Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-12-07

ne Was WIN u.s. Tor Sn0uiQ attempt
such thing, Gibbons Decline and
Fall Of the Roman Empire would be
mere sketch.
But what mischief wasn't that boy
guilty of? After overhearing us, one
day, regretting that our little Scotch
terriers cars should be so prominent,
didn't he stick that unfortunate ami
mails ears close to his head with shoe
makers wax. and then proudly exhibit
him to us, as an instance of the tri-
umph OF art over nature? And didn't
he bring desolation into Lois dainty
room. in the vain effort to discover
secret panel there? Some street COM
rade of his. an ardent reader of dime
novels, had related to him a thrilling
story, in which secret panels figured
largely; and thereafter Barb's sole OBJ
ject in life was to discover such
panel in our old-fashioned house One
day he found that, beside the chimney
In Lois room, the paper, upon being
tapped, gave forth hollow sound.
Coincidence. So did the paper in the
yellow-covered novel. 1t was the work
OF a moment for Barb, in his eager
certainty of hidden treasure, to run
his knife around the paper, lift it up,
and-oh, me! oh, me! The soot-box
that hadn't been opened for twenty
years! The SCOT that in a thick, black
cloud settled on the fair, white cur
tains, chung to the counterpart, made
the whole dainty room dingy and
soiled and uninhabitable, Barb fed.
Before me, on the screen, see him as
he looked that night when we had dis
covered the disaster. searched for, but
failed to find him, and were begin
ming to fear he had run away, and he
emerged from the ash-barrel, where
he had lain concealed all the afternoon
and stood among us, surely the most
Wretched figure that was ever seen.
1t was after this, but not long, that
we began to be troubled about Barb.
Often he was gone all day, returning
at night, unable to give a satisfactory
account of himself; often we heard OF
him in company of boys it were bet
ter he should not know. Nancy's
threats, Lois gentleness, mammals pa
thence, seemed to avail nothing. We
had almost made up our minds that
Barb must leave us, when, one No
vember afternoon, about two years
from the day he had appeared among
us, we heard of Barb for the last time.
oh, poor Barb, poor Barb. Down in
the crowded streets, he had Joined
crowd which a sudden alarm of fire
had called together; in his excitement
he had not heard the cries which
warned him of an engines being close
upon him. There was no time to rein
in the galloping horses; no one had
been to blame. Oh, poor Barbi
Hes at Station B, maam,' the Off
Ger said. "The doctor says it can't be
long, for his lungs are hurt bad. He
kept moaning for Miss Lois! Miss
Lois! and as soon as We could make
out where he came from the chief sent
me to tell you"
We hurried on cloaks and hats and
followed the officer into the chilly No
yember dusk.
1t was a little whitewashed cell.
Barb was lying on low pallet, COW
cred with rough, gray blanket. His
eyes were closed, and they did not
open as we came in. When Nancy
saw him lying so, the wan, gray shad-
ow on his set. still face, she rushed
forward and threw herself on her
knees beside him, with a passionate
cry: ooh. Bar6! Barb! Ye're done
goin' to die, and we haven't got relig-
ion, and ye'll so into the fiery furnace
foreber and foreber!"
Lois gently drew Nancy away, and
knelt in her place, taking both the lit
tie, bruised, black hands in hers.
Don't listen to her. Barb" she said.
"She doesn't know what she says.
Dear, try to hear and understand what
l say. Do you remember the Good
Man I used to tell you about, Sunday
nights? The one, you know, who
healed the sick. and took little chill
dren in His arms? You are going to
Him, Barb; and He will love you, and
help you, and teach you how to live"
The gray lips moved family, will He
De good TO me, IKE you are, MISS LOIS!
Will He let me get my BRET, without
its hurtin' me so orful?"
Dear" she said. ''He will be better
to you than you can ask or think.
Barb, l want you to try and say to
Him the little prayer l taught you.
Try, dear, try!"
Into the silence the weak voice fall
tered, while Barb held fast the kind
hands that seemed an anchorage for
him, who was drifting so fast away:
"Now lay me down to sleep,
] pray-de--Lord---'
no need, oh. Barb! No need to fin
ish that prayer! The soul you would
have commended to His holy keeping
had gone to Him.