The Newtown bee., 1909-05-07

Isaiah 11:6. "A little child shall
 lead them"
 There is nothing on earth to drive
 a man away from life's best thirgs, to
 strip him of faith and of his ideals,
 like finding the world loveless, men
 and women false, and friends un-
 grateful. But this is the way some
 find it. Fate seems to have filled
 the'r cup with false friends, their life with ingratitude and when we find them they are sunken into cynicism
 doubting God and having no faith in
 man. They never sit in the courts
 of Gods house, they never stand in
 the market place. They come abroad
 only for the stern necessities of life
 and they retire to their semi-hermit
 existence. wh le the community in
 which they live regard them with ali air O. mystery.
 On the other hand there is mo- thing on earth that can so quickly
 cure the cynicism and skepticism of
 life IS can love human love; yea, ever tie love of a little child. Love Twill melt the ice in a mans heart,
 take man out 5f himself and a cruel
 world and make him utter what he ehas not said for years, God is |gOod, men are not bad
 Sucn is the teaching of George
 El iot's "Silas Marner The story opens with a picture of poor, str nge-'ooking man, weaver who
 lives in a small, humble hut on the
 rough and deserted outskirts of the town of Raveloe. For 15 years he had lived in this small English town and yet no one knew him. He carried an air or mystery with him. He in- vited no conner to step across his door-sill, and he never strolled into the village 70 drink a. the tavern ol to gossip at the wheelWrights; he sought no man or woman save for the purposes of his calling, or in order to supply himself with life's neces- sites. He Sat at his loom from morn's early hour when the village stil sept, and the noise of his loom could still be heard when men and women rad retire d for the night. He would tend his shuttle and, when the web wa5 done. he would take the pro- duct of his art to his patron, bring home the gold, hide it under his foor put on his loom another pat teln and toll on. This had been his life for 15 years in RaVeloe and, as no one knew him save as strange recluse, everyone regarded him as a man with a history-a man with past.
 Well history he did have, a past | that was sad and bitter and here is what it was. A l0ng way off was the village of his youth. Lantern Yard by | ualle, and m this town was friend" | ship sc intimate that the village folk called the boys David and Jonathan. But their names were Silas Marner 1 md William Dane. They both were members of the little church and in Silas Manners heart reigned every hing noble and his love for his friend was unbounded. Si]as also lad another love, love for a lass ot he village, but his love toward Will fam abated not and when William vas more and more with him and Sarah he suspected no evil. One light or early morn Silas and Will fam took turns sitting by the bed ide of a sick deacon whose hours on a "th were numbered. Silas was to 'e relieved at midnight by his friend ut 5leeD overlook him and it was lawn when he awoke and alas the 1, lck was stiff in death. Why had not William come? What could have An! William had come, ound his friend asleep and the dea- on dead, took the bag of gold, the hurch funds, from the drawer, left ilas' pocket knife in it's place and tealtnily went out into the night. The next morning Silas Marner was , aled before the church, accused ot he theft, and as the evidence was sainst hiTa (for William Dane had f ,unc tie empty bag tucked behind a Z hest in Silas' chamber, placed there ( y Williams own hand,) the church ourt found Silas guilty of crime -fich even hls heart could not har- or. Silas protested but without vail: the evidence was too strong; l nd then accusing his friend of the ase deed he went out to his work. Tould Sarah believe him guilty? The ope for her sympathy and loyalty one buoyed him up, but on the sec nd day this prop was taken away