The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1854-03-09
AIRE LoRp WllL PaoYlpf.g
BY THE MIsraess OF MOssreIADrs.

o-'e A~ee VI ttchety tufnltuTe was carried
INTO miserable tenement on a miserable l
street. and their received by iIs owner, who |
had preceded it-two squaiId girls with paint
on Their hollow cheeks, and tawdry foery on
Their meagre forms, who uttered obscene
lesss IN theyery ears ola bloated, ragged, |
oesctted creature they called their father,
ana were answered BY dwelling laughter at
their gradation.
10 one Of the cheeFless rooms OF which
they were tn q taking possession stood its
eJected tenant, young widow. wan, sick
and weary -looking, with two little children
at her side. AS she folded, with trembia0l
hands, scaDtY shawl over her black gar
ments The faces the sisters showed some
thing 0pi,y, so often mereifuIly allowed 10
linger when every other holy feeling has
fed the human heart.
Have you far 70 gOl" ose Of them asked.
The pale lips Of the widow moved with an
inarticulate reply.
Mother has TO look for home,vs id the
elder child-a brigbt,handsOme boy, six years
old.
at is too late for that. and likely to be
stormy this evening"" said the girl; s.you
can stay here till morning il you have no
place else; we can give you something to
lie on in this corner the old man has TO
sleep over yonder, but no matter"
"He's too drunk already to notice any
thing" SAID the other, with a coarse laugh TO
which the father retorted with hiccuped
oath.
The children clung still closer to their
mother, who gently shook her head, and
mumuring May God remember you for this
Kindness" she passed down the cresking
steps, while, with feeling of awe which
they could not understand the sisters silent
! ly looked after her.
Emerging from the dirty and dismal street, /,
the widow led her children aloDga wide
thoroughfare, bewildering with its ever
changing crowds and with the continuous
thunder Of swiftly passing wheels. At first
her steps were painfully feeble and slow but
they grew more and more rapid, and, with
her pallid face set straight before her,
strangely unheeding of danger or observa-
ton, she hurried on. At length the feet of
the younger child, a little girl, began TO flag,
and though she patiently tried to keep up,
her eyes were filled with tears.
"Mother, Ely is very tired wont we
soon find homer" said the little boy, look
ing up appealingly.
| lie LOIu VIII PtONthCJ NHC
mother; and the child, wise beyond HE
years from his tutelage amid sorrow and
suffering, looked still more earnestly into
her face. II had changed even within an
hour. The features were haggard and
shrunken, and there was a wild CLEAN in
her eyes that had never been there before.
another has her fever on her, and that
wicked man has taken her bed," whispered
the little fel ow to his sister.
The crowds began to grow thinner and
the noises more broken, aud still that worn,
ghost like figure went, as II unconsciously
forward. The .pnssers-by holf paused, anC
some even turned back to look after her. -
The weary little girl s,i dragged hersel
along silently, but with teais running dowr
her face.
Another, ELY very hungry" again
spoke the boy; "have you any money to buy
her some breadl'
"The Lord will provide, again the moth
er answered, and that time in a voice ST
strangely holoR that, Tor moment th'
weeping child's tears were checked, anu
she looked woaderingly up at the counten'
ance in which she never before had mise
an expression OF love or compassion wheI
her little wants were named. Still the hur
/ red step was not checked.
The houses now were less closely sci
and lights began to shine through the win
dows. There were no longer crowds, bu
here and there solitary passer. Some
times for minutes neither hoof nor whee
I disturbed the growing stiffness. Day ha
given place to dim moonlight, throug
which the gusty clouds sent down at inter
> walls chilling drift of scattering snow.
. length the street itself terminated. Th
children paused to be guided either TO tn
I right or left, but there was crossing b'
fore them, and their mother, whose strengl
had for some time seemed to be falling he
still kept on. Facing them appeared deel
arched gateway, fanked by turrets of ston
and through this the widow passed, unit
C ner course was arrested by a lofty iro
: gate. 1t was the enterance to the
e Cemetry.
"Where are we, my son!' she faint
: asked.
ais it home, motherW returned the lit
boy; what are those white things there
: tall like trees, and the others that look iii
= people!" but there was no answer, and Il
: mother clung to the bars of the gate, as il
: save herself from sinking.
y "Let US sit down and rests" said the Ii
y tie girl, "here is place;" and she dropPt
her weary little form upon abroad surbase
stone running round one Of the turrets.
q "Shan't wsall rest, mother!" said Il
q, boy.
I" "Where, my soonl-my sight fails me
lg She seated herself where he led her, al
"a resting her headt moment upon his fu
round chest, she drew the little girl c lose
her bosom. "Say after ms-both," 81
be murmured, "the Lord will provide"
= "The Lord will provide" repeated the !
n tie girl. as if BY rote.
.t "rhe Lord will provides" said the boy,
VI if he felt the spirit of the words.
"The widow stretched her limbs and Ia
N, her head upon the chilly stone, then fold
Il. her hands upon her breast, and all was stl
he The little girl, shivering, settled herself
her mothers feet, and the boy took seat
her head. "Mother is asleep" said
", when he had watched her pale face a fe
as minutes, and he arose and looked throu
:, the gate. What could those strange whi
~ things be, that looked as II built Of men!
a' He walked back to the lquiet street and loo
ed around. Could this be home! He pa
ed to the farther side OF the turret agair
ne which his mother rested. There he saw
g. door and little pointed window, of q
lu- mond-shaped panes, with white and crims
drapery, through which the light of
flashed and flckered, and he heard fem
.es voice, soft and low, singing cradle hyu
ire He went back to the gateway, where
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