diff options
| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-02-06 05:37:46 -0800 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-02-06 05:37:46 -0800 |
| commit | 7bff9c87f3896e0a5e5c0a645c6f2157da8c58d8 (patch) | |
| tree | 02b6e84efb8f458a7b8b40d6332d91c7bbaa20db | |
| parent | cfb3d9ba77bf6eb92be841f05e1adfc6de9c7e56 (diff) | |
41 files changed, 17 insertions, 3696 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9862200 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #52935 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/52935) diff --git a/old/52935-0.txt b/old/52935-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b127ef3..0000000 --- a/old/52935-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1536 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mr. Blake's Walking-Stick, by Edward Eggleston - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Mr. Blake's Walking-Stick - A Christmas Story for Boys and Girls - -Author: Edward Eggleston - -Release Date: August 30, 2016 [EBook #52935] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. BLAKE'S WALKING-STICK *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - - MR. BLAKE’S - WALKING-STICK: - - _A CHRISTMAS STORY FOR BOYS AND GIRLS_. - - BY EDWARD EGGLESTON, - - AUTHOR OF - “THE ROUND TABLE STORIES,” “THE CHICKEN LITTLE STORIES,” - “STORIES TOLD ON A CELLAR DOOR,” ETC. - - CHICAGO: - ADAMS, BLACKMER, & LYON PUBLISHING CO. - 1872. - - Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, - BY ADAMS, BLACKMER, & LYON PUBLISHING COMPANY, - In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. - - RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE: - STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY - H. O. HOUGHTON AND COMPANY. - - - - - TO OUR - LITTLE SILVERHAIR - Who used to listen to My Stories; - BUT WHO IS NOW - Listening to the Christmas Stories of the Angels, - THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -_I have meant to furnish a book that would serve for a Christmas -present to Sunday-scholars, either from the school or from their -teachers. I hope it is a story, however, appropriate to all seasons, -and that it will enforce one of the most beautiful and one of the most -frequently forgotten precepts of the Lord Jesus._ - - EDWARD EGGLESTON. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - CHAPTER I. - - THE WALKING-STICK WALKS 11 - - CHAPTER II. - - LONG-HEADED WILLIE 20 - - CHAPTER III. - - THE WALKING-STICK A TALKING STICK 25 - - CHAPTER IV. - - MR. BLAKE AGREES WITH THE WALKING-STICK 31 - - CHAPTER V. - - THE FATHER PREACHES, THE SON PRACTICES 36 - - CHAPTER VI. - - SIXTY-FIVE DOLLARS 39 - - CHAPTER VII. - - THE WIDOW AND THE FATHERLESS 44 - - CHAPTER VIII. - - SHARPS AND BETWEENS 51 - - CHAPTER IX. - - THE ANGEL STAYS THE HAND 55 - - CHAPTER X. - - TOMMY PUFFER 57 - - CHAPTER XI. - - AN ODD PARTY 58 - - - - -MR. BLAKE’S WALKING-STICK. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -_THE WALKING-STICK WALKS._ - - -Some men carry canes. Some men make the canes carry them. I never could -tell just what Mr. Blake carried his cane for. I am sure it did not -often feel his weight. For he was neither old, nor rich, nor lazy. - -He was a tall, straight man, who walked as if he loved to walk, with a -cheerful tread that was good to see. I am sure he didn’t carry the cane -for show. It was not one of those little sickly yellow things, that -some men nurse as tenderly as Miss Snooks nurses her lap-dog. It was -a great black stick of solid ebony, with a box-wood head, and I think -Mr. Blake carried it for company. And it had a face, like that of an -old man, carved on one side of the box-wood head. Mr. Blake kept it -ringing in a hearty way upon the pavement as he walked, and the boys -would look up from their marbles when they heard it, and say: “There -comes Mr. Blake, the minister!” And I think that nearly every invalid -and poor person in Thornton knew the cheerful voice of the minister’s -stout ebony stick. - -It was a clear, crisp, sunshiny morning in December. The leaves were -all gone, and the long lines of white frame houses that were hid away -in the thick trees during the summer, showed themselves standing in -straight rows now that the trees were bare. And Purser, Pond & Co.’s -great factory on the brook in the valley below was plainly to be seen, -with its long rows of windows shining and shimmering in the brilliant -sun, and its brick chimney reached up like the Tower of Babel, and -poured out a steady stream of dense, black smoke. - -It was just such a shining winter morning. Mr. Blake and his -walking-stick were just starting out for a walk together. “It’s a fine -morning,” thought the minister, as he shut the parsonage gate. And when -he struck the cane sharply on the stones it answered him cheerily: -“It’s a fine morning!” The cane always agreed with Mr. Blake. So they -were able to walk together, according to Scripture, because they were -agreed. - -Just as he came round the corner the minister found a party of boys -waiting for him. They had already heard the cane remarking that it was -a fine morning before Mr. Blake came in sight. - -“Good morning! Mr. Blake,” said the three boys. - -“Good morning, my boys; I’m glad to see you,” said the minister, and he -clapped “Old Ebony” down on the sidewalk, and it said “I am glad to see -you.” - -“Mr. Blake!” said Fred White, scratching his brown head and looking a -little puzzled. “Mr. Blake, if it ain’t any harm--if you don’t mind, -you know, telling a fellow,--a boy, I mean--” Just here he stopped -talking; for though he kept on scratching vigorously, no more words -would come; and comical Sammy Bantam, who stood alongside, whispered, -“Keep a-scratching, Fred; the old cow will give down after a while!” - -Then Fred laughed, and the other boys, and the minister laughed, and -the cane could do nothing but stamp its foot in amusement. - -“Well, Fred,” said the minister, “What is it? speak out.” But Fred -couldn’t speak now for laughing, and Sammy had to do the talking -himself. He was a stumpy boy, who had stopped off short; and you -couldn’t guess his age, because his face was so much older than his -body. - -“You see, Mr. Blake,” said Sammy, “we boys wanted to know,--if there -wasn’t any harm in your telling,--why, we wanted to know what kind of a -thing we are going to have on Christmas at our Sunday-school.” - -“Well, boys, I don’t know any more about it yet than you do. The -teachers will talk it over at their next meeting. They have already -settled some things, but I have not heard what.” - -“I hope it will be something good to eat,” said Tommy Puffer. -Tommy’s body looked for all the world like a pudding-bag. It was an -india-rubber pudding-bag, though. I shouldn’t like to say that Tommy -was a glutton. Not at all. But I am sure that no boy of his age could -put out of sight, in the same space of time, so many dough-nuts, -ginger-snaps, tea-cakes, apple-dumplings, pumpkin-pies, jelly-tarts, -puddings, ice-creams, raisins, nuts, and other things of the sort. -Other people stared at him in wonder. He was never too full to take -anything that was offered him, and at parties his weak and foolish -mother was always getting all she could to stuff Tommy with. So when -Tommy said he hoped it would be something nice to eat, and rolled his -soft lips about, as though he had a cream tart in his mouth, all the -boys laughed, and Mr. Blake smiled. I think even the cane would have -smiled if it had thought it polite. - -“I hope it’ll be something pleasant,” said Fred Welch. - -“So do I,” said stumpy little Tommy Bantam. - -“So do I, boys,” said Mr. Blake, as he turned away; and all the way -down the block Old Ebony kept calling back, “So do I, boys! so do I!” - -Mr. Blake and his friend the cane kept on down the street, until they -stood in front of a building that was called “The Yellow Row.” It was a -long, two-story frame building, that had once been inhabited by genteel -people. Why they ever built it in that shape, or why they daubed it -with yellow paint, is more than I can tell. But it had gone out of -fashion, and now it was, as the boys expressed it, “seedy.” Old hats -and old clothes filled many of the places once filled by glass. Into -one room of this row Mr. Blake entered, saying:-- - -“How are you, Aunt Parm’ly?” - -“Howd’y, Mr. Blake, howd’y! I know’d you was a-comin’, honey, fer I -hyeard the sound of yer cane afore you come in. I’m mis’able these yer -days, thank you. I’se got a headache, an’ a backache, and a toothache -in de boot.” - -I suppose the poor old colored woman meant to say that she had a -toothache “to boot.” - -“You see, Mr. Blake, Jane’s got a little sumpin to do now, and we can -git bread enough, thank the Lord, but as fer coal, that’s the hardest -of all. We has to buy it by the bucketful, and that’s mity high at -fifteen cents a bucket. An’ pears like we couldn’t never git nothin’ -a-head on account of my roomatiz. Where de coal’s to come from dis ere -winter I don’t know, cep de good Lord sends it down out of the sky and -I reckon stone-coal don’t never come dat dar road.” - -After some more talk, Mr. Blake went in to see Peter Sitles, the blind -broom-maker. - -“I hyeard yer stick, preacher Blake,” said Sitles. “That air stick o’ -yourn’s better’n a whole rigimint of doctors fer the blues. An’ I’ve -been a havin’ on the blues powerful bad, Mr. Blake, these yer last few -days. I remembered what you was a-saying the last time you was here, -about trustin’ of the good Lord. But I’ve had a purty consid’able -heartache under my jacket fer all that. Now, there’s that Ben of mine,” -and here Sitles pointed to a restless little fellow of nine years old, -whose pants had been patched and pieced until they had more colors than -Joseph’s coat. He was barefoot, ragged, and looked hungry, as some poor -children always do. Their minds seem hungrier than their bodies. He was -rocking a baby in an old cradle. “There’s Ben,” continued the blind -man, “he’s as peart a boy as you ever see, preacher Blake, ef I do say -it as hadn’t orter say it. Bennie hain’t got no clothes. I can’t beg. -But Ben orter be in school.” Here Peter Sitles choked a little. - -“How’s broom-making, Peter?” said the minister. - -“Well, you see, it’s the machines as is a-spoiling us. The machines -make brooms cheap, and what can a blind feller like me do agin the -machines with nothing but my fingers? ’Tain’t no sort o’ use to butt -my head agin the machines, when I ain’t got no eyes nother. It’s like -a goat trying its head on a locomotive. Ef I could only eddicate -Peter and the other two, I’d be satisfied. You see, I never had no -book-larnin’ myself, and I can’t talk proper no more’n a cow can climb -a tree.” - -“But, Mr. Sitles, how much would a broom-machine cost you?” asked the -minister. - -“More’n it’s any use to think on. It’ll cost seventy dollars, and if it -cost seventy cents ’twould be jest exactly seventy cents more’n I could -afford to pay. For the money my ole woman gits fer washin’ don’t go -noways at all towards feedin’ the four children, let alone buying me a -machine.” - -The minister looked at his cane, but it did not answer him. Something -must be done. The minister was sure of that. Perhaps the walking-stick -was, too. But what? - -That was the question. - -The minister told Sitles good-bye, and started to make other -visits. And on the way the cane kept crying out, “Something _must_ -be done,--something MUST be done,--something MUST be done,” making -the _must_ ring out sharper every time. When Mr. Blake and the -walking-stick got to the market-house, just as they turned off from -Milk Street into the busier Main Street, the cane changed its tune and -begun to say, “But what,--but _what_,--but WHAT,--but WHAT,” until it -said it so sharply that the minister’s head ached, and he put Old -Ebony under his arm, so that it couldn’t talk any more. It was a way he -had of hushing it up when he wanted to think. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -_LONG-HEADED WILLIE._ - - -“De biskits is cold, and de steaks is cold as--as--ice, and dinner’s -spiled!” said Curlypate, a girl about three years old, as Mr. Blake -came in from his forenoon of visiting. She tried to look very much -vexed and “put out,” but there was always either a smile or a cry -hidden away in her dimpled cheek. - -“Pshaw! Curlypate,” said Mr. Blake, as he put down his cane, “you don’t -scold worth a cent!” And he lifted her up and kissed her. - -And then Mamma Blake smiled, and they all sat down to the table. While -they ate, Mr. Blake told about his morning visits, and spoke of Parm’ly -without coal, and Peter Sitles with no broom-machine, and described -little Ben Sitles’s hungry face, and told how he had visited the widow -Martin, who had no sewing-machine, and who had to receive help from the -overseer of the poor. The overseer told her that she must bind out her -daughter, twelve years old, and her boy of ten, if she expected to have -any help; and the mother’s heart was just about broken at the thought -of losing her children. - -Now, while all this was taking place, Willie Blake, the minister’s -son, a boy about thirteen years of age, sat by the big porcelain -water-pitcher, listening to all that was said. His deep blue eyes -looked over the pitcher at his father, then at his mother, taking in -all their descriptions of poverty with a wondrous pitifulness. But he -did not say much. What went on in his long head I do not know, for his -was one of those heads that projected forward and backward, and the top -of which overhung the base, for all the world like a load of hay. Now -and then his mother looked at him, as if she would like to see through -his skull and read his thoughts. But I think she didn’t see anything -but the straight, silken, fine, flossy hair, silvery white, touched a -little bit,--only a little,--as he turned it in looking from one to the -other, with a tinge of what people call a golden, but what is really a -sort of a pleasant straw color. He usually talked, and asked questions, -and laughed like other boys; but now he seemed to be swallowing the -words of his father and mother more rapidly even than he did his -dinner; for, like most boys, he ate as if it were a great waste of time -to eat. But when he was done he did not hurry off as eagerly as usual -to reading or to play. He sat and listened. - -“What makes you look so sober, Willie?” asked Helen, his sister. - -“What you thinkin’, Willie?” said Curlypate, peering through the -pitcher handle at him. - -“Willie,” broke in his father, “mamma and I are going to a wedding out -at Sugar Hill”-- - -“Sugar Hill; O my!” broke in Curlypate. - -“Out at Sugar Hill,” continued Mr. Blake, stroking the Curlypate, “and -as I have some calls to make, we shall not be back till bedtime. I am -sorry to keep you from your play this Saturday afternoon, but we have -no other housekeeper but you and Helen. See that the children get their -suppers early, and be careful about fire.” - -I believe to “be careful about fire” is the last command that every -parent gives to children on leaving them alone. - -Now I know that people who write stories are very careful nowadays not -to make their boys too good. I suppose that I ought to represent Willie -as “taking on” a good deal when he found that he couldn’t play all -Saturday afternoon, as he had expected. But I shall not. For one thing, -at least, in my story, is true; that is, Willie. If I tell you that he -is good you may believe it. I have seen him. - -He only said, “Yes, sir.” - -Mrs. Blake did not keep a girl. The minister did not get a small -fortune of a salary. So it happened that Willie knew pretty well how to -keep house. He was a good brave boy, never ashamed to help his mother -in a right manly way. He could wash dishes and milk the cow, and often, -when mamma had a sick-headache, had he gotten a good breakfast, never -forgetting tea and toast for the invalid. - -So Sancho, the Canadian pony, was harnessed to the minister’s rusty -buggy, and Mr. and Mrs. Blake got in and told the children good-bye. -Then Sancho started off, and had gone about ten steps, when he was -suddenly reined up with a “Whoa!” - -“Willie!” said Mr. Blake. - -“Sir.” - -“Be careful about fire.” - -“Yes, sir.” - -And then old blackey-brown Sancho moved on in a gentle trot, and Willie -and Helen and Richard went into the house, where Curlypate had already -gone, and where they found her on tiptoe, with her short little fingers -in the sugar-bowl, trying in vain to find a lump that would not go to -pieces in the vigorous squeeze that she gave it in her desire to make -sure of it. - -So Willie washed the dishes, while Helen wiped them, and Richard put -them away, and they had a merry time, though Willie had to soothe -several rising disputes between Helen and Richard. Then a glorious -lot of wood was gotten in, and Helen came near sweeping a hole in the -carpet in her eager desire to “surprise mamma,” Curlypate went in the -parlor and piled things up in a wonderful way, declaring that she, too, -was going to “_susprise_ mamma.” And doubtless mamma would have felt no -little surprise if she could have seen the parlor after Curlypate “put -it to rights.” - -Later in the evening the cow was milked, and a plain supper of bread -and milk eaten. Then Richard and Curlypate were put away for the night. -And presently Helen, who was bravely determined to keep Willie company, -found her head trying to drop off her shoulders, and so she had to give -up to the “sand man,” and go to bed. