Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-09-06

From the Ladies' Wre"'h.
THE, LITTLE 1NvALiO'
- -,yr~vy AND nj KssEINE55.
! sroaY Os rosEsr' ND BIZ
ByS. C. Merrigate.

1ssx.h.,' said little Bob Downicc- a
e.Lf.ccd bow Of twelve years, why do
en- ~. dear children love Us so,-Eiich
aud me. and Charlie!
Il cannot tell, my dear. unless II De mar
-, an love them,' answered the KING
hearted mother.
r., we'ye done nothing 50 good TO
-. 90 ,hey have done to us -. II " 81
%, co 10 school and learn! How
Ill ,,,ev know we should love II 50. and
900 and help US pick berries, that we
might CO. !,
i suppose they love it, and arc 50 good
thew wish you 10 enjoy il TOO. buf now
Iesrs. they are coming with their baskets.
In moment the books were LAID away,
md li,t,c Ellen came out, smiling IN her
lean home frock, aud with her basket
ready 10 90 with her brother Bob aud the
.ehool children to the fields. 10 gather ber-
-. In came the little flock Of bright
.ved. LAUGHING. children. chattcrng. frol-
;.L;ny and Tutoring along. like merry
,,ooo OF bright winged birds. and met III"
h,nnv Bob and Ellen at the white washed
cate of the small w,itcwashed cottage.
that snwgslrd down among the trees and
roscs and the rich grape-vincs. made the
home Of the poor widow Downlcc and her
three children.
They me, as joyfnlly as If their scpa-
ration had been for days. and not SIMPLY
The intervening. half-hour since school was
out. They hushcd their gayer laugh in
siiuctiv,y n moment, as they came swarm
IN. IN around little Charlie, whose thin.
pale face, and spiritual eyes. showed the
II.
him their greeting. and some brought
c.ui.s. and many flowers. and all brought
hearty good will 10 the helpl"ss child, as
he sat smiling and weeping on them. un-
der the shade Of great rock maple, that
Swallowed all the house. In this cool
n,ace the little invalid would sit in his easy
chair, aud do his share to help his poor
mother feed and cloihc them.
They were so poor, that all they could
do bu, l,st sulliccdto keep them comfort
sLlc and neat All day long. IN the sun
mer season, little Bob and Ellen had been
Obliged to work to keep themselves from
want. In the early summer. they cult
gated flowers. and tho two healthy child
rem took care Of them. and gathered the
blooms aud brought them 10 thariic. uil-
der the maple: and h. w"rc them INTO
beautiful wrca,hs, aud bright ooInets' ana
arranged them carefully IN trrr'l, water, I"
ke.p tl,cu bright till ncishhor John. i
knl farmer aud III arNei man, who drove
% town every night should call aud take
them to sell Tor them.
And when the berries b"Can 10 rip"n.
Bob aud Ellen picked them. and Charlie
nut them into baskets. very neatly; and
hciohbor John was still thor markrt-snan
who brought them back all the proceeds
In money. or what things they needed.
mud " yuld I Tx. nothing for his trouble
The mother. meanwhile. bv the needle
and by Keeping bccs.--thrt feel on the
rich flowers. and :, brought Nv" harves1l
10 II, en-. lesid. the b .auiy th'v display eel.
and rent to aIl.-anh by whatever her
SLIGHT frame could bear. would wiring life 5
blessings out of poverty. and. hy h"r own
sweet patience and good heart Of her lit
lie ones from loss. so closely DID "uani
Want dor them. that IL days delay IN
their united cndcavors would Strengthen
some small comfort. and cndang"r many
(, But she had no troublr-onlv 10 think
her little ones were growing up unsarned
when nothing but the me was needed:
for the summer school was free. and the
wjDfcr:s. cost but the fuel OF the fire
What the elowcrcharity of the parents had
not suggested. the quick >ympaihlc> oithe
village children promptcd; and one even
in. after school they held little congress.
without votes or chairman. and no pari-
zanship. save rivalry of generous cNPcdl-
ents. to 90, little Bob aud Ellen into the
school; and the result was. they deter
mincl 10 devote bali an hour all together
10 help them pick berries; and this from
the thirty scholars that composed the
school. most of whom could go every al
tcrnoon. would more than compensate for
the six hours that the children would spend
in school. Their parents were glad. for
the charity which they thought too small
D offer would be acceptable from their
children.
This was the second trial of their ex-
pertinent. and their nimble fingers had
brought in MANY more berries than the
two had done all the hot day before. And
some would linger back. who had time to
help Charlie arrange them in their baskets:
and when neighbor John came. in the cool
Of the evening. to take them. he was pleas
cd TO find So many. And now the merry
troop had come again. and after word
~ happy greeting for mother powniec and
the gentle invalid. away they bounded
oyer the wall. and into the hclls;-iirst.
over went their baskets in shower upon
the grass, and then they followed ike a
little catarac;-a many colorcd torrent
pouring over the wall. and away across
the grass. with chirp and laugh, and gen
crous-hearted glee
Little Charlie. helpless and alone, sat
in his shady nest. and looked out. smiling
swectly under the green Dough, on the
joyous group; and if he envied them any,
thing. il was their good hearts tina, could
prompt them to find their happiness in
serving others.
The tull-hcarted mother. busy with her
needle. looked from her seat in the cottage
door. on the bliihe group. and on her s:nil-
ing boy; and two bright tears ,rembled in
her eyes. as she wondered if no pang
touched him. that he could not bound a.
way with them in their happy sport-task
And perhaps memory of the past came