The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-21

from her home. She said to herself that
she was an outcast from the Lords table,
but the words did not convey any particu-
lar meaning to her numbed brain.
She walled on in the unfamiliar way
until at last, completely tired, she sank
discovered that she had walked a consid-
cradle distance beyond the last scattering
outposts of the village.
She gazed about her dispiritedly. On
the prairie, little distance from her, a
flock of turkeys were feeding, guarded by a
small boy, who from a low mound was
cycling Der curiousiy. He was a queer,
weakened bit of boy, baretooted, bare.
headed, only thatch of sunburned hair
protecting his head from the hot sun. A
pair of faded overalls, tied around the
waist with bit of rope, and ragged hick-
DRY shirt were all his garments Seeing
that NJ artha did not move, he presently
approached her.
Whats the matter?" he asked
II am cast out from the Lord's table,
said Martha, simply.
The boy looked vaguely sympathetic.
That's too bad,'' he said. "Hain't you
got any place O yer own?''
Martha did not heed his question. The
mere telling OF her pain had loosed her
tongue, and she continued, gravely, as
though the ragged urchin were the duly
appointed judge to hear and determine her
case.
"They tell me the Lord has sent affection
upon me-"
"Affliction? What is that?"
"Why, trouble of every kind. He's
taken my friends from me, my home, my
money, py health-all l have"
"Jewhilikinsl What greedy he must
be! Can't you pay i'm off no way?"
"Pay him off? Who? God?" Martha
was startled by the question to forgetful-
ness of her agony.
I'd sue i'm, make i'm unload. Who's he
anyhow"
"Whyl Don't you read your Bible Pr
asked Martha, helplessly.
Whats that? l hain't never heard
of it?''
Aroused 10 sense Of her responsibility,
forgetting her heavy burden of pain and
sin, Martha endeavored, as well as she
could, to give this weird being some idea
of God and the creation. She told him
the story of Jesus, with q wholly uncon-
scious native eloquence, while he stood
there, unmindful of his turkeys wander
ing over the prairie, only bent upon losing
nothing of the marvellous story which this
stranger woman said was honestly true"
"Do you really mean that you don't
know-that you don't remember about it?"
QucoeiOhcO oS tuc
astounding fact came home to her that
here in Christian, orthodox Dilworth, this
boy was hearing the old, old story for the
first time.
"Remember!" he said perplexedly.
"Why, how long ago did it happen?"
"Oh," Martha replied vaguely, lover
1900 years ago." TIE idea Of time had
never before presented itself to her that
way.
ooh. myl'' exclaimed her nearer.
"Why, ma am; I'm only years old
couldn't remember that long ago."
Then he bethought himself of his tur-
keys and hurried to collect them, while
Martha watched him, the first clear
thought since her experience of the morn
ing gradually beginning to take shape in
her brain. When he approached her again,
herding the turkeys before him, she joined
him and they walked homeward in the
frightening afternoon shadows. She had
been aware of this colony on the outskirts
Of the village. She knew that one or tive