Evening star., 1907-11-09
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
BY KATHARINE BROWN.

to the enc room in the back of the ugly
tenement every night. very tired. but
never cross. For, you see, Mrs. Murphy
knew that Johnny would be there,
freckes, dirt and all. and the good wom
an loved Johnny better than anything in
the world Over the mean but happy
meal mother and son talked of the Gay
and its doings. 1t was amazing to hear
what a number of things Mrs. Murphy
gathered, while she worked, to tell John
ny about at night.
There was the rich family named Nor
ris, where the washes were so large and
illigant." The boys wore clean shirts
every day and the girls fresh dresses. but
all Of them were sickly and unhappy,
quarreling among themselves and making
| their nurse cross and snappy. 1t was
| Mrs. Murphy's private opinion-expressed
publicly to Johnny-that if the "byes and
| gals wore fewer clothes, got dirtier and
'frecklier,' they would be the better for
1t. OF course Johnny agreed with her. and
was content with his own freckles and
| dirt
| Then as to the cutters, Why they were
| fuller of news than the daily papers
Johnny CLEANED every item and caused
| his mother to scream with laughter over
| the doings of the Mulligan twins who
were as much alike as was possible. and
| who fought in deadly combat to shield
| each other from the results of their sepa
| rate crimes.
-Shure," said Johnny. with his. mouth
! brimming over with lemon pie from the
| grocery, 'one of them SHE'D a stone at
the electric light and broke it. Then they
fought till they rolled in the gutter. be
| cause Tim said he would go to Jail for It,
and Mickey said he would. And when the
cop came and saw the fun he nearly
| died laughing, and took them both along
| to tell the sergeant about 1t. He gave
| them a nickel apiece TO buy them off
from fighting long enough to go with
him.
The gutter was not Johnny's educator;
| the mission school held its share. With
| open and hungry heart, Johnny took In
the Protestant teaching that throve but
poorly In that Catholic neighborhood.
| If it were not for Johnny Murphy"
the teacher used to say. II would give up.
But Johnny's great solemn eyes make me
strong. Be a little light Of the world"
she used to say to Johnny. "shne with
all your truth and honesty in this dark
place. Johnny boy, and you cannot fail
! much about this. The phrase caught his
ear. "The light of the world! The light of
the world.' 1t really was beautiful. And
on dark nights 1t was great comfort. too.
| Then summer came and. strangely
enough. for the first time In all his seven
years Johnny began to pine and his
freckles showed very brown on the small.
white face.
Get him into the country" said the
health department doctor. and then
| among 50 many sick children. quite for
got poor Johnny. But Mrs. Murphy was
on the alert, and when she heard that
old Mr. and Mrs. Mosely We're going to
their summer home and would take her
as servant with Johnny thrown in as
Mr.. Mosely said. she packed up their few
poor clothes in short order, AMI never
stopping to say goodbye, took wan little
! Johnny and hurried away.
The summer home was long neck or
sandy shore. The air was always cool
| and delicious. and each Whit had big
appetite in stock for little. tired BOYS, rs
! Johnny breathed, colored up. wiped the
tears of Joy from his eyes and became as
we'll as a jolly boy should be Mrs. Muir
ply sang at her work and Johnny would
pause in his hlarity at the back door and
remark:
Mother, this is another world, isn't
it?" And his mother would stop and
say: THAT it is. darlnt, an now don't
be after drownin', for It's the JOY OF me me
life that would die out If ye fell to the
bottom Of the sea-
"a new worldr' that made the wonder
look come in Johnny's eyes. 10 o. Tue
| light of this sort of a world Woul1 De
worth while. But how could little johnny
Murphy hope to mean anything in such a
worldo He could only enjoy it and say
thank you with his radiant face
Now. on the far point of Land ~ wa "a
tai red lighthouse. Johnny thought that
! II was a fire balloon the first time he saw
| II: then he thought it was a comic
(comet and was bit afraid; When MI M
Mosely explained to him what it was ana
| said that he should visit it some time. he
was filled with JOY. and cried Nv ny,
sur. shure that is the llght or thls
world" Mr.. Mosely laughed, but not
| understand. . ,,,y
strolled down to the lighthouse all alone.
| He wanted to be near when the ilshI
started up. At the gate Of the !ittie yaro
stood "Cap'n Thomas Jones, the Keeper,
who was on duty that night. and If there
was one thing above his pipe that cap
Thomas liked. it was boy, and Johnny
was such promising one. -, ,.
what you want, SON." he asked
"I lust want to see the light of the
| uor,d start up" smiled Johnny through
his freckles They hardly showed now,
for JohRny was so tanned
.The light of the world?" unused Cap'n
| Thomas. He was deeply religious, and the
phrase caught his ear
Yes. sur Shure. it's foine thing to
kane care of such a light.
"Why. now" drawled the keeper, may
ho von m', would like to go up with me?"
Like to? Why Johnny gasped at the
idea. ,,o,+ hold
of the strong manly hand held OUT. 80
In they went ana up tneS "eht ei'iiit'e
the winding stairs.
."Take it slow, SOM! cautioned cap
Thomas, and Johnny obeyed. He pauseo
at the windows of the tower ana iookeo
down upon the new world that he loved
so we'll. ..;, r,,,,ar -
he whispered; seems. like L was golh
"shor' calculated Cap'n Thomas, you
are a spicimint! -. .,o
Suddenly they came to the big lamp;
| tho Leener drew the white curtains from
around it and told Johnny to Watch the
"When it drops behind those trees. lad.
you give the call"
| Johnny stood on the little balcony and
| strained his eyes. He dared not even
| wink. Through no bungling of his should
| the lovely world be cheated OF one glorious
"It's gone forninst the back end!' yelled
| Johnny when the sun dipped. Then:
| Come in, ladr called the keeper. And
into the great lighted space stepped the
awe-struck boy. He saw the purple shad-
| ovs swallow up the world he loved. but
the light shone forth. Then it came to
| him that he and the keeper and the light
| were all one, and they alone saved the
| new world" from harm.
| He drew closer to the keeper and there
was a strange gleam in the young. honest
| ewes. He understood now all that the
| dear mission teacher had meant. He saw
| how fine a thing it was to shine forth In
dark, shadowy place, making It possible
| by your light to save others who might