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -_THE WALKING-STICK A TALKING STICK._ - - -Willie was now all by himself. He put on more wood, and drew the -rocking-chair up by the fire, and lay back in it. It was very still; he -could hear every mouse that moved. The stillness seemed to settle clear -down to his heart. Presently a wagon went clattering by. Then, as the -sound died away in the distance, it seemed stiller than ever. Willie -tried to sleep; but he couldn’t. He kept listening; and after all he -was listening to nothing; nothing but that awful clock, that would keep -up such a tick-tick, tick-tick, tick-tick. The curtains were down, and -Willie didn’t dare to raise them, or to peep out. He could _feel_ how -dark it was out doors. - -But presently he forgot the stillness. He fell to thinking of what Mr. -Blake had said at dinner. He thought of poor old rheumatic Parm’ly, -and her single bucket of coal at a time. He thought of the blind -broom-maker who needed a broom-machine, and of the poor widow whose -children must be taken away because the mother had no sewing-machine. -All of these thoughts made the night seem dark, and they made Willie’s -heart heavy. But the thoughts kept him company. - -Then he wished he was rich, and he thought if he were as rich as -Captain Purser, who owned the mill, he would give away sewing-machines -to all poor widows who needed them. But pshaw! what was the use of -wishing? His threadbare pantaloons told him how far off he was from -being rich. - -But he would go to the Polytechnic; he would become a civil engineer. -He would make a fortune some day when he became celebrated. Then he -would give widow Martin a sewing-machine. This was the nice castle -in the air that Willie built. But just as he put on the last stone a -single thought knocked it down. - -What would become of the widow and her children while he was learning -to be an engineer and making a fortune afterward? And where would he -get the money to go to the Polytechnic? This last question Willie had -asked every day for a year or two past. - -[Illustration] - -Unable to solve this problem, his head grew tired, and he lay down on -the lounge, saying to himself, “Something must be done!” - -“Something must be done!” Willie was sure somebody spoke. He looked -around. There was nobody in the room. - -“Something _must_ be done!” This time he saw in the corner of the room, -barely visible in the shadow, his father’s cane. The voice seemed to -come from that corner. - -“Something MUST be done!” Yes, it was the cane. He could see its yellow -head, and the face on one side was toward him. How bright its eyes -were! It did not occur to Willie just then that there was anything -surprising in the fact that the walking-stick had all at once become a -talking stick. - -“Something MUST be done!” said the cane, lifting its one foot up and -bringing it down with emphasis at the word must. Willie felt pleased -that the little old man--I mean the walking-stick--should come to his -help. - -“I tell you what,” said Old Ebony, hopping out of his shady corner; -“I tell you what,” it said, and then stopped as if to reflect; then -finished by saying, “It’s a shame!” - -Willie was about to ask the cane to what he referred, but he thought -best to wait till Old Ebony got ready to tell of his own accord. But -the walking-stick did not think best to answer immediately, but took -entirely a new and surprising track. It actually went to quoting -Scripture! - -“My eyes are dim,” said the cane, “and I never had much learning; -canes weren’t sent to school when I was young. Won’t you read the -thirty-fifth verse of the twentieth chapter of Acts.” - -Willie turned to the stand and saw the Bible open at that verse. He did -not feel surprised. It seemed natural enough to him. He read the verse, -not aloud, but to himself, for Old Ebony seemed to hear his thoughts. -He read:-- - -“Ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord -Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” - -“Now,” said the walking-stick, stepping or hopping up toward the lounge -and leaning thoughtfully over the head of it, “Now, I say that it is a -shame that when the birthday of that Lord Jesus, who gave himself away, -and who said it is more blessed to give than to receive, comes round, -all of you Sunday-school scholars are thinking only of what you are -going to get.” - -Willie was about to say that they gave as well as received on -Christmas, and that his class had already raised the money to buy a -Bible Dictionary for their teacher. But Old Ebony seemed to guess his -thought, and he only said, “And that’s another shame!” - -Willie couldn’t see how this could be, and he thought the walking-stick -was using very strong language indeed. I think myself the cane spoke -too sharply, for I don’t think the harm lies in giving to and receiving -from our friends, but in neglecting the poor. But you don’t care what I -think, you want to know what the cane said. - -“I’m pretty well acquainted with Scripture,” said Old Ebony, “having -spent fourteen years in company with a minister. Now won’t you please -read the twelfth and thirteenth verses of the fourteenth chapter of”-- - -But before the cane could finish the sentence, Willie heard some one -opening the door. It was his father. He looked round in bewilderment. -The oil in the lamp had burned out, and it was dark. The fire was low, -and the room chilly. - -“Heigh-ho, Willie, my son,” said Mr. Blake, “where’s your light, and -where’s your fire. This is a cold reception. What have you been doing?” - -“Listening to the cane talk,” he replied; and thinking what a foolish -answer that was, he put on some more coal, while his mother, who was -lighting the lamp, said he must have been dreaming. The walking-stick -stood in its corner, face to the wall, as if it had never been a -talking stick. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -_MR. BLAKE AGREES WITH THE WALKING-STICK._ - - -Early on Sunday morning Willie awoke and began to think about Sitles, -and to wish he had money to buy him a broom-machine. And then he -thought of widow Martin. But all his thinking would do no good. Then he -thought of what Old Ebony had said, and he wished he could know what -that text was that the cane was just going to quote. - -“It was,” said Willie, “the twelfth and thirteenth verses of the -fourteenth chapter of something. I’ll see.” - -So he began with the beginning of the Bible, and looked first at -Genesis xiv. 12, 13. But it was about the time when Abraham had heard -of the capture of Lot and mustered his army to recapture him. He -thought a minute. - -“That can’t be what it is,” said Willie, “I’ll look at Exodus.” - -In Exodus it was about standing still at the Red Sea and waiting for -God’s salvation. It might mean that God would deliver the poor. But -that was not just what the cane was talking about. It was about giving -gifts to friends. So he went on to Leviticus. But it was about the wave -offering, and the sin offering, and the burnt offering. That was not -it. And so he went from book to book until he had reached the twelfth -and thirteenth verses of the fourteenth chapter of the book of Judges. -He was just reading in that place about Samson’s riddle, when his mamma -called him to breakfast. - -He was afraid to say anything about it at the table for fear of being -laughed at. But he was full of what the walking-stick said. And at -family worship his father read the twentieth chapter of Acts. When he -came to the part about its being more blessed to give than to receive, -Willie said, “That’s what the cane said.” - -“What did you say?” asked his father. - -“I was only thinking out loud,” said Willie. - -“Don’t think out loud while I am reading,” said Mr. Blake. - -Willie did not find time to look any further for the other verses. He -wished his father had happened on them instead of the first text which -the cane quoted. - -In church he kept thinking all the time about the cane. “Now what could -it mean by the twelfth and thirteenth verses of the fourteenth chapter? -There isn’t anything in the Bible against giving away presents to one’s -friends. It was only a dream anyhow, and maybe there’s nothing in it.” - -But he forgot the services, I am sorry to say, in his thoughts. At last -Mr. Blake arose to read his text. Willie looked at him, but thought of -what the cane said. But what was it that attracted his attention so -quickly? - -“The twelfth and thirteenth verses”-- - -“Twelfth and thirteenth!” said Willie to himself. - -“Of the fourteenth chapter,” said the minister. - -“Fourteenth chapter!” said Willie, almost aloud. - -“Of Luke.” - -Willie was all ears, while Mr. Blake read: “Then said he also to him -that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy -friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors, -lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when -thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.” - -“That’s it!” he said, half aloud, but his mother jogged him. - -The minister added the next verse also, and read: “And thou shalt be -blessed, for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed -at the resurrection of the just.” - -Willie had never listened to a sermon as he did to that. He stopped two -or three times to wonder whether the cane had been actually about to -repeat his father’s text to him, or whether he had not heard his father -repeat it at some time, and had dreamed about it. - -I am not going to tell you much about Mr. Blake’s sermon. It was a -sermon that he and the walking-stick had prepared while they were going -round among the poor. I think Mr. Blake did not strike his cane down on -the sidewalk for nothing. Most of that sermon must have been hammered -out in that way, when he and the walking-stick were saying, “Something -must be done!” For that was just what that sermon said. It told about -the wrong of forgetting, on the birthday of Christ, to do anything for -the poor. It made everybody think. But Mr. Blake did not know how much -of that sermon went into Willie Blake’s long head, as he sat there with -his white full forehead turned up to his father. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -_THE FATHER PREACHES AND THE SON PRACTICES._ - - -That afternoon, Willie was at Sunday-school long before the time. He -had a plan. - -“I’ll tell you what, boys,” said he, “let’s not give Mr. Marble -anything this year; and let’s ask him not to give us anything. Let’s -get him to put the money he would use for us with the money we should -spend on a present for him, and give it to buy coal for Old Aunt -Parm’ly.” - -“I mean to spend all my money on soft gum drops and tarts,” said Tommy -Puffer; “they’re splendid!” and with that he began, as usual, to roll -his soft lips together in a half chewing, half sucking manner, as if he -had a half dozen cream tarts under his tongue, and two dozen gum drops -in his cheeks. - -“Tommy,” said stumpy little Sammy Bantam, “it’s a good thing you didn’t -live in Egypt, Tommy, in the days of Joseph.” - -“Why?” asked Tommy. - -“Because,” said Sammy, looking around the room absently, as if he -hardly knew what he was going to say, “because, you see”--and then he -opened a book and began to read, as if he had forgotten to finish the -sentence. - -“Well, why?” demanded Tommy, sharply. - -“Well, because if Joseph had had to feed you during the seven years of -plenty, there wouldn’t have been a morsel left for the years of famine!” - -The boys laughed as boys will at a good shot, and Tommy reddened a -little and said, regretfully, that he guessed the Egyptians hadn’t any -dough-nuts. - -Willie did not forget his main purpose, but carried his point in his -own class. He still had time to speak to some of the boys and girls -in other classes. Everybody liked to do what Willie asked; there was -something sweet and strong in his blue eyes, eyes that “did not seem to -have any bottom, they were so deep,” one of the girls said. Soon there -was an excitement in the school, and about the door; girls and boys -talking and discussing, but as soon as any opposition came up Willie’s -half coaxing but decided way bore it down. I think he was much helped -by Sammy’s wit, which was all on his side. It was agreed, finally, that -whatever scholars meant to give to teachers, or teachers to scholars, -should go to the poor. - -The teachers caught the enthusiasm, and were very much in favor of the -project, for in the whole movement they saw the fruit of their own -teaching. - -The superintendent had been detained, and was surprised to find the -school standing in knots about the room. He soon called them to order, -and expressed his regrets that they should get into such disorder. -There was a smile on all faces, and he saw that there was something -more in the apparent disorder than he thought. After school it was -fixed that each class should find its own case of poverty. The young -men’s and the young women’s Bible classes undertook to supply Sitles -with a broom-machine, a class of girls took Aunt Parm’ly under their -wing, other classes knew of other cases of need, and so each class had -its hands full. But Willie could not get any class to see that