The herald., 1896-01-19

At noon Billy said to Mrs. Briggs in
his palavering way, with a great deal of
wrenching and uneasiness of his big
body, Pm sorry, awful sorry, to leave
before this jobs done, but this rheu-
matiz has got the best O. me. It's the
heat, 1 guess"
81 should think you would not like
to quit work when it is 80 scarce" said
Mrs. Briggs.
Give got friend down here to
San Pedro; he thinks a great deal of
me and will give me anything want
in the way of job. Big wages, too. 1
wouldn't leave only for this rheumatic.
l guess it's the heat. I'm not used to
hard work, either; been on the police
for several years, or something O. that
kind. This rheumatic, I tell you, is
pretty bad"
Billy drew his pay from the village
merchant, and Mr.. Briggs heard after
ward that he laid in a barn for two
days. [The reader may decide as to
| the efficacy of Mrs. Briggs temperance
lectures
By the next afternoon the hay was
nearly all in. AS Mr.. Briggs was called
on the jury, Pierre was dismissed. At
supper he looked tired and little
somber.
! "Wsll, I'm sorry the jobs done; wish
it had lasted all summer. L don't
know where I'll go now"
"Mrs. Thaxter was here this after
noon," said Mrs. Briggs. "She heard
we had man and they wanted one for
few days, so 1 told her about you"
"That is good! That is good! L
think I may get some w-a-r-k for
r utbo 10
[ was always used to w-a-r-k-in'."
"You can take him down, Angie,
when you go for the mail" said Briggs;
"it's long walk, with blankets, down
to Thaxter's."
Eyes, will, and think people will
like Pierre 80 he may get plenty OF
! work.
Pierre laughed loud and long.
"Folks don't hire men because they
like EN-; they hire 'em to w-a-r-k."
"That's So" added Briggs. 81 hire
! six or eight days a year, and most of US
| about the same. l pity the man who
has got to live on that"
81 suppose I'll never see you no
| more" said Pierre. 81 wish the job
| lasted"
"Oh, yes, come to see US, Pierre; we
will be glad to see you, and l know
Manly will be delighted. You are very
different from Billy. I'm afraid he
, spends all his money at the saloons"
81 guess he does, ma'am, but you
! see I can understand that; fellow
gets to goin' there when he's young or
| out Of w-a-r-k, or for the sociabilities,
and it's hard to break off. l go some
times to read the paper or when [ get
tired standing around the streets. You
see get sort of crazy when | get to
| worrying, and it goes to my head. Last
winter l was four months without no
w-a-r-k, and [ thought [ was surely
going to git crazy"
"Are you that way at other times?"
queried Mrs. Briggs, with real con-
| Germ.
"No, ma'am, its only because I've got
no w-a-r-k, and 1 soon get so l don'G
care for nothing. My heart all goes
out o. me-" There's lot like Billy.
Mrs. Briggs took Pierre as far as the
village and felt real pity and sorrow
because he must 60 here and there,
with no home, no friends.
1t WAS like turning away something
innocent and faithful upon great
ocean, ignorant of chart or compass.
On her return she reflected on the
occult book, on the new world of
thought upon which her mental vision
was now focused. Ste could not decide
as to the occultness of the experience.
1t was enough that her eyes had been
opened and her heart little toward
that great struggling mass commonly
called "the unfortunate" 'Silas," she
said as she sat down beside the ham
mock on which he was resting. "If 1
were educated, if knew anything, I'd
be a preacher. This theology is all
nonsense and the ministers are de-
luding set. preaching about something
that fhey don't know anything about
and letting the real things of the world
60 topsy turvy. We've got to begin
down low with human life and how to
help it, and not be protesting the di-
vine before we're human"
Silas raised his brow. He was
pleased and refreshed by her energy
and positiveness. swell, Angeline,
should not quote st. Paul. You
would make a capital preacher,