The record-union., 1894-09-22

read the twenty-thlrd psalm, that match
less revelation of Gods loving care,
which opens the eyes, touches the heart
and lifts the whole life yearningly, trust
| lngly upwards. And then this vulgar
little family OF vestmaking lovers retired
with CHEEKY good-nights TO their cramped
| rooms, more precious in the strangely
Cncurrent pure gold of the realm they
contained than all the riches of conti-
| nents of palaces.
! o plain John Hicks, piece workerl o
pure, patient mother, helper! o CHEEKY,
tender Mildred, loving daughter! What
! ever your fate, when the shadowy valley
is reached, may your sleep be as sweet
| anu your dreams-if dreams they are
as void OF pain or regret as they are to-
| night beneath the roof of this old Chicago
rookery.
| III.
Early next morning there was hesitat-
ing Knock at John Hicks door, and, obe-
! dent to his CHEEKY Come imp plainly
dressed young man entered. After re-
! celVlng an affirmative answer 10 his
inquiry whether he was addressing Mr..
HICKS, ne handed that gentleman an
open letter and remained standing while
1t was being read.
Please be seated, Mr.. Edwards" said
Mr.. Hicks kindly, pushing bis spectacles
| upward upon his shining forehead. II
|
Messrs. Oily & Co., my employers; but
you Will certainly excuse me If l ask
you why young man of your appear
ance desires to acquire such trade as
/ this?"
Because" replied Mr.. Edwards, for
merly Mr.. Watson, II am informed that
! one can always find employment as a
piece worker: and, besides, Mr.. Hicks, |
am great lover OF books" glancing at
| the plethoric shelves, land wish a more
sedentary occupation than many others
! where circumstances compel their sacri-
| ticer
! John Hicks eyes frightened and his
lace, which had previously shown good
degree of cautiousness, now lighted up
! pieasurabiy.
| ANY experience, Mr.. Edwards?"
But little, although l earnestly desire
to master the trade. L served four years
IN the army, when quite boy, and be-
came from necessity familiar with the
use OF the needle. L hope | have good
general knowledge of what is required,
STRIP
At this expression of proficiency John
Hicks smiled and his work girls snick-
cred, while Mr.. Edwards began to feel
that there were some things unknown
even to the all-knowning newspaper
man.
Mother, what do you say?" asked
John Hicks with strange pantomine
which included several mods in the direc-
ton OF the gorged book shelves.
Mother did not know just what to say,
but thought that the young man might
! possibly do nicely after time.
well, think we shall have to take
you on, Mr.. Edwards. Still, this is the
| beginning of the busy season, aud | can't
devote much time to you. But my daugh-
ter will help you out!" concluded John
Hicks encouragingly.
The young man was visibly embar-
rassed at this information, but he val
| iantiy repreSsed it as he was shown his
place, while the vestmaker, for the want
OF something simpler for the new conner
! TO do, prepared two long strips of cloth
with piece of wiggan between, which
! were basted together and punched full of
button holes, upon which the apprentice
was presently set TO work.
The girls continued to slyly wink and
giggle among themselves, and John
| Hicks himself seemed TO consider the
whole affair as quite a joke, for, as he oc-
caSlonalIy peeped over his spectacleS at
| the new apprentice and saw him strug-
CLING manfully in his great labor until
| the perSplratlon flooded his face and
trickled into his eyes and down his nose
and chin, he would grayely snake his
| head at mother, nod at the novice and
| chuckle quietly TO himself, until mother,
in turn, would nod toward the books as
if to hopefully say: Perhaps good for
something, John!" when the yestmaker
would nod smiling approval and cheer
| lily resume his work.
Soon merry little woman's voice was
heard on the stairs singing:
Then you'h'il rem hem-ber m'he!
And If Ned Watson, alias Mr.. Edwards,
| had ever had cause to remember MiIly
| Hicks, it was made an hundred times
more vivid at this moment, this supreme
| Ii ~,
room with the days marketing upon her
arm, bringing in every feature and mo-
| ton the freshness and glory of the morn
| ing, and then, II not before, his whole na-
ture revolted at the artitice:
Then you-hll-
Introduce you, Mildred" interrupted
the vestmaker, ITO Mr.. Edwards, VINO
will serve his time with u.s. Mr.. Ed
wards, my daughter Mildred. 'Milly,'
| we call her.n
! 1t all flashed over her just as fully and
| distinctly as though she had witnessed
every act and eXpedient preparatory to
| his being there; and she felt hurt, in
suited and indignant. 1t showed in her
face and eyes, too. But she saw the man
that had perhaps saved her life; the man
| that she knew loveo her; the man who
was bemeaning and abasing himself in
the eyes OF his friends and society to re-
move her fathers prejudices and win her
on her own ground, and, AS he turned his
| flushed race toward her, mutely pleading
against betrayal. she merely said, Good
morning, Mr.. Edwards" and he stam-
mered out something in response as she
| quickly passed into another room.
But the bird of the little court sang
never another song that day.
1t would take long time to tell how,
under Milly's instruction, the vest max
er'S apprentice worked as he had never
| p1 hnN Iii To
| him in her power, she inflicted upon him
countless little asperities, for which her
| father gently chided her, but which were
in turn recompensed by kindly sugges-
tions and pleasant lingerings over side
pockets, telling i'll linings making the
backs, basting and stitching on brads,
shaping, pressing and sponging, and
other divisions of the work.
How at first he dined at some cheap
restaurant near, but soon Joined the fam
! lily meals, gradually not only becoming
/ a workman but guest and friend; how,
very soon, the evenings were passed
among the happy piece workers and
happy evenings they were; and how as
August, the golden month, welded Sep
| tember its dreamy bride aud a touch of
| lies rigors was given in the early Octo-
| ber days, John Hicks heart went out
to his apprentice as u friends to friend,
as "a fathers to a son, and realizing that
another love was rlpening in the little
rooms he would nod gravely to mother
| tshe had seen how it was going long. long
/ before) who would look up with strange
smile of acquiesence which held a touch
of sadness, for Milly was the only child
| that had ever weakened mothers mex
pressible tenderness in her true mother s
| breast.
And SO it came about that one October
Sabbath evening, when the ''children,"
as they had come to call them, were away
| at church. Iohn Hicks took mnLhar, 9