The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-08-31

~ garb was coarse and his
1anguage-what little of the English
he had mastered-was hard" as the
expression goes. Lars had not been
reared In luxury. His father had been
a day laborer, and lived in a little
house in the outskirts of a village in
the old country. His mother had
worked, too, when she could find en-
ploynent, and Lars was forced out to
shift for himself at an early age.
When he reached his twentieth year,
he had saved enough money to buy
his passage to America in the steerage
Of an ocean liner. Stockholm was the
first great city he had ever seen. New
York was larger, and was full of very
strange life. When he landed in Castle
Garden, he was lest in the Babel of
tongues that greeted his ears. Grad
ua.lly he worked westward, and at last
reached Chicago. He stopped and
again sought work.
Chicago was his Mecca.
He drifted into the lower channels of
Life. He could not have done other
wise.
One Sunday he passed by the open
door Of a mission, heard the singing
and paused. A kindly man asked him
in and he entered, taking a seat near
the door. Presiding at the organ was
dark-eyed young woman, neatly
dressed and sweet-faced. When she
sang, 1t was in full tones which in
spired confidence in the wavering voic-
es OF the congregation. The congrega-
ton? 1t was made UP of just such
men as Lars. A few there were who
wore black clothes, high collars and
white ties. When the singing was over
one Of these men spoke, vigorously,
earnestly, in the first flush Of college
enthusiasm. Lars did not understand
the sermon. He did not understand
the words Of the song that followed
the sermon, but he caught the in
spiration and watched the side face Of
the woman at the organ. Then there
was a little intermission, and the Sun
rday school convened. The organist
stepped down from the platform, took
her position among the benches and
began her work in the infant class
Lars was escorted to a seat in the
row over which she presided, She
talked to him and he stammered out
his replies in broken English, but
showed that he had considerable
knowledge of the Bible
You must come again next Sum
day." she said.
He followed her to the door and saw
her enter carriage, saw a coachman
In livery mount the box and drive
away. Lars followed the carriage to
Michigan be ulevard, and lost sight of
1t in a tangle of ta.lly-hos and fash
tcnable turnouts.
The next Sunday he was early at
the mission, though 1t was raining
hard and the streets were muddy He
feared the organist would not come.
She came. Again he wathched when
she lead the singing, and he attempted
to join in the sorg. When the classes
were called he took his position in the
crganist's row, and sat in front of her.
The lesson was the story of Christ
and the leper. HE touched the leper
end made him WHOLE the organist
said, and as she said it, she leaned
II crward, and with her delicate, jeweled
fingers, touched the red hand of Lars
The blood mounted to his cheeks, and
burned against his forehead and
throbbed against every pore in his
body. Could he understand? He un-
derstood, though he could not say so.
His tongue clave to the roof of his
mouth. He felt that every eye was
upon him. Then the singing came,
and he walked out into the socty air
and rain.
The orgarist stopped to talk to one
of the young ministers. When she
came out, she tripped lightly across
the grimy pIanIss- and, with a f1ounce
Of skirts vas in the carriage. A dainty
rubber over-shoe was left in the mud
at the edge Of the pavement. Lars
saw it and ran to' pick it up for her.
He was too late.
Lars carried the shoe home AMI
washed 1t clean IF mud, kissed it AMI
thrust it into his pncket-a treasure:
a token. That night it was beneath
2is pillow.
prs wag out of work The land
took possession of his bundle and
him Into the streets on Thurs
fhe cay was clear and bright
m early morning until the noon
sars Swanson had passed from
place, seeking employment.
und him en- Michigan boule-
le thought of the organist. 1t
this street that she had been