The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-13

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one OF these battles. He felt something
hot streaking slowly down Is check !.
the tear made its way down and dropped
upon his hand. From his view-noint if
seemed a symbol Of unresignedness. and
though he was too choked to speak, he
breathed slowly to himself his old fight
ing words THY viii be done!" Between
this prayer and the tear the battle RACED
with varying fortunes, while he could
feel the SILVER of the wave that was
sweeping over the child Rugged tight to
his good, warm big body. The child was.
too, breathing with some difficulty, and
the distress seemed to increase. Presently
the silence was suddenly broken. The old
parson seemed to speak aloud to himself:
he did not seem to be conscious longer Of
any listener TO the silent conversation
that he had been holding with God. Very
calmly and with steadiness the words
came: with my soul have | desired
thee in the night, then after pause
and In somewhat stronger tone, he ex-
claimed: Trust We in the Lord forever:
for in the Lord, Jehovah, is everlasting
strength! Then all was silence again
except for the muttering of the boy. The
congestion and the almost cessation OF
aeratlon had been followed by the rise in
temperature, and then by delirium, and
the child was talking incoherently and
almost unintelligibly. His daddy put his
ear down close to the child's lips; he could
just catch the words: "Mammy-'ey-are
comin-close-ma Daddy to"
The sentence was cut off. Tell Daddy to
come to you Is that what you want to
=.
response. The old man was in Us Geth-
semane, but raising up his face again, he
whispered, somewhat recalling the word
from the child: BE close. now, to thy
servant Lordr' Then he seemed some
calmer as he held the child nearer. and
again putting his lips to his cheek, he
spake TO him: Tim. can't, you feel your
mothers arms around you? Tell her. Tim.
Daddy's comm, and Daddy won't be
long" The child's arms moved somewhat
convulsively, and he seemed to try to
speak again. Had he heard the message?
God of the motherless, give us hearts to
feel that he had.
The little white church among the oaks
never looked sweeter than the next morn
village, with the sky all crystalline. and
the honeysuckle in a cascade about the
side-window. The horses, unhitched ard
from miles around, We're tied out and the
crunch of the corn came on the summer
air. while the white of dresses and the
swing of palm leaf fans made even the
pewS7fuh Of people seem cool picture
cofpared with the heat-waves that SHIN
mered in the wide space between the
church and the courthouse tavern across
the open. The congregation We're waiting
the village. but Parson Taliaferro had
sent word: Tell the brethren / viii be
with them" He and Tim had been to-
eether alone during the night. 1t had
been a night of prayer while he kept his
eyes on the child's form from the foot of
the big bed where he had stood. He had
fought his greatest fight and he had heard
the We'll done, thou good and faithful
servant" and so he felt strong to send
the word to the brethren. HIS night
struggle had not been without its music
While he prayed. he paused to listen, and
he had heard messages coming back to
him as if of some far off chant At the
end of one of his petitions, he had heard
the words: And He shall wipe away all
tears" Then again: "And ere shall be
no night there And he thought of the
same words he had read to Tins mother
from her favorite chapter when she died,
and he asked himself can it be her song
that | heard, and then after another
pause. he heard child's voice: "He
maketh me to lie down in green pastures
and leadeth me beside the still waters, and
he said that is Tim singing, it was what
no called his pretty verse;" Then he
heard another voice. THAT sounds like
the voice of Jesus he had said He
listened: For thou hast been a strength
to the poor, and strength to the needy in
his distress, refuge from the storm. n
shadow from the heat. And he had felt
tcomforted, and so in the morning he had
sent the message: Tell the brethren
will be with them"
There was not sound nor movement
when the old man walked up the aisle of
the little church. There was not q shad-
ow on his face There was the rugged
calm of the wr;nkled face of the sea,
with the same suggestion of under
force. The pause was breathless almost as
he stood for an instant, then like notes
from silver bells the words of the text
came: "Suffer little children to come unto
me, and forbid them not, for of such is the
kingdom of heaven" Not a reference to
the child. Not a church within the great
cities that would not have felt the
ground swell of the great simple elo-
quence that followed. Not a tear even
glimmered in the tenderly strong old
eyes. The only reference came at the
close. you all know God took Tim
God doeth all things WELL" he added fer
vently and almost in half-tones.
Late twilight that evening, some one
called out to Dan Ward stepping out with
his wooden leg from the tavern porch,
with bunch of violets and wild-roses
in his hand: "Where are you off to now
Dan" Dan looked back and tried to an
swer; he could not, but, lifting his
hand the roughness of which seemed to
make the flowers look all the more tender,
he DOinted toward the church-vard