The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1908-04-16

A-ET was q sad Easter for Mrs.
lEAE# Farnham Three times
" 81 since the lilies last bios
~ somed had death come to
rA her house. Her mother, her
~ J husband and her boy had
filled her heart. Lacking
them, II was empty. and It ached with
a strange perplexed grief. a confused.
question as to the purpose Of her life,
which now seemed to her a shrunk
and witherod thing.
She went 70 church on Easter morn.
Ing because her beautiful house was
intolerable TO her. rather than because
she expected to find comfort. The
masses OF white flowers. with the sug.
g~estiveness OF their heavy fragrance.
carried her back TO the funerals OF the
last year. The familiar words Of the
service sounded Ike mockery TO her.
Let us keep the feast" Even so
IN Christ shall all be made alive"
Set your affection on things above. not
on things on earth" One By one she
caught at the phrases. only to ind
each vas powerless TO help her.
The hymn was no better:
The strife Is DER. the battle done;
The victory Of life IL won!
For her strife was Just beginning.
and defeat Instead OF victory seemed
her fate She could not lift herself
out OF her personal woe FAR enough
to apply the words to anything but
herself.
She left the church. avoiding speech
With any one, and. with her heart like
Ice In her bosom, she took an electric
car toward her desolate home.
A half block before her house vas
reached the a stopped with a SUD.
denness which startled the passengers
Mrs. Farnham got on. thinking that
she would walk the few remaining
steps; but she saw the motorman with
a white face raising q small boy in
MS arms from under the fender OF tho
car. The little fellow wa unconscious
and there was an ugly brulse on his
temple and a deep cut on his neck. Be.
fore Mrs. Farnham realized what she
was doing the child was carried into
her house. and she was enlisted with
the doctors In a fight for his life.
For a week the Issue was doubtful
Consciousness fiCkered and wavered.
but would not come back. Meantime
Mrs. Farnham had learned that the
boy was nobody's child. He had sold
papers since he was hardly more than
a baby. He had lived wherever he
could ind a shelter. and had eaten
whatever he could get. The fact Of
home was something he had never ex.
p%erienced. The gricying woman for
got her grief in her devotion to the
waif who had been cast AZ her door
by the strange decree OF what we can
accident
The day came when the boys heavy
eyelids lifted and his childish curiosity
at his surroundings Embossed his
tongue. TO open 10 him the doors OF
new life was the most wonderful Of
joys Tor his foster-mother. After his
long silence Il was as 10 he had come
from the dead, That he could
talk and laugh and a and love
seemed like a proof Of the power Of
life over death. Somehow Mrs Earn.
ham came 20 believe that Il was such
a proof and that Il wa sent 10 her
In her desolation.
out OF the boys almost fatal nrrt.
dent there was wrought for him the
miracle OF home and love. and tho op-
.portuniiy for an educated and useful
manhood, and for tho grleying woman
the s%pringtlme brought new hope as
the lonely winter passed. by Gods
way, which Is not our way. Easter
spoke ifs old message OF new life
Youths Companion.