The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-07-17

Here again was THIS appear Tor nelp
coming at a time when it seemed to
him as if the burden he was carrying
was too great for him.
He looked up at Mrs. Barton.
"Why, certainly, I'll go right out
with you." he said. every instinct of
helpfulness in him rising and going out
toward the cry f,r help.
Just thsn Carver camo walking by.
Kirk had the letter he was going to
post in his hand.
"Say, Carver, will you mail this let
ter for me as you go. by the Officer"
Malcom asked, and Carver eagerly
took the letter, more than willing to do
Mr.. Kirk favor
Malcom at once got up into the wag-
on with Mrs. Barton, and they drove
out of town rapidly. Carver stood
watching them a moment, then he
turned and went on down the street.
At the first saloon he hesitated, but
finally went in. Before noon he had
gone into three or four different saloons
that lay between him and the postof-
fee, and the letter remained in his
pocket forgotten.
On their way to "The Forks" NAL
com learned from Mrs. Barton that
| while Philip was on his back, unable
| to leave his bed, one Of the farmer
boys living on the next ranch had
brought out several bottles of whisky
| and smuggled them into the house.
The result was that young Barton was
| having delirium tremens while in the
terrible condition caused by his de-
bauch at the time of the great fire.
His mother had spent fearful night
with him. and at last, desperate and
| heartbroken, dry eyed, but weeping
her blood away within, she had come
| into town for Kirk.
| ''It is all of the devil, this drink busi-
ness" groaned Malcom as he went in
| Phil Barton lay.
| Never in all his life had Malcom
Kirk seen such sight. Barton knew
him as he came in, and he spoke his
name. Then he began to curse in the
most awful manner. The lower part
of his body was paralyzed, but his
arms moved necessarily, and his head
/ rolled back and forth. on the bed
while he called on all hell to blast ev-
cry living creature on earth.
Malcom put Mrs. Barton out of the
room and shut the door. Then for
three hours he spent the most trying
period he had ever known by the side
of suffering and sinful human being.
At the end of that time Barton lay
quiet, and Malcom was weak and
trembling, wet with perspiration and
unnerved as if he had been facing
some great peril The doctor came just
as Malcom went to tell Mrs. Barton
that Philip was sleeping. She had not
been able to find any physician when
she had gone in that morning and had
left word for one to come out
"What is going to become of my
boy, Mr.. KirkY" Mrs. Barton asked as
he was getting into the doctors buggy
to go back with him.
Malcom had not the heart to say
anything at first. In his soul pro
found horror and divine indignation
against the saloon greater than he had
ever known had risen.
At last he said: Mrs. Barton, hope
to live to see the day when your boy
will not be near this temptation. The
saloon and all it represents is an enc
my of mankind. We will not cease tt
work and pray and suffer until ths
curse of it is removed from our life al
a state" For the time he had forgot
ten he was going away.
! promise me, Mr.. Kirk, that you viii
. do what you can for Phil There's ne
. one living he thinks SO much of. Yor
saved his life. Save his soul too. Dom
give him up. will you, Mr.. KirkY'
Malcom trembled. How could he tel
, this wretched, heartbroken woman, liv
, ing in that desolate. ruined home, tina
he had already made his plan to leav,
. Conrad. She clung to him as the lar
gest and only hope for her boy tina
she knew. What could he say to her?
The doctor, who had been listenin,
sympathetically, but in silence, hal
, gathered up his reins, and the horse
impatientiy made a movement to start
and still Malcom Kirk said nothing.
r II know you won't give him up, MI
Kirk. If you don't save him, no on
r else will. Don't you think he's wortl
= saving"
She stood by the buggy and laid he
thin, worn hand on Malcom's arm. A
, he looked at it he thought of some oil
! verses he had read while in the semi
I nary about a mothers hands:
j Not all the ladies in all the lands,
h With riches and titles and fame,
Could boast Of such beautiful, shapely hands
As one that could name.
VI Her hands without ieweled ring.
= And the fingers were thin and old,
But baby's fingers would round them cling
e More precious than solid gold.
oil Ny mother has passed this earth away,
To the land where death cannot be,
But I'll never forget her as she lay,
t Hands clasped in prayer for me.
They were old verses that some on
q had translated hastily from a Germa
It text. but Malcom remembered then
e and they came to him vividly just nov
"Of course | believe he is worth say
e Ing" said Malcom.
Mrs. Barton looked up to him agai
o appealingly.
IS You won't give him up. will you"
mo; | won't give him up," reptile
y Malcom, but he hardly seemed to rea
q ize what the words meant. Was he n(
y planning to go away from all this bu
r den bearing? Had he not already wri
ten the letter accepting the place whel
e he would be free to use his pen withoJ
this constant struggle to help the live
q nf others in this personal contact wit
them?
II ITO RE CONTINUED1