The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-12-14

/ NOulu mean mrb- noDlntOu. lutn
spinster could write herself "yours very
truly, Sophia johnson, NJ. s. s." That
10 manuscript" OF course, but in this
connection there could be no mistake.
But anyway something ought to be done.
l would suggest quito seriously that in.
stead OF the awkward Mrs. land sometimes
Miss necessary to explain how the reply
to letter should he addressed, that
simply q woman when she is married
should tack her husbands name on to
her own with q hyphen. It would be
quite aristoeratic. Fancy Jane Hill mar
ried to q man named Winstanley being
able.to sign herself Jane -winstan-
ley" OF course Mary Ann Doeherty-
O'Toole would not look 30 poetic. but II
might very quickly be understood that
the hyphen meant marriage.
There is nothing 30 touching in life as
childhood's sympathy with misfortune
and suffering. The sympathy Of the
child well and in good spirits for the sick
boy Who sits at the window with pale
face and hollow eyes watching him play
is enough TO touch the hardest heart in
the world. The school hours were Just
over; it was soft and bslmy afternoon
and through the streets bevy Of boys
were gamboling on their way home.
Health and strength were there in their
most joyous mood. Their rosy cheeks
were bright with color and their eyes
sparkled with life. Care had no power
over them, tasks had no terror; their
daily bondage WAS over and they we're
happy. All, mel II only we with the
bald spots showing through our scant
hair and the worn look OF worldly trial in
our eyes could feel once more the impul-
sive JOY Of youth like that! The world
was very bright to them and the hours
too short for the enthusiasm of living.
Their laugh rang out through the sum-
mer air and their glee made everything
around them gay and mirthful. And as
they gamboled and shouted in their play,
through one Of the entrances there crept
small boy-a cripple. Painfully he
dragged one foot behind him and you
could see his face, even although he was
munching an apple, was gaunt and
traced With lines Of suffering. 1t was a
sad and touching contrast, and he, the
poor cripple, paused and looked at those
hearty boys, and across his face came a
painful shadow, as if he were thinking
how beautiful and lovely it must be to
be able to run about and play like that.
The boys did not see him for some time.
At last one of them caught sight of him
and he stood and watched him. The
others quickly found the cause of his sud-
den quiet, and by-and-by the whole
crowd were around the cripple in silent
sympathy. Nothing was said for little
while on either side, but the merriment
had diod away from the boys and they
pitied, with every feature OF their faces.
the poor lads misfortune. At last one
little boy broke the silence:
"You are lame, aren't your" he said
gently.
eyes," said the cripple.
There was another silence. The boys
did not know how to express their sym
pathy, and with the natural honesty OF
childhood they did not effect the mean.
ingless platitude. The silence was be-
coming painful and embarrassing. and
the cripple began munehing his apple.
"Well," said one OF the boys cheerily.
che has got an apple, anyway"
Yes. the poor cripple had that bit of
comfort, and every boy IN the crowd
frightened up to think that at least, if he
was lame, he had something they did not
but would Ike to have.
"Say," said the cripple. I'm tell
you what I'll do. You give me your
books to hold and you all race to tina,
gate over there, and the first one there
gets this apple"
He hadn't got the words out before he
had all the books in his arms and every
boy in the crowd was preparing to get the
cripple's only bit of comfort.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, that is
human nature. The poor cripple stood
with the apple in one hand and his arms
full Of the books Of these sympathetic,
healthy youths. They stood in line
The poor cripple called out go" and as
they started he took the other direction,
ran like a deer, and before the sympa-
thetic youths had anywhere reached the
goal he was far down Second street with
the books and the apple.
And an old gentleman who had been
watching the touching scene with tear
drops falling from his eyes said slowly
and softly to himself:
"Well, I'll be id"
La PLAYA.