The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-05-17

fourth U0Or ROOM anu iOOhcu lutO ulc
fac. of a woman whose cheeks had
r-own white as she heard his step on
the landing.
.'I'm sorry, sir. but
"Same old story. is it,"
i've had to tell you for the last
.wo months that | was out of work
and couldn't pay my rent. That was
ind enough, but now my Tom is out
at work, toe. He's there on the bed,
sir. and the doctor says it's Il touch
Of pneumonia.
"Nou Owctwo months back rent"
ne said "a ne inspected the poor old
furniture and wondered if it would
pay 10 attach 1t.
.'Yes. sir, but if you'll only have Il
little patience we'll pay you"
.'Patience went pay taxes nor make
repairs. I'll give you the day to pack
your traps"
.'But where will l go::"
..Rcat some other landlord out of
Two months rent
II haven't a shilling in the house
anu IllcIc llcS iuf Sioh Wy WV ilC
a week anyhow. 1t will be the death
Of Tom 70 be carried out. It's too
cod in the room here, but I've only
A little Goa and have to use it more
carefully than YOU do gold
you can talk to the %cOnstatles
when they come: Pm sick and tired
Of hearing these yarns"
''Beiore the week is out | may find
work. If Tom was we | / wouldn't
say a word, but don't set us out with
him 50 badly off that the doctor"
Talk to the constables",' shouted
the man. as lie turned to 20.
''lut. sir, if you would only let us
stay another week. I'm sure you
wouldn't loose by it. There's such a
thing as the Lord raising up a friend
for the widow and the fatherleSs Just
when they are ready to give up"
Cant >tOp-talk to the constable
two months back rent or out you
go"
That was the way the year opened
for the Widow Flint and her boy
Tom. 1t was hard times all around.
Plenty Of energetic, skillful mcchan-
les were out OF work and behind in
their rent, and dealers and manu.
facturers who generally had plenty of
work TO give out were holding back
u watch the business outlook. Tom
might have kept his place at 81 per
week IN the box factory, but the want
of proper food and clothing had made
him susceptible to exposure and
brought him low. There wasn't
money enough in the house to get
The doctors prescription filed out at
the drug store. and it was we'll that
The boys fever blunted his appetite,
a. Il Loaf OF bread was the only pal
atable thing in the house. Neigh
fors' Yes. plenty of them. There
were forty families under that roof,
but most Of them had little else but
bread. When poverty begins to
hunger their poverty is selfish.
1t makes people selfish to herd
them together. The sight of each
others de>titution blunts all senti-
meut
'but-he's like the mayor, amt he
never noticing anybody but we'll
OF folks:"
"lOn. the Lord looks down upon
us aIi-the poor as well us the rich.
we are all in His keeping. Don't
uoubt His goodness. It's hard work
10 he sick and freezing and hunger
iI", but If it's u burden to bear. we
aust do it, You must have medi-
cine Ion. Pm going out to see if l
Call pawn my shawl"
AND then you can't go out to look
Tor work"
Tut 1t may save you"
Nhe went out and walked about for
an hour. but pawn brokers and second
hdhl clothing dealers were taking a
iioilday with the rest Of the world.
enc finally entered a drug store, and
"sAed OF the urbane proprietor. who
anne forward rubbing his hands, to
the shawl and fill the prescrip-
lion.
cry sorry, you know, but we
do it," he replied. ''Medi-
mes are cash and the shawl is old
""u thin and not worth anything"
"hut my Tom Is threatened with
pneumonia, Sir"
Yes. Just the sort of weather
'or pneumonia, and most of the cases
Seem TO prove fatal"
AND must he die for the want OF
lhi> incidence"
"ood day. ma'am-good day l
no.ice the thermometer is down to
,o'", and 1 shouldn't wonder if it
90 lower before night"
ohe mad assured Tom that there
only one God, and that He
"atched over the Door as we'll as the
lICu, Out as She wendell her WAY