Widow -Martin had a sewing-machine. That was left for his own; and how should -a class of eight boys do it? - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -_SIXTY-FIVE DOLLARS._ - - -Willie took the boys into the parsonage. They figured on it. There were -sixty-five dollars to be raised to buy the machine. The seven boys were -together, for Tommy Puffer had gone home. He said he didn’t feel like -staying, and Sammy Bantam thought he must be a little hungry. - -Willie attacked the problem, sixty-five dollars. Toward that amount -they had three dollars and a half that they had intended to spend on -a present for Mr. Marble. That left just sixty-one dollars and fifty -cents to be raised. Willie ran across the street and brought Mr. -Marble. He said he had made up his mind to give the boys a book apiece, -and that each book would cost a dollar. It was rather more than he -could well afford; but as he had intended to give eight dollars for -their presents, and as he was pleased with their unselfish behavior, -he would make it ten. - -“Good!” said Charley Somerset, who always saw the bright side of -things,“that makes it all, except fifty-one dollars and a half.” - -“Yes,” said Sammy Bantam, “and you’re eleven feet high, lacking a -couple of yards!” - -Willie next called his father in, and inquired how much his Christmas -present was to cost. - -“Three and a half,” said his father. - -“That’s a lot! Will you give me the money instead?” - -“Yes; but I meant to give you a Life of George Stephenson, and some -other books on engineering.” - -This made Willie think a moment; but seeing the walking-stick in the -corner, he said: “Mrs. Martin must have a machine, and that three and a -half makes seventeen dollars. How to get the other forty-eight is the -question.” - -Mr. Blake and Mr. Marble both agreed that the boys could not raise so -much money, and should not undertake it. But Willie said there was -nobody to do it, and he guessed it would come somehow. The other boys, -when they came to church that evening, told Willie that their presents -were commuted for money also; so they had twenty-five dollars toward -the amount. But that was the end of it, and there were forty dollars -yet to come! - -Willie lay awake that night, thinking. Mr. Marble’s class could not -raise the money. All the other classes had given all they could. And -the teachers would each give in their classes. And they had raised all -they could spare besides to buy nuts and candy! Good! That was just it; -they would do without candy! - -At school the next morning, Willie’s white head was bobbing about -eagerly. He made every boy and girl sign a petition, asking the -teachers not to give them any nuts or candy. They all signed except -Tommy Puffer. He said it was real mean not to have any candy. They -might just as well not have any Sunday-school, or any Christmas either. -But seeing a naughty twinkle in Sammy Bantam’s eye, he waddled away, -while Sammy fired a shot after him, by remarking that, if Tommy had -been one of the Shepherds in Bethlehem, he wouldn’t have listened to -the angels till he had inquired if they had any lemon-drops in their -pockets! - -That night the extra Teachers’ Meeting was held, and in walked -white-headed Willie with stunted Sammy Bantam at his heels to keep him -in countenance. When their petition was presented, Miss Belden, who sat -near Willie, said, “Well done! Willie.” - -“But I protest,” said Mrs. Puffer,--who was of about as handsome a -figure as her son,--“I protest against such an outrage on the children. -My Tommy’s been a-feeling bad about it all day. It’ll break his heart -if he don’t get some candy.” - -Willie was shy, but for a moment he forgot it, and, turning his -intelligent blue eyes on Mrs. Puffer, he said,-- - -“It will break Mrs. Martin’s heart if her children are taken away from -her.” - -“Well,” said Mrs. Puffer, “I always did hear that the preacher’s boy -was the worst in the parish, and I won’t take any impudence. My son -will join the Mission School, where they aren’t too stingy to give him -a bit of candy!” And Mrs. Puffer left, and everybody was pleased. - -Willie got the money; but the teachers had counted on making up -their festival mostly with cakes and other dainties, contributed by -families. So that the candy money was only sixteen dollars, and Willie -was yet a long way off from having the amount he needed. Twenty-four -dollars were yet wanting. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -_THE WIDOW AND THE FATHERLESS._ - - -The husband of widow Martin had been killed by a railroad accident. -The family were very poor. Mrs. Martin could sew, and she could have -sustained her family if she had had a machine. But fingers are not -worth much against iron wheels. And so, while others had machines, Mrs. -Martin could not make much without one. She had been obliged to ask -help from the overseer of the poor. - -Mr Lampeer, the overseer, was a hard man. He had not skill enough to -detect impostors, and so he had come to believe that everybody who was -poor was rascally. He had but one eye, and he turned his head round in -a curious way to look at you out of it. That dreadful one eye always -seemed to be going to shoot. His voice had not a chord of tenderness in -it, but was in every way harsh and hard. It was said that he had been -a schoolmaster once. I pity the scholars. - -Widow Martin lived--if you could call it living--in a tumble-down -looking house, that would not have stood many earthquakes. She had -tried diligently to support her family and keep them together; but -the wolf stood always at the door. Sewing by hand did not bring in -quite money enough to buy bread and clothes for four well children, -and pay the expenses of poor little Harry’s sickness; for all through -the summer and fall Harry had been sick. At last the food was gone, -and there was nothing to buy fuel with. Mrs. Martin had to go to the -overseer of the poor. - -She was a little, shy, hard-working woman, this Mrs. Martin; so when -she took her seat among the paupers of every sort in Mr. Lampeer’s -office, and waited her turn, it was with a trembling heart. She watched -the hard man, who didn’t mean to be so hard, but who couldn’t tell the -difference between a good face and a counterfeit; she watched him as he -went through with the different cases, and her heart beat every minute -more and more violently. When he came to her he broke out with-- - -“What’s _your_ name?” in a voice that sounded for all the world as if -he were accusing her of robbing a safe. - -“Sarah Martin,” said the widow, trembling with terror, and growing red -and white in turns. Mr. Lampeer, who was on the lookout for any sign of -guiltiness, was now sure that Mrs. Martin could not be honest. - -“Where do you live?” This was spoken with a half sneer. - -“In Slab Alley,” whispered the widow, for her voice was scared out of -her. - -“How many children have you got?” - -Mrs. Martin gave him the list of her five, with their ages, telling him -of little Harry, who was six years old and an invalid. - -“Your oldest is twelve and a girl. I have a place for her, and, I -think, for the boy, too. You must bind them out. Mr. Slicker, the -landlord of the Farmers’ Hotel, will take the girl, and I think James -Sweeny will take the boy to run errands about the livery stable. I’ll -send you some provisions and coal to-day; but you must let the children -go. I’ll come to your house in a few days. Don’t object; I won’t hear -a word. If you’re as poor as you let on to be, you’ll be glad enough -to get your young ones into places where they’ll get enough to eat. -That’s all, not a word, now.” And he turned to the next applicant, -leaving the widow to go home with her heart _so_ cold. - -Let Susie go to Slicker’s tavern! What kind of a house would it be -without her? Who would attend to the house while she sewed? And what -would become of her girl in such a place? And then to send George, who -had to wait on Harry, to send him away forever was to shut out all hope -of ever being in better circumstances. Then she could not sew, and the -children could never help her. God pity the people that fall into the -hands of public charity! - -The next few days wore heavily on with the widow. What to do she did -not know. At night she scarcely slept at all. When she did drop into a -sleep, she dreamed that her children were starving, and woke in fright. -Then she slept again, and dreamed that a one-eyed robber had gotten in -at the window, and was carrying off Susie and George. At last morning -came. The last of the food was eaten for breakfast, and widow Martin -sat down to wait. Her mind was in a horrible state of doubt. To starve -to death together, or to give up her children! That was the question -which many a poor mother’s heart has had to decide. Mrs. Martin soon -became so nervous she could not sew. She could not keep back the tears, -and when Susie and George put their arms about her neck and asked -what was the matter, it made the matter worse. It was the day before -Christmas. The sleigh-bells jingled merrily. Even in Slab Alley one -could hear sounds of joy at the approaching festivities. But there was -no joy in Widow Martin’s house or heart. The dinner hour had come and -passed. The little children were hungry. And yet Mrs. Martin had not -made up her mind. - -At the appointed time Lampeer came. He took out the two indentures with -which the mother was to sign away all right to her two eldest children. -It was in vain that the widow told him that if she lost them she could -do no work for her own support, and must be forever a pauper. Lampeer -had an idea that no poor person had a right to love children. Parental -love was, in his eyes, or his eye, an expensive luxury that none but -the rich should indulge in. - -“Mrs. Martin,” he said, “you may either sign these indentures, by which -your girl will get a good place as a nurse and errand girl for the -tavern-keeper’s wife, and your boy will have plenty to eat and get to -be a good hostler, or you and your brats may starve!” With that he took -his hat and opened the door. - -“Stop!” said Mrs. Martin, “I must have medicine and food, or Harry will -not live till Sunday. I will sign.” - -The papers were again spread out. The poor-master jerked the folds -out of them impatiently, in a way that seemed to say, “You keep me an -unconscionable long time about a very small matter.” - -When the papers were spread out, Mrs. Martin’s two oldest children, -who began to understand what was going on, cried bitterly. Mrs. Martin -took the pen and was about to sign. But it was necessary to have two -witnesses, and so Lampeer took his hat and called a neighbor-woman, for -the second witness. - -Mrs. Martin delayed the signature as long as she could. But seeing no -other help, she took up the pen. She thought of Abraham with the knife -in his hand. She hoped that an angel would call out of heaven to her -relief. But as there was no voice from heaven, she dipped the pen in -the ink. - -Just then some one happened to knock at the door, and the poor woman’s -nerves were so weak that she let the pen fall, and sank into a chair. -Lampeer, who stood near the door, opened it with an impatient jerk, -and--did the angel of deliverance enter? - -It was only Willie Blake and Sammy Bantam. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -_SHARPS AND BETWEENS._ - - -Let us go back. We left Willie awhile ago puzzling over that -twenty-four dollars. After many hours of thought and talk with Sammy -about how they should manage it, two gentlemen gave them nine dollars, -and so there was but fifteen more to be raised. But that fifteen seemed -harder to get than the fifty they had already gotten. At last Willie -thought of something. They would try the sewing-machine man. Mr. Sharps -would throw off fifteen dollars. - -But they did not know Mr. Sharps. Though he made more than fifteen -dollars on the machine, he hated to throw anything off. He was always -glad to put on. Sammy described him by saying that “Mr. Sharps was not -for-giving but he was for-getting.” - -They talked; they told the story; they begged. Mr. Sharps really could -not afford to throw off a cent. He was poor. Taxes were high. He gave -a great deal. (I do not know what he called a great deal. He had -been to church three times in a year, and twice he had put a penny in -the plate. I suppose Mr. Sharps thought that a great deal. And so it -was, for him, poor fellow.) And then the butcher had raised the price -of meat; and he had to pay twenty-three dollars for a bonnet for his -daughter. Really, he was too poor. So the boys went away down-hearted. - -But Sammy went straight to an uncle of his, who was one of the editors -of the _Thornton Daily Bugle_. After a private talk with him he started -back to Mr. Sharps. Willie followed Sammy this time. What Sammy had in -his head Willie could not make out. - -“I’ll fix him!” That was the only word Sammy uttered on the way back. - -“Now, Mr. Sharps,” he began, “my uncle’s name is Josiah Penn. Maybe -you know him. He’s one of the editors of the _Thornton Daily Bugle_. -I’ve been talking with him. If you let me have a Feeler and Stilson -sewing-machine for fifty dollars, I will have a good notice put in the -_Daily Bugle_.” - -Mr. Sharps whistles a minute. He thought he could not do it. No, he was -too poor. - -“Well, then, Willie,” said Sammy, “we’ll go across the street and try -the agent of the Hillrocks and Nibbs machine. I think Mr. Betweens will -take my offer.” - -“O!” said Mr. Sharps, “you don’t want that machine. It’s only a single -thread, and it will ravel, and--well--you don’t want that.” - -“Indeed, my mother says there isn’t a pin to choose between them,” said -Sammy; “and I can give Mr. Betweens just as good a notice as I could -give you.” - -“Very well, take the machine for fifty dollars. I do it just out of -pity for the widow, you know. I never could stand by and see suffering -and not relieve it. You won’t forget about that notice in the _Daily -Bugle_, though, will you?” - -No, Sammy wouldn’t forget. - -It was now the day before Christmas, and the boys thought they had -better get the machine down there. - -So they found Billy Horton, who belonged to their class, and who drove -an express wagon, and told him about it. He undertook to take it down. -But first, he drove around the town and picked up all the boys of the -class, that they might share in the pleasure. - -Meantime, a gentleman who had heard of Willie’s efforts, gave him a -five dollar bill for widow Martin. This Willie invested in provisions, -which he instructed the grocer to send to the widow. - -He and Sammy hurried down to widow Martin’s, and got there, as I told -you in the last chapter, just as she was about to sign away all right, -title, and interest in two of the children whom God had given her; to -sign them away at the command of the hard Mr. Lampeer, who was very -much irritated that he should be interrupted just at the moment when he -was about to carry the point; for he loved to carry a point better than -to eat his breakfast. