The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1905-12-20

from any other dwellings, anu llBlteu
10y one small lamp Which sent its rays
through the narrow window, he fol
lowed The men through the door into
n barely furnished room. On Il cot
In the corner lay a child. small aud
wasted. marked with deaths stamp,
and beside her sat the weeping moth
en- Some strange mystery haunted
the room What We're these poverty
stricken people trying to eoncealE The
clergy man shook off le feeling and
opened his prayer book NJ the hap
tiSmal service
Having performed his mission, ac.
cOmpancd 10y the two men. he was
passing II cIump of trees on his way
home when one of them stopped sud
denly and, pulling Il long bladed knife
from his pocket. flashed it before the
young rector's face and instantly point
ed it toward his heart lie uttered a
piercing shrek.
II gh,' said John Hare as the sound
of his own voice Weakened him and he
sat mp IN bet What nm ugly night
mare" Then. with look AT his watch,
1T is high time WAS up anyway
with fifty parochal visits before me.
| must make sure that not Il single
family has cheerlcss Christmas To
morrow"
His eye caught the picture of girls
face, gentle eyed, yet CHEEKY, hanging
In a frame on his wall And If there's
any persuasion in John lIare's poor
eloqucnce he won't have cheerless
nor a lonely Christmas the next 10Th
of December.
This Young rector had come 10
Spottslield rising manufacturing
city, three years before after serving
as curate in a large city parish. He
had transformed his new congregation
from Il disgruntled, quarrclins com
munlty composed of few rich and
many poor to great family interested
In each other and respecting his Christ
like principles. And incidentally his
strict resolution for busy bachelor
hood had been somewhat disturbed by
pair Of Interested. laughing eyes
which belonged to the daughter OF Il
factory owner.
This energetic. but rather shy, young
woman was famed and loved among
the poor and sick of SpOttstield for her
gentle and unprctcntious WAY Of help
ing when and where She was needed.
Though of different faiths, she and
John Hare met often while on excur-
sions of mercy lie had seen her. too,
ut her fathers home, where he was
popular rs dinner guest because of
his appreciation of n good cigar and
his broad. forCcfu views on Christian
ity
As he dressed that morning before
the festive holiday he realized that the
human heart cannot be denied its sus-
tenance one beating in touch and
sympathy with it and that one fair
girl had woven her charms about him
SO completely that he could no longer
refrain from telling her of II, even
though Of late she had rather seemed
to avoid him when he crossed her path
aud was even chary OF her CONVERSE
ttola whea hedlned ut her house.
Dnri9g the long busy day she was
constantly brought 10 his mind in the
homes he visited. \ foriorn old WON
an told OF the coming Of Miss Ruth
with yarn for the next years knitting
and Il boz Of sweets. \ grateful moth
or told Of the nights Miss Ruth had
stayed and nursed the baby lack to
life. In the poorer homes he heard OF
the baskets of Christmas goodies she
had brought. with toys and warm nit
tens for the children
1t was 10 o'clock before the rector
had finished the days task, and when
he reached home he threw himself,
quite worn out. on the couch in the H.
brary. Not ten minutes seemed to
have elapsed when the sound "Br-r-r-r,n
through his sleep Weakened him sud
denly to the realization that some one
was ringing the bell with the evident
intention Of rousing the entire house
hold and as he stepped into the hall to