The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-18


 the stars He is the lamp lighter up there. How great He must ber But a child may pray to Him. And did not God who suffereth not a sparrow to fall to the ground without His knowledge-did not He accept this first homeage of little, untaught child? And did He not call a blessing down.
 Then Mrs. Sullivan began taking Ger trude to church of a Sunday, and a new world opened to the forsaken child Miss Graham came to see her often and between them sprang up warm friendship. Poor Miss Graham-for in spite of her fathers great wealth she was poor-poor in that consideration and affection which gentle souls like hers require as a condition of their happiness. Once she had loved and been loved. But that dream was over
 By an accident the man she loved and who loved her had been the cause of her blindness. It was simply mistake-one of those simple mistak es winch are so often fatal Miss Graham had fainted once and Philip Amory, her
 
 the first bottle he could lay his hands on and dashed 1t in her face. Alas! 1t happened to be a strong acid and Miss Graham was blinded forever. Stern old Mr. Graham forbade Amory the house, told him his daughter would never for give him and the man had, since that time, been a wanderer upon the face of the earth
 Next to Uncle True and Miss Graham Gertys best friend in her new surround ings was Willie Sullivan. And if the truth were to be told she seemed to feel more delight in the company of the young clerk than in that of those who had been of more benefit to her Miss Graham sent her to school and Willie went to night school and at odd mo- ments, they bored over books together learning in this way French and one or two other languages, so as to be able to write them at least. Knowledge comes quickly when two young hearts seek it together. Willie was filled with a desire to get on in the world; his principles were of a high standard and although he did not know 1t, he was in love. What more could a boy want?
 Oh, what a glorious thing 1t is for youth when he has ever present with him 8 high and noble resolve-an un- selfish resolve-a high and noble mo- tive. What an incentive to exertion. perseverance and self deniall Fears that would otherwise appeal, discour- agements that would otherwise dis hearten, opposition that would crush, temptations that would overcome-all lie rowerless when with singleheart- cd purpose and worthy aim he strus- gles for victory. There are persons not born for labor. And without labor nothing in this world can be achieved nothing won.
 motive Willie long had had. His grandfather was old, his mother weak and feeble-both were poor. He must be the staff of their old age; must labor for their support and comfort. He must do more They hoped for great things from him--he must not dfsap-l point them. He did not, however, while arming himself for his future conflict with the world, forget the present He work ed in the line which he found pointed out for him diligently and con scientiously. No dream of future great ness or wealth was allowed to obscure by it's clouds the consideration of the immediate needs of his business, how ever humble they might be. Yet ann bilious dream were his dreams. He, like all boys, built castles in the air But as he built them he thought of their necessary foundation stones.
 The years passed rapidly--a bad veloped into a young woman who, though she could not be called beau tiful. had about her an air of distinc-