Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-02-03

Richie leads such a solitary life, and
is abundant1y able, she is the one to
take the homeless David. The con-
spirators proceed with extreme eau
ton. The child is brought to DR..
Lavendars house, and Mrs Richie is
given the opportunity to see him.
He is a quaint winsome, appeal
ing little felIow-a decided person
ality, and one of the most delightful
and consistent child portraits in
modern fiction. His greatest attrac-
ton lies in the fact that one can new
err be sure what he will say next.
Once, when DR.. Lavendar is telling
him a story he keeps his eyes fixed
so intently on the mans face that
the old gentleman is much flattered.
well, well, you are great boy
for stories, aren't you?" remarks the
delighted minister.
you've talked seven minutes,
said David thoughtfully, and you
haven't moved your upper jaw once
AS can be magined the child
makes instant conquest of Mrs. Rich
ie who insists on fitting him out
with tiny garments, and brings him
sin triumph to the Stuffed Animal
house"
Day by day the tie that binds her
to David strengthens until we see
this affection the dominant motif of
her life. 1t even overshadoWs her
love for Prior although it is some
time before she is conscious that it
does So
In the meanwhile, quite by chance,
the security of her miniature world
is shaken to it's foundations. There
| lives in Old Chester a youth much
Mrs. Riches junior, Sam Wright,
who has drifted into the habit of
calling on her and who falls in love
with her. 1t is the blind worship of
one who has never known passion,
and in an attempt to break up the
| boys infatuation his doting grand
| father comes to Mrs. Richie and half
| in irritation accuses her of not being
| good woman. The shot is a ram
dom one, but the instant the charge
| is made the speaker realizes he has
hit upon the truth. Helena's anger at
| his gibes and sarcasm is like the
| whirlWind.
! But the Lord was not in the wind.
| IL 10 LOeAlI w - III SulCIOCr llId /
| first brings home to her the gravity
! Of defying soctai responsibility
! What she has hitherto regarded as
scorn for convention she now sees to
| be a crime against humanity. All her
| being is rocked with self-reproach.
But the Lord was not in the earth
Quake.
! 1t was not until DR.. King forces
| her to confess her guilt, and tells her
she must give up David. that we
| reach the climax Of the drama Then
all the wild mother instinct Of the
woman leaps into being. She is a
| lioness fighting for her young She
will give up Prior; in fact she does
| give him up. But she will not part
with David. She begs, brides, prays:
| but Willy Kings conscience will not
permit him to listen to her entrea-
| ties. She must send the child back
to DR.. Lavender, or he must acquaint
| the good minister with the entire
| story.
In an effort to forestall this action
Mrs. Richie herself goes to the recto-
| ry and before she leaves it she looks
| into the face of her own soul and
| pronounces her DOOM
THE whirlWind of anger had died
out; the shock of responsibility had
! subsidized; the hiss of those flames of
shame had ceased. She was in the
| center of all the tumults, where lies
the quiet mind of God"
| When DR. Lavender asks her if she
thinks herself worthy to keep the
child, she humbly whispers: No"
| And after the fire, the still Small
| Voice.
At last the woman's conscience is
aroused, her repentance is sincere,
and We have the true awakening of
Helena Richie"
| How wisely DR.. Lavender meets
| this crisis in the shattered life. al
| lowing her to taste the full dregs of
! remorse and suffering; and yet how
| mercifully and gently he leads her
| upward toward hope and desire for
| restitution constitute the remainder
of the story.
| The kind old man suggests that
| she make her future home in dis
tant city where her past will not fol-
| low her and where she may start
| anew, and he asks that on the morn
| ing Of her departure she come to him
for a package which he wishes her
to take with her on her journey. The
reader shares her shock of joyous
surprise when David energies from
the corner of the stagecoach crying:
I'm the package!"
DIR. Lavender took both her hands
Helena he said, your Master
came into the world as a little child
receive Him in your heart by faith
with thanksgiving
So ends the novel.
To tear the skeleton of the plot
| from its exquisite setting is almost a
sacrileSe. 1t is like dragging the per.