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -_THE ANGEL STAYS THE HAND._ - - -When the boys came in, they told the widow that they wished to speak -with little sick Harry. They talked to Harry awhile, without noticing -what was going on in the other part of the room. - -Presently Willie felt his arm pulled. Looking round, he saw Susie’s -tearful face. “Please don’t let mother give me and George away.” -Somehow all the children in school had the habit of coming to this -long-headed Willie for help, and to him Susie came. - -That word of Susie’s awakened Willie. Up to that moment he had not -thought what Mr. Lampeer was there for. Now he saw Mrs. Martin holding -the pen with trembling hand, and making motions in the air preparatory -to writing her name. Most people not used to writing, write in the air -before they touch the paper. When Willie saw this, he flew across the -room and thrust his hand upon the place where the name ought to be, -saying,-- - -“Don’t do that, Mrs. Martin! Don’t give away your children!” - -Poor woman! the pen dropped from her hand as the knife had dropped from -Abraham’s. She grasped Willie’s arm, saying,-- - -“How can I help it? Do tell me!” - -But Lampeer had grasped the other arm, and broke out with-- - -“You rogue, what do you mean?” - -Willie’s fine blue eyes turned quickly into Lampeer’s one muddy eye. - -“Let go!” he said, very quietly but very determinedly, “don’t strike -me, or my father will take the law on you.” - -Lampeer let go. - -Just then the groceries came, and a minute later, Billy Horton’s wagon -drove up with the machine, and all the other boys, who came in and -shook hands with the poor but delighted mother and her children. I -cannot tell you any more about that scene. I only know that Lampeer -went out angry and muttering. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -_TOMMY PUFFER._ - - -Willie was happy that night. He went down to the festival at the -Mission. There was Tommy Puffer’s soft, oyster-like body among the -scholars of the Mission. He was waiting for something good. His mouth -and eyes were watering. He looked triumphantly at the boys from the -other school. They wouldn’t get anything so nice. The superintendent -announced that no boy’s name would be called for a paper bag of -“refreshments” but those who had been present two Sundays. And so poor -starving Tommy Puffer had to carry his pudding-bag of a body home again -without a chance to give it an extra stuffing. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -_AN ODD PARTY._ - - -I cannot tell you about the giving of the broom-machine to the blind -broom-maker; of the ton of coal to Parm’ly, and of all the other things -that happened on Christmas Day when the presents were given. I must -leave these things out. As for Aunt Parm’ly, she said she did not know, -but dat dare coal seemed like it come from de sky. - -But there was an ample feast yet for the boys at the Sunday-school, -for many biscuits, and cakes, and pies had been baked. But every time -Willie looked at the walking stick he thought of “the poor, the maimed, -the lame, and the blind.” And so he and Sammy Bantam soon set the whole -school, teachers and all, a-fire with the idea of inviting in the -inmates of the county poor-house. It was not half so hard to persuade -the members of the school to do this as it was to coax them to the -first move; for when people have found out how good it is to do good, -they like to do good again. - -Such a company it was! There was old crazy Newberry, who had a game-bag -slung about his neck, and who imagined that the little pebbles in it -were of priceless value. Old Dorothy, who was nearly eighty, and who, -thanks to the meanness of the authorities, had not tasted any delicacy, -not so much as a cup of tea, since she had been in the alms-house; and -there were half-idiots, and whole idiots, and sick people, and crippled -people, armless people and legless people, blind people and deaf. Such -an assortment of men, women, and little children, you cannot often -find. They were fed with the good things provided for the Sunday-school -children, much to the disgust of Tommy Puffer and his mother. For Tommy -was bent on getting something to eat here. - -There were plenty of people who claimed the credit of suggesting this -way of spending the Christmas. But Willie did not say anything about -it, for he remembered what Christ had said about blowing a trumpet -before you. But I think Sammy Bantam trumpeted Willie’s fame enough. - -It would be hard to tell who enjoyed the Christmas the most. But I -think the givers found it more blessed than the receivers. What talk -Mr. Blake heard in his rounds I cannot tell. If you want to know, you -must ask the Old Ebony. - -[Illustration] - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Mr. Blake's Walking-Stick, by Edward Eggleston - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. BLAKE'S WALKING-STICK *** - -***** This file should be named 52935-0.txt or 52935-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/9/3/52935/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - diff --git a/old/52935-0.zip b/old/52935-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 1f7ffb6..0000000 --- a/old/52935-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h.zip b/old/52935-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index cc2e9e6..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/52935-h.htm b/old/52935-h/52935-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 665db9b..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/52935-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2160 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Mr. Blake’s Walking-Stick: A Christmas Story for Boys and Girls, by Edward Eggleston. - </title> - - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - -<style type="text/css"> - -a { - text-decoration: none; -} - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - -h1,h2 { - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -hr { - width: 65%; - margin-left: 17.5%; - margin-right: 17.5%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: 0.5em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: 0.5em; - text-indent: 1em; -} - -p.dropcap { - text-indent: 0em; -} - -p.dropcap:first-letter { - color: transparent; - visibility: hidden; - margin-left: -0.9em; -} - -img.dropcap { - float: left; - margin: 0 0.5em 0 0; -} - -table { - margin: 1em auto 1em auto; - max-width: 40em; -} - -td { - padding-left: 2.25em; - padding-right: 0.25em; - vertical-align: top; - text-indent: -2em; -} - -.center { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -.larger { - font-size: 150%; -} - -.pagenum { - position: absolute; - right: 4%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - font-style: normal; -} - -.right { - text-align: right; -} - -.smaller { - font-size: 80%; -} - -.smcap { - font-variant: small-caps; - font-style: normal; -} - -.smcapuc { - font-variant: small-caps; - font-style: normal; - text-transform: lowercase; -} - -.tdc { - text-align: center; - padding-top: 0.75em; -} - -.tdr { - text-align: right; -} - -.titlepage { - text-align: center; - margin-top: 3em; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -@media handheld { - -img { - max-width: 100%; - width: auto; - height: auto; -} - -img.dropcap { - display: none; -} - -p.dropcap:first-letter { - color: inherit; - visibility: visible; - margin-left: 0; -} -} - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mr. Blake's Walking-Stick, by Edward Eggleston - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Mr. Blake's Walking-Stick - A Christmas Story for Boys and Girls - -Author: Edward Eggleston - -Release Date: August 30, 2016 [EBook #52935] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. BLAKE'S WALKING-STICK *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a><br /> -<a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/frontispiece.jpg" width="400" height="500" alt="A boy" /> -</div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span></p> - -<p class="titlepage larger">MR. BLAKE’S<br /> -<span class="smcap">Walking-Stick</span>:</p> - -<p class="titlepage"><span class="smcap"><i>A Christmas Story for Boys and Girls</i></span>.</p> - -<p class="titlepage"><span class="smcap">By EDWARD EGGLESTON</span>,</p> - -<p class="titlepage smaller">AUTHOR OF<br /> -“THE ROUND TABLE STORIES,” “THE CHICKEN LITTLE STORIES,”<br /> -“STORIES TOLD ON A CELLAR DOOR,” ETC.</p> - -<p class="titlepage">CHICAGO:<br /> -ADAMS, BLACKMER, & LYON PUBLISHING CO.<br /> -1872.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span></p> - -<p class="titlepage">Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870,<br /> -<span class="smcap">By ADAMS, BLACKMER, & LYON PUBLISHING COMPANY</span>,<br /> -In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.</p> - -<p class="titlepage smaller">RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE:<br /> -STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY<br /> -H. O. HOUGHTON AND COMPANY.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/header-dedication.jpg" width="400" height="150" alt="Decorative header" /> -</div> - -<p class="center">TO OUR<br /> -<span class="smcap">Little Silverhair</span><br /> -Who used to listen to My Stories;<br /> -BUT WHO IS NOW<br /> -Listening to the Christmas Stories of the Angels,<br /> -THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 150px;"> -<img src="images/footer-dedication.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Decorative footer" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/header-preface.jpg" width="400" height="150" alt="Decorative header" /> -</div> - -<h2>PREFACE.</h2> - -<p><i>I have meant to furnish a book that would serve -for a Christmas present to Sunday-scholars, either -from the school or from their teachers. I hope it -is a story, however, appropriate to all seasons, and -that it will enforce one of the most beautiful and -one of the most frequently forgotten precepts of the -Lord Jesus.</i></p> - -<p class="right">EDWARD EGGLESTON.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 150px;"> -<img src="images/footer-preface.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Decorative footer" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/header-contents.jpg" width="400" height="120" alt="Decorative header" /> -</div> - -<h2>CONTENTS.</h2> - -<table summary="Contents"> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Walking-Stick Walks</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_11">11</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Long-Headed Willie</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_20">20</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Walking-Stick a Talking Stick</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_25">25</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Mr. Blake Agrees with the Walking-Stick</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_31">31</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Father Preaches, the Son Practices</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_36">36</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Sixty-five Dollars</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_39">39</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Widow and the Fatherless</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_44">44</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span><span class="smcap">Sharps and Betweens</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_51">51</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">The Angel Stays the Hand</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_55">55</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Tommy Puffer</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_57">57</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">An Odd Party</span></td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_58">58</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 150px;"> -<img src="images/footer-contents.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Decorative footer" /> -</div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/header-1.jpg" width="400" height="120" alt="Decorative header" /> -</div> - -<h1><span class="smcap">Mr. Blake’s Walking-Stick.</span></h1> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.<br /> -<span class="smaller"><i>THE WALKING-STICK WALKS.</i></span></h2> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-s.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">Some men carry canes. Some men make -the canes carry them. I never could tell -just what Mr. Blake carried his cane for. -I am sure it did not often feel his weight. For he -was neither old, nor rich, nor lazy.</p> - -<p>He was a tall, straight man, who walked as if he -loved to walk, with a cheerful tread that was good -to see. I am sure he didn’t carry the cane for -show. It was not one of those little sickly yellow -things, that some men nurse as tenderly as Miss -Snooks nurses her lap-dog. It was a great black -stick of solid ebony, with a box-wood head, and I -think Mr. Blake carried it for company. And it -had a face, like that of an old man, carved on one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> -side of the box-wood head. Mr. Blake kept it -ringing in a hearty way upon the pavement as he -walked, and the boys would look up from their -marbles when they heard it, and say: “There -comes Mr. Blake, the minister!” And I think that -nearly every invalid and poor person in Thornton -knew the cheerful voice of the minister’s stout ebony -stick.</p> - -<p>It was a clear, crisp, sunshiny morning in December. -The leaves were all gone, and the long lines -of white frame houses that were hid away in the -thick trees during the summer, showed themselves -standing in straight rows now that the trees were -bare. And Purser, Pond & Co.’s great factory on -the brook in the valley below was plainly to be -seen, with its long rows of windows shining and -shimmering in the brilliant sun, and its brick -chimney reached up like the Tower of Babel, and -poured out a steady stream of dense, black smoke.</p> - -<p>It was just such a shining winter morning. Mr. -Blake and his walking-stick were just starting out for -a walk together. “It’s a fine morning,” thought the -minister, as he shut the parsonage gate. And when -he struck the cane sharply on the stones it answered -him cheerily: “It’s a fine morning!” The cane<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> -always agreed with Mr. Blake. So they were able -to walk together, according to Scripture, because -they were agreed.</p> - -<p>Just as he came round the corner the minister -found a party of boys waiting for him. They had -already heard the cane remarking that it was a fine -morning before Mr. Blake came in sight.</p> - -<p>“Good morning! Mr. Blake,” said the three -boys.</p> - -<p>“Good morning, my boys; I’m glad to see you,” -said the minister, and he clapped “Old Ebony” -down on the sidewalk, and it said “I am glad to see -you.”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Blake!” said Fred White, scratching his -brown head and looking a little puzzled. “Mr. -Blake, if it ain’t any harm—if you don’t mind, you -know, telling a fellow,—a boy, I mean—” Just -here he stopped talking; for though he kept on -scratching vigorously, no more words would come; -and comical Sammy Bantam, who stood alongside, -whispered, “Keep a-scratching, Fred; the old cow -will give down after a while!”