Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-03-20

L
plying to letter from him never &C.
Cured to Mr.. Hardy. And when
Thursday night came he went down TO
q meeting OF the chess club and had
good time with his favorite game, for
he was n fine player and was engaged
In a series Of games which were being
| played for the state championship.
The superintendent Of the Sunday
school had lately timidly approached
Mr. Hardy and asked him II he would
not take class Of boys In the Sunday
! school What. HE take class Of boys!
! He. the influential. wealthy manager
OF one Of the largest railroad shops In
the world-nE give his time to the
teaching OF a Sunday school class! He
excused himself on the score Of lack Of
time, and the very same evening Of his
interview with the superintendent he
went to the theater to hear roaring
farce and after he reached home spent
an hour In his favorite study Of chem.
istry In his laboratory at the top Of his
house. for Mr. Hardy was a man Of
considerable power as a student, and
he had an admirable physical constitu-
ton, capable OF the most terrible
strain. Anything that gave him pleas.
ure he was willing to work for. He
was not lazy. but the idea Of giving his
personal time and service and talents
to bless the world had no place In his
mind.
And so as he lay on the lounge that
evening and listened to his wife's plain
statement concerning his selishness he
had no intention to give up single
thing that gratified his tastes and fed
his pride.
After silence Just about long
enough for some one to give the expla.
nation just given. Mrs. Hardy said.
speaking coldly. as II It were matter
Of Indifference to her:
"Mr. Burns. the foreman. called
while you were out"
"He did? What did he wantT
"He said four Of the nen In the cast
Ing room were severely Injured this
afternoon by the bursting Of one Of the
retorts. and the entire force had quit
work and gone home"
Couldn't Burns supply the place Of
the injured men? He knows where the
| extras are"
THAT was what he came to see you
about. He said he needed further dl.
rections. The men fatty refused to
| work another minute and went out In
a body. don't blame them much.
Robert. don't you believe God will pun
lsh you for keeping the shops open on
any SundayT
Nonsense. Mary" replied Mr.. Har
dy. Yet there was a shadow Of un-
easiness In his tone. "The work has
got to 60 on. II Is work Of necessity.
Railroads are public servants: they
can't rest Sundays"
Then when God tells the world that
| Il must not work on Sundays he does
not mean railroad men? The fourth
commandment ought to read: Remem-
ber the Sabbath day and keep 1t holy,
except all ye men who work for rail-
roads. Ye haven't any Sunday"
MARY. didn't come from one ser.
mon to listen to another. You're worse
than Mr.. Jones"
Mr.. Hardy half rose on the lounge
and leaned on his elbow, looking at his
wife with every mark Of displeasure
on his face. and yet as he looked some
how there stole into his thought the
memory Of the old New England home
back In the Vermont hills and the VI
sion Of that quiet little country village
where Mary and he had been brought
up together. He seemed to see the old
meeting house on the hill, at the end
Of long, elm shaded street that strag.
gled through the village. and he saw
himself again as he began to fall In
love with Mary. the beauty Of the VII
lage, and b, had vision Of one Sum-
day when. walking back from church
by Mary's side, he had asked her to be
his wife. 1t seemed to him that q
breath of the meadow just beyond
Squire Hazen's place came Into the
room Just as 1t was waited up to him
when Mary turned and said the happy
word that made that day the gladdest.
proudest day he had ever known.
What, memories Of the old times!
What!
He seemed to come to himself and
stared around into the fire as II won.
dering where he was, and he did not
see the tear that rolled down his wife's
cheek and fell upon her two hands
clasped In her lap. She arose and went
over to the piano, which stood in the
shadow, and, sitting down with her
back to her husband. she played frag-
ments Of music nervously. Mr.. Hardy
lay down on the lounge again. After
awhile Mrs. Hardy wheeled about on
the piano stool and said:
"Robert, don't you think you had
better 20 over and see Mr.. Burns about
the men who were hurtT
"why, what can do about 1T The
company's doctor will see to them. ]
should only be in the way. Did Burns
say they were badly hurt"
"One Of them had his eyes put ont.
and another will have to lose both feet.
think he said his name was Scoville."
"What! Not Ward Scoville"
81 think Burns said that was the
name"
Mr.. Hardy rose from the lounge. then
lay down again. "Oh. well. can so
there the first thing In the morning. ]
can't do anything now" he muttered.
But there came to his memory a pic.
ture OF one day when he was walking
through the machine shops and heavy
piece of casting had broken from the
end of a large hoisting derrick and
would have fallen upon him and proba-
bly, killed him II this man Scoville. at
the time workman In the machine de-
partment, had not pulled him to one
side at the danger Of his own life. Al
1t was. in saving the life Of the mana
ger Scoville was struck on the shoulder
and rendered useless for work for four
weeks. Mr.. Hardy had raised his
wages and advanced him to Z responsi-
BILE position In the casting room. Mr..
Hardy was not q man without generosr
| ity and humane feeling. but ~ be lay
on the lounge that evening and thought
Of the cold snow Outside ana IL diDs