Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-12-03

asleepI HIS 1tlle manu- SLOWLY 10
laxed about the watch chain and fel!
with q soft slap to the big hand under
meath. Through the thick chat his
little head felt pleasantly warm.
When lilly went home that after
noon she carried, tightly held against
her breast, little role OF mortgage
money" that meant home and Roddy
Doc aud oil things beautiful TO her
She hid the most of il away with care
full prudence and only resorted to it
under actual stress of need. For little
lilly Gamble carried OH her narrow,
thin shoulders a wise head OF her own.
She went patiently about among the
neighbors seeking work, squaring the
thin shoulders and trying to look
"grown up" and capable. 1t was
discouraging quest for the most part,
but lilly kept persistently, stubbornly
at it till she found, here and there,
little tasks TO do that helped to make
Roderick Dhu's mortgage ''spend."
But the little hidden hoard dwindled
in spite Of lilly. There was the in
terest money--tbat came out OF it
every month-and every month, with
precise regularity, lilly and Roddy
boo, shining and clean, paid it to
Gershom Flint.
He came to anticipate their coming
with more interest than he would con-
TESS to his logged old heart. 1t grew
to be the one bright, fresh spot in his
lonesome existence - the sight of
Tillys plain, honest little face and
Roddy Docs nestle on his knee. Be-
tween times, too, he kept the children
in view, quietly aud with feeling of
responsibility that greatly astonished
himself
Once he made them call at the
shanty house. He had heard that its
owner was planning to tear it down
and rebuild in a short time. The
news disturbed him unaccountably.
lilly was ironing, pieced out by the
salt box. The baby, pieced out by the
clothesline, was placidly making mud
pies outside the kitchen door. He
held one up to Gershom Flint with
prompt politeness, pressing it upon
him.
"No, thank you, I've had my din
ner, Roderick Dhu. Where's your
sister, eh?"
lilly appeared at the door, rolling
down her sleeves precipitately.
"Oh, Mr.. Flint" she said, won't
you walk right in? I'll wash Roddy
Docs face an unite him. Won't you
take n chair?"
Gershom Flints keen eyes looked
over Tilly's head at the kitchens bare
ness and tiny dimensions. He noticed
| how clean il was. He saw the salt
box, and it appealed with dumb pa
thos to him. And this was the home
they were going to be turned out Of!
"No. No, / won't come in," he
said, slowly. 81 was going by and
thought l would stop and see il my
shnlsvihf isgisiatioil, Is q Be determ-
ined within the next FIVE years.
"When ultra conservatism applies
II to justify q condition which is bad
enough instead OF well enough, it is
fatally misapplied," he continued.
"That the condition Of our currency
and banking system is 'bao enough 10
certified to by the deliberate judgment
of the great body Of economic students
and by general consensus OF opinion
among business men.
'Tt certainly is not we'll enough
with banking system utterly inelas-
tic and correspondingly irresponsible
TO the domestic requirements Of trade
and industry TO which In Its proper
relation the banking system should be
the faithful and efficient hsndmaiden.
1t is not we'll enough with the national
treasury awkwardly performing an
Office which Is entirely foreign to its
proper function. II is not we'll enough /;
II is absolutely bad, when the result is
public treasury 80 expanded in Its
demand liabilities in a time Of pro.
found peace as TO threaten its solvency
in case Of war;"
The secretary was glad he was not
called upon to discuss the 'how" or
to go into details OF methods TO achieve
currency reform. To go into that dis.
cussion might be injudicious in view
Of his official position and would be
entering upon the field of greatest
controversy where doubts and fears
are now numerous and where passions
and preiudices have their freest play.
Said he:
Every one favors reform-his kind
Of reform. Many are willing to have
reform, anybody's kind, and 1t can be
had without struggle and free of cost
Others, seeing that the path Of virtue
leads TO serene and restful places, are
willing to walk in the way of ID. even