Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-01-31

the same string, and | don't believe
God ever meant we should be- Now,
F I'm pretty sure from what know of
Jack that he is not n boy one can drive.
/"
But here Mrs. Hanna interrupted
her with an eager exclamation.
Goodness gracious, Mrs. Day!
drive! " ell. guess if had to drive
him to goodness He ought to be
anxious for it on its own account, and
it almost seems to me that if he can't
see it in that light he might as well be
let stay bad"
''Badr' echoed Mrs. Day in her turn.
Jack isn't bad. He's only foolish.
And so far as ones not being led to
goodness is concerned, why, Mrs.
Hanna, if it weren't for that very ne
cessitS we'd all be saints. Every day
we live were being urged and coaxed
and led toward goodness and away
from temptation by the most patient
and tender means. Don't you see it in
your own experience? Do you think
we have enough virtue in us to go Of
our own accord? Oh, dear, mol Now
what | want to prove to you is that it
is not only not wrong, but that it is
positively right, for US to try to win
Jack over by what my husband would
call a holy stratagem.' AT any rate,
will you let me try? promise to take
all the blame on my shoulders"
Mrs. Hanna wavered. She ardeutly
desired the end, but she distrusted the
means.
1T doesn't seem to me right" she
protested. 1t CCesn't seem to ne a
if the sort of goodness one would gain
in such roundabout ways would be
worth much. But you can try. Only
feel SO fearfully responsible in not
telling his father"
A couple of nights later Jack Hanna
let himself into the house, as was
usual, very gently, but. as was not
usual, long before midnight He trod
very softly, but his mother heard him
enter and stood ready to meet him at
the head of the stairs. clad in her dress
ing gown and knitted slippers.
''Oh hello. num- whispered the
young fellow. You up again? by
the way, Mrs. Day sends her love to
you"
Mrs Day?'
Eyes. She says don't forget to send
around for those INTERPRETATIONS
she promised you. Hoopskirt patterns
or something. But, anyway"
Where did you see Mrs. Day?" in
terrupted Mrs. Hanna, taking her hand
from the baluster rail and moving
step nearer her son.
''Oh, didn't l tell you? She wanted
To tal ha,. fr hA fHhnyr
had whist party and she wanted to
go, and Mr.. Day couldn't, or wouldn't
or something. Anyway, took her, ond
we had daisy time"
whist" said Mrs. Hanna, in a re-
pressed voice.
Eyes, whist" repeated the young
man. And whistl or you'll wake the
pater. Good night, mum"
He passed before her and closed him
self into his own room.
The next day Mrs. Day told Mrs.
Hanna that Jack had distinguished
himself at the Carriers.
They just delight in him. They
think he is so bright and clever and
they wondered why they had never
met him before. Mrs. Carter asked
him to call and he is going, believe.
I'm glad. The Carriers are such fine
people and Hilda is charming. She
plays very well. She and Jack had
quite a musical discussion. He doesn't
like some composer she adores. She
says it's because 10 dooc-,'+ l--~--.-'---
well enough to be able to judge. Jack
grew quite worked up about itv'
81 guess there are few composers
Jack doesn't know about" said his
mother with n spark of pride.
Yes, so | thought" assented Mrs.
Day, calmly. II said so, in fact. Ard
to prove it he and IIilda are coming to
dine with me next Wednesday ght.
and IIilda is to be convinced that his
feeling isn't one C: prejudice, but of
convection | believe that is how he
put it. Fancy Conviction regarding
composer! But they We're so in
earnest you'd have supposed twas
creed"
And you let them? You didn't tell
them they might be better employed?
You permitted them to talk about their
convictions as though it concerned
vital question? Oh. Mrs. Day, I'd
rather have it right out with Jack.
This seems to me like wasting time.
don't see how all this is going to bring
him to salvation"
Let me try bit longer" pleaded
Mrs. Day. why, haven't fairly be-
gun yet"
And with this Mrs. Hanna was forced
to rest content.
She saw Jack dress for Mrs. Days
dinner on the appointed night. She
met him in the hail when he returned.
She learned that Hilda Carter had com,
pletcly won him over to her way of
thinking, and that, after all. he hadn't
known what splendid music it was.
That now since he did know. he
couldn't rest till he heard more. and to
that end he was going to the Philhar-
monic concert the next night; that
Hilda had got him to sing; that SIC
liked his voice, and that she had ex-
| tracted a promise from him to sing
next month at the church sociahie
Il said would. and I'm going t.
take up my lessons again. FIR ! dot
want to make a mix Of it lef,rc all yuu
| good people Sorry. but yCu'll have t.
put up with my chirrurir~ araia
num-" he said And he actually kissed
| her good night.
After that Mrs. Hanna could guys
with tolerablc accuracy where lack
| had been spending his evenings. lie
had his chccry. communicative nights
| and his moody, rcticcrt ones AMI
these served to report him more faith
| fully than he would have believed or
| perhaps desired, for we all have our
| little reserves in spite of ourselves, AMI
| are not always anxious TO have our
moods revealed.
At first the nights of CHEEKY com
municativeness were the exception. but
gradually they grew more and more
| frequent as the young man was drawn
| more and more into the society of
l
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