Gilpin observer., 1916-02-03

struggling, and her cheekbones -sieam.
ing with the high red Of debauchery
leered up at him a. he passed. A curly
headed youngster, who would have
been angelically beautiful II he had
been washed and his native blood
pumped from him. threw mud at Rev.
Smith Boyd, out of mere artistic de.
sire to reduce him to harmony with
his surroundings. A mouthing old
woman. with hands clawed like par
rot's. begged him for aims. and he was
ashamed Of himself that he gave II
to her with such shrinking. The Mas.
ter could not have been like this. A
burly "panhandler" stopped him with
an artificial whine. A cripple, display
ms his ugly deformity for the benefit
and example Of the unborn. took from
him a dole and a Vince of repulsion.
THE poor ye have always with vel"
For ages that had been the excuse
for such offenses as vedder court.
They were here, they must be cared
for within their means. and no amount
of pauperizing charity could remove
them from the scheme of things. In
so far. Market Square church felt jus
titled in its landlordship. that It
nursed squalor and bred more. Yet,
somehow. the rector Of that solidly
respectable institution was not quite
satisfied. and he had added a new ex-
pense to the profit and loss account
in the ledger of this particular house
Of God. He had hired crew Of forty
muscular men. with horses and carts,
and had caused them to be deputized
as sanitary police. and had given them
authority to enter and clean; which
may have accounted for the especially
germ-laden feel Of the atmosphere this
morning. Down in the next block,
where the squad was systematically at
work. there were the sounds of count
less individual battles. and loud
mouthings of the fundamental prin-
ciples Of anarchy. A government which
would force soap and deodorizers and
germicides on presumably free and in
dependent citizens. was a government
Of tyranny; and 1t had been a particu-
lar wisdom. on the part of the rough
hewn faced man who had hired this
crew. to select none but accomplished
brick dodgers. In the ten carts which
lined the curb on both sides there
were piled such conglomerate mass
Of nondescript fragments Of everything
that the rector felt trace
better. as II he had erased one mark
at least Of the long black score against
Somehow. recently, he had
acquired an urgent impulse to clean
vedder court!
He turned in at one of the largest
and most uninviting of the rickety
stairways. He skipped, with a prac.
ticed tread. the broken third step, and
made mental note to once more take
up. with the property committee, the
battle Of minor repairs. He stopped
1t the third landing, and knocked at a
lark door. whereupon q petulant voice
.old him to come in. The petulant
voice came from a woman who sat in
| broken rockered chair, with one leg
,eld stifiiy in front Of her. She was
ieavy with the fat which rolls and
,ulges, and an empty beer pail. on
which the froth had dried. sat by her
Iide. On the rickety bed lay a man
,ropped on one elbow, who had been
lnshavcn for days, SO that his sandy
'eard made sort Of layer on his
Quare face. The man sat up at once.
ie was trifle undersized, but broad
and dsshort-necked, and had
normous red hands.
"How are you today. Mrs. Rogers?"
sked the rector. sitting on backless
md bottomless chair. with his hat ON
lis knees. and holding himself small,
With an unconscious instinct to not let
touch him.
mo better" replied the woman,
making her voice weak. "Ill never
now well day again. The good Lord
las seen At to affiict me. l amt say.
ng anything, but 1t amt fair"
Rev. Smith Boyd could not resist q
light contraction Of his brows. Mrs.
rogers invariably introduced the Lord
nto every conversation with the rec
or, and 1t was his duty to wrestle
With her soul, II she insisted. He was
lot averse to imparting religious In
'truction. but, being a practical man.
ie could not enjoy wasting his breath.
There are many things we cannot
he granted. What does
he doctor say about your condition."
HE don't offer no hope." returned
he woman. with qualification. This
xnee joint will be stiff till the end OF
ny days. II had anything to blame
myself with 1t would be different, but
amt. l say my prayers every night.
but II I'm too sick. do 1t in the
"Can that stunt" growled the man
On the bed. you been prayin' once
a day ever since got you. and moth
ms ever happened"
1--WE brought you job" returned
poy Smith Rovd nrOmnt1v "I hava