</p> - -<p>Then Fred laughed, and the other boys, and the -minister laughed, and the cane could do nothing but -stamp its foot in amusement.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Well, Fred,” said the minister, “What is it? -speak out.” But Fred couldn’t speak now for -laughing, and Sammy had to do the talking himself. -He was a stumpy boy, who had stopped off short; -and you couldn’t guess his age, because his face was -so much older than his body.</p> - -<p>“You see, Mr. Blake,” said Sammy, “we boys -wanted to know,—if there wasn’t any harm in your -telling,—why, we wanted to know what kind of a -thing we are going to have on Christmas at our -Sunday-school.”</p> - -<p>“Well, boys, I don’t know any more about it yet -than you do. The teachers will talk it over at their -next meeting. They have already settled some -things, but I have not heard what.”</p> - -<p>“I hope it will be something good to eat,” said -Tommy Puffer. Tommy’s body looked for all the -world like a pudding-bag. It was an india-rubber -pudding-bag, though. I shouldn’t like to say that -Tommy was a glutton. Not at all. But I am sure -that no boy of his age could put out of sight, in the -same space of time, so many dough-nuts, ginger-snaps, -tea-cakes, apple-dumplings, pumpkin-pies, -jelly-tarts, puddings, ice-creams, raisins, nuts, and -other things of the sort. Other people stared at him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> -in wonder. He was never too full to take anything -that was offered him, and at parties his weak and -foolish mother was always getting all she could to -stuff Tommy with. So when Tommy said he hoped -it would be something nice to eat, and rolled his -soft lips about, as though he had a cream tart in his -mouth, all the boys laughed, and Mr. Blake smiled. -I think even the cane would have smiled if it had -thought it polite.</p> - -<p>“I hope it’ll be something pleasant,” said Fred -Welch.</p> - -<p>“So do I,” said stumpy little Tommy Bantam.</p> - -<p>“So do I, boys,” said Mr. Blake, as he turned -away; and all the way down the block Old Ebony -kept calling back, “So do I, boys! so do I!”</p> - -<p>Mr. Blake and his friend the cane kept on down -the street, until they stood in front of a building -that was called “The Yellow Row.” It was a long, -two-story frame building, that had once been inhabited -by genteel people. Why they ever built it in -that shape, or why they daubed it with yellow paint, -is more than I can tell. But it had gone out of -fashion, and now it was, as the boys expressed it, -“seedy.” Old hats and old clothes filled many of -the places once filled by glass. Into one room of -this row Mr. Blake entered, saying:—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span></p> - -<p>“How are you, Aunt Parm’ly?”</p> - -<p>“Howd’y, Mr. Blake, howd’y! I know’d you was -a-comin’, honey, fer I hyeard the sound of yer cane -afore you come in. I’m mis’able these yer days, -thank you. I’se got a headache, an’ a backache, -and a toothache in de boot.”</p> - -<p>I suppose the poor old colored woman meant to -say that she had a toothache “to boot.”</p> - -<p>“You see, Mr. Blake, Jane’s got a little sumpin -to do now, and we can git bread enough, thank the -Lord, but as fer coal, that’s the hardest of all. We -has to buy it by the bucketful, and that’s mity high -at fifteen cents a bucket. An’ pears like we couldn’t -never git nothin’ a-head on account of my roomatiz. -Where de coal’s to come from dis ere winter I don’t -know, cep de good Lord sends it down out of the -sky and I reckon stone-coal don’t never come dat -dar road.”</p> - -<p>After some more talk, Mr. Blake went in to see -Peter Sitles, the blind broom-maker.</p> - -<p>“I hyeard yer stick, preacher Blake,” said Sitles. -“That air stick o’ yourn’s better’n a whole rigimint -of doctors fer the blues. An’ I’ve been a havin’ on -the blues powerful bad, Mr. Blake, these yer last -few days. I remembered what you was a-saying the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> -last time you was here, about trustin’ of the good -Lord. But I’ve had a purty consid’able heartache -under my jacket fer all that. Now, there’s that Ben -of mine,” and here Sitles pointed to a restless little -fellow of nine years old, whose pants had been -patched and pieced until they had more colors than -Joseph’s coat. He was barefoot, ragged, and looked -hungry, as some poor children always do. Their -minds seem hungrier than their bodies. He was -rocking a baby in an old cradle. “There’s Ben,” -continued the blind man, “he’s as peart a boy as -you ever see, preacher Blake, ef I do say it as hadn’t -orter say it. Bennie hain’t got no clothes. I can’t -beg. But Ben orter be in school.” Here Peter -Sitles choked a little.</p> - -<p>“How’s broom-making, Peter?” said the minister.</p> - -<p>“Well, you see, it’s the machines as is a-spoiling -us. The machines make brooms cheap, and what -can a blind feller like me do agin the machines with -nothing but my fingers? ’Tain’t no sort o’ use to -butt my head agin the machines, when I ain’t got no -eyes nother. It’s like a goat trying its head on a -locomotive. Ef I could only eddicate Peter and the -other two, I’d be satisfied. You see, I never had no<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> -book-larnin’ myself, and I can’t talk proper no more’n -a cow can climb a tree.”</p> - -<p>“But, Mr. Sitles, how much would a broom-machine -cost you?” asked the minister.</p> - -<p>“More’n it’s any use to think on. It’ll cost seventy -dollars, and if it cost seventy cents ’twould be -jest exactly seventy cents more’n I could afford to -pay. For the money my ole woman gits fer washin’ -don’t go noways at all towards feedin’ the four children, -let alone buying me a machine.”</p> - -<p>The minister looked at his cane, but it did not -answer him. Something must be done. The minister -was sure of that. Perhaps the walking-stick -was, too. But what?</p> - -<p>That was the question.</p> - -<p>The minister told Sitles good-bye, and started to -make other visits. And on the way the cane kept -crying out, “Something <em>must</em> be done,—something -<span class="smcapuc">MUST</span> be done,—something MUST be done,” making -the <em>must</em> ring out sharper every time. When -Mr. Blake and the walking-stick got to the market-house, -just as they turned off from Milk Street into -the busier Main Street, the cane changed its tune -and begun to say, “But what,—but <em>what</em>,—but -<span class="smcapuc">WHAT</span>,—but WHAT,” until it said it so sharply<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> -that the minister’s head ached, and he put Old -Ebony under his arm, so that it couldn’t talk any -more. It was a way he had of hushing it up when -he wanted to think.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 150px;"> -<img src="images/footer-1.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Decorative footer" /> -</div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/header-2.jpg" width="400" height="120" alt="Decorative header" /> -</div> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.<br /> -<span class="smaller"><i>LONG-HEADED WILLIE.</i></span></h2> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-d.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">“De biskits is cold, and de steaks is cold -as—as—ice, and dinner’s spiled!” -said Curlypate, a girl about three years -old, as Mr. Blake came in from his forenoon of -visiting. She tried to look very much vexed and -“put out,” but there was always either a smile or -a cry hidden away in her dimpled cheek.</p> - -<p>“Pshaw! Curlypate,” said Mr. Blake, as he put -down his cane, “you don’t scold worth a cent!” -And he lifted her up and kissed her.</p> - -<p>And then Mamma Blake smiled, and they all sat -down to the table. While they ate, Mr. Blake told -about his morning visits, and spoke of Parm’ly without -coal, and Peter Sitles with no broom-machine, -and described little Ben Sitles’s hungry face, and -told how he had visited the widow Martin, who had -no sewing-machine, and who had to receive help -from the overseer of the poor. The overseer told<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> -her that she must bind out her daughter, twelve -years old, and her boy of ten, if she expected to -have any help; and the mother’s heart was just -about broken at the thought of losing her children.</p> - -<p>Now, while all this was taking place, Willie Blake, -the minister’s son, a boy about thirteen years of age, -sat by the big porcelain water-pitcher, listening to -all that was said. His deep blue eyes looked over -the pitcher at his father, then at his mother, taking -in all their descriptions of poverty with a wondrous -pitifulness. But he did not say much. What went -on in his long head I do not know, for his was one -of those heads that projected forward and backward, -and the top of which overhung the base, for all -the world like a load of hay. Now and then his -mother looked at him, as if she would like to see -through his skull and read his thoughts. But I think -she didn’t see anything but the straight, silken, fine, -flossy hair, silvery white, touched a little bit,—only -a little,—as he turned it in looking from one to the -other, with a tinge of what people call a golden, but -what is really a sort of a pleasant straw color. He -usually talked, and asked questions, and laughed -like other boys; but now he seemed to be swallowing -the words of his father and mother more rapidly even<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> -than he did his dinner; for, like most boys, he ate -as if it were a great waste of time to eat. But when -he was done he did not hurry off as eagerly as usual -to reading or to play. He sat and listened.</p> - -<p>“What makes you look so sober, Willie?” asked -Helen, his sister.</p> - -<p>“What you thinkin’, Willie?” said Curlypate, -peering through the pitcher handle at him.</p> - -<p>“Willie,” broke in his father, “mamma and I are -going to a wedding out at Sugar Hill”—</p> - -<p>“Sugar Hill; O my!” broke in Curlypate.</p> - -<p>“Out at Sugar Hill,” continued Mr. Blake, stroking -the Curlypate, “and as I have some calls to -make, we shall not be back till bedtime. I am sorry -to keep you from your play this Saturday afternoon, -but we have no other housekeeper but you and -Helen. See that the children get their suppers -early, and be careful about fire.”</p> - -<p>I believe to “be careful about fire” is the last -command that every parent gives to children on -leaving them alone.</p> - -<p>Now I know that people who write stories are -very careful nowadays not to make their boys too -good. I suppose that I ought to represent Willie as -“taking on” a good deal when he found that he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -couldn’t play all Saturday afternoon, as he had expected. -But I shall not. For one thing, at least, -in my story, is true; that is, Willie. If I tell you -that he is good you may believe it. I have seen -him.</p> - -<p>He only said, “Yes, sir.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Blake did not keep a girl. The minister did -not get a small fortune of a salary. So it happened -that Willie knew pretty well how to keep house. -He was a good brave boy, never ashamed to help -his mother in a right manly way. He could wash -dishes and milk the cow, and often, when mamma -had a sick-headache, had he gotten a good breakfast, -never forgetting tea and toast for the invalid.</p> - -<p>So Sancho, the Canadian pony, was harnessed to -the minister’s rusty buggy, and Mr. and Mrs. Blake -got in and told the children good-bye. Then Sancho -started off, and had gone about ten steps, when -he was suddenly reined up with a “Whoa!”</p> - -<p>“Willie!” said Mr. Blake.</p> - -<p>“Sir.”</p> - -<p>“Be careful about fire.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir.”</p> - -<p>And then old blackey-brown Sancho moved on -in a gentle trot, and Willie and Helen and Richard<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> -went into the house, where Curlypate had already -gone, and where they found her on tiptoe, with her -short little fingers in the sugar-bowl, trying in vain -to find a lump that would not go to pieces in the -vigorous squeeze that she gave it in her desire to -make sure of it.</p> - -<p>So Willie washed the dishes, while Helen wiped -them, and Richard put them away, and they had a -merry time, though Willie had to soothe several -rising disputes between Helen and Richard. Then -a glorious lot of wood was gotten in, and Helen -came near sweeping a hole in the carpet in her eager -desire to “surprise mamma,” Curlypate went in -the parlor and piled things up in a wonderful way, -declaring that she, too, was going to “<em>susprise</em> mamma.” -And doubtless mamma would have felt no -little surprise if she could have seen the parlor after -Curlypate “put it to rights.”</p> - -<p>Later in the evening the cow was milked, and a -plain supper of bread and milk eaten. Then Richard -and Curlypate were put away for the night. -And presently Helen, who was bravely determined -to keep Willie company, found her head trying to -drop off her shoulders, and so she had to give up -to the “sand man,” and go to bed.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/header-3.jpg" width="400" height="120" alt="Decorative header" /> -</div> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.<br /> -<span class="smaller"><i>THE WALKING-STICK A TALKING STICK.</i></span></h2> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-w.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">Willie was now all by himself. He put on -more wood, and drew the rocking-chair up -by the fire, and lay back in it. It was very -still; he could hear every mouse that moved. The -stillness seemed to settle clear down to his heart. -Presently a wagon went clattering by. Then, as the -sound died away in the distance, it seemed stiller -than ever. Willie tried to sleep; but he couldn’t. -He kept listening; and after all he was listening to -nothing; nothing but that awful clock, that would -keep up such a tick-tick, tick-tick, tick-tick. The -curtains were down, and Willie didn’t dare to raise -them, or to peep out. He could <em>feel</em> how dark it -was out doors.</p> - -<p>But presently he forgot the stillness. He fell to -thinking of what Mr. Blake had said at dinner. He -thought of poor old rheumatic Parm’ly, and her -single bucket of coal at a time. He thought of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> -blind broom-maker who needed a broom-machine, -and of the poor widow whose children must be taken -away because the mother had no sewing-machine. -All of these thoughts made the night seem dark, and -they made Willie’s heart heavy. But the thoughts -kept him company.</p> - -<p>Then he wished he was rich, and he thought if he -were as rich as Captain Purser, who owned the mill, -he would give away sewing-machines to all poor -widows who needed them. But pshaw! what was -the use of wishing? His threadbare pantaloons told -him how far off he was from being rich.</p> - -<p>But he would go to the Polytechnic; he would -become a civil engineer. He would make a fortune -some day when he became celebrated. Then he -would give widow Martin a sewing-machine. This -was the nice castle in the air that Willie built. But -just as he put on the last stone a single thought -knocked it down.