Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-04-03

II
families thus injured or stricken by
death and so far as possible arrange
for their future.
| Item 3. Any well organized railroad
could. with profit to Its employees
| have upon It's staff Of salaried men q
corps Of chaplains or preachers whose
business Is would be to look after the
religious interests Of the employees
Under this last item Mr.. Hardy wrote
In a footnote. Discuss feasibility OF
this with Mr.. b.. influential director"
II was now 3 o'clock. The short win.
ter day was fast drawing to a close.
The hum Of the great engine In the ma.
chine shop was growing very weari-
some to the manager. He felt sick OF
its throbbing tremor and longed TO es-
cape from 1t. Ordinarily he would
have gone to the clubroom and had a
game Of chess with member. or else
he would have gone down and idled
away an hour or two before supper at
the Art museum, where he was con.
slant visitor-that was when he had
plenty Of time and the business Of the
office was not pressing. Young Well.
man. however. had succeeded to the
clerical details Of the shops. and Mr..
Hardy's time was generally free after
4 o'clock.
He had been oppressed with the
thought Of the other Injured men. He
must go and see them. He could Lot
rest till he had personally visited them.
He went out and easily ascertained
where the men lived. Never before did
the contrast between the dull. uninter-
esting row Of shop tenements and his
own elegant home rise up so sharply
before him. In fact. he had never
given II much thought before. Now.
as he looked forward TO the end OF the
week. he knew that at Its close he
would be no richer. no better able to
enjoy luxuries than the dead man lying
In No. I60. He wondered vaguely but
passionately how he could make use Of
what he had heaped together to make
the daily lives Of some Of these poor
men happier.
He found the man who had lost both
eyes sitting up In bed and feeling In
pathetic manner Of a few blocks Of
wood which one OF the children In the
room had brought to him. He was a
big. powerful man like his brother the
large boned Dane, and IL seemed very
pitiful thing that he should be lying
there like a baby when his muscles
were as powerful as ever. The brother
was In the room with the injured man,
and he said to him:
"Olaf. Mr.. Hardy come TO see you
Hardy? Hardy" queried the man
In n peevlsh tone. What 10 know
him TO beY
"The manager. The one who donate
20 really much moneys to you
"Ahw with an indescribable accent.
HE make me work on Sunday. He
lose me my two eyes. A bad man.
Sword. | will no have anything to do
with him"
And the old descendant Of thousand
kings turned his face 10 the wall and
would not even SO much as make mo
ton toward his visitor. His brother
offered rude apology. Mr.. Hardy re-
piled In low tone:
Say nothing about II. | deserve all
your brother says. But for good rea.
son wish Olaf would say he forgives
me-"
Mr. Hardy came nearer the bed and
spoke very earnestly and as II he had
known the man Intimately:
II did you a great wrong to order the
work on Sunday and In not doing my
duty concerning the inspection OF the
machinery. have come TO say 80 and
to ask your forgiveness. ] may never
see you again. viii you say to me.
Brother. forgive your"
There was a moment Of absolute
passivity on the part Of the big fellow;
then very large and brawny hand
was extended. and the blind man said:
Yes. I forgive. We learned that In
the old Bible at Svendorf."
Mr.. Hardy laid his hand In the other.
and his lips moved In prayer Of hum
BILE thanksgiving. What. Robert Hardy!
Is this that proud man who only the
day before was so lifted up with self.
ishness that he could coldly crticise
his own minister Tor saying that peo-
pie ought to be more Christlike? Are
you standing here In this poor mans
house which two days ago you would
not have deigned to enter and beseech-
ing him as your brother In the great
family Of God to forgive you for what
you have done and left undone? Yes;
you have looked into the Face Of Eter-
nifty; you realize now what life really
means and what souls are really
worth.
He went out after few words with
the family and saw all the other lnjur-
ed men. BY the time he had finished
these visits II was dark. and he eager
ly turned home. exhausted with the
days experience. feeling Us II he had
lived In q new world and at the same
time wondering at the rapidity with
which the time had fed.
He sighed almost contentedly to him
self as he thought Of the evening with
his family and how he would enjoy II
after the disquiet Of the day. His wife
was there to greet him, and Alice and
Clara and Bess clung about him as he
took OF his coat and came into the
beautiful room where cheerful fire
vas blazing. Will came down stairs
- his father came In. and In the brief
interval before supper was ready Mr..
Hardy related the scenes Of the day.
They were all shocked to hear Of
Scoyille's death. and Mrs. Hardy at
once began to discuss some plans for
relieving the family. Bess volunteered
to give up half her room to one Of the
children. and Alice quietly outlined q
plan which Immediately appeared to
her father businesslike and feasible.
In the midst Of this discussion supper
was announced. and they all sat down.
"where is Georger asked Mr.. Hardy.
Ordinarily he would have gone on with
the meal without any reference to the
boy. because be was 30 often absent
from the table. Tonight he felt an ir'
resistible longing to have al bis chill
dren with him.
HE said be was invited out to sup
per with the Bramleys," said Clara
Mr.. Hardy received the announce