Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-05-07

nlm, nor Ou6Icu W ucCoho
worker under him. How was 1t posi-
Bile she could do any good? No doubt
pool Tom was deluded. The woman
was pretty; who could tell how she
might lure him to destruction? The
vicar grew restless, and at last deter"
mined to hover about Toms path like
an invisible guardian angel and see
him safe home, drunk or sober, when the
orgies at "Maloney's" were over.
1t was already growing late, but, full
of enthusiasm, he once more rushed
along the streets, and only stopped when
he reached "Maloney's' corner.
The place looked busy and cheerful
compared with the miserable houses
around. A warm light shone into the
street through the red curtains across
the window, and sounds of music could
be heard some distance off. Mr.. La
mote had passed more than a dozen
other public houses on his way to MA
loney's." but not one of them seemed so
popular as this. He groaned in spirit
as be stood at the opposite corner n
watched the people entering. Men
women OF all sorts, many young iads'
and even quite respectable looking girls
Alas! alasl Suddenly he quickly cross
cd the street, muttering. "Ahl what
horrible dissertation. I must put a stop
to this"
He pushed open the door, let 1t swing
to behind him and stood still, unnoticed
in the crowd. Had he made a mistaken
Was this this the place which he a
often called the curse OF the parish?
Was it dissertation" that sacred music
should be sung to such an audience as
this? For in the midst Of the people
stood Tom Grindley, and sang. Every
face was turned toward him, and every
face bore traces OF poverty and toll,
many Of sin and shame also. There
were figures bent with WEAKNESS, eyes
! bleared with tears; there we're coarse
and brutal faces in that strange crowd,
and faces which had grown stol1d In
hopeless wretchedness; but as the vicar
looked a wonderful CLEAN seemed to
pass from face to face, while In the
lovely torres which often brought tears
to the eyes OF his sensitive congrega-
ton at st. Matthias Tom sang, "And
the crooked shall be made straight. and
the rough places shall be made plain,
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken
it,"
1t was the anthem chosen for Christ
mas Day. The vicar felt a choking In
his throat. II Tom could only sing in
church to such an audience as this 1t
would be something to thank God for.
But II such an audience would not come
TO church, what then?
III. .foo. .orooinnA hiAdnn h0htn6
the crowd and looked round, curiously
moved. The place was orderly, and, at
least while the music lasted, perfectly
quiet. There were some few men
smoking, but not many, because, as Tom
afterward explained, he had told them
that tobacco got down his throat, and
it was only newcomer Who smoked dur
ing the singing. Many Of the men had
glasses before them, and there was the
usual smell of beer and spirits, and un-
clean humanity; but through the open
! folding doors Mr.. Lamote could see
that in the parlor men and women were
drinking tea and coffee and eating sand
witches and buns, and many others
seemed to be waiting to take their
places.
Just beside Tom was a piano, and q
lady sat and played for him; but Mr..
Lamote had forgotten Miss Maloney for
the moment, and it was only when the
song was over and the people began to
move about that he saw her; and re-
membered with a quick sense OF shame
the words he had used to her.
Tom stepped forward once more TO
sing without music a Christmas carol,
and, as the people settled down again
to listen, the wears gaze rested on a
fair woman, in a plain black dress, who
stood Ia the centre OF a group or girls,
with a sleeping baby In her arms, and
listened to the simple carol, with a ten
der smile on her lips and an expression
of loving compassion in her eyes as they
wandered round the curious assembly.
Good heavens" the conscious
stricken clergyman exclaimed. "She
looks like a blessed Madonna, and L
called her a painted Jezabel!"
He was an impulSive man and he saw
his error. As soon as the carol was
over he pushed his way to Miss Malo-
ney's side, and, turning toward the as
tonished crowd, said: Friends, l want
you all to hear me tell Miss Maloney
that | am bitterly ashamed for what l
said TO her yesterday. / was wholly In
the wrong. She is doing you all far
more real good than | ever did" Then
he offered his hand to Mary with a bow
of penitent reverence, and when she
had meekly submitted to his warm clasp
he hurried away without another word.
"Well! that was a run start" said the
leading politician of the company, "out
it amt the first time as the church and
the vested interests as shook 'ands, and
it won't be the last"
Many Christmas Ewes have come and
gone; the vicar and Miss Maloney are
firm friends now, and have many ways
Of helping one another. Neither OF
them, perhaps, see much result OF end
less labor. The parish Of st. Matthias
in-the-Felds is not yet composed solely
of devout, decent Churchmen aud
Churchwomen. Drunkenness still
brings its attendant train OF vice and
want, disease and sorrow, to darken the
lives of the men and women who herd
in the still low neighborhood OF Malo-
ney's public house. But the vicar has
got a new hobby. He buys up all the
public houses he can, and finds among
his devotees ladies las much like Miss
Maloney as p%ossible) to manage them.
There is no saying what results may be
produced-in time.
And Mary is content. She knows
that here and there a man who was
once a drunkard is sober now, and that
no one gets any harm now, even when
not capable Of getting good. from her
public house. She knows that here and
thara she has saved an ontcast and