The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1900-05-02

want to live; life is so full of troublew
And little 12-year-old Bess soDbed in
genuine sorrow.
George forgot his headache a minute.
Come, Bess, come and kiss and
make up. Honest, now, | didn't mean
] ii. l was bad To say what | did I'll
buy a dozen hats and let you sit on
them for fun. Don't go away angry.
I'm so miserable"
He lay down and groaned. and Bess
went To him Immediately. all her anger
vanished.
"Oh, let me get you something TO
drive away your headache, and I'll
bring you UP something nice to eat!
Mother had Norah save something for
you. Didn't you, motherY"
Bessie asked the question just as her
mother came in.
Mrs. Hardy said Yes" and. going
up to George. sat down by him and
laid her hand on his head. as his sister
had done.
The boy moved uneasily. He saw
the marks of great suffering on his
mothers face, but he said nothing to
express sorrow for his disgrace.
"Bess, Will you go and get George
his breakfastY asked Mrs. Hardy, and
the minute she was gone the mother
turned TO her son and said:
George, do you love me?"
George had been expecting some
thing different. He looked at his moth
or as the tears fell over her face, and
all that was still good in him rose up in
rebellion against the animal part. He
seized his mothers hand and carried
ii TO his lips. kissed it reverently and
said in low tone:
Mother. | am unworthy. If you
knew
He checked himself, as If on the
verge Of confession. His mother wait
ed anXiously and then asked:
won't you tell me allY'
mo; can't"
George shuddered, and at that mo-
ment Bess came in bearing a tray with
toast and eggs and coffee. Mrs. Hardy
left Bess TO look after her brother and
went out Of the room almost abruptly.
George looked ashamed and after eat
away. She looked grieved. and he
said.
Cant help it. I'm not hungry. Be
sides, don't deserve all this attention.
Say. Bess. is father still acting under
his impression, or dream, or whatever
/ it wasp
Yes; he is" replied Bess with much
] cnripnGnnGG ssapn no Is
now and kisses mother and all OF us
goodby in the morning, and he is kind
and ever so good. | don't believe he is
In his right mind. VIII said yesterday
he thought father was non campus
meant us. and then he wouldn't tell me
what IL meant. but | guess he doesn't
think father is just right intellectual
ly."
Now and then Bess got hold Of a big
word and used it great deal. She
said intellectually" over twice, and
George laughed little, but il was a
bitter laugh, not such as boy of his
age has any business to possess. He
lay down and appeared TO be thinking
and after awhile said aloud:
Il wonder If he wouldn't let me have
some money while he's feeling that
way"
"Who?" queried Bess. Father"
what. You here still, Curiosity?
Better take these things down stairs"
George spoke with his Headache
tone" as Clara called it. and Bess
without reply gathered up the tray
things and went out, while George con-
tinued TO figure out i'm his hardly yet
sober brain the possibility of his IA
Their letting him have more money with
which 10 gamble. and YET In the very
next room Mrs. Hardy knelt In an ago
ny of petition for that firstborn, crying
out of her heart:
80 God, il is more than | can bear!
To see him growing away from me so!
Dear Lord, be thou merciful to me.
Bring him back again to the lie he
used to live! How proud | was of him!
What JOY he was to mel And now,
and now! o gracious Father, If thou
art truly compassionate, hear me! Has
not this foul demon of drink done harm
enough? That it should still come into
my home! All, but l have been indif-
ferent TO the cries of other women, but
now 1t strikes me! Spare me, great and
powerful Almighty! My boy! my hearts
hunger is for him! 1 would rather see
him dead than see him as | saw him
last night. Spare me! spare me, o
Godr'
Thus the mother prayed, dry eyed
and almost despairing, while he for
whom she prayed that heartbroken
prayer calculated, with growing cold
ness of mind, the chances of getting
more money from his father to use in
drink and at the gaming table.
o appetite, and thou spirit of gam
bling! Ye are twin demons with whom
many fair browed young soul today
Is marching arm In arm down the
dread pavement of helrs vestibule,
lined with grinning skeletons of past
victims, and yet men gravely discuss