Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-12-15

&3SAAA4 $3.50
going to try my luck with them in the
marts OF trade. There are hondreos
Of thousands Of such things sold
nowadays: and IL the Boston Ban
ner' likes my verses well enough TO
send me the paper regularly. why
shouldn't the people who make cards
like them too. especially when can
draw and paint my own pictures?"
i've no doubt they'll like them;
who wouldn't? II the parish knew
what a ready pen you have, they'd
suspect that you help me in my SER
mons! The question il. will the pub
fishers send you~a check, or only a
copy Of your card?"
II should relish check, / confess;
but oh! / should like almost as well a
beautifully coiored card, Luther, with
a picture Of my own inventing on it,
my own verse. and r. L. in tiny let
tiers somewhere In the corner! 1t
would make such lovely Christmas
present! And I should be % proud:
inside Of course, not outside! would
cover my halo with my hat SO that
nobody in the congregation would
ever notice IT,"
The minister laughed.
Consult Lefty. my dear. David
used to be in some sort of picture
business in Boston. She will know.
perhaps, where to offer your card!"
At the introduction of a new theme
into the conversation Mrs. LArrabee
slipped into a chair by the door, her
lantern swinging in her hand.
David can't be as near as Boston
or we should hear Of him sometimes.
A pretty sort Of brother to be
meandering foot-loose over the earth.
and Lefty working her fingers to the
bone to support his children-twins at
that! It,was just like David Gilman
to have twins, Doesn't it seem in
credible that he can let Christmas go
by without a message? dare say he
doesn't even remember that his
babies were born on Christmas eve.
To be sure he is only Letty's half
brother. but after all they grew up
together and are nearly the same
age"
You always judged David q little
severely, Reba. Don't despair Of re-
forming any man until you see the
grass growing over his bare bones.
always have soft spot in my heart
for him when remember his friend
ship for my Dick; but that was before
your time.-Oh! these boys. these
boys!" The minister's voice quavered
| I'VE give them our very life.blood.
We love them, cherish them, pray
over them. do our best to guide them,
| yet they take the path that leads from
home. In some way, God knows how.
we fail to call out the return love, or
even the iiial duty and respect!--
Well, we won't talk about it, Reba
My business is to breathe the breath
! Of life into my text: Here am l, Lord.
send mel Lefty certainly continues
to say it heroically. whatever her
troubles
Yes, Lefty is 50 ready for service
that she will always be sent. till the
end of time; but II David ever has an
interview with his Creator can hear
him say: Here am I, Lord, send
Letty!'"
| The minister laughed again. He
laughed freely and easily nowadays.
His first wife had been a sort Of I'M
derstudy for a saint, and after brief
but depressing connubfal experience
she had died, leaving him with a boy
Of six: a boy who already, at that
tender age, seemed to cherish a pas
sionate aversion to virtue in any form
the result. perhaps, Of daily doses
Of the catechism administered by an
iabnormally pious mother.
The minister. had struggled valiantly
with his paternal and parochial cares
for twelve lonely years when he met.
wooed and won Every much to his as
tonishment and exhaltation) Reba
Crosby. There never was a better
bargain driven! She was forty five by
the family Bible but twenty-five in
face, heart, and mind, while he would
have been printed as sixty in Who's
Who in New Hampshire although
he was far older in patience. expert
,'ence and wisdom. The minister was
spiritual, frail, and trifie prone Ia
self-depreciation; the minister's new
wife was spirited, vigorous, cour-
ageous, and clever. She was also
Western-born, college-bred, good as
gold, and invincibly, incurably gay
The minister grew younger every
year. for Reba doubled his joys, and
halved his burdens, tossing them from
one of her fine shoulders to the other
as II they were feathers. She swept
into the quiet village life Of Beulah
like salt sea breeze. She infused O
new spirit into the bleak church $50