The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-05-13
NEVER FAILETH.s


A young woman stood on the forward
deck Of crowded ferryboa as it forged
its heavy way through the water, making
swells which rocked the smaller boats
near by and washed high up or the piles
at the dock.
The young woman did not notice the
shipping, the tall buildings, the noisy
landing or the pushing crowd behind.
She was thinking and as the boat Jared
against the buffers she said in low tone
to herself
"Love is the greatest thing in the
world"
No one heard or needed her but one
pale-faced little woman in black shawl,
who stood crowded almost against her
She heard the words, and look of won
der came into her hungry eyes, But the
boat was doeked, and the crowd push
ed them on, and each went her separate
way.
The pale-faced little woman in the
black shawl hurried from place to place,
but all the time she was turning over in
her mind the words, Love is the great
est thing in the world-in all the
I world"
Love ofwhat-loye for whom ? II made
no difference Love was not for her.
Youth was gone, hope was gone-there
was nothing for her but work Her bus-
baRd lived to work, and desired that she
should live to work and love, she could
not remember to have heard the word
for years-no, nor thought of it.
The little children she used to think
some day might be hers had never come,
and her husband said it was good think
for children took time and money, and
she had waited and grieved and worked
in silence, until now she never thought
of it, except to think that it was better
So
Was Lowell the greatest thing in the
world Then she must miss the greatest
thing, as she had missed all lesser things.
But the hungry eyes looked out of hun
gry heart, and tie words said themselves
over and over, not only that day, but
through all the next weeks in trip that
she and her husband made through the
/ West.
They had bought some land in Kansas
with q little ne-roomed house on it,
and there the work of living began again
with ten-fold push. There was not a
house in sight, and the sun seemed to rise
50 early and set so late-those long, long
days, when she worked till the very grave
would have seemed pleasant place to
rest in.
But all through that summer, as she
looked back on it, she could see how the
weight that bore her down was growing
lighter.
She seldom saw any one but her hus-
band. They had no books, and those
few words, Love is the greatest thing
in the world began to fill for her the
place Of books and friends. When the
sunlight vas bright and there were feeey
little clouds in the blue sky. and the
prairie was blazing with flowers, and the
one cottonwood tree rustled Its leaves in
the light breeze, there came new mean
ing into those words.
Finally, though she could not have told
when or how, she came to feel the love
of God very close to her, and she knew
that in some way God must mean that
she should give out little love to other
things-love the cattle and the horses,
and the pigs and the chickens for she
was simple little woman. She loved
them all /; the work seemed easier, and
the living things throve.
She's got a wonderful knack,r said
her husband to passing neighbor
But as the capacity grew the hunger
grew, end then one day there seemed to
her TO come a very gift from God
A little sobbIng boy came dragging up
to the open door-a little boy with dark
eyes, with brown hair Just long enough
70 show a tendency to curl, with dirty
hands and dirty face, and shoes cut with
stones. Such little boy About eight
years old, she thought.
He cried and reached up his hands to
her
With a hasty look at the milk she was
skimming to ehurn, she picked him up
in her arms and held him close. She felt
his hot little face against hers, felt the
little arm around her neck. and the little
heaving chest and beating heart against
her own she held him tight and loved
him, and the tears came in her eyes.
But that could only last a minute
there was the milk Then she gave him
water with which TO wash his hands and
face outside the door, and after that she
gave hiln slice Of bread and a tin cup
of milk. He sat there as if ne owned the
house, his tears dried, and his quick eyes
glanciug around
When his mouth was empty enough
so that be could talk, he told her bis
story.
Ny name is Charlie" he said "
was in the prairie schooner, and the wo.
man and the man got very mad at me
and put me of and shook the whip Al
me, and | ran across the prairie till | sav
tAis house, and now / am going to stay
here"
~were the man and woman your IA
ther and mother ?'
oh, 20, my mother is in coffin in
the ground. She caught fever, and thi,
man and woman brought me along. Oh
I'm glad they're gone I'd rather stay
with You
She churned fast, and thought faster
Her husband would not let him stay
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