The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-11-10

was real astonishin' to see how the
little fellow took to learnin'. When
Johnnie went into the second reader,
Darius stopped by the fence one
mornin', as was wedding my parsley
bed, to tell me. He was that glad
and proud it was so good to see his
happiness But, dear, it was for the
last. If God had seen fit that day to
take the child into His own safe keep
in it would have near broke Darius's
heart to give him up. But for what
happened, who could comfort?
You see, some O. the school chill
dren had found out Johnnie's fear of
snakes, and some of them were cruelty
fond of havin' fun, tormenting him
as if there can be anything but
wickedness in the fun that comes
from hurting in any way beast or
human-an' that very day Albert
Ryder, one of the biggest boys, killed
ringed snake alongside the road-a
harmless creetur enough in itself, but
deadly in the way he meant to use it.
"'Keep STILL says he, well have
some fun with this. You'll hear some
shoutin' and see some tall dancin'.'
$50 he tiptoed along into the school
house where Darius's boy sat, with
his back to him, making pictures on
his slate.
Johnnie never once looked up. l
can think just how he sat there, with
his pretty brown head and rosy
cheeks, till all of a sudden he felt the
Shiny, coiling thing round his neck,
and saw the ugly head on his breast.
Then came cry, dear, that ought to
haunt some of them till their dying
day. But there was no dancin'. He
grew rigid with terror. Take it off!
take it off, he screamed, and he fell
in fit awful to see. The fun was
quite over and the terrified children
ran for help.
DARIUS heard the bad news soon
enough. | saw him going by for
home, carrying the boy in his arms,
and it was sight to break ones
heart.
81 hurried up there, but it was fear
full; from one fit he went into ano-
ther. There seemed no hope for his
life. For days it hung by thread,
then he came back to us, poor glib
BERN idiot.
ooh, poor Darius! Every heart
knoweth its own bitterness. No
stranger could intermeddle with that
of his.
Johnnie grew in body but never
more in mind. He was foolish, gentle
and harmless, but subject often to
terrible fits. But more than ever
Darius cared for him now. Just as
when he was a moanin', friendless
baby, and he took his little hand, cry
ing out of a heart full of plying love,
so helpless! SO helplessP SO now his
soul cried over him in his hurt, SO
helplessl SO helplessp
"Not long after, Darius's father
died and his mother followed him in
short time, Then the property was
sold and divided, and Darius bought
the little farm on the hill above us,
and took Johnnie and Auntie McCor-
mick there.
"Auntie didn't last long, though,
and he and Johnnie were left alone.
I'm the spring the scarlet fever
came into our neighborhood. Johnnie
took it, and soon died; and after he
was buried, folks said, We'll, Darius
has got free of all his burdens. He
can look after himself now. Mebbe
he'll take wife!
'But his work was all done. He
sickened, too, with the fever, and we
saw that he must die. | remember
him, lyin,' whispsrin' softly, The
Lord is my Shepherd In his last
conscious minutes he said:
"'Bury me by my boy. It's been
dark, but it'll be made light. The
angels will be Johnnie's teachers.
The Lord saw my hands were too
feeble for the work. I've had some
hard lessons, but the Teacher knew
best-yes, He knew best
$50 he died, dear Well walk over
to the buryin' ground some pleasant
day, an I'll show you his grave. It's
only marked by small stone, but
we've seen that it has been kept clean
and free from weeds.
can now, dear, if you'd like the
picture for an amusement"
"Oh, Aunt Hittiew l cried, re-
proachfully, as tear fell on the pic
ture of "Only Darius" Lynn Tran
script.