</p> - -<p>What would become of the widow and her children -while he was learning to be an engineer and -making a fortune afterward? And where would he -get the money to go to the Polytechnic? This last -question Willie had asked every day for a year or -two past.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img src="images/illus1.jpg" width="500" height="350" alt="Boy on chaise-lounge looking at walking stick" /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span></p> - -<p>Unable to solve this problem, his head grew tired, -and he lay down on the lounge, saying to himself, -“Something must be done!”</p> - -<p>“Something must be done!” Willie was sure -somebody spoke. He looked around. There was -nobody in the room.</p> - -<p>“Something <em>must</em> be done!” This time he saw -in the corner of the room, barely visible in the -shadow, his father’s cane. The voice seemed to -come from that corner.</p> - -<p>“Something <span class="smcapuc">MUST</span> be done!” Yes, it was the -cane. He could see its yellow head, and the face -on one side was toward him. How bright its eyes -were! It did not occur to Willie just then that -there was anything surprising in the fact that the -walking-stick had all at once become a talking -stick.</p> - -<p>“Something MUST be done!” said the cane, -lifting its one foot up and bringing it down with -emphasis at the word must. Willie felt pleased -that the little old man—I mean the walking-stick—should -come to his help.</p> - -<p>“I tell you what,” said Old Ebony, hopping out -of his shady corner; “I tell you what,” it said, and -then stopped as if to reflect; then finished by saying, -“It’s a shame!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span></p> - -<p>Willie was about to ask the cane to what he referred, -but he thought best to wait till Old Ebony -got ready to tell of his own accord. But the walking-stick -did not think best to answer immediately, -but took entirely a new and surprising track. It -actually went to quoting Scripture!</p> - -<p>“My eyes are dim,” said the cane, “and I never -had much learning; canes weren’t sent to school -when I was young. Won’t you read the thirty-fifth -verse of the twentieth chapter of Acts.”</p> - -<p>Willie turned to the stand and saw the Bible open -at that verse. He did not feel surprised. It seemed -natural enough to him. He read the verse, not -aloud, but to himself, for Old Ebony seemed to hear -his thoughts. He read:—</p> - -<p>“Ye ought to support the weak, and to remember -the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is -more blessed to give than to receive.”</p> - -<p>“Now,” said the walking-stick, stepping or hopping -up toward the lounge and leaning thoughtfully -over the head of it, “Now, I say that it is a shame -that when the birthday of that Lord Jesus, who -gave himself away, and who said it is more blessed -to give than to receive, comes round, all of you -Sunday-school scholars are thinking only of what -you are going to get.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span></p> - -<p>Willie was about to say that they gave as well as -received on Christmas, and that his class had already -raised the money to buy a Bible Dictionary for their -teacher. But Old Ebony seemed to guess his -thought, and he only said, “And that’s another -shame!”</p> - -<p>Willie couldn’t see how this could be, and he -thought the walking-stick was using very strong language -indeed. I think myself the cane spoke too -sharply, for I don’t think the harm lies in giving to -and receiving from our friends, but in neglecting the -poor. But you don’t care what I think, you want to -know what the cane said.</p> - -<p>“I’m pretty well acquainted with Scripture,” said -Old Ebony, “having spent fourteen years in company -with a minister. Now won’t you please read -the twelfth and thirteenth verses of the fourteenth -chapter of”—</p> - -<p>But before the cane could finish the sentence, -Willie heard some one opening the door. It was -his father. He looked round in bewilderment. The -oil in the lamp had burned out, and it was dark. -The fire was low, and the room chilly.</p> - -<p>“Heigh-ho, Willie, my son,” said Mr. Blake, -“where’s your light, and where’s your fire. This is -a cold reception. What have you been doing?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Listening to the cane talk,” he replied; and -thinking what a foolish answer that was, he put on -some more coal, while his mother, who was lighting -the lamp, said he must have been dreaming. The -walking-stick stood in its corner, face to the wall, as -if it had never been a talking stick.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 150px;"> -<img src="images/footer-3.jpg" width="150" height="225" alt="Decorative footer" /> -</div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/header-4.jpg" width="400" height="120" alt="Decorative header" /> -</div> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.<br /> -<span class="smaller"><i>MR. BLAKE AGREES WITH THE WALKING-STICK.</i></span></h2> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-e.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">Early on Sunday morning Willie awoke -and began to think about Sitles, and to -wish he had money to buy him a broom-machine. -And then he thought of widow Martin. -But all his thinking would do no good. Then he -thought of what Old Ebony had said, and he wished -he could know what that text was that the cane was -just going to quote.</p> - -<p>“It was,” said Willie, “the twelfth and thirteenth -verses of the fourteenth chapter of something. I’ll -see.”</p> - -<p>So he began with the beginning of the Bible, and -looked first at Genesis xiv. 12, 13. But it was about -the time when Abraham had heard of the capture of -Lot and mustered his army to recapture him. He -thought a minute.</p> - -<p>“That can’t be what it is,” said Willie, “I’ll look -at Exodus.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span></p> - -<p>In Exodus it was about standing still at the Red -Sea and waiting for God’s salvation. It might mean -that God would deliver the poor. But that was not -just what the cane was talking about. It was about -giving gifts to friends. So he went on to Leviticus. -But it was about the wave offering, and the sin -offering, and the burnt offering. That was not it. -And so he went from book to book until he had -reached the twelfth and thirteenth verses of the fourteenth -chapter of the book of Judges. He was just -reading in that place about Samson’s riddle, when -his mamma called him to breakfast.</p> - -<p>He was afraid to say anything about it at the -table for fear of being laughed at. But he was full of -what the walking-stick said. And at family worship -his father read the twentieth chapter of Acts. When -he came to the part about its being more blessed to -give than to receive, Willie said, “That’s what the -cane said.”</p> - -<p>“What did you say?” asked his father.</p> - -<p>“I was only thinking out loud,” said Willie.</p> - -<p>“Don’t think out loud while I am reading,” said -Mr. Blake.</p> - -<p>Willie did not find time to look any further for -the other verses. He wished his father had happened<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> -on them instead of the first text which the -cane quoted.</p> - -<p>In church he kept thinking all the time about the -cane. “Now what could it mean by the twelfth -and thirteenth verses of the fourteenth chapter? -There isn’t anything in the Bible against giving -away presents to one’s friends. It was only a dream -anyhow, and maybe there’s nothing in it.”</p> - -<p>But he forgot the services, I am sorry to say, in -his thoughts. At last Mr. Blake arose to read his -text. Willie looked at him, but thought of what the -cane said. But what was it that attracted his attention -so quickly?</p> - -<p>“The twelfth and thirteenth verses”—</p> - -<p>“Twelfth and thirteenth!” said Willie to himself.</p> - -<p>“Of the fourteenth chapter,” said the minister.</p> - -<p>“Fourteenth chapter!” said Willie, almost aloud.</p> - -<p>“Of Luke.”</p> - -<p>Willie was all ears, while Mr. Blake read: “Then -said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest -a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor -thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich -neighbors, lest they also bid thee again, and a -recompense be made thee. But when thou makest<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> -a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the -blind.”</p> - -<p>“That’s it!” he said, half aloud, but his mother -jogged him.</p> - -<p>The minister added the next verse also, and read: -“And thou shalt be blessed, for they cannot recompense -thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the -resurrection of the just.”</p> - -<p>Willie had never listened to a sermon as he did -to that. He stopped two or three times to wonder -whether the cane had been actually about to repeat -his father’s text to him, or whether he had not heard -his father repeat it at some time, and had dreamed -about it.</p> - -<p>I am not going to tell you much about Mr. -Blake’s sermon. It was a sermon that he and the -walking-stick had prepared while they were going -round among the poor. I think Mr. Blake did not -strike his cane down on the sidewalk for nothing. -Most of that sermon must have been hammered out -in that way, when he and the walking-stick were -saying, “Something must be done!” For that was -just what that sermon said. It told about the wrong -of forgetting, on the birthday of Christ, to do anything -for the poor. It made everybody think. But<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> -Mr. Blake did not know how much of that sermon -went into Willie Blake’s long head, as he sat -there with his white full forehead turned up to his -father.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 150px;"> -<img src="images/footer-4.jpg" width="150" height="225" alt="Decorative footer" /> -</div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/header-5.jpg" width="400" height="120" alt="Decorative header" /> -</div> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.<br /> -<span class="smaller"><i>THE FATHER PREACHES AND THE SON PRACTICES.</i></span></h2> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-t.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">That afternoon, Willie was at Sunday-school -long before the time. He had a plan.</p> - -<p>“I’ll tell you what, boys,” said he, -“let’s not give Mr. Marble anything this year; -and let’s ask him not to give us anything. Let’s -get him to put the money he would use for us with -the money we should spend on a present for him, -and give it to buy coal for Old Aunt Parm’ly.”</p> - -<p>“I mean to spend all my money on soft gum -drops and tarts,” said Tommy Puffer; “they’re -splendid!” and with that he began, as usual, to roll -his soft lips together in a half chewing, half sucking -manner, as if he had a half dozen cream tarts under -his tongue, and two dozen gum drops in his cheeks.</p> - -<p>“Tommy,” said stumpy little Sammy Bantam, -“it’s a good thing you didn’t live in Egypt, Tommy, -in the days of Joseph.”</p> - -<p>“Why?” asked Tommy.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Because,” said Sammy, looking around the room -absently, as if he hardly knew what he was going -to say, “because, you see”—and then he opened -a book and began to read, as if he had forgotten to -finish the sentence.</p> - -<p>“Well, why?” demanded Tommy, sharply.</p> - -<p>“Well, because if Joseph had had to feed you -during the seven years of plenty, there wouldn’t -have been a morsel left for the years of famine!”</p> - -<p>The boys laughed as boys will at a good shot, and -Tommy reddened a little and said, regretfully, that -he guessed the Egyptians hadn’t any dough-nuts.</p> - -<p>Willie did not forget his main purpose, but carried -his point in his own class. He still had time to -speak to some of the boys and girls in other classes. -Everybody liked to do what Willie asked; there was -something sweet and strong in his blue eyes, eyes -that “did not seem to have any bottom, they were -so deep,” one of the girls said. Soon there was an -excitement in the school, and about the door; girls -and boys talking and discussing, but as soon as any -opposition came up Willie’s half coaxing but decided -way bore it down. I think he was much helped by -Sammy’s wit, which was all on his side. It was -agreed, finally, that whatever scholars meant to give<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> -to teachers, or teachers to scholars, should go to the -poor.</p> - -<p>The teachers caught the enthusiasm, and were -very much in favor of the project, for in the whole -movement they saw the fruit of their own teaching.</p> - -<p>The superintendent had been detained, and was -surprised to find the school standing in knots about -the room. He soon called them to order, and expressed -his regrets that they should get into such -disorder. There was a smile on all faces, and he -saw that there was something more in the apparent -disorder than he thought. After school it was fixed -that each class should find its own case of poverty. -The young men’s and the young women’s Bible -classes undertook to supply Sitles with a broom-machine, -a class of girls took Aunt Parm’ly under -their wing, other classes knew of other cases of need, -and so each class had its hands full. But Willie -could not get any class to see that Widow Martin -had a sewing-machine. That was left for his own; -and how should a class of eight boys do it?</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/header-6.jpg" width="400" height="120" alt="Decorative header" /> -</div> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.<br /> -<span class="smaller"><i>SIXTY-FIVE DOLLARS.</i></span></h2> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-w.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">Willie took the boys into the parsonage. -They figured on it. There were sixty-five -dollars to be raised to buy the machine. -The seven boys were together, for Tommy Puffer had -gone home. He said he didn’t feel like staying, -and Sammy Bantam thought he must be a little -hungry.</p> - -<p>Willie attacked the problem, sixty-five dollars. -Toward that amount they had three dollars and -a half that they had intended to spend on a present -for Mr. Marble. That left just sixty-one dollars and -fifty cents to be raised. Willie ran across the street -and brought Mr. Marble. He said he had made up -his mind to give the boys a book apiece, and that -each book would cost a dollar. It was rather more -than he could well afford; but as he had intended to -give eight dollars for their presents, and as he was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> -pleased with their unselfish behavior, he would -make it ten.</p> - -<p>“Good!” said Charley Somerset, who always saw -the bright side of things,“that makes it all, except -fifty-one dollars and a half.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said Sammy Bantam, “and you’re eleven -feet high, lacking a couple of yards!”</p> - -<p>Willie next called his father in, and inquired how -much his Christmas present was to cost.</p> - -<p>“Three and a half,” said his father.</p> - -<p>“That’s a lot! Will you give me the money instead?