Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-06-01
Gge Story GtIItr,
The Lord will Provide"
BY THE MISTRESS OF MossYGLADEs.

BY THE MISTRESS OF MoSSYGLADES.
On cold, dreary afternoon of December, a
cart load of ricketty furniture was carried into
miserable tenement on a miserable street,
and there received by its owners, who had
preceded 1.-TWO squalid girls, with paint on
their hollow cheeks, and tawdery fnery on
their meagre forms, who uttered obscene jests
in the very ears of a bloated, ragged, besotted
swered by dwelling laughter at their degra-
dation.
In one of the cheerless rooms of which they
were thus taking possession, stood its rejected
tenant, young widow, sick and weary look
ing, with two little children at her side. AS
she folded, with trembling hands, a scanty
shawl over her black garments, the faces of
the sisters showed something Of pity, so often
mercifully allowed to linger when every other
holy feeling has fled from the human heart.
Have you far to go one of them asked
The pale lips of the widow moved with an
inarticulate reply.
Mother has to look for home,' said the
elder child-a bright, handsome boy about
six years old.
1t is too late for that, and likely to be
stormy this evening" said the girl you can
stay here till morning if 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 anything
said the other, with course laugh, to which
the father retorted with hiccupped oath.
The children ciung to their mother, who
gently shook her head, and murmuring May
God remember you for this Kindness as she
passed down the creaking steps, while, with a
feeling of awe which they could not under
stand, the sisters silently looked after her.
Emerging from the dirty and dismal street,
the widow led her children along wide tho
roughfare, bewildering with its ever-changng
crowds and the continuous thunder of swiftly
passing wheels. At first her steps were pain
fully feeble and slow, but they grew more and
more rapid, and with her pallid face set
danger or observation, she hurried on. At
length the feet Of the younger child, little
girl, began to flag, and though she patiently
tried to keep up, her eyes were filled wifi
tears.
Mother, ELY is very tired won't we soon
find home1 said the little boy, looking up
appealingly.
The Lord will PROVIDE answered the mo-
ther; and the child, wise beyond his years,
from his tutelage amid sorrow and suffering,
looked still more earnestly into her face. 1t
had changed even within an hour. The fea-
lures were haggard and shrunken, and there
was wild CLEAN in her eyes that had never
been there before.
Mother has her fever on her, and that
wicked man has taken her bed, whispered the
little fellow TO his sister.
The crowds began to grow thinner and the
noises more broken, and still that ghost like
figure went, as if unconsciously forward. The
passers by half paused, and some even turned
back to look at her. The weary little girl
still dragged herself along silently, but with
tears running down her face.
Mother, ELY is very hungry again spoke
the boy have you any money to buy her
some bread =
The Lord will provide, again the mother
answered and that time in a voice so strange
ly hollow, that, for moment, the weeping
child's tears were checked, and she looked
wonderingly up at the countenance in which
she had never before missed an expression Of
love or compassion when her little wants were
named. Still the hurried step was not
checked.
The houses now were less closely set, and
lights began to shine through the windows.
There were no longer crowds, but here and
there a solitary passer. Sometimes for min
utes neither hoof nor heel disturbed the grow
ing stiffness. Day had given place to dim
moonlight, through which the dusty clouds
sent down at intervals chilling drift of scat
terIng snow At length the street itself ter
minated. The children paused to be guided
either to the right or left, but there was a
crossing before them, and their mother, whose
strength had for some time seemed to be fail
dng her, still kept on. Facing them appeared
deep, arched gateway, f1anked by turrets of
stone, and through this the widow passed, un-
til her course was arrested by lofty iron gate.
1t was the entrance to a cemetery
Where are we, my son q she family asked.
Is it home, mother = returned the little
boy; what are those white things there-tall,
like trees, and the others that look like peo-
pie g but there was no answer, and the mother
clung to the bars of the gate, as if to save her
self from sinking.
Let US sit down and rest,' said the little
girl, here is place, and she dropped her
weary little form upon broad surbase of stone
running round one of the turrets.
Shan't we rest, mother 9 said the boy.
Where, my sonny sight fails me.
She seated herself where he led her, and
resting her head a moment upon his full, round
chest, she drew the little girl close to her
bosom. Say after me-both, she murmured
the Lord will provide
The Lord will PROVIDE repeated the little
girl, as if by rote.
R The Lord will PROVIDE said the bow. as if
he felt tho snirit of the worda