Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1904-05-27

before that he had bread and cheese
enough for breakfast, but after the
nights dream-he took new thoughts.
Without exactly comprehending the
feeling. the sense of utter loneliness
and selfishness had given place to al
warmer sense of companiOnship and
fraternity He put his hand to theI
cheek where the impress of the child'si
kiss had fallen, and new resolution,
came to his mind He went out to al
neighboring street corner and pur-i
chased tea and sugar and butter, audi
new warm breakfast rolls and SMALL
can of milk
He had just deposited these articlesl
upon the table when Mrs. Sanford
made her appearance.
Good morning, Uncle Rufus"
Had the host caught that soundl
when he first arose it would have starr
tied him, but it fell very softly uponI
his ears now. He had been exercisingI
and earned the salute.
Good morning, Mary" returned Ru-
fus, and so odd was it that the veryI
tones of his own voice surprised him.
''What can do for you this morn
ing, uncle? May l get your breakfast
for you?"
Il will build a fire." said the man,
and then, if you please, you mays
make cup of tea"
The fire was built, and then heI
showed where his dishes were.
Mary Sanford was an accomplished
housekeeper, and she could accommo-s
date herself to circumstances very mar,
row. While she was busy a ray of
fresh sunshine burst into the rooms
lighting up the dingy wall and makingl
golden with its light the atmosphere of
the place. 1t was little Flora, bright,t
joyous and jubilant, thinking only off
love in the first hour of her waking
from refreshing sleep. Without
word-only a ripple of gladness drop
ping from her lips--she went to where
the old man had just sat down in the
corner, and crept up again into his
lap. !,
Il can't reach your cheek, uncle"
she laughed, without getting up-youI
are so big and / am so little
And then she kissed him as she ha6b
done the night before; but not as onl
the night before did Rufus Grote.,
With a movement almost spasmodic-t
so strange was it for him-he drews
the child back to him, and imprinteds
a hearty kiss upon her round cheek.
And the words, God bless you, lit-tI
tie oner' fell from his lips before hetl
knew it,
Verify the crust was broken. Butt
had any good seed fallen upon theII
heart?
What an odd scene for the miser'slI
home! A really good breakfast-a tai
BILE tastefully laid-the fumes from .hel|
teapot fresh and fragrant-and thel
surroundings cheerful.
After breakfast Rufus Grote wash
forced to go away on business. AndI|
on that day he concluded arranged
ments for the leasing of a buildingg
which was to return him $4,000 all
year; and he had meant when the BUSH
ness was done, that he would be poor-II
ed than ever, and live on less thanI
heretofore, so that he might lay upN
more. On this same day one of his,l
houses was vacated uptown-a dwell-il
ing on one of the broad streets where
the green trees grew. He saw hisil
agent and ordered him to let the house,
as quickly as possible.
That evening, while Mrs. Stanfordil
was out, Flora came to Rufus Grote'slI
side, and looked earnestly up into hiss
face.
Uncle" she said, with quaint seri-Y
BUSINESS, don't you want me TO get,]
up into your lap?'
"Why do you ask that?" demanded,|
the old man.
Mamma said 1 mustn't. She saidi|
you wouldn't like it."
what made her think shouldn'ta
like it?'
Because she said you wasn't hap-j|
py; and she cried when she said that
her little girl mustn't make her Unclei
Rufus dislike her."
anu " nat JOu odS " ludl.
asked Rufus Grote, with awakening
interest
Il told mamma that / would put my
arms around your neck, and hug and
kiss you, and see if that couldn't make
you love me. And if you loved me,
knew Eau would Ter me sit in your
lap'
Whens Mary Sanford came in half
an hour later. she found her child in
Uncle Rufuss lap, her sunny head pill
lowed upon his bosom, and his strong
arms entwining her.
The seed had fallen, and had taken
root
Three days afterward Rufus Grote
saw his agent and told him he need
not hurry about renting the empty
house uptown.
On the evening of the same day
Mary Sanford came III with letter
in her hand, and found Flora nestled
in her uDcle's arms
"Uncle Rufus, vsshe said, II have re-
ceiyed a letter: from Mrs. Maynard.
She will be at home day after to-mor-
row.
..And she wa4syou to take charge
Of her houseY
Eyes," -
"very, ven. Ws.vg she comes.v
AID the old man held the little child
in his arms until it was Ame to 90 to
bed -
On the following morning Encie
Rufus told Mary that he wanted her TO
take ride with him during the core
noon.