Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-03-19
A SELF MADE MAN.


exhausted, and Anthony, having tele-
graphed il vain to the contractor, went
down to Ricllr9ond himself to investi-
gate the causes of delay.
Mary's guests were to leave her the
following week to join her parents at
Capon Springs, where Miss Cornelia was
| also. Dan had come over by himself to
spend the evening, because it was "lone-
ly in the house across the ravine without
Anthony he said. He sat in a large
armchair beside the center table, and
the light from the lamps fell full on his
rudy locks and made them glow and
glitter. Little Ran, who was rarely alb
sent from his side, was perched on the
arm of the chair, with his small bare
feet on Dams knee Suddenly he put up
his hand to his friends head. "How
red your hair isr' he said, touching it;
''just like Goals of fire | could make
believe it burned me-
Hush, RAM said Mary quickly;
"you must not be rude, my child
But Dan put his arm about tie boy
and drew him closer. Listen" he said
softly, land III tell you about it. Long
ago-more than thirty years-away in
| New Brunswick little child was born.
1t was III the winter and there was snow
on the ground. From the trees and the
lodges of the rocks and the caves of all
| the houses iciclos hung i'll long, close
rows, ano every bow and branch and
| tiny twig on the trees and bushes in the
! forests and the shrubs i'll the garden
were cased in ice, and when the sun
shone on them it was very beautiful.
| But at night it was cold-so bitter cold
and the wind would rise and take the
snow up n its arms and toss it about in
fine soft clouds that blinded PEOPLES
| eyes and made them stumble and some
| times lose their way, an !. was very
dangerous to go abroad at night.
When the little boy was one week
old there came dark, dark night, with
snow and wind and terrible sleet. The
house where the baby's father lived was
IN the country and stood in a great
| yard that was almost little park,
| About twelve O'Clock there came 4 noise
under the windows of the mothers
| chamber and til" logs howled, and the
cat on the hearth rug set all her fur on
END. The nurse went to the window
and drew aside tn, curtain, but it was
| so dark she could see nothing. Some
one Is lost in the form, and old Bruno
is straining on his hahn she said. com
ing back to the fire, which clowed
warmly, and touching with her foot the
rocker of the cradle where the child was
| sleeping.
Then the mother cried out from her
bed that I must be seen to, and sent and
had the father walked; and he and the
nurse went out and found in the snow
beneath The window an old, old woman.
bent and gray and shriveled so that the
wonder was how she ever got there.
She was almost frozen, and they carried
her into the house, and into the mothers
room, because there was the noblast fire.
They laid her near it and chafed her
limbs and wrapped her in warm cloth
ing and comforted her with wine. And
the mother, from her pillows, looked on
and told Them what to do. Soon the old
woman opened her eyes, and the first
thing they beheld was the fire. How
beautiful" she Inuttered, and held out
her withered b nds; so beautiful! SO
beautiful" and she went on for many
moments murmuring about the beauty
of the flames. Presently she espied the
infant, and leaning over the cradle she
scanned him long and earnestly"
Dan paused, his eyes shimmering with
mirth.
go on. go on" sid the boy i'm
patiently
Il know the old witch gave the child
red hair, murmured Ella; but go on"
Mary said nothing, but leaned nearer.
The poor little thing lay there so
pink and still aad helpless. with its
round bad head on the pillow and its
small hands folded like rose leaves"
continued Dan, land he looked so limo
cent and lovely, that the old woman's
heart was stirred and she lpnged ID do
something for him Passing her hand
therefore over his head and gazing ten
derby on the fire, she said slowly: TO
the child of the house that has sheltered
me and warmed me | give the most
beautiful thing in all the world. He
shall be crowned with locks that glow
and curl ike the flames that leap from
the heart Of the Goals. Their color shall
rival the ruddy hue of the wine which
IS warming my frame, and their texture
shall he as soft and as fine as the silk in
the hands of the spinner
"Then the mother cried out against it,
for it seemed to her cruel wrong to
put on a little child. Not so-it is a
blessing the old woman said; for to
those who love him the locks shall glow
with warmth and beauty until they
think that nothing in all the broad earth
can compare with them, while to those
who hate him they will seem hideous
and suggest many unpleasant images,
and all who hate him will speedily de-
part from him. And that will be good
for the boy, because he viii always
have around him only those who love
him. Then the old woman vanished up
the chimney, Ran, in a big puff of
smoke and eVerYthinr she said cama tO !