DEAD.
Ah God! how 1(71(11116 the rattling in the atreet
Conies to me where I lie nnd the hours pass.
1 watch t beetle crawling up the sheet
That covers me, and curiously note
The green and yellow hack like mouldy brass.
And can not even shudder at the thought
How soon the loathsome thing will reach my face
And by such thine alone I measure out
The slow drip of the minutes from Time's eaves.
For if I think of when I lived. I doubt
It was but yesterday I brushed the flowers;
But when 'I think of what I am, thought leaver
The weak mind diw.y in a waste of hours.
O God, how happy is the man that grieves!
Life? H was life to look upon her face,
And it was life to rage when she was gone;
Put this new horror! In the market-place
A form, in all things like me as I moved
Of old, is marked or hailed of many an one '
That lakes it for his friend that lived and loved-- '
And 1 laugh voiceless!', a laugh of stone.
For here I lie and neither move nor feel,
And watch that Other pacing up and down
lhe room, or Muslim at his potters wheel
To turn out cunning vessels from the clay
JUBUS
V V V
Vessels that he will hawk about the town.
And then return to work another day
Frowning; but I I neither smile nor frown. .
I see him take his coat down from the peg
And put it on, and open the while door.
And brush some bit of cobweb from his leg,
And look about the room before he goesf
And then the clock goes ticking as before.
And 1 am with him and know all he does,
And 1 am here and tell each clock-tick o'er.
And men are praising him for subtle skill;
And women love him God alone knows why!
He can have all the world holds at his will
But this, lo be a living soul, and this
No man but 1 ran give him; and I lie
And make no sign, and care not what he is,
And hardly know if this indeed b I.
Ah, if she came and bent above me here,
Who lie with straight bands bound about my chin!
Ah, if she came and stood beside this bier
Willi aureoles as of old upon her hair
To light the darkness of this burial bin!
Should, I not rise again and breathe the air
And feel the veins warm that the blood beats in!
Or should 1 lie with sinews fixed and shriek
As dead men shriek and make no sound? Should I
See her gray eyes look love and hear her speak
And tie all impotent to burst my shroud?
Will the dead never rise from where they lie!
Or will they never cease lo think so loud?
Or is to know and not to be, to die!
Richard Hovey.
INISTERING ONTO HIM.
- - i
JiJJJUJ(
By the Late Dr. T. J. Barnado.
It was a murky evening at the
close it September, and the outlook
vas drab and dreary. A few splashy
drops of rain fell occasionally, and
the muddy streets were most unpleas
ant for pedestrians. Truly, an un
inviting night In which to be abroad!
I had been attending the board
meeting of a society in which I was
Interested, and I was absorbed In
thinking over some few points of
the business transacted. I hardly
noticed, therefore, that as I left Moor
gate street station a timid little voice
began to assail my ear. "Matches,
sir," It said In a curious persistent
whine. I walked steadily on, but the
voice followed, challenging my atten
tion. The speaker must have been a
diminutive little match seller, for the
sound was near the ground. Again
he repeated earnestly: "Two a ha-'
penny! Two bcxes a ha'-penny! Buy
'em, sir!" Then after a pause, he
resumed: "Could give jer three, but
there ain't much profit! '
That curious chant wkh its quaint
comment at length checked my pro
gress. .My thoughts w.-re effectually
broken Into. I stopped, and at a
glance took in the scene and the
speaker at once. I saw a sight, com
mon enough, alas, in London a lit
tle street vender, shoeless and stock
Ingless, his bare feet well mudded, his
trousers ragged, his jacket Jorn.
Trousers and Jacket were all he had
to cover him from tne drizzling rain
and shivering fog. A queer little old
patched cap was perched on one side
of his head in a knowing fashion,
pathetically at variance with the sad
llne of his face. The child looked to
me about eight years of age; but I
guessed him to be nine, for he was of
etunted growth.
"Sold much to-day?" I inquired.
He shook his head.
"Six boxes ain't much only free
"a'pence for the lot."
"Who sent you out?"
"Mother."
"And why does mother send out a
hap like you?"
"She can't help it; she's werry
ad."
"Where is she?"
"Home."
"Anybody else there?"
"Sissy."
"How old is she?"
' Oh, she don't count! She's littler
than me lots littler." -"Do
you make much money?'
"Sometimes, if I'm lucky."
"Are you often lucky?"
"Not 'xactly often; I wor in real
fuck yesterday."
"How's that?"
such a nice gemman kern along
and says he: 'You are a poor little
chap;' and he gev me a bob. Oh, he
ror a nice gemman, he wor."
My young companion had wasted
no words, and now, when such em
puasis was laid upon th'.s particular
gentleman, I felt he was being held
p xor imitation!
"Why don't you go home with your
wee ha pence?" I continued.
"Tain't no use," said the boy.
