The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-12-01
CHAPTER xxx.
The spnnish stnmp.


/ II was wonderful how like the mantl,.
Of Elijah out Of the heaven peace fell
on the stricken village Men coming
from distance found the widows cold.
almost unsympathetic. Unsympathetic
they were-tO those who visited them
thus casually They declined to make a
| spectacle of their sorrow. But the min
isters knew different-those who bod seen
to it that every week twenty shIHngs
went into each stricken house. They en-
/ countered no hardness, ingratitude, or
lack Of sympathy.
/ Only these Scottish widows were of the
Scriptural opinion that the heart know
eth his own bitterness. and that strau-
ger intermeddleth not Herewith. Grave
quiet, as if making acknowledgment
that these things came in the ordinary
course Of PrOvidence-such were the
leading characteristics of Kirktown's
sorrow
Pumping engines, newly erected for the
long labor OF emptying the Pit No >
We're already at work. The widows for
the moment abode in their cottages In the
long, red-brick rows OF Blocks K and L,
but In the other pits the double shifts
went to and fro as If nothing had hap
pened.
No, nothing was forgotten. That is not
Scottish wont. But, equally, nothing was
said
It was a brisk. bask. childish day in the
back end, late in November. with the
wind blowing over Baltic ice. when Janet
Fowler received her first letter from
Spain She knew il by instinct, though
hitherto she had only seen the handwrit-
ing in scraps of calculations. The ad-
dress on the envelope made her tremble
II was breakfast time. Janet was in
place at the head of the table Little
Tim brought ii in. He had heard the
dog barking at the pOstman's uniform.
Il want the stamp" he cried. Our
Jenn has got a foreign letter I want the
stamp"
Me. too-give 1t me; you don't collect
you little beast" said his loving brother
Alfred under his breath
En-, what's that?' said Mr. Fowler
who was looking over the morning paper.
which he used as a kind of counterfeit
tant for clarifying his thoughts on all
subjects. II the Tartan thought one thing
he-John Fowler-generally felt himself
pretty safe in believing exactly the nppo-
site. He had lived a long and honorable
NE, directing himself thus. The Tartan's
arguments, clever and brilliant NJ times
were seldom meant to be anything but
irritating. Yet each morning dreamy John
Fowler read the complete series of Tar
tan editorials. In order TO rouse within
himself sufficient combativeness TO think
out arguments tending TO directly oppo-
site conclusions.
Now, if the boys had only been quiet |
he would have subsidized into the mental |
construction Of -to-be-written ser
mon demolishing the third Tartan edi-
torlai But, presently. they were all rag
ing together, kicking each other furtively |
under the table, so much so that one |
singing 'shinplastSr," intended for Mas 1
Ter I'm. caught his sister Violet, who |
nothing loath, lifted up her voice and |
wept
John Fowler put down his paper.
What Is the matter now?" he said
beaming mildly through his spectacles'
These were very round and gave him. I'm /
spite Of his personal beauty. a slightly
surprised, though distinctly benevolent. /
air.
Then ALI and Tim explained voIublv
that Janet otherwise Jessie. the names
being interchangeable in Scotland had
got letter from Spain that morning. and
that-that-
But what mas a letter from Spain or
Hamschatka TO do with Violet crying?"
demanded Rev. John Fowler
Because All" began Tim.
Because Tim" riposted Ar
They are young fools. father" said