The Second Chance

ng is

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ss abu

is the

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d. She had finished the sweeping of the other three rooms, and then, coming into Miss Morrison's room to sweep it, she found Maudie Ducker rehearsi

ed the winner; so Mrs. Ducker was naturally anxious to have Maudie trained by so successful an instructor. Miss Morrison had

n to "crooked ways and left her all alone." One day a man came to visit the poorhouse, and poor "old Nan," glad of any one to talk to, tells all her story to the sympathetic stranger, asking him at last wouldn't he try to find

was all new and terrible. She could not go on with her sweeping-sh

ving Maudie instruct

d, sad, pitif

il's windi

s. Maudie did a long, waving sweep with three notches in it, more like a gordon braid p

down and d

ess and

r three times evenly to

bout like

and anch

ith her willowy left arm. Miss Morrison said that to

thro' the s

to count

ft foot and indicated "distance"

cker has a lovely piece," she began at once

vingly, "O Pearlie! now, sure Miss Morrison is teaching h

he figger eight up in the air, and do the Dutch-roll, and kneel down and get up just for show-they're too stiff, for one thing. Ye can't listen to

hers used to come home at night, full as ye plaze, and they were all, mother, too, scairt to death purty near. Under the bed they'd go, the whole bilin' of them, the minute they'd hear him comin' staggerin' up to the cheek of

on exclaimed, pausing with hi

scald o' liquor, she did. But she grew up to be a rale purty girl, like Mary Barrier, I think, and one day a fine strappin' fellow came to town, clerkin in a store, steady enough, too, and he sees Nan steppin' out for a pail of water one

that she didn't mind the old man's tantrums so much, for she was thinkin' all the time about Tom, and was gittin' mats and dish-towels made. And they had a fine weddin', with a cake and a veil and r

spalpeen!"

ll she had to stand from the old m

too, took

was a harm

sped and my

with a bro

were unanimous tha

le she tuk his boots off, and she'd have clean give up if it hadn't been for her little boy, like Danny there; but if I e

do, Pearlie

ink too, and smoke cigarettes and stay out late, and one da

seen my po

dark day

n goes to the poo

ed Mrs. Watson, "d

story, same as I'm tellin' you, only far more pitiful, and sure didn't she end up by beggin' him to be kind to her poor Jimmy if he ever comes across him; and tellin' him how she always prays for him and knows he'll b

hecked apron, "for wasn't this Jim all the time forninst her, and her not knowin' it, and didn't he grab her in his arms a

ing and tearful family. Then, to make it more interesting, Pearl let the young Watsons act it. Jimmy spoke right up and says he:

st the flowing bowl, and told what a good girl his little Nancy was, and what a bad pa he'd been; and then he broke down and cried real tears, which Pearl said was "good actin'." The third scene was w

has sped and m

with a br

s homecoming. When she discovered his condition she cut out the speech about the "bird of hope," and used the stick with so much vigour that it seemed he was in more danger than the bird of hope of having a broken wi

m behind the flour-barrel until the two sleuths of the law, Danny and Tommy, passed b

e one mat lifted off the floor. Newspapers were pinned over the windows, and the calendars were turned with their faces to the wall. The lamp with the cracked chimney was lighted instead of the "good la

heart, but as the story went on even he forgot that it was Pearl,

ight and heard Pearl

left only four reciters. They could do with five, but they could not go on with four. The tickets were sold, the hall rented, the contest had been advertised over the country! Who could learn a recitation in a day

d: "We'll see wh

difficulty that she restrained an exclamation of delight when she heard that they were short of rec

rrison exclaimed. "Sh

you training Maudie

stures; but we will be glad to have any one fill in. People will not expe

was smiling gently. "There's a surprise c

ntest. Pearl and the other four contestants sat in a front seat. The latter were beautifully d

ndly asked the chairman to explain that Pearl had had no training whatever, and that she ha

nt No. 5. Pearl's brown hair was parted and brushed smoothly back, and tied with two new bright red ribbons-Camilla's gift. It

e seats. Mr. Francis had heard something from Camilla that caused him to send tickets

made her parents and many admiring rela

ed the Pledge," in a good, clear, ringing voice, and the Hullett people thought th

ctions of the same class; in which wayward sons, stor

nderful change-the little girl was gone, and an old woman, so bowed, so broken, began to tell her story, old enough to most of us, but strong always in its gripping pathos-the story of a child cheated of her birthright of happiness because some men will grow rich on other men's l

the pity of it rolled over them as they

me one in the back of the hall, and many a boy away from home, careless and forgetful of his own mother, remembered her now with sudden tenderness. The words of the prayer were stiff and unnatural, but when did the Spirit of God depend upon felicity of expression? It can abound wherever there is t

motionless, and then burst into such a tornado of

but his heart was singi

God ble

they had forgotten to mark Pearl as to memory, gesture,

g his eyes suspiciously, said: "Gentlemen, my

ace the large and cheering audience, while Father O'Flynn, with ma

wondering if, after all, there might not be something mo