Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-04-11
Youths Department.
THE ORPHANS:
CHAPTER |.

"JEsUs, have lost my MOTHER
She sick, and she is dead,
have one dear little brother
Weeping with me by the bed"
Thus mournfully repeated little Mary Baxter,
as she stood by the bedside of her departed moth
err, Just after she had tearfully committed her
children into the hands of their Heavenly Father,
given them a mothers dying blessing, GALL she
had to give them-poor lambs!) taking her final
adeu of them, and left them behind, almost
friendless in this cold world-two lonely orphans
as they were.
The father had died few years previous to
the event just related, and had left his family in
INDECENT circumstances. The poor mother was
forced to labor hard and long with her needle, to
obtain bread enough for herself and her little
William and Mary, and small room to shelter
them, O. hard lot, children, has the poor
widow, who depends upon her sewing for her
daily bread While the articles she works up
on makes others warm and comfortable, and the
men who hire her, for few pennies, very rich,
she remains cold, comGortless, and poor
Like many others, this poor mother overwork-
ed herself in striving to keep hunger away
from her dwelling, and clothe her little ones A
severe fever followed, and very soon the mother
was laid away in the grave beside the father
and William and Mary were left alone, knowing
no friend but the one above
CHAPTER II.
Mrs. Baxter had not been a member Of the
church while living, but she had been a serious
woman, and had taken great pains to train
up her children in 'wisdoms ways----one of the
results of her religious instructions has been
seen in the very appropriate lines repeated by
Mary at her mothers death,
After the funeral of Mrs. Baxter, lady living
in the same house where this poor family hired
one room, took Mary under her protection; and
a distant relative came and carried William away
to live with him. Thus were these orphans
widely separated They loved each other ten
derby, as brothers and sisters ever should, and
the tears ran very freely, and their hearts ached
sadly, when they were torn from each others
arms.
For two years they did not meet together, and,
during the time had not heard of each other
Little did they expect to meet again in this world
although they earnestly desired it, and often, with
tears, prayed to their Heavenly Father that it
might be So God heard their prayers, and He,
who notices the sparrows fall, kindly, though I'M
cxpectedly, granted their longed-for request. In
the next chapter we learn how this was accom-
:, plished.
CHAPTER Ill
: The lady who had taken Mary, soon after her
# mothers death, placed her in the Orphans Asy-
q lum in the city where they ved---she being
forced to remove to distant place.
o Williams protector becoming wearied of be-
# slowing his care and money upon his poor little
# relative hard must his heart have been-deter
mined to rid himself of his presence He brough
him to the city from whence he had taken him
William sought the house, where he expected tc
d find his dear Mary, but she was not there-thc
n lady had removed-no one could give informa
u ton of his sister.
h As the Providence Of God directed William
"a was placed in the same charitable institution will
: Mary although he was little aware that he wa
&c so near the object Of his warmest affections.
,s The boys and girls were eparated-occupyin!
N different wings of the same building. The chill
j. dren were neatly clothed; kept perfectly clean
70 and were placed under the charge Of one wh
n well deserved the name Of 'mOtheN All tn
h. children loved her as such for they knew n
=. other, the grave held the bodies of their ow
s dear mothers; God bless the poor orphans!
h. was her custom on the Sabbath mornings, to ca
~ the boys and girls together, in the large schoc
n room; and there they spent the greater part {
~ the day, in reading the Bible, and reciting Sal
bath school lessons.
ne CHAPTER ".
er On such an occasion as the one alluded to
re the last chapter, after the children had been sea
.ly ed, and prayer offered the Matron observed M
v ry Baxter rise up in her place and look earnest
on towards the boys, who sat on the opposite sic
o. of the room, facing the girls. She saw MAJ
al Immediately sit down again, look very pale, ar
,as tremble from head to foot. She went towart
her, but before she could reach her place, MAJ
was on her feet again.-She looked at the bo
a moment more, then clapping her hands, 81
m cried, at the top of her voice, 1T is he! IL
orI hci 1t is Wilam-my brotherP
G., The same emotion had passed across the h;
AL like an electric shock A boy, about eight yea
OLE of age, started up, crying out MARY! Mar,
six They rushed into each others arms, and sto
ers weeping for joy together, in the midst of o.
No. hundred children. And there was not dry e
Of in that company-thcy all seemed to have foul
a brother or a sister, and sobbed with the hap
ones, in the center of the hall
:. After their feelings were little subdued, W
Is liam informed the Matron, That they had L
10 seen each other since their mothers death-t'
III long years ago; that they had no friends in
Oh, world; and that they had never expected to
eu each other again
70 The Matron was deeply affected and TAXI
one the hands of the children in her own she sa
~ &c Though you have no friends on this earth,
" have One in Heaven. who careth for little CT