THE CHILDREN'S CORNER.

Evening Star, Issue 9830, 19 October 1895, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE CHILDREN'S CORNER.

Talks to Young Folks.

BEQUEATHED TO GOD.

[By the Rev. William Birch, D.D.]

THE MYSTERY CONCERNING SARAH. Remembering that sho has put away Sarah's clothes in the wardrobe drawers and locked the door, Norah, with eager haste, runs upstair?, and has to stop to take breath before reaching the bedroom, from the window of which the missing one has beckoned her. After a while she ia able to unlock the door, exclaiming: " Sarah, my child, where have yon been ?" But there is no answer ; and, observing that the window blind still remains drawn up, yet that Sarah is not there, Norah cries: "Sarah, dear one, where are you hiding ? Tom Thatcher is breaking his heart over you ! Sarah ! Sarah ! Sarah !" There is no answer, and in amazement and tear Norah sinks in a swoon on the floor.

The congregation remains outside looking at the window ; and, thinking Norah a long time absent without giving any sign, j Butcher Blair requests Mrs Betty Timms to go to the bedroom to see what is the matter. Lynn shows the way, and waits on the landing to escort , her when she returns. She finds Norah on the floor, and "feels queer" on observing that Sarah is not there. Calling Lynn to help, she holds Norah's head, while he bathes the temples and back of the neck with a wet sponge; and on reviving she cries : " We must have seen Sarah's spirit, not herself. Oh, Mrs Timms, my mind is giving way. Help me into my room, and tell poor Tom." Mrs Timms requests Lynn .to fetch Dr Taylor, while she leads the trembling Norah to bed. Lynn runs across the yard to Teddy. Without saddle or bridle, he leaps on his back, the pony knowing he is wanted to put speed on ; and, galloping away, the boy shouts: " Sarah isn't there, after all; I am fetching Dr Taylor to keep Norah from going too!" Butcher Blair blows his trumpet nostril so suddenly and loudly that the parish clerk jumps as if a pistol shot has sounded close to his ear, and Tom Thatcher sits on the horse-block to ask himself whether he is alive or dreaming, while in a dazed voice Landlord Sykes remarks that he must return to the " Blue Boar " to see if his dear wife wants him, since it is her washiug day. About a score of the villagers have fathered to see what has happened at the lanor House, and the constable has returned with two detectives and the infirmary ambulance bed. The officers, with Jim Hurßt, bring out the wounded burglar, placing him on the bed, which they then roll into the van, the villagers suddenly drawing back as if the man were a cannon which might go off. Lynn returns, and slowly walks into " our church," where he is welcomed by a joyous bark from Lion. The parish clerk and Tom'Thatcher follow and sit in the pew, the latter bearing the appearance of one who is weary of life. Lynn puts his hand on the head of the dog, saying: " Fetch !—Butcher Blair !" The sagacious animal comprehends, goes to the big man, who is in conversation with several villagers at the outer gate, pulls his coat, barks, and again pulls the coat, when he turns and fojlows to "our church," where the dog goes to his own place under the stained glass window, and Butcher Blair sits in the pew between Tom and the clerk. The burglar alias "the professor "is seated near the door. (You remember that he is named " the professor" because he earned the B.A. degree at college before he became a forger and robber).

Sttuuliog by the outstretched wings Lynn remarks: " Butcher Blair, I believe we are all aware that the stranger seated at the door is a burglar and robber, but Tom Thatcher says that he is a penitent man, who has come thU morning to say he is sorry and wants Tom to go with him when it is dark to bring back the stolen things." Butcher Blair nods his head, and Tom Thatcher shakes himself up to listen, while the parish clerk thiuks tiiis is more exciting than anything he has ever seen at the Theatre Royal. Lynn looks at the burglar and proceeds: u Robber, if what I have said is the truth, please come this way." The man replies: "It is true," and approaches the boy, who leads him to the figure of "Our Lord on the Cross," saying : " Penitent Robber, do you know that our Lord laid down his life for all mankind ?" The man seems overpowered, and answers by reverently bowing his head. " Then, did our Lord die on the cross for you, for you ?" The man looks up at the figure, and with a half sob, replies: "I believe the Lord died for me !"

