Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1893-06-15

Money, credit, honor. Oh, for a sudden
,leathblowt Rain came and he never
knew II. The damp wind chilled him
tothe bone and he never feltit. Night
fell and he .didsnot miss the daylight.
Aimlcssly he wandered on, thinking |
vaguely of his lost possessions, of his
ruined partner. of the girl he could not
marry now. Then he heard a church,
clock strike, and like sudden vision.
came a thought of the mother who had |
taught him to pray He had not
thought of her teachings for years, but
now, in his hour of need, they came
beck. with gentle force. He would
enter the church and pray. Perhaps
the spirit of that loving mother who
had died in full confidence that some
time the Good Shepherd would reclaim
her dear black sheep whispered the
thought to him. Who knows?
Hewas .asPresbyterian if anything,
and the church into which he crept was
adorned with the crucifix everywhere,
but that did not matter now. A starv- /
ing man hardly cares whether the
bread given him be white or brown.
For awhile he prayed as drowning men
are supposed to pray, then tired nature
yielded to the solemn, peaceful silence,
and he 'fellaslcep.
When he awoke the body of the
church was still dark, but several black
robed priests were decking the brill
liantly lighted altar ready for the next
mornings early mass. Then, ere he
could rise, a glorious voice swelled soft
ly forth: "Oh, rest in the Lord" it
said: "Oh, rest in the Lord" over and
oyer again with all possible shades of
expression. "Rcst," and he was so
tired, SO tired "Wait patiently for
Him." sang the angel, for SO the weary,
hcartsick man had mentally styled the
singer, although it was, in reality, only
the new alto practicing to-morrows
solo before the other choir members
came. The word patiently" troubled
her and she sang it over again and
again, while the soul-stirred man down
In the dusky corner drank in every
word Yes, he would be patient. Com
NIT thy way unto Him, and trust in
Him." the sweet voice intoned, and
much of the trust in the singers heart
was somehow transmitted to that other
heart SO fast losing its despair And
while he listened, knowing now that
the singer was human, the opening
strain began again and passed with
glorious crescendo to the closing words:
"And He shall give thee thy hearts de-
sire" His hearts desire! His darling
Agnes! lie did not think of the money
now; he had no bitter feeling towards
the man who in enriching himself had
ruined SO many; he only thought of his
promised wife and his long-dead moth
er. That heavenly strain had washed
all evil thoughts from his soul and
brought on it's incoming tide all the
good qualities, so long hidden, to the
surface. The wandering sheep had re-
turned.
And all the while the tender voice
sa,g on. Sang until the choir, with
much talk and laughter, entered by the
side door and the man passed out.
Sang while he, buying paper, discov-
cred that the market had changed
again and that, though he was no
longer rich, he had still enough left to
begin life again. Sang till the leader
called the choir to order and the owner
woke from the ecstasy which possessed
her TO fiud that her evident enjoyment
az her own music was furnishing great
amusement for the other singers.
She did not know why she was SO
blissfully happy. She never knew about
the newborn beauty her friends no.
t;ced from that time on; she never
Lnew who sent the flowers she found
living in her place on the music rack
newt morning; she never knew that one
man blessed her memory many times a
dav long after that hour in the quiet
church had faded to a dream-like rec
ollection. She never knew she mad
saved soul.
She had Just come back from the
s.spnnv south" and pinned at her collar
was q great yellow dandelion, the
cbeeriest. most joyous of flowers whicn
,rould he so popular if only each separ.
ate blossom had a money value OF hal'
a dollar. And as she stood waiting lot
ear most of the passers-by glanced II
- more. at the little fower-sun, and
tha visions they saw in it were piled
bigb around the unconscious girl.
Ghosts Of iong.iead people looked over
her shoulder. old lovers met apoys hef