Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-05-13
soul and lodged there.

of night, old Dunklee went back into the
light of day and found life beautiful, for
the touch was in his heart.
After that Old Growly's way of deal
ing with the world changed. He had
always been an honest man, honest as the |
world goes. But now he was somewhat |
better than honest; he was kind, con-
siderate, merciful. People saw and felt |
the change and they knew why it was
so. But the pathetic part of it all was
that Old Growly would never admit-no, |
not even to himself-that he was the !
least changed from his old grinding, hard
self. The good deeds he did were not
his own; they were his little boy's-at
least so he said. And it was his whim
when doing some kind and tender thing
to lay it to little Abel, of whom he al
ways spoke as if he were still living.
His workmen, his neighbors, his towns
men--al alike felt the graciousness of
the wondrous change, and many, and
many lowly sufferer blessed that broken
old man for succor in little Abels name.
And the old man was indeed much
broken, not that he had parted with his
shrewdness and acumen, for as OF OLD
his every venture prospered, but In this
particular his mind seemed weakened;
that, as | have said, he fancied his child
lived, that he was given to low
mutterings and incoherent 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 Crowley
of former years that, whereas he had
been wholly indifferent to the presence
of those little ones upon earth, he now
sought there company and delighted to
view their innocent and mirthful play.
And SO presently the children, from re-
garding him first with distrust, came to
contide in and love him, and in due time
the old man was known far and wide as
Old Grandpa Growly, and he was
pleased thereat. 1t was his won't to go
every fair day of an afternoon into park
hard by his dwelling and mingle with
the crowd of little folks there; and when
they were weary of their sports they
used to gather about him--some even
clamoring upon his knees-and hear him
tell his story that lay next his heart
the story ever and forever beginning
with 'Once there was a littl' boy" A
very tender little story it was, too, told
very much more swectly than could ever
tell it, for it was of Old Grandpa Grow
ly's own little boy, and it came from
that heart in which the touch-the touch
of God Himsclf-lay like a priceless
pearl.
So YOU must know that the last years
of the old mans life made full atonement
for those that had gone before. People
forgot that the old man bad ever been
other than he was now, and OF course
the children never knew otherwise, But
as for himself, Old Grandpa Growly
grew tenderer and tenderer and his good
ness became a household word and he
was beloved of all And to the very last
he loved the little ones and shared their
pleasures and sympathized with them IN
their griefs, but always repeating that
same old story, beginning with "Onct
Their wuz a littr boy"
The curious part of it was this That
while he implied by his condolences tC
the children that his own little boy wa'
dead, he never made that admission tC
Others On the contrary, it was hi
wont, as have said. to speak of little
, Abel as if that child still lived, and
humoring him in this conceit, 1t was The
custom of the older ones to speal
ALWAYS of that child as if he lived an(
were known and beloved of all. II
this custom the old man had great con
tent and solace. For it wa
! his wish that all he gave to and did TO
charity's sake should be known to come
not from him, but from Abel, his son
and this was his express stipulation at al
such times. | know whereof | speak
> for was one of those to whom the ole
. man came upon a time and said IN
little boy-Abel, you know--will CIV
me no peace till do what he requires
i He has this sum of money which he Ia
:. saved in his bank--count it yourselves
:, it is $50, 00O-and he bids me give 1t t
y the townsfolk for a hospital, one 70
. little lame boys and girls. And hav
. promised him-my little boy Abel, yo
,, know-that | will give $4,000 more
, You shall have it when the hospital
- built" Surely enough, in eightee
- months time the old man handed us tn
y rest of the money, and when we told hi
that the place was to be called the ABB
: Dunklee hospital he was sorely distresse
! and shook his head and said: mo, M
= not my namel Call it the Little Abe
: hospital, for little Abel-my boy, 20
n know-has done it all. e"
~ The old man lived many years-llve
g to hear tender voices bless him and 81
= pale faces brighten at the sound oil Il
w football. Yes, for many years the guam
" shuffling figure moved about our street
10 and his hoarse but kindly voice-ol
,t very kindly now !-was heard repeatir
. to the children that pathetic old story
Il "Once ther wuz n littl boy" Al
81 where the dear old feet trod the gra
II grew greenest and the sunbeams nestle
m But at last there came a summons for u
II old man summons from away OIL yo
4 der-and the old man heard it and we
A. thither.
lv The doctor--himself hoary and stoopiI
be now-told me that toward the last q
r. Grampa Growly sunk into a sort of sle'
he or stupor, from which they could n
y rouse him. For many hours he lay lll
he one dead, but his thin, creased face "
he very peaceful and there was no pal
"a = i'll ts NTH Hntyara al