Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-01-30

l
the Westminster end Of the Embank.
ment, because the great clock struck
the quarters and the hours apparently
| quite close to her.
She remembered that she had been
very near to Death-a shameful,
wicked, violent death-the death OF
| those whose wicked lives have driven
them to despair. One more step and
she would have plunged into the dark
/ waters rushing and tearing up the
stream with the tide. She tried to
| picture to herself what she had es.
capped; she recalled Lily's words; she
would have been, by this time, dead
body rolled over and over, knocked
against the piles of the bridge, caught
! by the ropes or barges, banged
against the boats. At last she would
have been picked up somewhere; no
one would have recognized her, and
she would have been buried in the
pauDers' corner. forgotten forever. But
Imagination, like reason. refuses to
work to order unless 1t is fortified by
strong food. The words she recalled
and the picture she conjured up COZ
veyed to her soul in her exhausted
state little more than trifiing addition
to her misery. When one is on the
rack a touch of toothache would be
little needed. She shuddered and
turned and slowly crept away. The
great clock struck three. Lily was
! lost now as we'll as Dittmer. She was
quite alone in the world and penniless.
| But the fog was gone. the black wall
of darkness had rolled away.
| know not where she wandered. 1t
was no more beside those black
waters, but along the streets-silent
now and deserted. save for the Occa.
sional step of the policeman. 1t is
strange to think Of the great city with
| all its four millions of people asleep
and its streets empty. Even the worst
and the wickedest are asleep at three
in the morning. 1t is the hour of in
nocence; the Devil himself sleeps. No
one met the girl as she walked aim.
lessly along. She could 10 longer think
or feel or look forward or dread any.
thing. She sunk on doorstep and fell
asleep again.
At five o'clock she was awakened by
the hand Of a policeman.
Come" he said, not unkindly. you
mustn't sleep in the streets. you know.
Haven't YOU got anywhere to Co?
She got up and began to understand
what had happened. Another day was
going to begin: she had spent two
nights in the street. Another day!
And she had no money. Another day
oh! how long?
81 have nowhere to CO." she said.
"And l have no money.
won't you 60 home to your
friends?"
81 have no friends"
She did not look IN the least like
most of the girls who have no friends.
Haven't you got any money at all:'
81 have no money, and no friends,
and no work"
Then this policeman looked up and
down the street susplcouSly. as men
do who are about to commit very
bad action. There was nobody look
ing; there was nobody stirring yet. no
one would believe in the bare word OF
the girl unsupported by any corrobora-
tive evidence; he would ncve" be
found out; he did it. He put his hand
in his pocket and produced shilling
coin which is of much greater i'm.
portance to policeman than to you,
dear reader-at least. l hope so-and
he placed this shilling in Katharine's
hand
"Therew he said. "You look as il
you We're to be pltied. Lord knows
who you are or what you are-but
there! get something to eat at any
rate"
Then he marched stolidly away, and
Katharine sat down again upon the
doorstep and burst into tears She had
not wept through all that long night
in ST. James Park--tO be sure, she
had Dittmer then for protection; she
shed no tears all the long dark ana
dreadful Sunday: she had been
dragged by Lily to pat an end 10 h"r
life without tearS-but now she sat
down and sobbed and cried bp"AUS"
the one unexpected touch of kindness
more than the cruel scourge of mis-
fortune, revealed her most wretched
and despairing condition.
"In the darkest moment. my dear,
she heard the voice of Miss Beatrice
plainly speaking--not whispering. but
speaking out plainly-'in the darkest
moment. when the clouds are blackPSt
and the world is hardest and your sur
fering is more than you can bear. GOD
will help you. and that in the most un.
expected way"
1t was a very little thing; shilling
is not much, but it touched her heart
as a single ray of sunshine lights up
n whole hillside And so she sat down
and cried, and presently rose up anu
went ON the way by which she was
led.
My friends, we live in an unbellev-
ing and skeptical generation. and the
old phraseology is laughed at, and
there is now, to many of us. no Father
who loves and guides His children and
orders their lives as Is best for them.
as we are once taught to believe; all
is blind chance-even that policeman's
shilling-even what followed, this very
morning.
Katharine's wandering feet led her
to Covent Garden Market, where the
coffee houses are astir and doing good
business long before the rest of. the
world is thinking of the new days
work. She went into one and had
breakfast-a substantial! breakfast
VITA an egg and loaf and great cup
of hot brown coffee. Then-she went
clio ,, har rnp1 Ga