The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-26


why should l live?" he mumbled,
presently. 1T is all mistake. There
is no God. 40 hereafter; and life is q
failure. Why should l bear it any
longer?"
Then, with sudden energy, he started
from his chair. He pulled on nechan-
icallv his old brown coat with the shah
by, dusty velvet collar. and he put on
the battered hat at which the little
boys were wont TO laugh. and without
backward look he left the room
On the stairs he met his househeeper
Surely you're not going out on such
a night, sir?' she said, remonstratingly.
And with your cough?"
He glanced at her with dazed look
and pushed past her.
A fear of, she knew not what, fell
upon her. She had much the same
feeling for him which she had for the
furniture, but tonight there crept into
it touch of humanity, half contemp-
tuous pity.
Poor old man." she said. twill get
something hot for him against his re-
turn
In spite of the inclemency Of the
weather there were a good many people
about in that busy part of London.
But this human contact only forced
upon Harson a stronger sense of his iso-
lation. He shrank away from the light
of the flarlng gas-jets before the shops,
as if he had been guilty thing. Once
he paused. 1t was outside chemists
shop. But only momentarily. He had
the courage born of despair, it is true,
but not the courage to look in the face
of any man and ask for the means of
his destruction.
Once he paused; and yet again. He
came to church. 1t was saints day,
and there was evening service, now
drawing towards its close. Some one
had opened the door and there came
out a flood OF light, and the sound of
the organ and the singing of the hymn
were borne to him. Involuntarily he
stood and listened, looking up at the
Illuminated windows. Then, with an
impatient gesture, quiclzened his steps
and went CONGRATULATIONS he knew
not.
But in spite of himself a new direc-
ton had been gwen to his thoughts.
He was forced to think of God.
Half uneasily he turned his head and
looked behind him.
The uncomfortable possibility of an
awful Presence which watched him
could not be shaken off in that solemn
hour. There is natural religion in
men which is stronger than their sllep-
ticism.
IF God exists" said Harson aloud.
land angels are not myths, let Him send
one to prevent my doing this deed"
There is more than one lonely person
in every great clty. There was more
than one that night.
A young girl, whose ragged clothes
and pinched face spoke of want, had
crept out of the room, the rent of which
she coHd no longer afford 20 pay, into
the scarcely more cheerless streets. A
week ago life had held hope for her and
poverty had been endurable, but then
she had not been fOrsaken blythe only
being who professed to bear her any
love. She dragged herself YEARLY
along the muddy pavement. scarcely
having the energy to lift one foot after
the other, and without any definite aim
wandered on to the bridge, and there
she stopped. She stopped because she
could lean undistur bed against the
side, and rest awhile in the silence.
By-and-by she could distinguish the
river as it lay beneath her, and it spoke
to her of peace and stiffness. She felt
a longing to lie upon the bosom of the
quiet waters and float away-away
from the noise and the tumult and the
cruelty of the world. She was a very
ignorant girl, but somewhere In her
was E. touch of poetry, and she'had
fanc,cs.
Size leaned over the parapet and
stretched out her little thin arms.
= am coming, dear water" she said
The world is SO very hard. and per-
haps you can lead me to Heaven. j am
So tired And no one cares"
She spoke aloud. And the moon,
E,.oling suddenly out from a broken
cloud, fell upon her white upturned
sorrowful face.
1t disclosed her TO Harson who, I'M
Coz, Nv to- b,d d,.,,,-,, ,aa~ A. g.
$1,000 bar-aTf - snr;nc no ,ha,-ad
- -, 80 no,ti,,r- 49, -
-, ~ o1,,+.,,a5 TO- h.. r. sI-;-,
- ~ - I'D -, ber ,,,oie. srd r,Ilad
- ne - % '---N ~ ''''- t''''o
,ro~-le.a e,,,,55o-o, shasa do
80 - - - -
- - -, - IT.
,.-l:.
- n -, - - st, IT,
kindly. BE quiet. girl
At the sound OF his voice she looked /
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