The courier., 1901-11-09
OUR STORIES
The Dregs Of the Cup.

He sat at his desk. his head resting
on his arms and a weight of unutter-
able bitterness in his soul. Before him
were two letters. One was from his
father and one was from a girl \
cruel chance had brought them to him
in the same mail. They were not nice
letters, and he had not enjoyed reading
them. His fathers was very short. 1t
said:
You have chosen to like everything
which your home training and in
fuence should have taught you to alb
hOr You have chosen to drift away
from and ignore my lessons. You have
CFCsen vile men and women for your
companions. In short, you have done
everything that common decency and
fliaI obedience forbade. This is to let
you know that you are no longer my
SON. In your future life you must look
to yourself You will get no help from
your mother or me. Your allowance
will be stopped at once, and | wish
never to see you in my house again
The girls letter was still shorter.
81 loved you and I trusted you. My
confidence was perfect. l cannot think
how yOu-yOu of all men-cOuld have
sunk so low. Was it kind of you to
keep silence and let me think myself
engaged to the creature you have be-
come? l pray God that l shall never
see you again"
The boy read and reread these let
ters. and at every reading the iron
sank deeper into his soul. There was
Justice in each rebuke and he knew it.
although in his unenlightened mind he
could not see why his punishment
must be so bitter. He had only done
what the rest of the fellows were do
ing. He had held his peace until his
money gave out. and then had waited
for the first of the month and his
check from home. His deeds were not
criminal They We're no worse than
those of his companions. In truth. he
was. if anything. better than they. He
had been called a prig. and on one oc-
casion a sissy for his squeamishness.
He was no worse than any one else.
And why should he be punished? Yet
his punishment had come: cruel. un-
lust punishment he thought.
In his poor foolish brain there was
but one idea. His life was over. He
looked back upon the twenty-three
wears he had spent on earth and con-
fessed to himself that he had made a
miserable botch of living. He began Ia
reason out his situation: His father
and mother had cast him off. The one
Girl on earth of whom he could THINK
decent thoughts had done the same. He
r-,s destitute. He had no money. nor
had he the earning capacity. lOerd
allowance had led to years of lndlscre-
+ion. the consciousness of his father
wealth and the knowledge that ne
,,.o,,15 mover he compelled to work for
hi: living had engendered habits o.
1aziress. He was mentally ncapapI'
of concentrating himself. and phNsl-
,orv lacking the stamina necessary t"i
work. He realized that if thrown upor
his own resources and compelled u
earn his own living. he would he heip'
,ose He drew the lOOs, change IRON
,is nockets and counted it. Thirteer
dollars. In three days the first of the
month would come. and with 1t bill:
innumerable. He could not even pay
,is room rent. He would have to give
IN his rooms. He would lose MS luIii'
ture his books and all the precious
,rick-knacks that he had gathered
around him.
He began to review his transgreS
-. .r,.ire, 70 look upon them impair