The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-05-20
MISS DlLL0W
BY CARRIE A. GRIFFIN.

BY CARRIE A. GRIFFIN.
Miss Dilloway locked the back doI IT
of her small house, and hung the key in
plain sight near the kitchen window.
How fer the safety of her goods. and
chattels was ensured by this simpfJ act
she never stopped to consider; but moth
ing would have induced her TO leave the
door unlocked.
On her way down the narrow gravel
walk she stopped to pull n weed here
and there from the .fiOwer-bed, and to
pick up an obnoxious piece of paper
which had somehow found its way into
the midst of the flowers. She straight-
ened young Balm Of Gilead tree, and
tied it more securely"to the small stick
which served as prop; tlren, closing the
gate carefully behind hier, she walked
briskly down the village street.
She had walked rather timidly along
the platform of the little railroad sta
tioD, and was about to enter the waiting.
room when she was accosttd by'a man
standing near, who was checking alsoli-.
tary trunk =
''Wal, wal, Miss Dllowayl Coin on
a journey2'
mot much of one" she answered,
curtly.
"Wal, go right in, and rlfabe in in,a
minute"
He soon appeared at the ticket office
window, curiosity written all over his
face. Miss Dilloway noted it.
al want ticket to Preston. How
much is itl" she said.
"Oh, to Prestonl Eighty five cents.
Let me see; got any relations up that
way2'
''No. Can you change five dolldrsG"
"Oh yes-twenty-five, if you sayso!
Wal, didn't Ezry's folks move up Pres
ton way, or nigh there9"
"No; they moved to Clar'mont. How
soon'll the train go2"
Old Mr.. McQuestion leaned forward
and looked out through the Office
window at the clock on the wall.
"In bout fifteen minutes. Set down;
set down over there in the rocking chair,
and mako yourself comfortable. Taint
every depot that's got rocking chair.
Ahem Coin to be gone longl"
"No," answered Miss Dilloway, with
slight smile, rather enjoying the
situation.
"No7 H'm-h'm! Wal"
But the good mans curiosity was not
TO be gratifed that morning. 4 call
from the baggage-room neCessitated his.
hurrying away, and the ten o'clock,
accommodation soon bore little Miss
Dilloway out Of sight and hearing.
In two hours time she was standing7
before a large brick building, over the
massive door of which were the words:
''Home for the Friendless. She trembled
little as she ascended the granite steps,
and waited little time before she rang.
the bell.
A white-capped servant showed her
into a small reception-room. 1t seemed
as if her nervousness sincreasedwith every
moments waiting, and when a tall,
serious lady came slowly into the room,
Miss Dilloway wished very much indeed
that she were safe at home.
''You came to see our littletonesq"
said the lady, with smile which,drove'
all the stern lines from her face.
" Ye.es did come TO get one-tol
adopt but now't Pm here, l don't
know that I'd ought to"
" Perhaps you can tell better after
seeing"
% Yes, yes, supposed can. You see
I made up my mind rather suddenly.
Mr.. Thornton, our minister come
from Rentham- preached a most power
full sermon last Sunday from the text,
Whose shall receive one such little
child, and that sermon las been haunt
ing me ever since. He had just come
from a visit to Boston, where he saw an
orphan asylum; and he said it made his
heart ache to see so many little children
who never knew what it was to have
mothers kiss on their foreheads.
Miss Dilloway wiped tear from her
eye, and went on
"And then he said, if the Lord was
going TO ask us by and by what use we
had made of the talents lie had given
us, he didn't see why He shouln't ask
us what use we'd made of our homes, es-
pecially those folks who had been given
houses bigger than they needed. He
asked them if the people didn't think it
wasn't burying rooms, as the man buried
the talent, to keep them shut up; and
he urged them to open their hearts and
homes-to be mothers and fathers to
some little waif who didn't have any
parents.
'Then he capped it all by saying that
he and Mrs. Thornton had just adopted
iye-year-old boy from that very asy-
lum. They've got seven already But
that's like Mr. Thornton; he always
practises what he breaches.
"Well, when / sat down that afternoon
with my Bible and hymn-booz, Icouldn't
get my mind off that sermon When
heard it, it didn't seem as if twas meant
for me, but for married folks; but some
how the thought Of Abby's chamber up
stairs-Abby's my sister who died last
ear-kind of worked ITS way into my
ind, and l wondered if the Lord would
% me, Cynthia Dilloway, have you
hat room Of yours hid in a papkinf