was coming. The doc
tor had Slipped Il dollar greenback under
the ironing stand.
"You know, Hannah" said he, in the
Hheedling, coaxing tone he used with
nervous, tidgetty, unreasonable patients,
Il couldn't think of taking the old mans
money. You must use the fee to buy
! him some little comforts. Why, Han
nah, it's such privilege to come in and
talk n bit with the old man. | don't do
it half as often rs | would like to; it
seems a dissipation, like the opium habit
or gin drinking You should have heard
him today: he was immense-way up i'll
the starry spheres, and you would have
thought that those Old chaps who wrote
his favorite books were right there in the
room with him.
The doctor was talking against time.
and Hannah, us she paused in her work,
gave him penetrating look. Il guess"
said she slowly. there are angels up
there that smile, if they don't laugh
right ont. at some of the lies that's told
down here AS if the old man had
money to pay in fees. AS if ne had had
a cent in his pocket since he came to me
three years ago. We thought that meb-
be some of his distant rich kin might
think to send him a Christmas present,
but they never do. There's two things
! folks always keep clear of, doctor-pov-
erty and pestilence."
But it's to be remembered, Hannah"
responded the doctor that the poor are
always good to the poor Without their
kindness to each other the world would
not 30 on. I've seen good deal of hui
man nature i'll my time, and know it's
awfully mean in spots, and i'll other
spots it's lit up with heavens own light
unexpected spots, too, mostly
Yes" said Hannah, softly setting
down her iron. when think of you
going round in the country in your old
mud spattered shay, tending the tired