The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1914-11-05

overfowed 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 a
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 sourds about him. He
got ready the deadly weapon. Then
it dropped suddenly from his nerve
less fingers. There had come float
ing down like a 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. What
but Providence could have directed
this strange occurrence at the most
critical moment of his life! 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. 1t 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
the land and $4,000 to build an or
phan asylum.
Mr.. Dale arose and made the formal
tender OF his beneficence to the town.
Then his face grew grave and solemn,
as he stated that he wished to tell
why he had been impelled to his phil
anthropic action. He recited his ex-
perience the day when that strange
message had come to him. He told
how, banishing his cowardly fears, he
had gone back to the city nerved to
combat his business difficulties and
had turned the tide of disaster to one
of prosperity.
Then he took from a treasured cor
ner in his pocketbook q folded piece
of paper and passed 1t around among
the audience, the precious sheet Of pa
per bearing the words:
Never say die!"
The little scrap of paper passed
among two rows of seats. AS 1t came
to Mr.. Easton little Flora uttered a
quick cry:
"Oh, papa, it's my writing. Don't
you remember that day in the gar
den?"
The story spread like wildfire, and
soon Robert Dale learned of II. To
him the sweet little child whose sim
pie action had saved him from going
down a wreck, was as an angel of
mercy. sent to guide him in the dark
est hour of his career.
Not only for him, but for others who
had felt the gentle, hopeful influence
of little Flora, the rare perfume Of
her loving soul seemed to diffuse hope
and happiness everywhere,
AS Robert Dale left the Easton home
the following day the lofty flight of a
bird appeared to symbolize the puri-
fled aspirations Of his better nature.
The lark was flying straight into the
face of the glowing sun, It's wild, glo-
rious note echoing like call to life.
to duty. Then 1t was lost to view, but
in the fervor of his grateful nature,
to Robert Dale it seemed as though
the lark was singing at heavens gate!
Copyright. 1914, by w. G. Chapman.)