Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1895-11-15

her text "Desolation," and collected
such an overwhelming number of texts
bearing upon this word and condition
that she was easily first in the race.
In fact so long was her list, SO perfect
her command Of her strange spiritual
wares, that the entire time usually de-
voted to the Sunday school session did
not suffice to enable her to repeat them
all. She stood up there on the plat
form and reeled off melancholy texts
in her even, mournful, monotonous
voice until the sun had sunk and it be-
gan to grow dark. Then the superin-
tendent advanced, and, lifting his
hand to stop her, announced that she
had so palpably won the prize that it
was needless to hear any of the other
aspirants or even to allow her to finish.
ave congratulate our little friend"
he said, pompously, upon her dill
gence and fine knowledge of the Scrip
lures, and we take great pleasure, the
minister and l, in giving into her hands
this token Of our appreciation and ap-
proval."
He handed her a small, shoddily-
bound scarlet-covered New Testament,
and she took 1t and sat down with a
swelling heart She recognized the
pomposity of the superintendent's tone,
she knew how worthless was the tri.
umph she had achieved, but she did
not care. Nothing mattered to her
now but this sweet, perfect joy of con.
quest. Perhaps fate, knowing how lit
tie of triumph would fall to her share
made this small victory the sweeter
perhaps the God who tempers the wind
to the shorn lamb made this breeze Of
success even more bland and delight
full than the air of prosperity usually
is, perhaps = who can spell out the
causes of human joy or sorrow?
She went home that day walking or
air, treading on roses. What matteret
1t that other children sneered at hel
choice of subjects? What mattered i
that some Of them had even hinteI
that she had won the prize unfairly
What mattered it that even her mother
thought the time spent in earning hel
poor little Joy little excessive? Thu
law of compensations is a sure i
slow power, and there was bliss enough
in this one minute of success to balanc,
lifetime of failures. And this was thu
purpose, apparently, of that Sunda,
school prize. 1t gave her the only per
feet gladness she ever knew; it fur
nished the element of success reces
sary in some degree to the completion
of every human life.
She cherished that small, common
Testament far more than she did eithe
of the gorgeous gilt and leather com
binations given her on her dreary wed
ding day; she treasured it far NOR
than the plain little copy of Tenny
sons poems which had been presente
to her ON her graduation day, an
which had given her nearer approach
to pure pleasure than usually fell t
her lot.
For the Testament represented he
share of that which is the desire of a.
human hearts-the longing to be frs
with somebody, something, sometim,
The Testament was the only ''outwar
and visible sign" of her worldly SUE
cess, 1t was the insignia of rank wo
in the only victorious battle of Ion
campaign.
And this is why she loved it; this
why, when she was dead, they foun
it clasped in her cold, stiffened finger
and pressed close to her silent heart.
0, tragedy of the second fiddle!
strange, harsh, echoing minor chort
Can it be that in some far-away Ian
where love, music and success are {
commonplace and normal as heal
hunger, discord and failure are (
seem to be) here the second fiddle ma
be promoted to the rank of first violil
perchance even of conductor? Or is
true that in the life which toucht
ours 1.-THE last shall be 6rst," and tn
first violin of less import than the Sc
ond fiddle-which makes perfect il
terval possible.-Chicago Tribune.