The Minister's Charge

arted up, to see the great dormitory where he had fa

ong!" He preceded Lemuel, still drowsy, down the stairs into the room where they had undress

Lemuel's mate of the attendant. "

he poor old fellow who had not known ho

is toilet by belting himself around the waist, and "Come along, m

heaps of the latter in different stages of construction. "House self-supporting, as far as it can. We don't want to be beholden to any

rought back the hacked log behind the house, and the axe

'n an inch and a half deep; and then you want to tune it up, just so,-like a banjo-not too tight, and not too slack,-and then it'll slip through a stick o' wood like-lyin'." He selected a saw, and put it in order for Lemuel. "There!" He picked out a

place gave out the sweet smell of the woods from the bark of the logs and from the fresh section of their grain. A double rank of saw-horses occupied the middle space, and beside

own beside one of the piles. "Thought we'd look in and see how you was gettin' along. Just ste

iness of nature, and their faces, softened by their relation to their bodies, were not so bad; they were not so bad, looking from their white nightgowns; but now, clad in their filthy rags, and cari

ust like one of yourselves, gents. This beechwood is the regular Nova Scotia thing, ain't it? Tough and knotty! I can't bear any of your cheap wood-lot stuff from around here. What I want is Nova Scotia wood, every time. Then I feel that I'm gettin' the worth of my money." His lo

d the attendant who looked into the yard

waited for him to catch up, talking all the while with gay volubility, joking this one and that, and keeping the whole company as cheerful as it was in their dull, sodden nature to be.

kfast?" he asked, as they ca

repeate

ou goin

ow; I can't

your dinner, if you want to saw wood for it from ten till twe

do that?" asked

me to go to the Police Court; and when that's over I'm goin' back to the Common ag'in, and lay round the rest of the day. I hain't got any leisure for no such no

and went in together, and found places side by side at the table in the waiting-room. The attendant within its oblong was serving the men with heavy quart bowls of the steaming broth.

nd stand it this mornin'." He wasted no more words on his joke, but plunging his large tin spoon into his bowl, kept his breath to cool his broth, blowing upon it with easy grace, and swallowing it at a tremendous rate, though Lemuel, after following his example, still fou

the man brought them back he said, "Now, I'm goin' to take it easy and enjoy myself. I can't

ur bowls?" gasped Le

t an awful tank, as a general rule, the pards has. There ain't anything mean about this house. They don't scamp the broth,

had never bee

I was shipped when I was about eleven years old by a shark that got me drunk. I wanted to ship, but I wanted to ship on an

said L

n't do anything. If you ship under the Swedish flag you're a Swede, and the whole United States couldn't get you off. If I'd 'a' shipped under the American flag I'd 'a' been an American, I don't care if I was born in Hottentot. That's what the counsul said. I never want to see that town ag'in. I used to hear songs about Venice-'

ble impatiently with his towel, and stood waiting for

h the effect of standing upon his rights. "Guess i

t you want to lend us a han

asked the othe

s got a

sickness, of course I'd do it. But I couldn't spare the time;

tened with a f

half a dollar, young fel

" said Lemu

w to was

marks the rustic New England civilisation than the taming of its men to the performance of certain domestic offices elsewhere held

" said the attendant, an

at out of his hip pocket. "Well, good morning, pards. I don't know as I shall see you again much before ni

n o'c

e," said the other, putting on his

xample to his parishioners, most of whom had the leisure to lie later, but as a sacrifice, not too definite, to the lingering ideal of suffering. He could not work before breakfast-

journalism. It had become a matter of personal pride with them respectively to attack and defend The Sunrise, as I shall call the little sheet, though that was not the name; and Mr. Sewell had lately made some gain through the character of the police reports, which The Sunrise had been developing into a feature. It was not that offensive matters were introduced; the worst cases were in fact rather blinked, but Sewell insisted that the tone of flippant gaiety with which many facts, so serious, so tragic for their perpetrators and victims, were treated was odious. He objected to the court being called a Mill, and prisoners Grists, and the procedure Grinding; he objected to the familiar name of Uncle for the worthy gentleman to whose care certain offenders were confided on probation. He now

ur mind at last," she divined, in reco

off," admit

s. Of course it puts an end to our going there next

o. The mellow note of an apostle's bell-the gift of an aesthetic parishioner-came from be

ers, but she saw that he felt differently, and after a number of years of married life a woman learns to let her husband have his own way in some unimportant matters. It

his coffee, and he had helped her to cantaloupe and steak, and spr

really obliged to make any division, but I've seen the Advertiser, and I'm willing to behave unselfishly. If you're very impatien

asingly at his wife, who said, "Yes, read

e she stirred her coffee, and Sewell unfolded the little sheet, and g

is," said Sewell, a

ller number of grists than usual, but they mad

e weakened under him a little," com

upply of drunks

ll admit that this is

dmit nothing of the kind. It's

aid Sewell;

pperary, who pleaded not guilty and then urged the "poor childer" in extenuation, was sent down the harbour f

at, my dear?" asked

You must stop that paper, David! I can't have it about for the c

as called that brought the breath of clover blossoms and hay-seed into the sultry court-room, and warmed the cockles of the habitués' toughened pericardiums with a touch of real poetry. This was a case of

nd put his hand

d his wife. "Why don't you g

murmured t

el

e said, in quite a passion of humility. "And y

he report of Lemuel's trial. The story was told throughout in the poetico-jocular spirit of the opening sentences

not say anything. She merely looked

rt to rise from his chair, "I m

d him," responded hi

m?" echo

e's got into by this time. You saw that he was acquitted, d

upposed he was con

ing a pity which she did not perhaps altogether feel. "Eat y

any breakfast," pl

you going about all day with a headache. Eat! And then when you've finished your breakfast, go and find out

nished, she said, "Now you can go, David. And when you've found the boy, don't you let him out of your sight again till you've put him aboard the train for Willoughby Pastures, and seen the train sta

ore the houses, which commonly flattered his eye with their colour, had a suggestion of penal fires in them now, that needed no lingering superstition in his nerves to realise something very like perdition for his troubled soul. It was not wickedness he had been guilty of, but he had allowed a good man to be made the agency of suffering, and he was sorely to blame, for he had sinned against himself. This was what his conscience said, and though his

was over-rich in the acquaintance of two officers of the name of Baker, and he put his hand on Sewell's shoulder, in the paternal manner of policemen when they will be friendly,

with the captain which was perhaps not thrown away upon him, but which was certainly disproportioned

, but I'd rather you wouldn't wake a man off duty, if you don't h

n was quite right, and then he explai

r up for that. I can tell you what there is to tell. I don't know where your young man is now, but I gave

be truly described as such. "I wish to befriend him," he added

n. "Well, now, I tell you what you do, if you want

itative and patronising tone. "That's what I wish to do. Do

his chair, and putting his quill toothpick between his

missal meekly, as a man vowed to ignominy should, but feeli

coming to Lemuel's name, "he slept here; but nobody knows where he is by this time. Wait a bit, sir!" he added to Sewell's fallen countenance. "There was one of the young fellows stayed to help us through with the dishes, this morning. I'll have him up; or may be you'd

downstairs, and through the basement to the kitchen. He arrived just as Lemuel was about to lift a trayful

unwillingly brought so much evil, and he found the greater diff

m very glad to find you-I have

on, with his sleeves rolled up to his elbow, and the minister was obli

with you. Can I speak

oom, and affected to employ himself there, l