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; but I meant to give you a Life of George -Stephenson, and some other books on engineering.”</p> - -<p>This made Willie think a moment; but seeing the -walking-stick in the corner, he said: “Mrs. Martin -must have a machine, and that three and a half -makes seventeen dollars. How to get the other -forty-eight is the question.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Blake and Mr. Marble both agreed that the -boys could not raise so much money, and should not -undertake it. But Willie said there was nobody to -do it, and he guessed it would come somehow. The -other boys, when they came to church that evening, -told Willie that their presents were commuted for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -money also; so they had twenty-five dollars toward -the amount. But that was the end of it, and there -were forty dollars yet to come!</p> - -<p>Willie lay awake that night, thinking. Mr. Marble’s -class could not raise the money. All the other -classes had given all they could. And the teachers -would each give in their classes. And they had -raised all they could spare besides to buy nuts and -candy! Good! That was just it; they would do -without candy!</p> - -<p>At school the next morning, Willie’s white head -was bobbing about eagerly. He made every boy -and girl sign a petition, asking the teachers not to -give them any nuts or candy. They all signed -except Tommy Puffer. He said it was real mean -not to have any candy. They might just as well -not have any Sunday-school, or any Christmas -either. But seeing a naughty twinkle in Sammy -Bantam’s eye, he waddled away, while Sammy fired -a shot after him, by remarking that, if Tommy had -been one of the Shepherds in Bethlehem, he -wouldn’t have listened to the angels till he had -inquired if they had any lemon-drops in their -pockets!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span></p> - -<p>That night the extra Teachers’ Meeting was held, -and in walked white-headed Willie with stunted -Sammy Bantam at his heels to keep him in countenance. -When their petition was presented, Miss -Belden, who sat near Willie, said, “Well done! -Willie.”</p> - -<p>“But I protest,” said Mrs. Puffer,—who was of -about as handsome a figure as her son,—“I protest -against such an outrage on the children. My Tommy’s -been a-feeling bad about it all day. It’ll break -his heart if he don’t get some candy.”</p> - -<p>Willie was shy, but for a moment he forgot it, -and, turning his intelligent blue eyes on Mrs. Puffer, -he said,—</p> - -<p>“It will break Mrs. Martin’s heart if her children -are taken away from her.”</p> - -<p>“Well,” said Mrs. Puffer, “I always did hear that -the preacher’s boy was the worst in the parish, and -I won’t take any impudence. My son will join the -Mission School, where they aren’t too stingy to -give him a bit of candy!” And Mrs. Puffer left, -and everybody was pleased.</p> - -<p>Willie got the money; but the teachers had -counted on making up their festival mostly with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -cakes and other dainties, contributed by families. -So that the candy money was only sixteen dollars, -and Willie was yet a long way off from having the -amount he needed. Twenty-four dollars were yet -wanting.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 150px;"> -<img src="images/footer-6.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Decorative footer" /> -</div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/header-7.jpg" width="400" height="120" alt="Decorative header" /> -</div> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.<br /> -<span class="smaller"><i>THE WIDOW AND THE FATHERLESS.</i></span></h2> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-t.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">The husband of widow Martin had been -killed by a railroad accident. The family -were very poor. Mrs. Martin could sew, -and she could have sustained her family if she had -had a machine. But fingers are not worth much -against iron wheels. And so, while others had machines, -Mrs. Martin could not make much without -one. She had been obliged to ask help from the -overseer of the poor.</p> - -<p>Mr Lampeer, the overseer, was a hard man. He -had not skill enough to detect impostors, and so he -had come to believe that everybody who was poor -was rascally. He had but one eye, and he turned -his head round in a curious way to look at you out -of it. That dreadful one eye always seemed to be -going to shoot. His voice had not a chord of tenderness -in it, but was in every way harsh and hard. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> -was said that he had been a schoolmaster once. I -pity the scholars.</p> - -<p>Widow Martin lived—if you could call it living—in -a tumble-down looking house, that would not -have stood many earthquakes. She had tried diligently -to support her family and keep them together; -but the wolf stood always at the door. Sewing by -hand did not bring in quite money enough to buy -bread and clothes for four well children, and pay -the expenses of poor little Harry’s sickness; for all -through the summer and fall Harry had been sick. -At last the food was gone, and there was nothing -to buy fuel with. Mrs. Martin had to go to the -overseer of the poor.</p> - -<p>She was a little, shy, hard-working woman, this -Mrs. Martin; so when she took her seat among the -paupers of every sort in Mr. Lampeer’s office, and -waited her turn, it was with a trembling heart. She -watched the hard man, who didn’t mean to be so -hard, but who couldn’t tell the difference between -a good face and a counterfeit; she watched him as -he went through with the different cases, and her -heart beat every minute more and more violently. -When he came to her he broke out with—</p> - -<p>“What’s <em>your</em> name?” in a voice that sounded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> -for all the world as if he were accusing her of robbing -a safe.</p> - -<p>“Sarah Martin,” said the widow, trembling with -terror, and growing red and white in turns. Mr. -Lampeer, who was on the lookout for any sign of -guiltiness, was now sure that Mrs. Martin could not -be honest.</p> - -<p>“Where do you live?” This was spoken with a -half sneer.</p> - -<p>“In Slab Alley,” whispered the widow, for her -voice was scared out of her.</p> - -<p>“How many children have you got?”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Martin gave him the list of her five, with -their ages, telling him of little Harry, who was six -years old and an invalid.</p> - -<p>“Your oldest is twelve and a girl. I have a place -for her, and, I think, for the boy, too. You must -bind them out. Mr. Slicker, the landlord of the -Farmers’ Hotel, will take the girl, and I think James -Sweeny will take the boy to run errands about the -livery stable. I’ll send you some provisions and -coal to-day; but you must let the children go. I’ll -come to your house in a few days. Don’t object; I -won’t hear a word. If you’re as poor as you let on -to be, you’ll be glad enough to get your young ones<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -into places where they’ll get enough to eat. That’s -all, not a word, now.” And he turned to the next -applicant, leaving the widow to go home with her -heart <em>so</em> cold.</p> - -<p>Let Susie go to Slicker’s tavern! What kind of a -house would it be without her? Who would attend -to the house while she sewed? And what would -become of her girl in such a place? And then to -send George, who had to wait on Harry, to send -him away forever was to shut out all hope of ever -being in better circumstances. Then she could not -sew, and the children could never help her. God -pity the people that fall into the hands of public -charity!</p> - -<p>The next few days wore heavily on with the -widow. What to do she did not know. At night -she scarcely slept at all. When she did drop into a -sleep, she dreamed that her children were starving, -and woke in fright. Then she slept again, and -dreamed that a one-eyed robber had gotten in at the -window, and was carrying off Susie and George. -At last morning came. The last of the food was -eaten for breakfast, and widow Martin sat down to -wait. Her mind was in a horrible state of doubt. -To starve to death together, or to give up her children!<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> -That was the question which many a poor -mother’s heart has had to decide. Mrs. Martin soon -became so nervous she could not sew. She could -not keep back the tears, and when Susie and George -put their arms about her neck and asked what was -the matter, it made the matter worse. It was the -day before Christmas. The sleigh-bells jingled merrily. -Even in Slab Alley one could hear sounds of -joy at the approaching festivities. But there was -no joy in Widow Martin’s house or heart. The -dinner hour had come and passed. The little children -were hungry. And yet Mrs. Martin had not -made up her mind.</p> - -<p>At the appointed time Lampeer came. He took -out the two indentures with which the mother was -to sign away all right to her two eldest children. It -was in vain that the widow told him that if she lost -them she could do no work for her own support, and -must be forever a pauper. Lampeer had an idea -that no poor person had a right to love children. -Parental love was, in his eyes, or his eye, an expensive -luxury that none but the rich should indulge in.</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Martin,” he said, “you may either sign -these indentures, by which your girl will get a good -place as a nurse and errand girl for the tavern-keeper’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -wife, and your boy will have plenty to eat -and get to be a good hostler, or you and your brats -may starve!” With that he took his hat and opened -the door.</p> - -<p>“Stop!” said Mrs. Martin, “I must have medicine -and food, or Harry will not live till Sunday. I -will sign.”</p> - -<p>The papers were again spread out. The poor-master -jerked the folds out of them impatiently, in a -way that seemed to say, “You keep me an unconscionable -long time about a very small matter.”</p> - -<p>When the papers were spread out, Mrs. Martin’s -two oldest children, who began to understand what -was going on, cried bitterly. Mrs. Martin took the -pen and was about to sign. But it was necessary to -have two witnesses, and so Lampeer took his hat and -called a neighbor-woman, for the second witness.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Martin delayed the signature as long as she -could. But seeing no other help, she took up the -pen. She thought of Abraham with the knife in his -hand. She hoped that an angel would call out of -heaven to her relief. But as there was no voice from -heaven, she dipped the pen in the ink.</p> - -<p>Just then some one happened to knock at the door, -and the poor woman’s nerves were so weak that she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> -let the pen fall, and sank into a chair. Lampeer, -who stood near the door, opened it with an impatient -jerk, and—did the angel of deliverance enter?</p> - -<p>It was only Willie Blake and Sammy Bantam.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 150px;"> -<img src="images/footer-7.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Decorative footer" /> -</div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/header-8.jpg" width="400" height="120" alt="Decorative header" /> -</div> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.<br /> -<span class="smaller"><i>SHARPS AND BETWEENS.</i></span></h2> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-l.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">Let us go back. We left Willie awhile ago -puzzling over that twenty-four dollars. -After many hours of thought and talk -with Sammy about how they should manage it, two -gentlemen gave them nine dollars, and so there was -but fifteen more to be raised. But that fifteen -seemed harder to get than the fifty they had already -gotten. At last Willie thought of something. They -would try the sewing-machine man. Mr. Sharps -would throw off fifteen dollars.</p> - -<p>But they did not know Mr. Sharps. Though he -made more than fifteen dollars on the machine, he -hated to throw anything off. He was always glad to -put on. Sammy described him by saying that “Mr. -Sharps was not for-giving but he was for-getting.”</p> - -<p>They talked; they told the story; they begged. -Mr. Sharps really could not afford to throw off a -cent. He was poor. Taxes were high. He gave a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> -great deal. (I do not know what he called a great -deal. He had been to church three times in a year, -and twice he had put a penny in the plate. I suppose -Mr. Sharps thought that a great deal. And so -it was, for him, poor fellow.) And then the butcher -had raised the price of meat; and he had to pay -twenty-three dollars for a bonnet for his daughter. -Really, he was too poor. So the boys went away -down-hearted.</p> - -<p>But Sammy went straight to an uncle of his, who -was one of the editors of the <i>Thornton Daily Bugle</i>. -After a private talk with him he started back to Mr. -Sharps. Willie followed Sammy this time. What -Sammy had in his head Willie could not make out.</p> - -<p>“I’ll fix him!” That was the only word Sammy -uttered on the way back.</p> - -<p>“Now, Mr. Sharps,” he began, “my uncle’s name -is Josiah Penn. Maybe you know him. He’s one -of the editors of the <i>Thornton Daily Bugle</i>. I’ve -been talking with him. If you let me have a Feeler -and Stilson sewing-machine for fifty dollars, I will -have a good notice put in the <i>Daily Bugle</i>.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Sharps whistles a minute. He thought he -could not do it. No, he was too poor.</p> - -<p>“Well, then, Willie,” said Sammy, “we’ll go<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> -across the street and try the agent of the Hillrocks -and Nibbs machine. I think Mr. Betweens will -take my offer.”</p> - -<p>“O!” said Mr. Sharps, “you don’t want that -machine. It’s only a single thread, and it will ravel, -and—well—you don’t want that.”</p> - -<p>“Indeed, my mother says there isn’t a pin to -choose between them,” said Sammy; “and I can -give Mr. Betweens just as good a notice as I could -give you.”</p> - -<p>“Very well, take the machine for fifty dollars. I -do it just out of pity for the widow, you know. I -never could stand by and see suffering and not relieve -it. You won’t forget about that notice in the -<i>Daily Bugle</i>, though, will you?”</p> - -<p>No, Sammy wouldn’t forget.</p> - -<p>It was now the day before Christmas, and the -boys thought they had better get the machine down -there.</p> - -<p>So they found Billy Horton, who belonged to -their class, and who drove an express wagon, and -told him about it. He undertook to take it down. -But first, he drove around the town and picked up -all the boys of the class, that they might share in -the pleasure.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span></p> - -<p>Meantime, a gentleman who had heard of Willie’s -efforts, gave him a five dollar bill for widow Martin. -This Willie invested in provisions, which he instructed -the grocer to send to the widow.