"'Taln't no use going home with lit
tler nor a tanner, sir!"
"Must you always have a tanner?'
The little head was nodded quick
iy ana emphatically. Clearly six
pence was the Irreducible mlmlmum.
"Well, now," I said "tell me where
your mother lives."
"Thirteen Plough Court, Banner
street, St. Luke's," was the prompt
answer.
I knew Banner street well: the
place was not more than ten min
utes' walk away. "Come on with
me," I said, "and I will see your
mother. I am a doctor, you know,
and perhaps I can do her some good."
Ithout more ado the little rhnn
gave himself up to the new idea, and
trotted off by niy side, . his tongue
waging briskly the while. Here was
an adventure, or at least, an event!
He managed to keep up a never fall
ing stream of small talk which, I
could not help observing, always
came round, often by very sharp an
gles, to the "nice gemman!"
v e soon reached Banner Rtrppr A
few minutes thtn brought us to the
corner of a dingy, pestilential look
ing court, lined on each side by tum
ble down two story houses which
looked as though thev had heen or
iginally Jerry built, and had been out
oi repair ror many years back. They
were noisome In the extreme, fetid,
reeking of slime and neglect. No. 13
resented a set of creeky and verv
Altar stairs. My guide hooked his
small hand firmly into mlnp. and
without delay we began to climb up
and up, until at last we reached a
deck room on the ton floor. Tim hov
ran in first, while I waited outside.
Only a minute elapsed, when the
door was opened, and !n response to a
muffled "Come in, sir," I entered.
'lhe room was literally devoid of
furniture. There was no chair to sit
down; no table to fill up the bare
floor space. Yet there was a mar
velous air of peace, and even of com-
lort, in tnat empty garret All. fnr
Instance, was wonderously clean. And
one felt that there was a decent and
gracious air about the nlam whirh
spoke well for Its human occupants.
u was sometime before my ej"ea.
could take in my surroundings. But
presently I saw a figure lying near
the window, on the floor, on a heap
of rags. It was that of a poor, decent
looking woman. A few words of svm.
pathy and explanation, and I learned
ner simple story. The woman was a
widow of about fortv-ftva. Sh hnrt
Injured her leg, and the wound, 1.1-
r.eaa or Healing, apparently had fes
tered. A large, unwholesome
was exposed to view as I examined ft
She had gone twice as an ont patient
to the nearest hospital, but she could
walk no longer. Her work as a char
woman had had perforce to be given
up; so tnere she lay, helpless to move
hand or foot on her own behalf! r
her side stood a little girl of about
sir years of aje "our Bess," she
calied her a bright-eyed, winsome
little lassie.
But Billy was the' bread winner!
He it was who kept the wolf from the
door. It was be who had boldly gone
into trade in the endeavor to supply
mother, sister and himself with
bread. Deeply affected. I listened to
the simple, homely, heroic story. Men
are inclined to the belief that heroes
are made only on special nrrnninn.
Yet in truth the finest heroes are
homespun, and often bidden in oh
scurity. Billy was of the tru ntntr
and his modest struggle might hare
maae an epic.
Why, I asked of the woman, did
she not go to a hosDltal? Tha hum
tion was hardly asked when I felt re
buked. "What would become of the
children? said the poor woman
"Billy might do for a bit by himself;
he is a brave lad! But our Ros
And then the poor soul fairly broke
down. Yet In a minute the tears
were wiped away, and as I looked at
the calm, resolute face, I discovered
where Bill got his bravery from.
"Well, then," said I, "why not try
to get the children into some home oi
refuge, while you are taken to the
hospital and properly treated?"
"Ah, yes, sir!" replied she eagerly,
"that's what I would like; but then
I don't know how to set about it."
Then, to my surprise, she added, in
the simplest, most matter-of-fact tone
imaginable, "I have been prayin to j
the Lord all the time I have been nere
to take care of the children, and to
keep our Bess from the streets."
Here in this wretched room, de
prived of everything, depending ab
solutely upon a child of nine years of
age for food and fuel here lay this
decent, industrious creature with a
firm trust in the God of prayer, and
in her breast there still burned the
flame of faith and hope.
"Yes, indeed, God has His own in
every nook of the great city! Poor
Mrs. Rider was a Christian woman,
strong in prayer, and drawing in sim
ple trust upon all the powers of the
Omnipotent.
"Look here, sir," continued the
woman. She put her hand under the
pillow, and pulled out a leaf of a
well known religious weekly journal.
"Look here, sir, read that!" And
under my very eyes she placed a short
narrative of one of my own rescues,
which had been reprinted In its col
umns! How the page had drifted to
her I know not; but the last lines
of the story contained the statement
of mine which has been so often re
pented, and which all my readers
know so well: "Never during all
these years have I refused a single
destitute child who has made appli
cation at our doors." "There, sir,"
said the poor creature, not knowing
in the least to whom she spoke, "I
havo been hopln' and prayin' that
God would let Billy and our Bess get
in there. I know they'd be safe, and
they'd both be together, and then
I'd go in cheerful to the 'ospltal."