The boy now goes to Butcher Blair, takes his hand, leads him to the burglar face to face, touchingly saying: " Please, Butcher Blair, servant of God, what would the Lord say if He were present, same as when He preached to His disciples—what would He say V Butcher Blair grasps the boy's hand, and replies : '' He would say : ' Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.'"' Suddenly the parish clerk rises to his feet, and recites : " Glory be to the father, and to the Son, aud to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.!' On his knees the robber weeps, and Butcher Blair prays (as the parish clerk thinks) "just like the Archbishop of Canterbury," though he has never seen or heard that eminent dignitary. After a little conversation, Butcher Blair shakes hands with the penitent robber, exclaiming : " We will be to you as brethren, and you shall be to us as a brother!" when Lion draws near and also offers his paw, meaning "I am now willing to trust you as a friend," and, in grateful emotion to God and all of them, the poor fellow bends to kiss the paw of the almost human dog. At the suggestion of the parish clerk, "to save bother with the police when they are worrying about for a clue," Tom Thatcher takes '* the professor " into the loft over the stable, makes him a bed of hay, and promises to bring him dinner later on. Dr Taylor is concerned for Norah, who seems to be in a nervous fever ; and, being consulted about the missing Sarah, Lynn is sent for to describe what has occurred. The doctor suggests the probability of a Becret room behind the wall, when Tom Thatcher, who has also been sent for, cheerfully remarks :

" Why, of course, Dr Taylor, a spirit couldn't have drawn up the window blind ; and, you know, sir, I saw the frill on the nightgown under Sarah's chin—Norah said it had a frill! Besides, how could she go through the door when Norah had locked it?"

"Ah, but," Lynn remarks, " isn't a spirit an angel? and didn't an angel go through locked doors to bring the Apostle Peter out of prison? Don't you think, Dr Taylor, that Sarah came back just for a moment to comfort Norah and cheer up dear old Tom ? Didn't the angel make the outside iron gate open of its own accord to let Peter go through into the street ? And if Sarah was turned into an angel, couldn't she go through the bedroom door while it was shut ?"

"I don't doubt it,"Dr Taylor replies, " but we may as well see if there is any closet with a secret door. Tom Thatcher had better carefully examine." " My impression is," Mrs Timms remarks, " that this is a case like that of Enoch, whose friends sought for him, yet found him not; but, of course, our duty is to search for Sarah, as they did for Enoch." Accordingly, Tom Thatcher feels over every inch of the floor and walls, occasionally calling "Sarah! Sarah!" and putting his ear against the place where he knocks, in the hope of hearing a movement on the other aide.

In the afternoon Dr Taylor again visits Norah, who, through the ministration of Mrs Timms, is up and seems well as. usual. Tom Thatcher reports that he has been over every part of the room, but is unable to detect any loose board or the sound of a hollow space behind, and he admits his fear that, like Enoch, Sarah may have been taken to Heaven.

"Sarah was always talking of the second coming of our Lord," Norah remarks; "and, unknown to us, the Lord may have taken her as one of the disciples on the watch for His coming, 'like a thief in the night,' unawares, you know."

"Butitis Btrange," Mrs Timms replies, "that only one should be taken from all those around us; surely the Lord would not

pan by Hit «9rrM»t3utA« Bhir lad little Lynn!» ' - - " Now I pome to think "<4 it properly,* Tom Thatcher exclaims in • more cheerful voice, " when Elijah wai taken, didn't he let his mantle drop, and didn't EUsha pick it up ? And when our Lord ink from the dead, didn't He leave the linen clothes and the napkin in the tomb? Well, if Sarah has been taken, wouldn't she be likely to leave her frilled nightgown in the bedroom V Norah attends to a knock at the door, and ushers in Mr Beswick, the famous chief detective. He has a conversation with Dr Taylor and Lynn, who is introduced to him as the young Lord of the Manor, while Tom Thatcher retires, feeling thankful that the penitent burglar is safe in the hayloft* Though Tom half supposes that Sarah is now an angel, he stands opposite her bedroom window, smoking his pipe to comfort his heart, when Mr Beswick with Lynn comes along, and the latter, pointing to him, remarks: " Yes, that is our Tom Thatcher.'' Mr Beswick puts his hand on Tom's shoulder, saying: "In the name of the Queen I hereby apprehend you, Thomas Thatcher, on the charge of being concerned with a missing man named Claude Menzies alias "the professor" in the burglary at this house last night. Through information from Drjßenshaw, of Stratford, you have been traced as being in the company of Menzies, and carrying stolen property.'' "It is true," Tom Thatcher rejoins, " that I helped Menzies, whose name I did not know, to carry a man who had been shot to Dr Rensbaw's, and I helped to wheel him in a barrow, which I borrowed and returned to a court in Barrack street, and in thanks the roan gave me a pistol, which I afterwards learned had been stolen from this house, but I was not aware of the burglary here until I arrived at daylight" In great excitement Lynn cries: "Tom Thatcher is my friend! what he says is true ! Mr Beswick, I think a detective of your experience should know an honest man by his face; does our dear old Tom look like a robber ? I beg you, sir, at once to unhand him !" (To be continued next Saturday.)