Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1853-01-20
I III I s G L L + A N e.
TllE FACTOR i nov.
3 ! HARRIET INEAU.


IN the middle Of dark pigat. Joe l.5a4s1s5 y
Of nine years-qld, heard M name callgd 81
voice which. through tie sleeps seemed
miles a@ay Joel hal been tircts enough
when he went to bed, end yet lie had not
gone to sleep for some time; his h}art beat
50 at the idea Of his mother being very III.
He well Remembered his fathers death ana
his mothers illness Row revived some feel.
ings which lie bad almost forgotten His
bed was merely some CLOTHES spread On the
floor, and coFtred with 4 rug bat e-did
not mind that ard he could have gone to
sleep at once bnt fur Che fear that lad come
over him. Whea he did sleep, bis sleep vas
sound so5that his mothers Feeble voice
calling him seemed like call from miles d.
way
I- -, ,ie candle, he coald just hear the
voice say.
lie lighted tie candle, and his beating
heart seemed to stop when he saw his moth:
er,s face lie seemed hardly to know whetL-
or it was=ls mother or no.
Shall call
Call nobody, my dear Come here
lie laid his check 70 hers.
'Mo4her, you are dying he murmuroi.
"Yes, love. afp3dYiug Tits no use call.
ing any one These little ones, Joel3
4 will take care Of them, mothers
You, my cdiif How should that be 2
sWhy not 2, said thdTboy. raising himself,
and standing ss Ills best height look at
NC, mother q can Work, / promise you
Ills mother could not move her hsnd, hut
she'mosed a finger ia a way that checked
him
Premise nothifg that may be too hard
afterwards Size said
promise totry then. .hesaiii that 1T
lie sister shall live.at home, and never 60 10
the workhouse Hesp0ke cheerfully, though
tho candle glitterod ia The two streams Of
tears on his checks We can 60 oq lRfng
here end we sfall be So
Il voull not do aThg sense Of their COM
ing desolalion rushed over him Ia away toe
terrible TO b borne lie bid his face beside
her, murmuriug- Q mother mother
His mother found strength TO move her
/ hand now She s;roked bis head with a
trembling touch, which be seemed TO feel as
/ long as ho lived She could uot'say much
/ more She told him she bad no fear for any
4 ofIhem. They would b. taken care % Sac
advised him not 10. waken The little ones,
/ who were sound asleep on tho other side Of
/ her. aud begged him toiio down himselftiil
daylight, aud Try 10 sleep when she should
lie gone
This was the last thing she said The
/ candle was very low hut before il went out
i she WIS gone Joel had always done VIA
his mother wished but be could not obey
her in the last thing that she said. liz
lighted another candle waen the first wcni
out; aud sat thinking, till the gray aawr
began to show through the window
! When he called tie neisl.Eors they were
astonished at his quietaess. He had takcI
up the children, and dressed them, and mad
the room tidy, and lighted the fire, before b
told anybody what had happened An;
when he opened the door lis little sister wa
ii his arms
She was two years old, and could walk, 3
course but she liked being in Joeps arms
Poor Willy was the most confoundel. II
stood with his pinafore at his mouth, stafip
at the bed and wondering that Lis nothe
lay 50 still.
If the neighbors were astoniShed at Joe
that morning. they might be more so 8
some things they saw afterwards; but the
were not. Every thing seemed done 50 ma
urally and the hey evidently considere
what he lad to do 50 much matter !
course, that less sensation vas excited tia
! about many smaller things After the +
neral was over, Joel tied up al his mother
clethss He carried the bundle on enc arr
and his sister on the other. He would n
/ have liked to take Money for What be b
seen his mother wear; but he changed the
away for new and strong clothes for5SStl
child. He did not seem 10 want any hel
. He went to the factory the next mornin
IS usual. after washing and dressing i
children, and getting breakfast Of trei
and milk with them j There was no FIR
: and be put every knifSand other dangero
! thing On high shelf, and gave them son
S TRIES to play with, and promised to egg
{ and play with them At dinner time Al
he did play He played heartily with I
: little ones as if he enjoyed It, every day
u the noon hour. Many merry laugh I
peiehbors heard from that room when