Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-12-17

NT EHE T py Sanders, Grfand HoJ
 -zrsssfA z for Etardman X So1, sA}SAs who was practicin@ FesssISSS'kSs carol for the choriCEs I!ss;g.zHs'e$4 Christmas festlVal at
 n St. Luke's. Leppy lad is5 ysss&@sI the sweetest of voices, 1 xyHEJNsan the most restless Of " bodies, and the most E:ss:s=s;=-5l freelled of faces. The ssss,zzSs Lsss :sa:., first nal won hi.n ss=-sss.snsa.s:--s: place in St. LH! es
 vested choir the sec ond had neDt him from learning Gls sarol until he was in danger of il4zf discharged by the long=s2iilcring ei1, r master; and the third had won ,.=. the name of Leppy, which is the etl- llinntive of Leopard" ana E,as ssF'Szi him by his friends le=ausa of tae : Q which he could not cha1se-tho5z oa= during freciles.
 As l?e opened the doer of Hafe!gGsa < sons office, and sang. God Rest :, Merry t1entlemen, the sense O. httln9@ which sometimes accompanies ire .ta brought a whimsical look 70 il.a Ea ate, for tie idea of calling i1ardmaa C @1 T merry gentlemen" was distinctly il- congruous.
 Fardman was rubbing his eyes and saying to himself: "To be bi .>i- blind. To be shut in darkness, .nd ones life work not half done l shall never get the courage to see an oc= ulist and hear that doom pronounced"
 Son, at his desk, was looking fixeily out of the winoow. and saying to him. self: ''To be dishonored! To have got ten the firms affairs into such mud dle that there's no clear way oui un less I throw myself on fathers mer- cy, and I shall never get the courage to tell him."
 Let nothing you dismay," sa-g Leppy, stumbling on, hcJ fashion, toward the rear office.
 Eardman suddenly looked up, and with unusual interest in his voice, said:
 Come back here, Leppy. Can you sing the whole of that?'
 Don know if i e2l, ,1r. Eard:ns2, but I'm tryia' to get it, cause if don't have it straight by to-n...;', ',t I'll he discharged from the choir. It's tie ast rehearsal, you see. 1 don't ,,aat to get bounced, because l get eua-- ter week. and that helcs out"
 Well. I'll give you a quarter TOW, if you'll sing it through for me. 1 used to sing that thing myself when l was kid, and"
 Hardman had stopped speaking, and seemed to have forgotten all about Leppy, who hardly knew what to do, until Son nodded to him, and said, kindly:
 Sing it, Lep, if you can.'
 Then Lepn.. tcGan, and-marvel of 52c2 rTels-he ...4~,1 it 2erfoetly from be- s;-3ing to eaJ Nhat vo;la the choir 5E as,ar have scii if he co;..;l hare l.-artl i5?? Lerey was much impressed tn his ;zs.-cy e1GsTt and when .ia s.t9sse.5a1. bis lco,s Of mingled pride a26 -;to..ia,,i- =t waula hare been f9n-.:7 if there Il = fcs, anybody to s@o iJ
 Hartman z5@e.i ally reused ai7 Q. an1 handed ,1e boz silver d. :. = then turned back to his desk without word
 .shall-shall I get it changed, Mr Hardman?"
 There was no answer from Hardman and Son, coming once more to the rescue, said:
 No, Leppy--it's all right Run along.
 'Gee!' exclaimed the boy. And then without thinki1g to say thank you" SO appalled, was he by this sudden af tiuenee-he went out of the office. ana soon his silvery tones could be heard echoing down the wide hall:
 "God rest ye, merry gentlemen,
 Let nothing you dismay.
 Son rose suddenly from his chair end laid lis hand on Hardman's shoul- ter. Father" he said, II have some hing to tell !cu.''
 Son. said Hardman. unsteadily but 5ravely, T have something to tell you"
 1t doesn't matter who began first CT how much each one hesitatel an- looked out of the window to hide the embarrassment of a mans confidence 70 man. At last. both stories were told, somehow and when HardmaL and Son started out to lunch together they looked several degrees more like merry gentlemen" than they had two hours before.
 Hardman was saying: Wen straighten that out in a weeks time, Son. You did right to tell me now. And in the meantime"
 "In the meantime, dad, we'll see tha, oculist together, and I know your sight can be saved.''
 And so it was-not only the physical sight, but that finer sense which makes us see the struggles of those We love, and understand and heip them. At that moment there was only the hope of this in Hardman eyes. but that was enough to make the world already brighter, and when they encountered Leppy near the