The Mankato free press., 1903-01-23
-f don't care. MIR. Randair,-

England belonged to the : Baptist
church. There ought to be service of
some kind, with minister Do you
know one you would like to haveY'
"a minister" The woman turned on
Mighty little use they have for such "a
one as me! This is no mans parishr'
"But for the sake of Louie! can
get Mr.. Falmouth to come down. am
30 sorry for you, Mrs. Caylor. God
help you! Louie was good boy"
The woman suddenly threw her
apron over her head and burst into g
torrent of weeping SO violent that at
first Gordon was alarmed He brought
her chair and made her sit down.
The other women in the corridor came
up. and one of them said: She'll be all
right now. When you can't cry, that's
the time your heart bleeds inside
Whats all thes racket?' cried a
voice from the room. Gordon wheeled
about and faced the man, Tommy Ran
dali With the instructive forewarning
of peculiarly sensitive and delicate
moral consciousness Gordon knew that
between this man and himself there
could be nothing but war from the
start But what form it would take,
what forces the man had to draw on,
how much of hold he had on the
wretched lives that furnished his field
Of action, John Gordon did not know
Perhaps it was as well that he did not
know much about it. A full knowledge
Of even one aspect of Tommy Randalrs
political influence might have appalled,
a more courageous and hopeful IMAM
than John Gordon.
The boss was man of about forty
Eve. Outwardly he was a short, thick
set man, with forid face and a reso-
lutte manner. He did not, show any
signs Of Incorporate living, and indeed
II was his beast that he had no vices
The most noticeable characteristic of
the man was his absolute confidence i'm
his own influence. 1t was not egotism
90 much as a thorough faith in the pc
ntical security of his position.
There was one quality that John
Gordon possessed. however, that made
him formidable. He was fifteen years
younger than this man, and he had
practically no experience in that world
which was the only world in existence
for Tommy Randall. But he had a
faith in God that was as profound as
the other mans political creed, and in
his love for the people he was pre-
pared In acting ON that creed to go any
lengths that were within human posi-
hility. IL Gordon was ignorant of Tom
my Randall's strength. the boss was NO
less ignorant of this young mans inner
sources Of persistent and tireless
strength that would inevitably come to
his assistance in the struggle that was
beginning In that wretched tenement.
with child's death as witness to the
grim contest.
II have been asking Mrs. Caylor
what arrangements have been made
for funeral service" Gordon spoke
quietly. "If no other minister has
been engaged, 1 think can get Mr..
Falmouth of Nazareth church to come
down"
Tommy Randall walked up to John
Gordon and deliberately looked him
oyec Gordon stood perfectly still and
never moved muscle as his eyes
looked straight into the older mans
'"The service has all been arranged,
young man." Randall said finally. A
sound of shuffling steps was heard on
the broken stairs and along the cor
ridor, and two men appeared with a
coffin.
"Ah! There you are. Abramsi That's
more like it. Don't try to palm off
another one of your rotten boxes on
me or you'll hear from me, Ell? Put
1t on the table" Then, as two chill
dren came into the room at the heels
of the two men who brought the cof-
fin, Gordon was astonished to see Ran
dali pat them en- the head kindly and
say: Now, then, lads, out of the road.
1 can't stop now
The children went out of the room, .
and Randall hustled in and out. order
Ing chairs and helping place the body
Of Louie in the coffin. Gordon came
up to the table to look at the little
face, for Louie had been partly de
formed, and his face was like a baby's
He looked down at the figure and
noticed that one hand was clinched
tight. STOPPING a little lower, by the
dim light Gordon recognized his own
little gift when he had gone in with
Mr.. Marsh. 1t was a sample bottle of
perfumery, and the child had clung to
it in the darkness, dying in the horrible
filth of his surroundings, and, as Cor
don learned some time afterward, lit
orally covered with vermin.
John Gordon's tears fell on the face
as he felt that here was one of Gods
little ones against whom somebody
had sinned Better for milestone to
be hanged around his neck"-he seemed
than that one of these little ones
should perish" Who was to blame?
Was it the social system? Was it the
selfish wealth? Was it political dis
honesty? Was it definite individual?
This child-weak, deformed, helpless
did it not need the strength and beauty
of whole universe thrown about it in
loving protection? Instead of that,
flung like some vile thing among the
rotting, loathsome. crawling things of
the lowest physical world, it had gone
out of a world of black horrors, cling
ing childishly to a bit of artificial
fragrance that was practically all the
touch it ever knew of the abounding
perfume OF a flower bedecked earth |
Poor little soul! Will not God take
him and hold him long in his bosom of |
infinite pity? And will it be unjust if |
an impossible gulf yawns between
him and the Dives who on earth tasted |