Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1843-08-03
low in the stick, and went out.

burnt out the other last night
Have you farthing, Dayid?' asked
| the wife.
/ Not one,' replied he, rather hastily.
'Nor~ have we one in the house, said
; the wife; 4 paid all we had for the
bread.'
Stir up the fire, then,' said David.
Nay rejoined the wife, GOALS are
, raised.'
Lord help us!' again sighed David,
{and two of the children began coughing.
Those chlldren's coughs are no bet
ter;' remarked the father somewhat i'm
( patiently. And the baby wohe-so did
Betsy, who had fallen asleep on the floor
I unobserved. crying, i am SO cold: father;
| am SO cold y
Go to bed with her, Nary said the
mother, for you were up betimes, this
morning, washing-puil up your clothes
on the bed, and keep her warm
Mary went into the little dark cham
Der to bed with her sister, and her moth
Ell tried to hush the crying infant
David was distracted. He wss cold,
hungry, weary, and in gloom. Eight
children whom he loved were about him,
and he thought of them only as born to
poverty and care, like himself-he felt
unhappy, and grew almost angry as the
baby continued to cry.
Cheer up, David, honest man! there
IS that coming even homecoming within
three streets Tenth of thee-which will
raise thee above want forever! Cheer
up, this IS the last hour any of you shall
want fire; the last hour you shall want
for candle light. Thou Shalt keep thy
squirrel, Mary! Betsy, thou shalt have
blankets to warm theel The Doctors
bill shall be paid-por, Baird, shalt thou
ever again skulk by backways to avoid
an importunate creditor. Joey, thou
shalt turn the wheel no longer-thy feet
shall get well in woollen stockings and
warm shoes at five shilling pair. You
shall no more want to sell potatoes, nor
shall Susan go short again of her supper.
But of this, all this, as yet, you know
nothing, about the relief-and such
splendid relief, too, that even now is ap-
preaching your door! Wall, little baby,
and thou wilt-nurse thy poor tingling
feet, Joey, by the fire, and muse in sad
ness on thy poverty, David Baird, yet for
ia few moments longer, it can do no
harm, for the good news is even now
turning the corner of your street!
Knock, knock, knock! David starts
from his reverie.
Some one is at the door, said the
wife; and up jumped little David. IF
! it is neighbor Wood come to borrow
some meal, you can get her cup full
added the mother, as the the knock was
repeated more Justify.
Up rose David Baird, and thinking of
the Doctors bill, opened the door reluc-
| family.
Are you ravid Baird?' asked the let
ter carrier, who had knocked.
i am said David.
This, then, is For you; and there are
twenty two pence to pay on it, said the
man holding forth large letter.
1T is a summons cried the wife in
dismay; for what is David Baird sum-
moned?' and she rushed to the door,
with the baby in her arms.
1t is not for me- said David, half glad
to escape his liability topay the two and
twenty pence.
But are you not David Baird, the
weaverF'
4 ann said David.
/ Chem continued the letter carrier,
pay me the twenty-five pence, and if it
isnot right, they will return you the mo-
new at the most Office
twenty-five pence repeated David,
ashamed to confess his poverty.
| 'One shilling, ten pence.' said the
wife; 1--WE have not so much money by
US, good man.
Light CANDLE said the letter carrier
bursting into tie house, 'and hunt up
what you have
David was pushed to the extremity
'We have none,' said he; we have no
money to buy candle!'
Lord bless me!' said the letter carri-
( er, and gave David the younger four
pence to fetch half a pound of candles
David and his wife knew not what to
think, and the letter man shook the wet
from his hat. In few moments the can
dies came and the letter was put into Da.
vid's hand.
Open it, can't yous' said the letter
man.
rs it for me?' inquired David again.
1T is replied the other, impatiently f;
'what fuss is here about opening a. let
ter!'
What is this?' exclaimed David, ta-
king out bill for one hundred pounds.
'O' sighed the wife, if, after all, it
should not be for us! But read the let
, ter, David;' and David read it.
Sir: You, David Baird, the weaver
! of -, and son of the late David Baird
of Marden-on- Wear, lineal descendant
+ of Sir David Baird, Monk shaughton cas-
tie, county of York, and sole heir to Sil
| Peter Baird, of Monkshaughton, afore
t said. lately deceased, are requested t.