Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1846-10-01
5 Whole No. $50.
5clectc0 Gales.
From Jarrold's Shilling Magazine.
MRS. EDEN'S SIXPENCE.
A short story for samarit.,ss.

The door TO beg. But the KNOCK k-'""'a
aud hesitating at i, was--dlsturbed the
baby, that after much rocking and sooth-
ing, Mis-. Eden had just succeeded III
getting into its first sleep. And very
displeasej with the knock was MIR. Eden
IN consequence, and her mind was fully
made up,-not only TO dismiss the beg
gar-if beggar it were-wlthout aims,
but to speak sharp word or two into
the bargain But this last resolution
was dismissed before she reached the
door, for she encountered u cutting gust
of wind in the passage, which made her
remember how severe the weather was
out in the bleak streets, and opporl unely
reminded her that christian charity
would not tolerate sharp words under The
circumstances
Severe enough, God knows, the weather
had been for some days. People who
had made their calculations, decided
that for several winters, the thermome-
ter had mol fallen so many degrees below
the freezing point. Only that morning,
within half a mile of Mrs. Eden's resi-
dence, a girl had been found stone dead
frozen poor thing, on the doorstep OF
rich mans house. But the rich mar
know not, of course, that she wds there,
for it is not IN the human heart to suf-
fer IA fellow creature to perish with cold
and hunger on doorstep.
The rich man had dropped into sound
sleep-drawing up his limbs in his com
Portable bed OF the ira
gedy which, so near to him, was wit
messed by the awful frost.
H When Mis- Eden had got the door o.
Ipen,-wh,ch was not easy OF accom-
Instrumentation the wind for some mo-
ments absolutely insisted on keeping it
shut--she beheld little, ragged sIarv-
ling of what sex she could not determine,
small enough to be only six years old
but sufficiently aged in features to be
twelve or ,hirieen--poverty having done
the work Of time, and labored at il with
good will. Now Mrs. Eden, as we
have seen, had determined TO bcstow no
aims. The crying baby still admon'sh-
ed her OF the interruption to its slumbers,
and as it was "a very wakeiul baby M
deed, she had to calculate upon second
course of rocking and soothing, before
she could lay II Oh the pillow, and so
find an opportunity of preparing her
huband's supper. But woman's heart,
and a mothers heart especially, Is na-
ture's masterpiece of sympathy.
And Mrs. Eden, who had little time
for reading books, was great scholar
in human faces. Gods Gospel, she Of
ten said in her own quaint fashion, was
written IN children's leatures,-a speech
for which she was, on one occasion, taxi
en- soundly to task, by local preacher
and distributor of tracts. believe she
was right notwithstanding.
When she had looked only an in
stant upon tho liHle ragged eplcene, aud
heard the piteous wall which its ih'r
blue lips had uttered and which resolved
itself into some such words as these
Have YOU anything to give poor
child tonight, that's got no mother,
please
She felt twinge at the heart, that by
some process of assoc .ation, had refer
ence TO certain slxpenee which was
deposited IN pill box thai stood upon
the mantle within, aud which she had
lha, morning picked up IN an adjoining
street.
IL seemed to Mrs Eden that this wo'f
could no, be applied TO better use than
the rehef Of The little mendlcant. Ac-'
cordingly she bestowed tho coin upon
the child, whose faculty Of speech was
aver,ed by the magnitude of the aims,
and the donor was unlhanked. She did
no, heed the circumstance, for she be.
lonred not to that class OF benefactors
who are uneasy il the palate Of their be-
nevolence goes uu,ickled by praise.
The child grasping the coin IN It's lit
tic hand made quick way to the bakers
shop, before whose window, among 9TH
or frost pinched children, she (ior u was
a girl ,ha, Mrs. Eden had relieved, had
stood bu, brief while beEfe, eyeiag
the Ioaves that were hopeless ei al
Al 81 ussla