I thought for a few moments be
fore I answered. At length I said
slowly: "I did not tell you who I
am; but now I must let you know."
The poor woman looked up with
something like alarm written on her
face. I continued: "My name is
Barnardo, and I have a great many
poor girls and boys In my keeping.
And really that is why I asked your
little lad to bring me here to-day.
Now, if I can help you by keeping
the children for a while, I will."
It is impossible to describe the
emotions of wonder and amazement
which passed over that poor suffer
ir ; mother's face! The tears poured
down her cheeks.
"Billy," Bhe called, and the boy
ran quickly to his mother's side.
"Bess, dear," she added; and then,
holding the two children in her trem
bling hands, she said: "This !s the
gentleman that has all the little boys
and girls. I told yer God would hear
me, and now He's just sent him here
to take and keep you both until I am
well again."
As for me, I felt at once humbled,
encouraged and thankful; humbled
to think that in any hour of dark
ness and difficulty I had ever doubted
that God heard and answered prayer;
encouraged by this frasli proof of our
Father's guiding hand; und thankful
for the opportunity thus afforded me
of stretching out a helping hand to
one of our Lord's own children.
There and then I entered fully into
the mother's story, and mada notes
of the various names and addresses
with which she supplied me, so that
we could verify the facts and assure
ourselves that there was genuine
need and frlendlessnesi in the case.
I left with a promise that, if all
proved right, I would admit the chil
dren to the homes for a time while
the mother entered the hospital. Of
course, I saw to the immediate needs
of the family, but not until I niui'e
Billy tell me once again the story of
the nice gemman.
. "Now, Billy, what shall I do to be
like the nice gentleman? Shall I
give you a shilling now, or shall I
take you both into my home, and
send your mother to the hospital?"
Billy hesitated; but there was no
feeling of doubt in Bessie's mind.
The words were hardly out when she
sidled over to me, and placed her
little hand trustingly in mine. Billy
said more slowly: ' "If mother wor
well, I think it would be nicer to have
the shillin'; but I'll go with you, sir,
all right."
Ere long one of my good woman
helpers was in the room supplying
the wants of the patient, bringing
food and fuel and a few needed gar
ments to the children, while I ob
tained an order giving admission to
the hospital to this poor member of
"the household of faith." t
And that was how Billy and Bess
came to be counted among the great
est family in the world, 5450 strong!
Sabbath Reading.
The Leech a Weather Prophet.
A leech confined In a vial of water
will prove an excellent weather
prophet. It the weather is to con
tlnue fine the leech lies motionless at
the bottom of the vial and rolled to
gether In a spiral form. If it is to
be rain, either before or after noon,
it is found to iiave crept up to the
top of Its lodging,, and there It re
mains until the weather Is . settled.
If we are to have wind the poor pris
oner gallops through his limpid habi
tation with amazing swiftness, and
seldom rests until it begins to blow
hard. The Scotsman. '
When, with "tremendous enthusi
asm," "tumultuous applause," and
"resounding cheers," some American
citizen is nominated for the Presi
dency of the United States at Chicago,
and when, later, some other American
citizen, with ditto enthusiasm, ditto
applause and ditto cheers, is nom
inated for the same office at Denver,
There Is usually little trouble over
the election of a temporary chairman.
The chairman then appoints a com
mittee to escort the temporary chair
man to the platform; the band plays,
the delegation from Mr. So-and-so's
State makes a lot of noise, and all Is
merry.
It Is Incumbent on the temporary
, A Word From Josh Wise.
Look on th' bright side. Et ye be
come baldheaded ye kin set In th'
trout row. x
.... ttmii .tr
US. JfidQUIZlKS tti- JL. JSJWUJBL!K3S M-ZJLMlZLM
IliifriTliii i iim in imiii . ,
COLISEUM AT CHICAGO WHERE THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL
CONVENTION WILL BE HELD.
the male population of the United
States, or the great majority of it, at
any rate, will want to know Just how
It was done, why it was done, and
"who done it."
At a National Convention each
State has Its own headquarters, where
the delegates gather. They do a lot
of "conferring" with each other nnd
iff.
William H. Taft.
chairman to make a speech. He In
variably takes advantage of the op
portunity. He "sounds a keynote."
After the speech various resolu
tions are offered. Usually these
have been arranged for In advance,
and the temporary chairman works
according to a printed schedule,
calling on John Doe and Richard Roe
at the right time, so that there may
h&mm
mm
"V.
I
fi m i mt hi i i .i bt tnt
Ml
with delegates from other States.