</p> - -<p>He and Sammy hurried down to widow Martin’s, -and got there, as I told you in the last chapter, just -as she was about to sign away all right, title, and -interest in two of the children whom God had given -her; to sign them away at the command of the hard -Mr. Lampeer, who was very much irritated that he -should be interrupted just at the moment when he -was about to carry the point; for he loved to carry -a point better than to eat his breakfast.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 150px;"> -<img src="images/footer-8.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Decorative footer" /> -</div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/header-9.jpg" width="400" height="120" alt="Decorative header" /> -</div> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.<br /> -<span class="smaller"><i>THE ANGEL STAYS THE HAND.</i></span></h2> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-w.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">When the boys came in, they told the widow -that they wished to speak with little sick -Harry. They talked to Harry awhile, -without noticing what was going on in the other -part of the room.</p> - -<p>Presently Willie felt his arm pulled. Looking -round, he saw Susie’s tearful face. “Please don’t -let mother give me and George away.” Somehow -all the children in school had the habit of coming to -this long-headed Willie for help, and to him Susie -came.</p> - -<p>That word of Susie’s awakened Willie. Up to -that moment he had not thought what Mr. Lampeer -was there for. Now he saw Mrs. Martin holding the -pen with trembling hand, and making motions in -the air preparatory to writing her name. Most people -not used to writing, write in the air before they -touch the paper. When Willie saw this, he flew<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> -across the room and thrust his hand upon the place -where the name ought to be, saying,—</p> - -<p>“Don’t do that, Mrs. Martin! Don’t give away -your children!”</p> - -<p>Poor woman! the pen dropped from her hand as -the knife had dropped from Abraham’s. She grasped -Willie’s arm, saying,—</p> - -<p>“How can I help it? Do tell me!”</p> - -<p>But Lampeer had grasped the other arm, and -broke out with—</p> - -<p>“You rogue, what do you mean?”</p> - -<p>Willie’s fine blue eyes turned quickly into Lampeer’s -one muddy eye.</p> - -<p>“Let go!” he said, very quietly but very determinedly, -“don’t strike me, or my father will take -the law on you.”</p> - -<p>Lampeer let go.</p> - -<p>Just then the groceries came, and a minute later, -Billy Horton’s wagon drove up with the machine, -and all the other boys, who came in and shook hands -with the poor but delighted mother and her children. -I cannot tell you any more about that scene. I only -know that Lampeer went out angry and muttering.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/header-10.jpg" width="400" height="120" alt="Decorative header" /> -</div> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.<br /> -<span class="smaller"><i>TOMMY PUFFER.</i></span></h2> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-w.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">Willie was happy that night. He went -down to the festival at the Mission. -There was Tommy Puffer’s soft, oyster-like -body among the scholars of the Mission. He -was waiting for something good. His mouth and -eyes were watering. He looked triumphantly at the -boys from the other school. They wouldn’t get anything -so nice. The superintendent announced that -no boy’s name would be called for a paper bag of -“refreshments” but those who had been present -two Sundays. And so poor starving Tommy Puffer -had to carry his pudding-bag of a body home again -without a chance to give it an extra stuffing.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/header-11.jpg" width="400" height="120" alt="Decorative header" /> -</div> - -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.<br /> -<span class="smaller"><i>AN ODD PARTY.</i></span></h2> - -<div> -<img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-i.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p class="dropcap">I cannot tell you about the giving of -the broom-machine to the blind broom-maker; -of the ton of coal to Parm’ly, -and of all the other things that happened on -Christmas Day when the presents were given. I -must leave these things out. As for Aunt Parm’ly, -she said she did not know, but dat dare coal seemed -like it come from de sky.</p> - -<p>But there was an ample feast yet for the boys at -the Sunday-school, for many biscuits, and cakes, and -pies had been baked. But every time Willie looked -at the walking stick he thought of “the poor, the -maimed, the lame, and the blind.” And so he and -Sammy Bantam soon set the whole school, teachers -and all, a-fire with the idea of inviting in the inmates -of the county poor-house. It was not half so hard to -persuade the members of the school to do this as it -was to coax them to the first move; for when people<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> -have found out how good it is to do good, they like -to do good again.</p> - -<p>Such a company it was! There was old crazy -Newberry, who had a game-bag slung about his neck, -and who imagined that the little pebbles in it were -of priceless value. Old Dorothy, who was nearly -eighty, and who, thanks to the meanness of the authorities, -had not tasted any delicacy, not so much -as a cup of tea, since she had been in the alms-house; -and there were half-idiots, and whole idiots, -and sick people, and crippled people, armless people -and legless people, blind people and deaf. Such -an assortment of men, women, and little children, -you cannot often find. They were fed with the good -things provided for the Sunday-school children, much -to the disgust of Tommy Puffer and his mother. -For Tommy was bent on getting something to eat -here.</p> - -<p>There were plenty of people who claimed the -credit of suggesting this way of spending the Christmas. -But Willie did not say anything about it, for -he remembered what Christ had said about blowing -a trumpet before you. But I think Sammy Bantam -trumpeted Willie’s fame enough.</p> - -<p>It would be hard to tell who enjoyed the Christmas<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> -the most. But I think the givers found it more -blessed than the receivers. What talk Mr. Blake -heard in his rounds I cannot tell. If you want to -know, you must ask the Old Ebony.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> -<img src="images/illus2.jpg" width="300" height="500" alt="Old Ebony, leaning against a wall" /> -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Mr. Blake's Walking-Stick, by Edward Eggleston - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. BLAKE'S WALKING-STICK *** - -***** This file should be named 52935-h.htm or 52935-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/9/3/52935/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - - -</pre> - -</body> -</html> diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index b012f87..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-d.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-d.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index b3a490c..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-d.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-e.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-e.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 88b8995..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-e.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-i.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-i.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index f2aa91c..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-i.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-l.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-l.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index e2c6864..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-l.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-s.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-s.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index ea7168b..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-s.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-t.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-t.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 30b165d..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-t.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-w.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-w.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 4a80dc1..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/dropcap-w.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/footer-1.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/footer-1.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index d3a7453..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/footer-1.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/footer-3.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/footer-3.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index ef8a747..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/footer-3.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/footer-4.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/footer-4.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 0f18053..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/footer-4.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/footer-6.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/footer-6.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 68940e3..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/footer-6.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/footer-7.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/footer-7.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index cf348bb..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/footer-7.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/footer-8.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/footer-8.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index e7d2a25..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/footer-8.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/footer-contents.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/footer-contents.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 9f48ec3..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/footer-contents.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/footer-dedication.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/footer-dedication.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 1d9431b..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/footer-dedication.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/footer-preface.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/footer-preface.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 5b6aa2b..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/footer-preface.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/frontispiece.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/frontispiece.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 1967bb6..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/frontispiece.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/header-1.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/header-1.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index ec9c673..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/header-1.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/header-10.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/header-10.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 6d5f137..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/header-10.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/header-11.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/header-11.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 92744a2..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/header-11.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/header-2.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/header-2.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 55e294d..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/header-2.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/header-3.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/header-3.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index a5d951d..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/header-3.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/header-4.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/header-4.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 1cbc09a..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/header-4.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/header-5.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/header-5.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 2b552ff..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/header-5.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/header-6.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/header-6.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 99f56d6..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/header-6.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/header-7.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/header-7.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index db546c1..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/header-7.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/header-8.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/header-8.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index c1a1e4c..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/header-8.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/header-9.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/header-9.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 79b081f..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/header-9.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/header-contents.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/header-contents.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 0d55cbb..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/header-contents.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/header-dedication.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/header-dedication.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 608cf5d..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/header-dedication.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/header-preface.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/header-preface.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 2f9b3e2..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/header-preface.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/illus1.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/illus1.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 49ec49a..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/illus1.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52935-h/images/illus2.jpg b/old/52935-h/images/illus2.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 2420c89..0000000 --- a/old/52935-h/images/illus2.jpg +++ /dev/null |
