Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-10-24
|BORN TO SERVE
BY Charles NJ. Sheldon,
! Author of t'IN HIS STEPS, " John KINGS
QUESTION CLASS, - edward
BLAKE, - Etc.
CHAPTER VI.-CoNTINUEp.
=
Copyright, 1900, by Charles n. Sheldon-l

get 4 nurse yet, and-and-we have
not begun to-look around fora girl
--CarFs sudden illness"
9TH come back and help if you
want me to-" said Barbara, quietly
All this time she had been holding
Carts hand. He clung to her with
eeverish strength.
"And We'll have good times in the
Eitchen. And will you make me an
oGher gingerbread man like Mr. Nor.
Con, same's the one we made before
You know, Barbara?"
Eyes, yes, little man, | will do any
thing for you. Wen have good times
together again"
~And you'H stay always, won't you,
Barbara, always?"
I'm going to stay, dear. Don't talk
any mu'e now," Barbara said gently
And Carl seemed satisfied, dropping
into condition of stupor which the
doctor who called an hour later re-
,Earded with grave attention.
While the doctor was attending to
Carl and Mrs. Ward was anxiously
standing by him, Barbara slipped
down into the dining-room, and found
matters in confusion as she had ex-
pected. The breakfast dishes were
still on the table, the kitchen fire
had gone out, and all the rooms
downstairs were in disorder. She
quickly set to work to restore order;
and, when the doctor had gone and
Mrs. Ward had come down, Barbara
had cleaned up the dishes and the
dining-room, and had begun to set
the kitchen to rights.
Mrs. Ward stepped out into the
kitchen; and, as Barbara was mov-
ting into the dining-room for some
ching, she suddenly threw her arms
about her, and cried: "You don't
know what it means to me to have
you back again. We have had three
miserable days. Carl is a very sick
child. l am all worn out!" She then
sat down and cried nervously.
Barbara felt embarrassed at first
TN the role of comforter. But she was
quick TO see how dependent Mrs.
Ward had become. 1t was, after all,
as woman to woman that they were
related now in their common anxiety
for Carl. And Barbara tried to cheer
the mother by every word of encour-
sgement she could think of while she
busted herself with the necessary de-
gails OF the kitchen work
In the afternoon she went over to
her mothers and told her what her
decision was. Mrs. Clark sadly con-
Geuted, and did not make so strong
an objection as Barbara had feared
30 the little trunk was carried again
to the old room, and Barbara real
S2cd that her career had received a
new beginning in some sense, she
hardly knew how. One thing she felt
eery strongly, however. And that was
chat under the stress of need at the
Wards she was doing exactly the
rIgat thing in going back to her life
of service there. Whatever the DAYS
might have for her of opportunity
I'm che future for large service in the
greater problem, it was to her mind
very clear that her immediate duty
lay within the circle of this one fam.
ily that needed her.
She realized this more and more
strongly as the next few DAYS
brought TO her and the family a new
and sad experience. AS Car's con.
dHtson grew worse, she spent more
aud more of her time with him. Mrs
Ward secured a good nurse, but Carl
cried in his delirium for Barbara, and
she sat with him many hours of every
day She was with him when the
@ud came which they had all come to
know was inevitable. 1t will ALWAYS
be one of the comforting thoughts OF
Bsyrbara's life that she won and held
the love of this child. All that came
TO her long after. But, as this little
life slowly breathed itself out in
the early gray of that morning. with
the weeping father and mother and
GEe two boys as they gathered
around the bed, she felt a tender
sympathy for them all as if she. too
had been one of the members of the
famdiy. Carl had insisted to the verv
last on clinging to his mother and to
BsErl,ara. Each woman held a hand
as the child's soul went out of the
fraH body to God who gave it.
Mr. Morton, who had been a fre.
Nfueat visitor at the house during the
Srouhie that had come upon it, was
,eitGng by Mr.. Ward that morning
Wsen the end finally came, he
ACneeied down by Mr.. Wards side,
'&Ed barbara was conscious that the
ministers strong, right hand was laid
fU compassion on the bereaved fa.
etser's hand as he prayed for conso-
.taGion.