The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-05-03

She never tired speaking of them to
Saranne, who for the most part lis
tened in silence and endorsed every
word of praise that fell from her Sis
ter's lips.
They were so noble, so tender, SO
kind; there was nobody, there never
had been anybody in the world half Sc
good as these gentlemen who stopped
to relieve and comfort, and were e
allied by so doing.
They were princes, they were angels,
and they were prayed for and blessed
for being human.
II was thinking, dad" said Walter
many months afterwards
Eyes, Wally, you were thinking"
"That Little Make-Believe and Sa.
ranne being so ignorant-they don't
even know how to read-what fun il
would be if I were to turn school.
master"
And teach them?"
Eyes, dad-say for an hour nee a
week. 1t would be a good thing fol-
them when they grew up"
"a capital thing, Wally." r. !ss
"Shall 1, dada"
"Shall you, Wally? When did you
run one way and 1 another? Do you
know, my boy, that this is a very sweet
and beautiful world?"
ut is very sweet and beautiful, dad
with you in it."
Il was thinking of you, my boy"
"And of you, father"
MIR. Deepdale gazed at the portrait
Of his wife, which hung upon the wall,
and a prayer of thankfulness trembled
on his lips.
So it came about that Walter turned
schoolmaster and on the Saturday
night Of every week began to teach
Saranne and Little Make-B Believe to
read and write.
They progressed very slowly, and
lessons being given them to learn dur
ing the week., they were seldom, if
ever, perfect in them.
But Walter was patient, and they
were in heaven.
Yes, in the wretched home provided
for them by their father-of whom
some slight mention is necessary, al
though he has but little to do with
this history-in that miserable, dimly.
lighted cellar, unseen stars were shin
ms in human hearts and heavenly
hours were spent.
A word about this father.
More often in prison than out Of it,
at liberty on an average for about fou.
months out of the twelve.
He "a not thief, and cannot,
therefore, be called a criminal, but. he
was incorrigible, an irreclaimable
drunkard.
1t actually became a kind of boast
with him that, in the records of the
local police court, no person had been
charged with being drunk and disor-
derly more frequently than himself.
To first and pre-eminent in any of
the ways Of life confers a certain dis.
tinction, and this distinction Little
Make-Believe's father enjoyed.
Regularly as he came out of prison
he favored his children with q visit
and expected to be waited on.
Without a murmur did Little Make
Believe perform a daughters duties to
a worthless parent, never Borrowing
when he left her, never rejoicing when
he returned.
AS a matter Of course he became ac-
quainted with his children's new
friends and in a small way traded up
on them. Their interest in Little Make
Believe and Saranne increasing as time
progressed, they would have been glad
to remove them to a more comfortable
home, but to this their father demurred
unless he formed one Of the family
group-to which, naturally, they could
not consent.
Of necessity, then, they remained in
the Judgment he provided for them;
there was unhappily no law to strip
him of his authority.
Sometimes on a Saturday night the
cellar was honored with visitors.
The cobbler who lived in the adjoin-
ing room, for one; Thomas Dexter, for
another; Walters father, very fire.
quently.
With these, after the lessons, could
Walter converse and argue, and he was
so like his father in his modesty and
gentleness and tenderness that his
views on most Of the subjects which
happned to crop up could not fail to
leave an endurable impression.
He read stories to them, and the
children wandered in a new fairyland.
But he was not the only teacher and
entertainer.
On rare occasions Little Make-Be-
lieve'S fantastic fancies found express
sion. Walters fairy stories bore fruit.
1t was her habit, as she grew in years,
to close her eyes when fancy required.
What do you see, Make-Believe?"
II see Saranne walking in the park.
There's fountains, and soldiers, and
balloons, and flowers. There's water,
too, and boats, and lots of people sing
ing in 'em."
What are you doing?"
Selling matches. Everybody's buy
ing them-I can't take the money fast
enough. Here's q with q box
Of dresses, and l buy a shining silver
gown for Saranne, and a feather bed,
and a white horse, and four pounds of
beefsteak."
At which strange mixture they all
break out laughing. Little Make-Be-