Las Vegas optic., 1914-11-12

some ground, she groped her way bacl
to her old activity.
On this especial morning her brav,
little heart thrilled, as for the frs
time she found that she could use hel
hand to write a word. Hitherto ever
the effort to produce a single letter
had been hard task, Her eyes
sparkled, her soul seemed to burst itt
bonds as a new strength infused her
pulses and nerves.
oh, papa, mammal" she cried in
wild ferVor Of excited delight, as al
most breathless with joy and surprise
she completed a whole sentence on
the sheet OF paper before her.
Her parents came rushing anxiously
from the house at the unusual cry.
What is it-are you Ill. Flora?''
quavered her mother
"Oh, mol" dissented the agitated little
one. Just think Of It'll am getting
well, sure. papa! For see--T have
written a whole sentence!"
And then little Flora uttered q cry
of direful dismay A great breath of
wind had come along. It caught up
the loose sheets of paper, it scattered
them in every direction high in the
air, over among the sweet blooming
lilacs, even to the street, in front OF
the grounds, and over the garden
wall
Father and mother worked arduous-
ly to collect the scattered sheets.
Search as they would, however, they
could not find the one upon which
Flora had written.
And it was the first real sentence
I have written since since was
sick!" mourned Flora why, think
Of 1t! plain as day and without firing
my hand at all printed out Never
Say Diel'"
Well. my DEAR" said her father.
very soon you win be able to write
whola naRea-" and than his heart
overfiowed with hope at this indica-
tion that the little sufferer was on the
road to recovery.
In a week the episode of the miss
Ing sheet of paper was forgotten. Lit
tie Flora, indeed, improved. Day by
day she grew stronger. Always was
she cheerful, happy. with a bright
essence Of sunshine that permeated
the life Of the whole village. Many
burdened heart revived at sight OF
the patient, loving little creature, who
saw only love and helpfulness as her
rare mission of life.
Click!-the man who sat on the
other side of that fateful garden wall
had been too absorbed in his misery
to heed the sounds about him. He
got ready the deadly weapon. ZEN
it dropped suddenly from his nerve
less fingers. There had come float
ing down like dove OF peace, like a
heavenly messenger, a sheet OF paper.
1t fell directly in his lap. With awed
staring eyes Robert Dale read the
rude, scrawling words:
Never say die!"
A quick revulsion Of feeling passed
over him. Whence had the message
come? No one was in sight. Wha,
but Providence could have directed |
this strange occurrence at the most |
critical moment OF his lifel He burst |
into tears. he dropped to his knees
and new strength and impulse came
into his life.
Two years later little Flora and her
parents attended a meeting at the
town hall of the village. It had been
announced some time previous that
Robert Dale, wealthy city merchant,
had purchased the grounds beyond the
garden wall A meeting had been
called where he was to publicly donate ,
he land and $4,000 to build an or
1han asylum
Mr.. Dale arose and made the formal
ender Of his benefcence to the town
Then his face grew grave and solemn,
IS he stated that he wished to tell
Why he had been impelled to his phil.
action. He recited his ex. i
,erience the day when that strange
Message had come to him. He told
low. banishing his cowardly fears, he
lad gone back to the city nerved to
combat his business difficulties and
lad turned the tide of disaster to one
# prosperity, Is