The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-05-19

| 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, 30 tender, no
kind; there was nobody, there never
had been anybody in the world half NO
good as these gentlemen who stopped
TO relieve and comfort, and were eI-
alted by so doing.
They were princes, they were angels,
and they were prayed for and blessed
for being human.
81 was thinking, dad" said Walter
many months afterward.
"Yes, Wally, you were blinking"
"That Little Make Believe and Sa-
ranne being so ignorant-they don't
even know how TO read-what fun IL
would be If / were TO turn school.
master"
And teach them"
Eyes, daa-say for an hour once a
week. 1t would be q good thing for
them when they grew up"
"a capital thing, Wally." Esiis
"Shall /, dady
"Shall you, Wally? When did you
run one way and ! anotherf DO you
know, my boy, that this is very sweet
and beautiful worldT"
1T is very sweet and beautiful, dad
with you In It."
81 was thinking OF you, my boy"
"And / OF you, father"
Mr.. Deepdale gazed at the portrait
Of his wife, which hung upon the wall,
and prayer Of thankfulness trembled
on his lips.
SO IL came about that Walter turned
schoolmaster and on the Saturday
night OF every week began to teach
Saranne and Little Make Believe TO
read and write.
They progressed very slowly, and
lessons being given them TO learn dur
ing the week, they were seldom, IL
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 10 do with
this history-in that miserable, dimly.
lighted cellar, unseen stars were shin.
int In human hearts and heavenly
hours were spent.
A word about this father.
More often in prison than out OF II,
at liberty on an average for about four
months out Of the twelve.
He was not thief, and cannot.
therefore, be called a criminal, but he
was incorrlgible, an irreclaimable
drunkard.
Ii actually became q 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-emnent in any OF
the ways OF life confers n certain dis
tincuon, and this distinction Little
Make Believes father enjoyed
Regularly as he came out Of prison
he favored his children with q visit
and expected TO be waited on.
Without murmur did Little Make
Believe perform a daughters duties TO
worthless parent, never sorrowing
when he left her, never rejoicing when
be returned
AS a matter OF course he became nc.
quainted with his children's new
friends and in small way traded up.
on them. Their interest In Little Make
Believe and SaranDe increasing as time
progressed, they would have been glad
TO remove them 10 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 lodgment he provided for them;
there was unhappily no law to strip
him Of his authority.
Sometimes on Saturday night the
cellar was honored with visitors.
The cobbler who lived in the adjoln-
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 modcsty and
genueness 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 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 90 you see. Make Believer
81 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-l can't take the money fast
enough. Here's a woman with n box
of dresses. and ! buy shining silver
gown for Saranne, and feather bed.
and a white horse. aud four pounds OF
beefsteak."
At which strange mixture they all
break out laughing Little Make Be
lieve opens her eyes and smiles.
"All for Saranne. eh. Make. Believe e.
asks the cobbler