The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-11-05

ders if yere a-havin' to borry money"
NO father. I've borrowed no
money, for, to tell the truth. I've not
paid for what I've got" answered
John, while he looked away to hide
the merriment that danced in his
eyes.
Il wouldn't a-bleeved it," cried the
old man aghast i b'leeve in charity.
but charity begins to home, as the
sayin is. and if you amt a-payin' fer
EN-, John. why, somebody has got to
lose EN-
NO, nobody shall lose. Clarlbel
pays for them serself. Don't worry.
father, it's all right" and the young
mans honest blue eyes smiled down
into the old mans dim ones in such
/ a straightforward way, that his heart
was set at rest.
4 told mother 1 was sure it was
/ But-well-some of the rest had got
! her skeered, and she was bound ter
4 know
Yes, Jerusha goes about agitating
4 the matter more than anyone else.
4 She don't want to do Claribel any in
/ jury, but she can't keep her tongue
i still Shed be a pretty good woman
If she didn't talk so much, and do
so much looking after other peoples
affairs"
"Claribel pays fer em!" exclaimed
Jerusha, lest a poor minister's dar-
ter she hadn't no money of her own.
How does she make it? Hirin' her
work done?" with a scornful laugh.
Its like I've heard O. folks alvin of
the interest of their debts"
During the next six weeks Jerusha
found out" and reported to the rest
of the family how Claribel had
declared that something must be
done to bring in the many children
Of the village, who claimed Sunday as
legal holiday. and never dreamed
of entering the dull Sunday school
that the one little church in the vii
lage afforded.
Acting on this, she had purchased
a juvenile library of so books, fur
nished Scripture text cards and pa
! pers, besides, on several occasions,
/ meeting the excuses of some of the
most unwilling ones by. furnishing hat,
| shoes or mittens (as the case might
required, amongst those she found in
| her searchings amongst the highways
and hedges. John had kept his own
4 counsel but a sharp lookout since
his conversation with his father.
Until the last Sunday. Claribel, abb
4 sorbed in her work had not marked
\ the avcrted looks and ominous glanees
in her direction, although they had
A been apparent to her husband.
But on that day, the little woman
went home filed with dismay and
sorely wounded in heart. -
A, At church Sophia and Melindy had
passed her by with cool nod. Jeru-
sha had been blind. so to speak, since
none are so blind as those who will
not see." y
| Now, little woman said John. as
I they drove homeward, your secret is
] bound to come out l will have them
all come to our house Tuesday even
ing, and you shall tell it yourself. .
' So Tuesday night found the fam
: bly," on their way to Johns"
Although Hospitality received when
a they arrived at Johns" converse
I ton seemed bound to lag. John sug-
: gested that if Claribel would say her
say" they might all feel better"
= So in a few words Claribel ex-
, planned how it was. That she had
! once been a correspondent to several
magazines, but had expected when
i she took charge of her own home to
lay aside her literary work But low
n ing the work, and being impressed by
/, the poverty in and about the village.
! also the lack of interest on the part
Of the children in school, Sunday
school, or. in fact anything good. she
: had resolved TO again take up her
: pen, and by careful management she
could put out part of her work and
make much more than she could save
= by trying to do it all herself.
4 have bought some good books and
: a few pretty things for my house.
! said she. although have gotten
4 nothing new to wear"
Nothing newt" shouted Jerusha
What did you have on in town last
week? And what did you wear last
i Sunday"
y In town | wore my lavender wed
y ding dress. colored a dark blue: and
on Sunday, a white Flemish tricot
(the dress 1 graduated I'M. colored
s black" was the quiet answer. 4 fat
y ter myself that | have two very re
o spectacle suits from them. What !
T have given away cost me not over
a hundred dollars, and l have saved
s as much more for ourselves; T."
t, 4 knowed it." yelled Father Hop
II kins, unable to restrain himself
?, longer 4 knowed it all the time,
and l told you all so. But. turn
It ing to Claribel what made you so
3 still about it,"
d Because 1 thought you would think
If me silly to suppose l could write any.
thing worth publishing; what l wrote
e seemed so insignificant to me that |
did not want anyone knew to read
e the wretched yarns I spun
4, Then arose a babel of expostula.