Show THE CHILDS LETTER everybody was afraid of the old governor because he was so cross and surly and one morning he was cros cro and surlier than ever because he had bee been n troubled for several days with a matter which he had already decided but which many people wished to have reversed A man found guilty of a crime had been imprisoned and there were those who ed of ills his penitence and knowing that his family needed his support earni estly sought his pardon to all these solicitations citations soli the old governor replied 11 no and having made up his mind the old governor had no patience with who persisted in their afryl birj I 1 g T alons 16 zo so the th e old governor was in high dudgeon one morning and when he came to his office lie ho said to his secretary admit no one to see me I 1 am am weary of these constant and senseless importunities now the secretary had a dIst discreet Teet regard for the old governors feelings and it was seldom that his presence of mind so far deserted him as to ad mil of his the old governors wishes to be disregarded he bolted the door and sat himself down at his modest desk and simulated intense enthusiasm in his bis work ills simulation was more intense than usual for never before had the secretary seen the old oh governor la in such a harsh mood ilas has the mall come where are the papers aud letters demanded the old governor in a gruff voice here they are sir said saia the see sec rotary as he put the bundle on the old govern governors table these niese are addressed to you privately the busi ness letters are on my desk would you like to see them now no not now growled the old governor 1 I will read the papers and my private correspondence first but the old governor found cause for uneasiness in this employment the papers discussed the affair ot of the imprisoned nian man and these private letters came from certain of the old governors friends who strangely enough exhibited an interest in the selfsame self same prisoners affair the old governor was highly disgusted they should mind their own business muttered the old governor the papers are very officious and these other people are simply impertinent my aly mind is made up noth shall change mel i i n r W then the old governor turned to his private secretary and bade him bring the business letters and presently the private secretary could hear the old governor growling and tumbling fumbling over the pile of correspondence he knew why the old governor was so excited many of these letters were petitions from the people touching the affair of the imprisoned man oh how they angered the old governor Ha humph mph said the old governor at last im glad im done with them there are no more I 1 suppose when the secretary made no reply the old governor was surprised he wheeled in his chair and searchingly regarded the secretary over his spectacles he saw that the secretary was strangely embarrassed you have not shown me all said the old governor sternly what is it you have kept back then the secretary said 1 I had thought not to show it to you it is nothing but a childs letter Il hought I 1 I 1 should not bother you with it the old governor was interested A childs letter to him what cell could d it be about such a thing had never neve happened to him before A childs letter let me see see it said the old governor and although his voice was harsh somewhat of a tender I 1 light ht came into his eyes nothing but a scrawl explained the secretary and it comes from the prisoners child Monc tons little girl moncton the forger know of course theres nothing to it a mere scrawl for the child is only tour four years old but the gentleman who sends it says the child brought it to him and asked him to senj send it to the governor and then the governor would send her papa home sfa v gysi ll 11 T the governor took the letter and he scanned it curiously what a won darful letter it was such strange hieroglyphics and such crooked lines oh it was a wonderful letter as you can imagine but the old governor saw something more than the strange hiero hieroglyphics ly and crooked lines and rude pen cill he could see in a and between the I 1 lines I 1 ne S of the little childs letter a a sweetness and a pathos he had never seen before and on the crumpled sheet he found a love like the love his bereaved heart had vainly yearned for oh so many years he saw or seemed to see a little head bending over the crumpled page a dimpled hand tolling at its rude labor of love and an earnest little face smiling at the thought that this labor would not be in vain and wearied the little hand grew and how sleepy the little head became but the loyal little heart throbbed on oil and on with patient joy and neither hand nor head rested till the task was done sweet innocence of childhood who would molest you who bring thee one shadow of sorrow who would not rather brave all dangers endure all fatigues and bear all burdens to shield thee from the worldly ills thou drea mst not of so thought the old governor as he looked upon the crumpled page and saw and heard the pleadings pIea dings of the childs letter tor for you must know that from the crumpled page there stole a thousand gentle voices that murmur ed in his ears so sweetly that his heart eart seemed full of tears and the old governor thought of his own little one god cod rest her innocent soul and it seemed to him as it he could hear her dear baby voice joining with this others in trustful trustful pleading ther the secretary was amazed when the old governor said to him give me a pardon blank but what most amazed the secretary was the tremulous tenderness in the old governors s voice and the mistiness behind the old governors spectacles as he folded the crumpled page reverently and put it carefully in the breast pocket of his greatcoat humph thong thought fit the secretary the old governor has a milder kinder heart than any of us suspected then when the prisoner was pardoned and came from his cell people grasped him by the hand and said our eloquence and perseverance per saved you the old governor could not withstand the pressure we brought to bear on him but the secre secretary tiry knew and the old governor knew too god bless him for his human heart they knew w that it was the sacred influence of a little childs letter that had done it all that a dimpled baby hand had opened those prison doors eugene field |