The San Francisco call., 1897-04-25

Lets get out in the air and walk"
sighed After time we turned up at the
church. l wanted TO go into the pastors
study. l told him l believed we had
friends there and fire, for it was cold.
"No; no women in there; here" He
led us into little side door. sort of
storeroom for the janitor, and mere we sat
and shvered as the great cold church
slowly filled. Men kept coming one after
another with their bicycles. Then two
women came to hand their rubbers in
through the door to the janitor. Then
one came and banged at the door, and as
Riley shyly opened it six inches she
showed in a poodle dog. with instructions
10 the janitor. Riley without word
promptly passed the dog out and bolted
the door. We sat down close together,
for we were shivering, shivering. AMI it
was dark in that den of bicycles and coal
scuttles and old rubber boots, and cold, so
cold!
1t was then that he gave vent to this
lesson:
"Oh, do not touch liquor. 1t will hit
you hard some day; hit you ard when
you are looking the other way"
We still shivered, and l wanted to go in
where the women were, in the pastors
comfortatle study.
No. no; no, no.
Jim, tell me; you never married; tell
me why. Who was she2 What became
OF her2'
He took my hand in his as we sat still
closer together and said, in the solemnest,
sw eetest voice l ever heard, and as if to
himself:
IA Iu . ia IVA ri h0
sweetest little seminary girl that ever was
seen In dream; and she went to the,
seminary and never came back. You see
L hardly knew her, only saw her little,
only two or three times, and l only held
her hands once, and then only for Sec
ond, as she got in the sleigh by her father
and then l, l leaned over and kissed her
little hands. That's all, that's ALL
And then ne slowly. lowIy, SO tenderly
repeated these next lines and was only
ending them when the audience impa-
tiently called us from the dark and cold,
Yet mind you, these lines while written in
his youth, are not Characteristic. 1t is only
in dialect or baby verses that he ls at his
best, is jim Rilev
Marveous-wonderful-bea hands!
Ihey can coax roses to bloom in the strands
Ofyour brown tresses; and ribbons will twine,
Under my sterious touches of thine,
Into such knots entangle the soul,
And letter the heart under such control
AS only the strength of my love understands-
My passionate love for your beautiful hands.
AS remember the first fair touch
OF tho e beautiful hands that love so much
l seem to thrill as then tn rilled
Kissing :he glove that found untitled
When met your gaze, and the queen bow,
Asyou sail to me- laughingiy. "K ep it novp'
And dazel aud alone IN dream l stand
kissing this ghost OF your beautiful hand
When first loved, in the long ago,
a nd he'd your hand as tod you
Pre-, sed aad cares sed IL and g we it a kiss,
And sa d, 81 could die for a hand like thsI"
Little dreamed loves fullness yet
Had to ripen when eyes wet
And prayers were vain in their wild demand
For one warm touch of our beautiful hand.
Beautiful Hands. o Beautiful Hands,
Could you reach out of the alien lands
Where you are lingering, and give me, to- night,
Only touch-were it evtr so light
My heart soothei, and nv weary brain
Would lull Itself into rest again;
For there is no solace the world commands
| Like the caress OF your beautiful hands.