Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-06-13

box, said he. DO, mother, help me; you can !
tell how much there is in it. The box, too,was
socn at his feet and they all now surI ounded the !
STAKEHOLDER, who appeared to have lost the power
of speech.
Feel how heavy the box is, said Harry.
Feel how heavy the little mug is said Ned;
and in attempting to hand tito him, he scattered
all the little shining six, ten and twelve cent pie
ces around the stakeholder Each little piece,
as it fell seemed to sound reproach to his heart
Lucy named the sum she had
oh, masterl' said she, falling at his feet, the
children all following her example; 'oh, master,
won't you be willing to sell Ben his freedom? J.
know there is not enough yet, said she, with a
Responding look, which suddenly changed to one
of proud satisfaction, as she added, for Ben is
worth good price, know
is there not almost enough for fathers free
domr said little Sue.
DO, please do, let daddy be Free said little
Ned
The STAKEHOLDER was still speechess. Think
you he was touched by the scene before him!
is master sick?' said Lucy.
Yes, good woman he replied; yes sick, sick
of myself, sick ofslavery, sick of everything.
Poor Lucy, not understanding him, looked be-
wildered The Shareholder, with great effort,
calmly added,
Lucy, your husband has been worth more to
me than all the money you have in that box. |
have no right to it. Keep it for yourselves
Your husband is free from this moment. May
you all be as happy as you deserve to be- He
then started out Of the house,
Lucy continued on her knees, and in silence
poured out the gratitude of her heart to that Be-
ing to whom she had learned to look 'in trouble
and in JOY
The children, of course, could not understand
all their mothers feelings but they understood
that the long-desired blessing had arrived; they
understood that their father was now free and
they had been taught whom to thank for all bes-
sings.
Mother is thanking God, said Ned, in a low
voice, because father is free
Let us thank him, too, said Susan.
How shall! we say it, said Harry.
Our teacher says, no matter what words we
say; I'll say it,, said Susan, and folding her lit
tie hands, said, Thank you, good Father in
Heaven, for being SO good to father, and mother
and Harry, and me, and Ned
' Thank you, good Father in Heaven respon-
ded both the other children.
> Their mother turned to them with OVERLOOKING
= eyes, and kissing them all, said,
How happy your father will be to find he has
. such good children
T. 'How soon will father get here?' said Harry,
: Il cannot tell hope soon
'Sha'nt we have some dinner to-day! said lit
: tie Ned
+ ooh, no matter for dinner said Harry, dane
. ing about. and kicking over the wash-bench, witt
all the dinner, which safely lodged itself in tut
|, of suds. mo matter for dinner said he, little
u more seriously, as he saw the dinners fate, bu
g soon began singing and caperng about-Dad
T. dys free, daddy's free, daddy, daddy, we shal
> see, Oh how happy we shall be- &c
i Little Ned, and even poor little Sue, were soor
: animated to Join in the froIc
= After they had danced and sung till they wert
P tired, the want of dinner began to be felt
d what shall we have for dinnerr was the gen
eral inquiry, with look at the unlucky tub 0
i suds.
) you may 60 and buy something for dinner,
10 said their mother.
G Buy dinner? said little Ned, with astonish
e ment.
TO be sure, we may buy dinner nor. Wha
e shall get mother
You may get what you please, said thei
J. mother. You shall choose your dinner the day O
your fathers freedom
1t Ill have some gingerbread, said Ned.
! 'Ill have gingerbread too, said Harry.
1t Mother said Susan, may Harry buy me al
> orange, it would taste so goodP
1t Yes, Harry, get couple Of nice oranges 70
3 her. and she looked anxiously at Susan, as sh
!, , beheld her pallid countenance and parche
J. lips. Susan my dear, am afraid l hav
), , not attended to you as | ought. You look sic
and leverish; you have not had proper food
'Oh, yes, mother, have; I should not hav
y liked to have you spend money for me-
e What will you have for your dinner, mother
T. said Harry
% oh, anything You may get me some choc
d. olate.'
II Let not our carpenter, Ben, be forgotten. II
- was among the happsest of the happy at til
news of his freedom, which his master himsel
communicated to him, relating also great par
III ofthe scene which passed at Lucy's hoyel. II
. was impatient to set out and Join his family, an
. take look at the great world Gladly would W
II convey some idea of the JOY of their meeting bu
II find ourselves inadequate to the task, g. therefor
leave it to the Imagination.