Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-19

1 "Phelia tend the baby" tho little
girl echoed, and then as the womans
1 lids again futterod. she called aloud
I as il tn arrest their closing. "Phclia,
tend the baby alwhys!''
/ But the nuttcr had already ceased:
the lids never lifted again.
! The Sympathetic Member looked
weak and faint, and the older Trustee
4, ordered her out
Go get the carriage robe. She com
| mandcd losing no breath on ceremony.
I'VE need it to wrap that naked baby
| in.'
Glad of an excuse TO get into the air
| the younger woman fled to the car
/ riage and then turned reluctantly back
along the dark passage to the drcary
scene. Midway her progress was
| stopped. Shrill cries, ouths and curses
We're followed by the bursting open OF
o door at the side OF the hall, ana
from 1t sprang n man, followed by a
Nirago of Il woman. Hcadong down
the passage he came. the shrew making
u dive after him and raining blows
from Il beer bottle on his head. The
girl covered as If to sink into the wall.
but in their fierce flight the fighting
pair did not notice her, but went on, on.
until they rolled into the gutter at the
edge Of the street. The girl stood root
ed to the spot, stunned by the terror of
the unfamiliar scene. Then q sudden
thought-a mental picture of the two
waits back there. left to the mercies OF
such drunken Wretches as these, stung
her pal'alized senses into action. With
the speed of desperation she flew down
the passage and once more into tho
chamber of death.
robe at the Trustee. Wrap it up
Eauick-lets get the children out OF this
dreadful place!'' Then suddenly
throwing nerves and constituencies to
the winds she picked up the dirty little
mite from the bed where it lay beside
its dead mother, with her own hands
drew around it the heavy robe. and
carving the wriggling bundle tender
~, led the way to the waiting carriage.
Little Ophela left her mothers bed
side without grief. only a great Won
der growing in her eyes at being lift
ed to a seat in the grand carriage.
But even IN the glory of her first
ride She was restless and gave several
little wistfu signs, with her eyes fixed
fmmovably upon the Sympathetic
Member opposite. At last the signs
broke into sobs and she cried out
s"Phelia tend the baby--alwaysv
Then the animated bundle was trans
ferred silently, Phelia's arms closed
lovingly about it. and into her eyes
came peace.
At the Home the motherless, name
less waits We're washed, dressed and
fed, and a new life began for both-a
life where hunger was unknown
where fresh air and sunshine, clean
smells and clean clothes We're to be
had In abundance, and cold was only a
dread Thing shut out Of doors. The
baby thrived and in a few months look
ed less like a bahoon than q, fat, squint
eyed Jap, whose idea of heaven was a
bottle of sweet milk, followed by a
nap in the arms of his untiring nurse.
Phelia For Ophelia though touched
by the inalady of her illustrious name
sake of old, had yet the compensating
instinct of maternity In double and
triple measure. and mothered her Wee
brother with a devotion hardly short of 1
divine.
And the Sympathetic Member, from
the day when she constituted herself
guardian in special to these two--half- |
witted Opheia and the Little jan
began to learn the first great lesson in
the school of charity: that not synpa-
thy alone is needed in this greatest Of
life's work-for she has that who only
sheds an idle tear over a touching
in her morning paper but
most necessary Of all, if one is to help
in the work OF redemption. are the
courage to seek, and the understand
ing TO lift.
EDYTH ELLERBECK READ.