The Monroe journal., 1921-08-09


8oWn from the Shepherds room and
sreeie,l his master with fond afIec-
;ioa. The two went away together.
They walked up n deserted street
and around 10 the old graveyard
When il was quite dark. they CROPPED
their way through the weedy, hriered
aisles, between moss-covered topping
stones, TO their old nook under the
ash nee. There Hiram made a bed
OF hou.hs. picked from the eyergreens
that grew in the graveyard. and lay
down upon IL under his oyercoat with
the dog Christmas lie found IL Inn
possible 10 sleep. however. When he
closed his eyes a new thought began
nudgins him.
1t seemed 10 be saying. What are
yun going TO do now. Mr. Hiram
Blenkinsopf"
He was pleased that IL seemed to
say Mr.. Hiram Blenkinsop. lie lay
Tor long time lookihs up AT the
starry moonli, sky. and at the marble.
wea,her-Spotted angel on the monu-
meat III the Reverend Thaddeus
Sneel. who had been lying there.
among the rude forefathers of the
village, since 1906 suddenly the
angel began TO move. Mr.. Blenkinsop
observed with alarm that 1t had dis
covered him and that its right fore
finger was no longer directed toward
the sky but was pointing al his face.
The angel had assumed the look and
voice of his Old Self and was saying:
Il don't see why angels are always
cut in marble an set up in grave
yards with nothing TO do hut point at
the sky. Its cold an lonesome BUSH
ness. Why don't YOU give me jobf
His Old Self vanished and. as II
did So. the spotted angel fell TO
coughing aud Nleezing. II coughed
and Sneezed SO loudly that the sound
went echoing in the distant sky and
so violently that II reeled and seemed
TO be in danger of falling. Mr.. Blenk-
Insop awoke with rude jump so that
the dog Christmas harked in alarm.
II was nothing but the midnight train
from the south pulling out of the
station. which was near the old grave
yard The spotted angel stood firmly
in place and was pointing at the sky
as usual.
II was probably an hour or SO later.
when Mr.. Blenkinsop was awakened
by the barking of the dog Christmas.
He quoted the dog and listened. He
heard sound like that Of baby cry
ing. II awoke tender memories in the
mind Of Hiram Blenkinsop one very
sweet recollection was about all that
the barren, bitter years of his young
manhood had given him worth hay.
ing. Ii was the recollection OF d
little child which had come to his
home In the first year OF his married
life
"She lived eighteen months and
three days and four hours. he used
to say, in speaking of her, with
tender note in his voice
Almost twenty years she had been
lying ~ The old graveyard near the
ash tree Since then the voice of a
child crying always halted his steps.
II is probable that, in her short life,
the neglected, pathetic child Pearl
that having been her name-had pro
tested much against plentiful lack
of comfort and sympathy.
So Mr. Blenkinsop's agitation at
the sound of a baby crying some
where near him, In the darkness OF
the old graveyard, was quite natural
and will be readily understood. He
rose ON his elbow and listened. Again
he heard the small, appealing voice
"By thunder Christmas" he whis-
pered If that amt like Pearl when
she vas little, teeny, weeny thing
no bigger'n u pint o beer Say, II
is, sir, sure as Sinl"
He scrambled 10 his feet, suddenly,
for now, also, he could hear the
voice of a woman crying. He CROPPED
his way in the direction from which
the sound came and soon discovered
the woman. She was kneeling on a
grave with a child in her arms. Her
grief Touched the heart Of the man.
"who be your he asked
I'm cold. and my baby is sick,
and | have no friends" she sobbed.
"Yes, We have" said Hiram Blen-
kinsop. 81 don't care who We be.
I'm yer friend and don't We forgit it,"
There was reassuring note In the
voice Of Hiram Blenkinsop. Its gentle
ness had In II culver of sympathy.
She felt it,and gave TO hm-an I'M
known. invisible man, with just a
culver of sympathy in his voice
her confidence.
II ever one was In need Of sympa-
thy, she was at that moment. She
felt that she must speak out to some
one. So keenly she felt the impulse
that she had been speaking TO the
stars and the cold grlvestones. Here
at last was human being with a
culver Of sympathy in his voice.
II thought would come home,
hut when | got here was afraid"
the girl mnanel. u wish | could die"