The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-24
Her Fathers Guardian

She was little mite Of a woman, and
past 90 Beside her sat an old bent man.
whose years had passed the four-score
mark.
When sat down beside the little old
lady she turned a wrinkled smiling face
to me that was like sunshine itself.
This is pa" she announced cordially.
Pa does love to get out to hear the polit-
ical speeches. Pa, he's blind, and 1 take
him pretty near everywhere I go. Be you
real comfortable, par
And she put her arm around him, while
she carefully shielded his sightless face
with her shabby parasol, Now. you just
lean on me, pa; bear right hard. for
Know you're tired
Then she turned to me. Poor pa, he
does enjoy getting out so much. so I got
tickets and we come. He's looked for
ward to this meeting ever since we heard
of 1t, and I said, You just content your
self, pa; Wen CO."
The speech was to be given in an i'm
mense Enclosure out of doors. and the Cal
ifornia July sun poured down relentlessly.
Ten thousand people waited with more or
less dmpatience, but the little old lady
was serene.
ITS pretty hot for pa" she said, but
land! don't mind it,
old man, but my. I'd give a good deal
if I could see the crowdI'
The daughter looked at me with eyes
all tenderness. She did not speak, nor did
she need to, for in those faded blue eyes
behind the spectacles shone the essence of
love and pity and divine compassion.
A boy came by with big juicy peaches
for sale. The little woman looked at the
peaches, glanced at pa" and resolutely
turned her eyes away. The shabby little
purse in her lap told the story Of carfare
for the home trip, and peaches were be-
yond her.
After 1 had purchased some and offered
them to her the old man said plaintively:
I'm dradful thirsty. Mandy"
Manday, frightened: BE you, pa?
Well, that's nice. Here's a peach for you
right this minute. Amt that lucky! Pn
peel it,
The old man munched contentedly on
the fruit, and the little old woman began
again. I'm married. she said, ''but my
husband couldn't get to come. He's on a
digging job, and of course he couldn't get
off. But pa and me, we can tell him all
we can remember, and that'l be better
than nothing. Pas going to listen like
everything-his hearings first rate-and
I'm going to tell him how the stage is
fixed, and how the speaker looks and all
the rest. If we wasn't quite so far back
could see him better. MY eyes amt
what they used to be, an mebby I'll have
to ask you some"
Just then, amid great applause, the
speaker appeared. l handed the little wo-
man my opera glasses. 20, N.Y." she
cried, "ain't you kindl o, 1 can see him
just as plain! Pa, I can see him real
plain"
Pa smiled like a happy child. well.
Mandy. I'm real glad. Remember jest
how he looks, so you can tell Jim
The little woman kept silence during the
long speech, her every nerve stretched to
the utmost to see and hear and make for
ever hers this wonderful event.
When it was over and the band crashed
noisily she helped the stiffened old man
to his feet. Lean hard on me, pa" she
said; we're going home now" And pa,
as he turned his sightless eyes upon me,
said: "This is the day Of a lifetime to
Mandy and me. We won't never forget
it."
"Are you not tired?' I asked. But the
little woman struck In. Eyes, pas pretty
well done out, I guess, sitting here over
three hours in the hot sun, but he'll get
rested when I get him on to the lounge at
home. We wouldn't have missed it for
the world, would we, pa? Now, just lean
on me, lean real hard. If we can get a
car We'll soon be home. You've been aw
full good tc pa this afternoon and I'm a
thousand times obliged
I lost them in the crowd, as the little
gray-haired woman guided the faltering
steps of pa" and never dreamed that
she was an angel.-New Orleans Times
Democrat.