"
Then did Dirk lose his half-sullen self-control, and great tears rolled
down his dark cheeks.
But the sister shed no tears. She had serious business to attend to.
Dirk must go to heaven now without fail.
* * * * *
One day there was an unusual scene in the alley. It was no uncommon
thing to see a coffin carried out from there, but on this day there was
a hearse, and a minister in Dr. Everett's carriage, and Dirk and his
sister, in neat apparel, came out together and were seated in Mr.
Roberts' carriage; and all the boys of the Monday-evening Class walked
arm in arm after the slow-moving carriages; and the children of the
alley stopped their placing and their fighting, and the women stood
silent in doorways, and took, most of them, their very first lesson in
the proprieties of life.
"She's got a ride in a carriage at last, poor soul!" said one, thinking
of the worn-out body in the coffin; and another said: "I wonder what
poor old Jock would think of all this?"
But the scene made its impression, and left its lesson. I think the
voices of some of them were lower during the rest of the day because of
it.
What next? It was the question that filled Mrs. Roberts' thoughts.
Pages:
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312