The Columbus journal., 1893-03-29

| lalln IN drugs ana nursing and pro-
fessional skill; he remembered that
! apon previous occasions cures had
been wrought by means of money;
teeth had been bro.ght through, the
pangs OF collie beguiled, and numerous
other ailments to which infancy is
heir had by tho same specific been
baffled. So now old Growly set about
wOOing his little boy from the en-
brace OF death-sought to coax hin,
back 20 health with money, and the
| dimes became dollars. and the tin
bank was like to burst of fullness.
But little Abel dropped and dropped,
and he lost all interest in other
things. and he was content to lie.
drooping-eyed and listless, in his
mothers arms all day. At last the
little flame went out with hardly SO
much as Huttcr, and the hope of the
house OF Dunklee was di>sipatcd for
ever. But even in those last moments
of the little ripp,c's suffering the
father struggled to call back the old
look into the fading eyes and tho old
| smile into the dear. white fare. iIc
; l;rvagh: treasures from his vaults
! and held it up before those fading
. eyes and promised it all. all. all
everything he possessed - gold.
houses. lands-all he had he would
give 10 that little child il that little
Child would only live. But the fad
ing eyes saw other things and the
| ears that We're deaf TO the old mans
lamentations heard voices that
sOo,hed the anguish Of that last
solemn hour. And so little Abel
knew the mystery.
Then the old man crept away from
that vestige Ct his love and stood
alone in the night and lifted UP his
fac" and heat his bosom and mOaned
al ths. stars, asking Ovec and over
again why Ee had been SO bereaved.
and while he agonized i'm this wise
| and cried there came to him voice
"a voice SO small that none else
could hear: a voice seemingly from
God. for from infinite space beyond
those stars it sped its instantaneous
way to the old mans soul and lodged
there.
Abel. | have touched thy heart"
And so. coming into the darkness
of night. old Dunklec went back into
the light OF day and found life bca,:-
tifui. for the touch WIS IN hts heart.
After that. Old Growly's way of
dealing with the world changed. lie
had always been an honest man,
honest as the world goes But nov
he was somewhat better than honest;
he was kind, cGnsiderate. merciful.
People saw and felt the change, and
they knew why it was so. But the
pathetic part it all was that Old
Growly would never admit-nO, not
even 10 himsclf-that he WAS the
least changed from his old grinding,
hard self The g"''1 deeds lie did
were not his own: they were his little
boy's-at least so he 81 And it
was his whim when doing some kind
and tender thing to lay it to little
Abel. of whom he always spnkc as if
;:c were still living. His workmcn.
his nei"hbors. his townsmcn-all
alike felt the graciousncss OF the
woDdrnus change, and ihany. ah,
MANY d lowiy sufferer blessed that
broken old man for succor in
little Ahcl's name. And the old man
was indeed mu"h broken: not that
h5 had parted with his shrcwdncss
and ;scumen, for as of old his every ven
ture prospered; but in this particular
hi. nd con,~nl 7
have said. he fancied his child lived,
that he was given to low mutterings
and incOhcrent mumblings OF which
the burden seemed to be that child of
his, and that his greatest pleasure
appeared now to be watching other
little ones at their play. In fact. SO
changed was he from the Old Growly
OF former years. that, whereas he had
then been wholly Indifferent to the
presence bf those little ones upon
earth, he nov sought their company
and delighted to view their innocent
and mirthful play. And so presently
the children. from regarding him at
first with distrust. came to cOnfidc in
and love him. and in due time the old
man was known far and wide as Old
Grandpa Growly. and he was pleased
thercat. 1t was his wont to go every
fair day. of an afternoon, into a park
hard by his dwelling and mingle
with the crowd Of little folk there:
and when they were weary of their
sports they used to gather about him
-somc even clambering upon his
knec-and hear him tell his story. for
he had only one story to tell. and that
was the story that lay next his heart
the story ever and forever begin
min" with Once thcr' wuz littl'
boy" 4 very tender little story it
was. too. told very much more
swcetly than could ever tell it, for
it was Of Old Grandpa's own little
boy. and it came from that heart in
which the tOuch-the touch of God
himsclf-lay like priceless pearl.
The curious part of it was this:
That while he implied by his CONT
dcnces to tho children that his own
little boy was dead, he never made
that admission to others. On the
contrary. it was his won't as have
said. 20 speak of little Abel as if that
child still lived. and humOring him
in this conceit it was the custom of
the older ones TO speak always of
that child as il he lived and were
known and beloved OF all. In this
custom the old man had great con-
tent and solace. For it was his wish
that all he gave to and did for char
ity's sake should he known to come.
not from him. but from Abel. his son,
and this was his express stipulation
at all such times l know whereof
speak. for was one of those to whom
the old man came upon time and
said: My little bov-Abcl. YOU
knOw-will give me no peace till l
do what he requires. He has this
sum of money which he has saved in
his bank, count it yourselves. it is
$4,000. and he bids me give
it to the townsfolk for a
hospital, one for little lame