The Republican journal., 1898-10-06

|
to see that, after Don read the letter, he
leaned his head against one of the stalls,
and sobbed, "Mother"
After that, Don wrote to her. One day
he stopped Mr.. Warner.
''Tm saving my wages Don said,
proudly. 81 m going to send some money
to mother. She's coming out here, soon
as she can get the money
Some two months afterward, when Mr..
Warner came back to the barn one after
noon, Don was there.
{" Mr.. Warner" said Don, excitedly,
my mothers coming on the train to-
night. The eXpressmen will let me off,
so l can go meet her. Won't you 90 with
me?"
''I'll be in the way" answered Mr.
Warner, diffidently. Your mother won t
want to see me-
Eyes, she will, persisted Don. ''I We
told her about you and Gran pa Jamison
in my letters
Mr.. Warner brushed his worn clothes
very carefully. He was scarcely less ex-
! cited than the boy when they set forth.
| They were very early, but at last the
train came in. The passengers poured
out. Don stood trembling. Mr.. Warner
put a trembling hand on the boy S
shoulder
'She'll come,' said the old man, hope
fully.
There she isl c1ied Dom
| He rushed toward a plain-looking wo-
man stepping from a car. The woman
saw Don. and ran toward him. Don
caught his mother in his arms, and those
passengers who fastened by heard the
boy falter, son, mother and the woman
! sob, 'Oh, MY boy, my boy, my boy, I've
got You again.
| When old MI. Warner afterwaid told
Gran pa Jamison the events Of the
| evening, this " as pant OF the old man S
tale: Don S mother said that you and
| had been real blessing to her and her
| boy. Think of that, Gran'pa Jamison
| Two old men like us being real bless
inesW
| But Don was destined to be a blessing
to the old men, also, Mr.. Schuyler, the
owner of the express business, had re-
Gently sold to another man. The new
owner of the express business had come
| to the barn several times. One even
ing, now, he came to give Don some
directions about the horses. Then the
new owner Iecollected something.
/ give noticed,' he said, ''that two old
men live in the barn-loft. They might
sci the hay atire."
sob, non' exclaimed Don; ''they never
| take even a lantern up there! It's all the
home they have
81 can help that" answered the new
owner.
"Oh, don't turn them outn' pleaded
Don. Mr.. Schuyler let them stay, be-
cause his team knocked old Mr.. Warner
| down.
Nv n11 !,
the old men here persisted the new
owner.
He was not unkind- hearted. He had
only young mans importance in newly
acquired authority.
| There was a faint sound from the barn
loft. An inspiration seized Don.
CLEAR that?'' he asked. sold Mr.
Warmers singing the other old man to
| sleep. I've heard him do it often. You
go set on the ladder, and you can heart"
Moved partly by curiosity, and partly by
the thought that, after listening, he could
go into the loft and tell the old men they
must leave, the new express owner went
to the ladder and hearkened, unseen.
! Old Mr.. Warner sang a mothers song
of long ago:
Hush my dear, lie still and slumber;
Holy angels guard thy bed"
''That's my fav' rite song" said Gram
pa Jamison, sleepily-''m y-fav' rite
| song
The express owner on the ladder did not
move. He had wife at home who sang
the same hymn, sometimes at night, to
| their baby boy. Her voice had made the
words holy
Old Mr.. Warner sang through the hymn.
There was pause.
ttHe'S tbr0nph Sippipp - thpupbt the
man on the ladder
ut Mr.. Warner began again This
time he sang, "Home, sweet home.''
''There S no place like home,'' crooned
| the old voice.
| Once, years ago, when his wife lived
| there had been another, dearer home than
barn-lo for this old man who sang
| Perhaps he thought of that vanished home
to- night; but the old voice did not stop,
for Mr.. Warner sang to comfort an older
and more helpless man.
can exile from home,'' crooned on the
old voice, beginning another stanza.
The new express owner swallowed a
lump in his throat He stepped down and
| went softly from the barn.
II won't turn those two old men out of
that barn-loft, after ALL he promised
himself. ''They both had real homes
once, | expect. Heaven help themn'
In the barn. loft, tired old Mr. Warner,
unsuspicious that his singing has had any
other auditor than Gran pa Jamison, lay
down on the hay. He remembered the
haycocks of his fathers farm SO long ago.
81 count it real mercy that hay is so
homelike to mer' gratefully whispered
Mr.. Warner; and he went peacefully to
sleep. Mary E. Bamford, in the indie
pendent.
Help is wanted when the nerves become
waak and anDatita faila Hoo0,a Coraono