Crawford avalanche., 1896-11-19

E~2XA w ->(<NMAN OtHss people COnolu
~yS&FE. Y er him a bad citizen
N%,@ and, with the usua
emphasis of people
who take the downward view, a very bad
citizne.
When his wife died he seemed to awake
with n sudden shock to the issues of life
and the fact of death. lie had loved her
with sll that marvellous depth of tender
ness, that inconsistent fervor which some
times urderlies the weakest natures.
In the newness of his grief he foreswore
his old ways and habits. He knew him
self to be weak. He faucied the way to
strength of resistance lay along the road
or self-exile to strange scenes and un-
familiar faces-that road well worn by the
restless feet of those who fly from the
battle within TO wage an unequal struggle
with the allies without.
he left his little son. made doubly dear
to him by the sense of loss, with his wife's
cousin, gave to her what money he could
spare for the child's support, promised to
send more at regular intervals, and de-
parted westward.
More than year later he reused him
self as if the finger of eate had touched
him. He remembered, with an anguished
regret, that he had failed again; that for
months he had drifted from place to
place, he himself SCARCELY knew where or
how. He remembered that his promised
remittanccs for the boy had ceased. He
saw himself broken in strength, in health.
In spirit. He felt suddenly overpowered
with the consciousness OF his own weak
ness, and, as n drowning mans arms
.rI
help. bis thought went out toward his
child.
1t seemed to him that the love of his
boy could save him. The miracle of sal
vation became to him possible, wherein a
little child, strong in love and innocence
and faith, should lift the fainting, failing
manhood of the man.
A passionate yearning seized him to
fold again TO his heart The little form, to
feel ABOUT his neck the clinging arms, to
hear again the lisping words which came
10 his weakened memory like distant
echoes in dream. And then he remem-
bered the day when first the child was
laid in his arms; he remembered the
thrill, the wonder. the first pride of faith
erhood. Then, in brok,a glimpses, as a
fair landscape is seen between blurs of
succession, of the growth, the incidents
of the child's few years.
II must go to him." whispered the man
with 4 gasp, as he lifted his head from
his hands. His face was flushed, tears
stood in his eyes. His resolution was
carried out with feverisb haste, and he
turned his face to the East
10 e.
him. She had long considered him q
hopeless vagabond. SO when he appeared
suddenly, as from the possible, and, IL
her opinion, better, dead, she was not pre-
pared 10 receive him with especial cordial
ity. The story was soon told. The boz
had died months before. He slept by his
mother. No one had known where to ad
dress the father, who was supposed te
have forgotten he had a son. She was
really not much surprised at the apathy
with which the father listened. 1t wa,
consistent with her estimate of his char
acter. She had no means of knowing
that his faculties were stunned. But she
was estonished beyond measure when, il
mechanical way he insisted upon givin,
her money for the expense of caring fol
and buryng the boy.
''Is that quite all?" he kept asking, ant
then. abruptly but quickly, he said
"Good-by, I'm going back"
He knew that his hope was dead; b,
felt the certainty of fall now that nothin:
remained TO him to lean upon. But h,
thought of other things.
A sleety mist filled the air, sparkling II
the street lights like a may shower Of
brilliants. The particles stung his fac,
like el6n arrows. His features wer,
tense and rigid. His eyes were hot ans
dry and his head ached with a dull, in
sistent. maddening pain. He passed tn,
colored globes of drug store and stopped
Red, violet, and green the shafts of ligh
pierced the dark. The people about hin
seemed shadows, the sound of their voice
leagues away. Dimly he remembered
prescription for an opiatc he had used TO
headaches like that. Fumbling in hi
pockets he found T., paper and entere,
the store.
MAKE twice the number or powders,
he said to- the CLERK. IL don't want 4
bother getting the stuff so often"
The clerk hesItated.
Nonsense" said tne man. I'm per
fectly familiar with the use of it. Civ
me ono of them now with glass o
water
Then he went into the street again wit
the packet of powders in his pocket, an,
already the mere taking Of the drug ha
somewhat soothed him. lie felt hushed
his mind seemed to clear and lift itsel
into curious, impersonal attitude. A
he walked he found himself quite willin
TO contemplate calmly the sodden pain q
his heart, the utter hopeIessness and use
lessncss OF his life. With mocking pei