The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1897-08-25
many as touched Him were made

Min sat bolt upright, staring at
the platform, q sudden purpose
flashing into her mind. If ever
that Good Shepherd came any way
near their city-and He went to
villages, cities, and country, the
book said-well, when He did, she
would take Dicky to Him to be
be made whole, too. Dicky was
the one joy and anxiety Of Minis
life-to keep him out of harms
way, to keep up his reputation
among his neighbors, who openly
spoke Of him as half-witted. She
would tell none of them what she |
meant to do, but she would watch |
and find out when the time came;
and the stranger would help Dicky
also, she felt sure.
The room was nearly empty.
Min slipped off her bench; she
scarcely gave thought to the sad
dening fact that the breakfast was
all over and done with. The hor-
izon was blue still with q hope that
dwarfed even the memory of the
tea and rolls.
| "Dicky, were you listening to
what that man was saying?" she
began, as soon as they were out on
the pavement.
aye"
4 It was his usual response, but
Min could always translate it to
} mean exactly what was necessary.
J "Ofcourse you were; well, Dicky,
I'm going to look out for this Good
: Shepherd and get Him to make
you we'll. l shall take you to Him
= as soon as ever can find out where
. He is. You're not very i'll, but it
t would be more CHEEKY if you could
l talk to other people a bit when I
= wasn't here, wouldn't it?"
d aye"
: "But you needn't go and tell
g anybody what we're going to do;
e they might laugh at us, and it's
our business, not theirs.''
: There was not the slightest feal
If Of Dickey even remembering any
;s thing to tell, but Min resolutely
:. discoursed to him as a rational ane
y exceedingly sensible person; and
- after all, it is not SO much what {
< person has, but what he thinks h
n has, that makes up the sum total
p 1t satisfied her, and that was th
le chief point.
1t was the very outset Of tn
to winter when that first free break
I'd fast took place-the first? it wa
or also the last, at least in that pal
d. ticular quarter; there was an III
d. expected collapse in the funds, an
:" the charity was absored into
I'd weekday soup kitchen, at som
n considerable distance-too far t
OF take Dicky, even if Min had bee
ed able to spare the time from he
crockery basket.
u "The Good Shepherd has nt
t's come yet, Dicky," she said, rath'
;ly sorrowfuHy, one night nearly tV
gs. months later, as she tucked up TT
little lad on his mattress, al
IS, curled herself up beside him f
gh one of their talks, as she CALL
nd them, one-sided though they we1
Ire .'I've looked at all the bills on t
mn walls, and found out what eve
nd little crowd in the street was TO
ne, if He'd been here I'm certain
| q have heard about it,
~. Dicky gave a shivering sigh a
ave burrowed into his pillows.
lew "Never mind,' she said, patti
BOD him softly. "He's sure to col
on sometime. I've got somethi
the else to tell you-you'd never gu
the what it is
he No attempt to try. II knew y
rect wouldn' IT," she went on triu
Ired phantly; ''but I heard today
one woman told me-that there g
lovely fruit shop in Main str
fin where they want a message gi
ION, and if 1 can only get away early
'un- morrow night 1 shall go and
into about it. It's lucky I'm a g
that walker, for it's an awful way fl
the here
as "He's gone to Sleep" remar
. the speaker, after pause, stooE
ts~G closer to look at her audier
2 "what good thing-he'l II not
4 the cold so much now"
) For when they were asleep
2 almost the only time they did
< feel the cold. A black, bi
b frost that hardened the streets
E iron, hovered over the city
4 made life but bleak just then.
:. 3 had lasted so long, too; and e
T day Dicky looked smaller
q more pinched. Min carried
= anxious heart behind her
q lot Scant food and scantieI