PRACTICE AND PREACHING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 19 October 1907, Page 4

PRACTICE AND PREACHING.

.Mi--; Maivia flawed down upon 1 T««' little tear-staiiietl f;ux> with far more

>\mpalliy Hi.in Jlobby would h;:vf ai)-lir.-'-ialod. bill h'-r voice was stern :md UobltvV eye- were blinded with iioi.p:---

-Voit 1-t him -et auay." hr: cried hoi!y. "It ain'i f«;i»-. women but'.in* in <iii men's fi'di'.s."

.Mi— Msuvia's took in tlie Sycar<dd "•man" and >!i'- -muUd. "Von should not fro! that way. Hobby." sin

-aid jnore gently. "\\h;it if lliirry d:d throw a hard >nowliall at you?"

"It wasn't thai," explained Jiobhy. 'lie went homo with Lizzie Cordon last nijiht when -he'd promised me. Harry said, 'never mind.' and .she just went along with him." •'That was very mean of Harry." she agreed, "hut still it is no reason why you -hollld have fought.'' "I'll catch him yet" siwmed the boy.

"and it won't l>e ill front of your house where you'll come running out ami stop H 4 '? *i)un't you l;now tliat the Uible leaches us io love our enemies';" flic a^ked.

"I'm only in the infant class." reminded ISobliy. mindful of lljc second reader explanation which saved liiin from .-hamc when ho could not an-wer illljiu-jitivc inquiries as to Hie capital of China and other detail.-, concerning which .-"me fu--y. hut well meaning grownups -ccmcil woefully ietinraiit when lliey came to ,-ec hi; nml Ik i . "Viiu -Inhi!il at l"ti-t know thai." -lie jH'V-i-tcd. "(. oiiic into the lior-c and wa-h tic blood from your face." With gentle in-i-leiicc she led him into the house and hathed the .scratches c.iu-cd by tin- lump of ice which had ln-cii the' signal for the commencement of hostilities.

Then, niindfnl of tin- way io the masculine heart, she brought out a rake ami and milk, and while llie young-tor mullein d the cake, she pressed liome the leciui'e with love for the enemies as ;i fe\t. 1 Solil.y was willing io be pro.T-hed at - willi cake as an inducement- and wHh ,-kilfnl touch r-lie applied the les-on to his own troubled atl'air- ot Ihe heart. At la-l when lie ro.-i- to go he turned to la r. '•L won't light Harry, hunc-l," lie prn-l,li-ed: "lea-twise Ulllc-s he -tarts it a;:aili hiiii-el!.'' It ■ -tan id. down 111 e -tree! tilled "ill virt linos ye-ol \ e. Miss Mania had ncv-i' been married hilt -lie lindel'-l null ellitil l'ell as lew 1110 ihers did. ami ln-r ,-iinple lit lie i all; Inn filled Hobby with new ideas. Still, lie f..lt Ilii* iii-eil of ma -nliti. ndviec, and he hunted up Sam I'.nvcrTlie genial old cobbler had always beet his childish hero, a devotion accounts for in part by-rowers' ability to wiggl his ears, a trick Bobby had vainl; suujjbt to COJ.J'.

lie strolled into the little shop striving not to show undue pride in a rapidly blat-kehing eye. It wa> his first discolored optic and not since his first pair of trousers had he had any sensation so nearly suggesting tin* delightful state of being "grown up."

The cobbler's sharp eyes quickly perceived the decoration and at ihe first question the whole story of Harry Mnrden and of Lizzie (iordon's perlidv came out.

"So Mi-s Marcia slopped you. did she?" chuckled Sam. "J guess she don't put into practice what she preaches.

"She don'( nrench," defended Pobby quick to uphold 'lis new favorite. "Besides she don't fight."

"I don't know about that, laddi's" was the sober answer. "She and I had 1 rouble oiirc. Thai was ten years ago. We're both single vet."

"!)h[ you want to marry her':" demanded Jiobhy with interest. Sam took him bv the shoulders.

"I gue•••; you'd heller be running abmg.' he said, kindly. "I guess I've -aid enough." Hobby put out his hand. "1 know how ii is," lie said, gravely, as Sain gra.-ped it. "I fell that way last ni'ghl."

Sam lauj'hvd and pushed lum out of ill.- shop, 'lie wanted to be alone. The

obi wonml had broken out. and was bb-iiiw a i'i'esh. 11 had oul v been a i..ih led Uven stub, born, and for .wars thev had noj;

P.obir: his step-- with a new wo-„.!cr in id> heart. Here Miss Marcia hrd spoken .-o nicely, yi; she did not low her enemies. His brain puzzled over the matter until he was arou-.cd by a smart blow oil the cheek.

It was Harry Burden again,and without ado Hobby proceeded to wipe out Uii- l' v ' h insult.

'iV Lwo boys were so occupied that they did not hear approaching footsteps ;inlil a baud fell on Hobby's collar, and for a sa ooiid time that day MNs .Marcia separated them. Harry, who was gelling Ihe worst of it, made good his rseape, but she clllllg to liobbvV hand.

"And after your promise,'' she Said, in a grieved lone. "Hobby. 1. am so di.-appointed, dear."

"Huh!" he retorted. 'Aon can't talk Vou treated Sam worse than that."

'Wha{ iire you talking about?' hlio g:',sped. •'S.iiii di ln't moan tn tell," ho explained. "l»ul it just sorter eame out. Tlml's why li<« never married. If you e;) 11 light liiiu for ten years I guess I <-au light llarrv. Sam didn't throw 110 snowball- at you."

"He's forgotten long ago," she said, i ivinulou-Iv.

"He ain't," contradicted Tlobbv. "He cried—a—big man like thai!" 'And if I practice what I preach," she asked, "v.jll y<m stop lighting?" Bobbv nodded.

"If he still wants me," she began. "J will—"

Hobby wriggled free of the detaining hand ami wa* off down the street. Ten minutes later he raced into the cobbler's >hnp. "Come on up to Miss Man-in *s!" he shouted. "I fixed it. Come 011 up. right away." •"What d» you mean?' gasped Sam. '"She's going to practice, too!" exclaimed Hobby. "f made her ashamed and rOie said she was sorry—but 1 think she's glad."