The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-11-01

TIE doctor was a soft-hearted man;
be had done his best TO console,
and had failed. He was not little
sroublcd and anxious. Ii is always
very sad to see old grief in young
eyes.
This is not natural. IL could only
make her cry" thought DIR. Ross.
II was not natural. as he said. And
yet there was another side to the
question. Such an annoyance as,
passing, vexcs us, makes children
weep, and. though the care that
writes itself on our forcheads is to
them unknown, yet the sudden blow
that strikes a man once or twice in his
history. swaying him as tree that
In the rush of the storm bends and
groans and filings out protesting arms
and murnurs with thousand voices
this sudden sorrow in n child is an
agony thrusting an unwelcome pres
ence into a kingdom where it is
least TO be desired. and from which
is always soon dismissed.
DR.. Ross said to himself, perhaps
had better leave her now, poor, poor
little thingl"
He moved towards the door. The
lonely inmate of the room did not
notice that he was leaving her. She
sat before a morsel of fire--a quaint
little figure that had known IL years
|of living, three without mother, five
without father, and the rest with q
sister-"tall. grown-up." who had
been mother and father and every
thing else that is good and brave.
And now the sister was gone, and
the child was alone.
"Good-by." said the doctor.
lie was not answered because he
was not heard. He closed the door
softly saying to himself that he
would come to see her again on the
morrow lie descended the shabby
staircase, to which few remnants
q cheapest oilcloth still clung. The
iandlady's children were playing
touch wood" screaming vociferously
~ 'hey rushed from landing to land
ing a woman's tired voice urged
them to be quiet.
Why, by no means, ma'am." rang
ou' me Doctors cheerful voice; 'let
'nem play il will rouse her"
tor9" So WV
Vn'et much too quiet. II is ex-
'raordnary In child Of her years
y anything settled rs to what is
70 be donc?r
less. i'''e 'i'e''-
! lou don't say SO. sir? Fricndlcss,
Dear, dcar,"
long after DR.. Ross had left the
"0use That word ''friendlcss" insist
,'N remained with him. Suddenly
introduced TO him another word
j, ""',e. lie paused in his walk, for
.s M'a that had come to him was
startling.
~ ho great distance from the
nYuse which Or. Ross had Just quilted
"eu Gideon Beth, scholar and re-
~ may be as well to say at
mat the doctor intended to
~, 49," 'nis man. whom he knew. that
nj, 9ight enlist his sympathies on be-
~ ~, y child's sad heart. But what
"re startling in this? Had Gideon
cr.A, n'pathy? Is he poor and old and
S,ho ana crotchety? Is he one
on, uaoss singular beings who stop their
81 mnen children play, and speak
so,.. "rats' pests" "littlc nui-
unda. No, Gideon hardly comes
,ha, .ncse headings. The truth is
less uiueon Beth had been friend.
on ~, mo'n his youth up. and, resting
Prov ~ own strong character, had
ANN ANN 70 view the world with an
' Tha and dispassionntc eye.
a., ~ trouble began with n retiring
boz V.'non, which il not given TO any
,,sa. - cultivate. lie lacked sron-
adv,ns,, dnd SO was always at a dis
/, sa. ,agc' On such one Judgment
s,ar as'y passed, yet there Is no in
wisdo,u : which II might with more
TN be withheld.
n an unkind fate bufYcted him