THE CHILDREN'S CORNER

Evening Star, Issue 9775, 3 August 1895, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE CHILDREN'S CORNER

Talks to Young Folks. [By the Rev. William Bibch, D.D.] BEQUEATHED TO GOD. . The Child.— (Continued,)

When big Butcher Blair's weight broke the old ladder it was supposed that in his fall he had only badly sprained his lbi't ankle, but on examination Dr Taylor fiuds the right leg broken, and wishes him to be carried into the Manor House. The wounded man, however, insists on being taken home. How to manage it is the difKeulty. There 13 no conveyance of sufficient length except the pariah hearse, which has gone to town to be repainted and to have glass windows let in at the sides. Tom Thatcher, who ha 3 returned, suggests the large sofa in the diniDg room, and wheu Dr Tayloi measures it lie finds it to be scarcely 6ft lying down room, or 4in short; but, as the mattress, stuffed with horsehair, is movable, Tom and he bring it outside, while Norah, Lynn, and the cook follow with cushions, pillows, and rugs. Landlord Sykes with his hostler, and Black9irith Gordon with his apprentice, in their leather aprons, lookiDg like bishops, are now on the scene, making five men carriers ; but how can they carry equal to thirty stone ? String what is wanted, Lynn cries: "I will fetch a dozen more."

Whistling to Teddy, Lynn leaps on his back, and they go galloping through the gate at a great speed, followed by Lion, the Newfoundland, who barks as if he vi hrs the lark in the sky to know that he also is so glad he does not know how to tell it except by trying to bark hi 3 throat out. At the first house Lynn suddenly cries " Halt," and almost as suddenly the pony stops, throwing his little rider over his head into the mud-channel. Lion also suddenly stops with his front paws, but his hind legs cannot pull up so quickly, and he turns a somersault.

With face aud hands covered with mud, blood and mud on his shirt, and his velvet knickers torn, Lynn rushes into the house, cryiDg : "Butcher Blair has broken his legs at the Manor House, and Df Taylor wants all the men carry him home.-' Soon the village is roused. Men and women spring up from their work, and, without stopping to put on hais, bonnets, or Bhawls, run as for their lives to the Manor House. Betty Timms, who for more than a year has been paralysed and unable to do anything for herself, hears, as she thinks, that Butcher Blair has committed a murder at the Manor House, and Dr Taylor wants all the people to help to carry the huge prisoner to the "lock-up"; and the sudden shock and excitement cure her. Getting out of bed, she quickly wraps a blanket round her body, and with the large shawl over her head and shoulders and hor feet in her husband's Sunday boots, runs with the youngsters and with women who, in their eagerness to ba in time, carry little children, one at the breast and the other under the arm.

Mrs Sally Green and Mrs Sidesman Toft have not been on speaking terms for three months, aud have passed one another in the church avenue on Sundays as if they were foreigners and strangers, but Mrs Green forgets the old sore and goes as quicklv as she can to Mrs Toft's house across the fiveacre paddock to tell the exciting news, imd in their emotion they embrace and kiss like loving women of the fame family. Mrs Gm n, when she heard the news, was busy wasli.-.g clothes, withher dresslifted and pinned at tUe back above the "improver" which was then fashionable, and she now forgets to unpin herself, but Mrs Toft does not notice it as strange, or, it may be, startling news keeps people from observing trifles. Suddenly lifting the baby from the cradle, and leaving her "ironing," Mrs Toft exclaims: " Dear Mrs Green, let us go; we might be wanted." They partly walk and run, until they reach the general store, with its new plate-glass window, where Mrs Green stops for want of breath, and sees herself reflected, wlien she cries: " My good gracious, ■■■■■■■IMHHMiHBIBiIMHnEH

r forgot 'to '* unpin' tuy; '<dni£** Wlef trembling haste she cwinot feel the head of the pin, and Mrs Toft hands the baby to her friend while she attempts to relieve her. When Mrs Green is made omfortable, she exrhims: "Now, I am myself again; I feel that I oan face a frowning world, as Use hymn says." What a crowd it is! Everyone seems to think that he or she has a right to be there. It is like an anniversary tea meeting; everybody loves every other body; the little children are still as mice; the dogs are under the spell and " aftt like folk." Betty" Timms, who used to go to church in the" morning and to the Ranters' in the evening, is on her knees near Butcher Blair, praying the Lord to heal him "same as Thou fiftst healed me." The Clerk, however, showa his superior wisdom by saying ; " Mrs Timms, the Lord heals paralysis—it says *o in the Bible too—but he doesn't heal broken legs." .

Jim Hurst, the ratcatcher and poacher, a jack of all trades, has helped Tom Thatcher to fasten the two halves of the ladder alongside, and the sofa-bed is placed thereon; - A little at a time Butcher Blair is lifted and the bed pushed, under him, and, atiDr Taylor's suggestion, Jim and Tom fasten him on with a clothes line, to keep him from rolling off. With pillows and cushions the big man is made moderately comfortable. He has to be carried about a mile. All is ready. Six men on one,side and six on the other, with twelve other men to relieve them at quarter of a mile distance. Butcher Blair reverently says "Let ua have a word of prayer." He thinks some one will engage in prayer, but all the others wait for him to begin, and every eye- is closed as in church. In the hush little Lynn's voice is heard: " God bless Butcher Blair, and help Dr Taylor to mend his lege !'' The people reverently say "Amen," .a* if the prayer were out of the book. Then hj» recites " Our Father who art in Heaven," etc., and the Clerk and the people repeat it after him; even Jim Hurst, in a broken kind of way, tries to join in, but, through-not being used to it, he lags behind. The twelve men now stoop, and, at a signal from Dr Taylor, lifting together, the ladder-couch with its great burden <U*teady on their shoulders. The crowd divides, and when Dr Taylor gives the words "One, two, three," the bearers; like soldiers in step, slowly move on, the women saving " God bless him!"

Tom Thatcher and Jim Hunt much about twenty yards in front as the pioneer vanguard, the Clerk and the Warden come halfway as pillars of the Church, Lynn being requested to go in the immediate fronc to represent his father, the Lord of the Mauor; and the child leads on, his shirt spotted with blood, his clothes torn, and his face streaked with mud, Lion on one aide and Teddy on the other. Then come the bearers, and the twelve alongside, with the, to them, sacred burden, wnich with the cushions looks doable the usual bulk. Dr Taylor follows next the bearers, and after him Norah with the cook, then all the people, men, women, and children, to show their respect for the " biggest man in the world," who has sprained his ankle and broken his leg while going up a ladder to save a kitten and a child.

( To be continued next Saturday.)