Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-05-22

moved towards the door, his hat Already on
his head, Jane went up to him, and looking
timidly in his face, said, with a hesitating
voice
"Mlother wants an orange so bad. Won't
you give me some money to bay her one : y
mo, / will not! Your mother had better
be thinking about something else than money
for oranges !" was the angry reply, as the
father passed out, and shut the door hard af-
ter him.
Jane stood for a moment, frightened at tho
angry vehenenee of her father, and then
burst into tears. She said nothing to her
mother of what had passed, but after the ag-
itation of her mind had somewhat subsidized,
began to cast about in her thoughts for s"mo
plan by which she might obtain an orange.
At last it occurred to her, that at the shop
where she bought liquor for her father, they
bought rags and old iron.
"How much do you give a poundfor rags q
she asked in a minute or two after the idea
had occurred to her, standing at the counter
of the shop.
''Three cents a pound" was the reply.
Chow much for old iron ="
"a cent a pound"
Whats the price Of them oranges -!
"Four cents apiece"
With this information Jane hurried back.
After she had cleared away tho dinner table,
she went into the cellar and looked up all.
the old bits of iron that she could find. Then
she searched the yard, and found some eight
or ten rusty nails, an old bolt, and a broken
hinge. These she laid away in a little nook
in the cellar. Afterwards she gathered to-
gether all the old rags that she could find
about the house. and in the cellar, and laid
them with her old iron. But she saw plainly
enough that her iron would not weigh over
two pounds, nor her rags over a quarter of a
pound. If time would have permitted, she
would have gone INTO the street to look for
old iron but this she could not do and, dis
appointed at not being able to get the orange
for her mother, she went about her work dur
ing the afternoon with sad and Responding
thoughts and feelings.
1t was summer time, and her father came
from his work before it was dark.
Go and get me a pint of brandy" he said
TO Jane, IN Il tone that sounded harsh and an
cry to the child, handing her at the same
time a quarter of a dollar. Since the day be-
he had got a pint of brandy, and none
the best would suit him.
She took the money and the bottle, and
went over to the shop. Wishfully she look
ed at the tempting oranges in the window,
she gave the money for the liquor, and
how glad her poor mother would be
10 have one.
As she was hurrying back, she saw a thick
rusty iron ring in the street; she picked it
mp and kept On her way. 1t felt heavy and
heart bounded with the thought that now
could buy the orange for her mother
The piece of old iron was dropped in the
yard as she passed through. After her faith
err had taken a dram, he sat down to his sup
per. While he was eating it, Jane went in
TO the cellar and brought out into the yard
all her little treasure of scrap iron. As she
passed backwards and forwards before the
door facing which her father sat, he observed
her, and felt a sudden curiosity to know what
she was doing. He went softly to the win
dow. and as he did so, he saw her gathering
the iron, which she had placed in a little
pile into her apron. Then she rose up quick
y, and passed out Of the yard into the street.
The father went back to his supper, but his
was gone. There was that in the
Of the child, simple as it was, that moved
his feelings in spite of himself. All at once
he thought of the orange she had asked for
mother; and he felt a conviction that 1t
was to buy an orange that Jane was now go-
ing TO sell the iron she had evidently been
collecting since dinner time.
"How selfish and wicked | an " he said
to himself almost involuntarily.
In a few minutes Jane returned, and with
hand under her apron, passed through the
room where lie sat into her mothers cham
Der. An impulse, almost irresistible, caus-
ed him TO follow her a few moments after.
1t is so grateful " he heard his wife say
as he opened the door.
On entering her chamber, he found her
up in bed eating the orange, while
little Jane stood by her, looking into her face
an air Of subdued, yet heartfelt gratif-
cation. All this he saw at a glance, yet did
not seem to see; for he pretended 10 be in
search of something which, apparently OBJ
he left the room and the house, with
feelings Of acute pain and self-upbraidings.
i" Conc let US go and see these cold wa
ter men," said a companion whom he met a
steps from his own door. "They are
carrying all the world before them"
Very well, come along"
And the two men bent their steps towards
Temperance Hall.
When little James father turned from the
loor of that place, his name was signed to
The pledge, and his heart fixed TO abide by it.
On his way home, he saw some grapes in a
window. lie bought some of them, and a
Of oranges and lemons. When he
home, he went into his wife's chamber,
md, opening the paper that contained the
irst fruits of his sincere repentance, laid them
her, and said with tenderness, while
he moisture dimmed his eyes
:" thought these would taste good to you,
Wary, and so | bought them"
"Oh, William " and the poor wife start
ID, and looked up INTO her husbands face
With an expression of surprise and trembling
nope.