They hold meetings and elect chair
men and honorary vice-presidents.
The honorary vice-president has a
seat on the platform and an extra
ticket, but little else.
Prior to the calling of the conven
tion to order the National Committee
IN THE PRESIDENTIAL PANTRY.
The Favorite Sons (In chorus)
"Somebody's taken a bite out of my
pie!"
From the Journal (Minnenpo'.U.)
is virtually In command of the situa
tion. With it lies the arranging of
the details, the "framing up" of the
procedure of the first session, the se
lection of the temporary chairman,
and. In a great many cases, though
not always, the program making of
the whole convention, temporary and
permanent organizations, nominating,
and platform building.
It is the chairman of the National
Committee who calls the convention
to order, usually about noon upon the
day set. This year the Republican
National Convention will be called to
order by Harry C. New on June 16,
and the Democratic- Convention will
be called to order by Thomas Taggart
on July 7.
The convention called to order, the
chairman requests the secretary to
read the call tor the convention,
which is done. Then the roll call la
gone through, and this takes a lot of
time. The next step Is the announce
ment by the chairman that the com
mittee offers to the convention as its
temporary chairman the name of So-and-so.
There are loud and pro
longed cheers, and bra viva voce vote
Mr. So-and-so Is unanimously elected.
Hon, . adopted the platform. The
Committee on Contestea seats ana
that on Permanent Organization,
however, are ready and they report.
The contests decided, no matter
how, the permanent roll of the con
vention is made tin and called. Then
the Committee on Permanent Organ
ization reports, ana tne permanent
rhnlrtnnn la named, cheered and es-
Qojted to the platform. The pro
cedure is identical with the election
of the temporary chairman. The per
manent chairman, too, must make a
mmm w i
mmmmmy
Gov. Johnson, cf Minnesota.
speech. It, too, is of the "keynote"
variety.
Tho Commltteo on Platform re
ports after the permanent chairman
has made his speech. When the mat
ter of the platform Is disposed of.
either by the committee reporting or
by the announcement that It is not
ready to report, the permanent chair
man announces another recess; may-
Wllllnm J. Bryan.
be no hitch. Committees are appoint
ed; one on resolutions, which will
havo tho drafting of the platform;
one on credentials or contested seats;
one on permanent organization.
These are the Important ones. When
they are all chosen, and there has
been a lot of hnnd-clapplng and cheer
ing, as vell-known men are appointed
to this or that committee, the tem
porary chairman announces an ad
journment, usually until the next day.
Bill
UBS?
A Leap Year Dilemma.
From tho Washington Star.
During the recess a lot ot real work
is done. Three or four men, some
times more, but never many, get to
gether in a back room of a hotel and
talk and smoke cigars. They are the
leaders.
Port Pluycd by Committees.
At the second session of the con
vention the committees report. Thay
have held sessions in the meanwhlla
and have decided the contests, ar
ranged tor the permanent organtzi-
Vice-President Fairbanks,
be until the next day, possibly till
later in the same day.
Now back to the little room go the
four or more bosses who do the heavy
wori; back to the hotel lobbies, the
theatres, the cafes, .the sight-seeing
tours go the other delegates. Com
promises are effected, promises are
made. Eventually, in the back room
Si-- 4
fit i'S fWTi v".
Gov. Folk.
Judge Geo. Gray.
and not In the convention hall, what
is to be done is finally determined as
a rule.
Again the convention meets. If
the platform has not been adopted It
Is now. Then nominations are In order.
AUDITORIUM AT DENVER WHERE THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL
CONVENTION WILL BE HELD.
Brief News Notes About the Conventions
The Roosevelt third-term bug which
attacked Washington as well as otaer
parts ot the United States a Treek or
two ago has disappeared.
Governor Albert E. Mead, of the
State of Washington, stated bis be
lief that President Roosevelt would
not accept a renomlnatlon.
The threat ot capital to go Into
politic and make Its Influence felt,
Just aa labor threatens to du, has
caused Dertu'naUnn In hath artles.
The Chicago Tribune finds Johnson
leading for Democratic Vice-President
with twenty-two per cent, of .the
votes. Ex-Governor Douglas, ot Mas
sachusetts, is second with sixteen per
cent. Chauler gets only seven per
cent., Culberson and Gray still less,
and Hearst brlsgs up the icar.
Wyoming, California, Missouri,
South Carolina, Hawaii, Alabama and
Texas are counted on as certain to
elect Bryan delegate-
The Rhode Island delegation is un
tustructed, and will be subservient to
the wishes of Aldrlch.
Even yet the vision of a Roosevelt
stampede Is disturbing the rest ot the
more nervous of the Republicans.
It Is altogether likely that as a re
sult of the convention ot the National
Association ot Manufacturers there
will be formed a business men's polit
ical party ao take a band In the ap
proaching campaign.