The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1920-12-08

DICK promptly lTOu lue pdElSu ACu
lips. II know that because my mother
is sick every day, and she cries too.
That's misery, amt itT'
Captain MacCauley was used to
tales of woe, but he knew panacea
for them. Eyes, it is So" he said.
Perhaps you could get her to come
here some evening! Do you think you
could?"
Daddy wouldn't let her." was the
reply, and she lifted unfathomable
saddened gray eyes to his. "You see
when a man owns a woman, and she
don't. do the things he tells her to, he
beats her, huhT"
There was mute pleading in her ex-
preston as she drew back on the
bench a little farther away from him.
Ali He might have known that she
had been swept along by the relent-
less tide Of brutality. He sighed
little He had seen enough of ignorant
men with their supreme egotism, to
know she told the truth.
"Your father is-is-cruel to your
mother, them" he faltered.
She remained In deep thought for
the space of few seconds.
"a swat or two, mebbe more, amt
a KILN thing to women folks" was
the response she made confusedly at
length.
So unusual had been her answer
that Philip MacCauley gazed at her in
SmazEmeht.
"Have you ever heard of-of GodT
he asked finally, his own confusion ap-
parent in the stumble Of his tongue.
Tonnibel laughed.
81 hear God d-n more'n a hundred
times day." she replied. as that
what you meanT
mot quite" answered Philip, star
tied. mol Not that"
"Then whatT" demanded Tony.
What kind Of God do you meanT
Zone that is good" explained Phil
ip. There isn't any God but the one
who helps"
"My mummy" breathed the girl,
misty tears shadowing her eyes.
EYES,"
where is he, them" The words
not forth with such insistence that
mnething within Philip MacCauley
iose to its demand.
Some ones got to be good to my
MOTHER" the girl ran on before he
could speak. "She's sick-and lonely.
Oh, I've got to do something for her.
Where's your helpin' God, mister?"
fright here in this place." said
Philip, a strange emotion sweeping
over him. ''In fact there isn't any
place where God is not"
HE wouldn't come in a dirty canal
boat, would He" demanded Tony,
breathlessly.
AstoniShed at such crudeness, Cap
tain MacCauley shifted himself about
so he faced her squarely. Was it pre-
tended ignorance or innocence in the
searching gray eyes? Then he decided
that truth was stamped on every line
of the upturned face.
''Of course, everywhere" he ex-
claimed brOkenly. "Why, dear child"
Tony Devon interrupted him swift
ly. ''Tell me how to manage it." she
pleaded. How can 1 wheedle your
God to the Dirty Mary?"
ITO the what?" was the question
the boy asked in shocked swiftness.
''The Dirty Mary" repeated Tony.
MY mummy and me live on a canal
boat. Once she were just called
! Mary But she's so id nasty, EIDE
calls her the Dirty Mary. She's a
nice boat just the same as long as my
mummy's there. But 1 can't see how a
clean God could come on 'er. .. ]
| guess you're foolin' me, mister"
Philip swallowed hard. Then slowly
and gently he talked to her, trying to
make her understand as best he could
what he meant by God, Spirit.
"And you can help your mother, lit
tle-what's your name?"
''TOny, just Tonnibel," she mumbled
Then her voice rose and she uttered
sharply, "Now tell me how to help my
mother"
Philip went to the altar and sorted
out small card.
''This," he said, coming back to her
has happy, loving thoughts written or
it. If you think these things all the
time-Oh, how they will help both YOU
and your mother"
Wonderingly she took it In hel
fingers. The first thing that met hel
eyes was beautiful uplifted face Of {
man and in his arms was little lamb
Underneath the picture was printed
Feed my sheep" and directly undel
that were the words, "Stand still ant
see the salvation Of the Lord" Ono,
more her eyes sought the face above
face wherein lay all the pity ant
love in the world.
Tony Devon caught a glimpse of tn
lesson he was trying to teach, ant
when she went out Of the Salvation
army hall she held within the depth
OF her a wonderfully new and utterl,
strange emotion.
She was painting for breath whel
she ran up the gangplank Of the cana
boat.
A woman was busy brewing te,