Butte record., 1854-07-08

fuse half withered flower to a little
child, | wonder that roses could blossom
on her soil At the 'smiting of the rod, ;
no waters could flow out of such a
granite heart In the moral desert Of
such character, no fertilizing stream
can make It's way"
| did not answer cousin Ned's earnest.
eloquent tones. for Just then there was
the low rap of visitors at the parlor
door but | have always thought there
was good angel in the room while he
was speaking, and that it few straight
to Mss Stebbins, and looking down.
down, very far down in her heart, he saw
fountain there rank weeds grew all
around it, The seal of years was on its
lip, and the angel smiled, as !, foated
upward, and murmured, " shall return
and remove the seal, and the waters will
flow"
Stern and grim sat Miss Stebbins at
her work one summer afternoon. The
golden sunshine slept and danced in its
playhouse in the corner, and broke into
loud laugh along the ceiling, and a
single beam, bolder than the rest, crept
to the hem of Miss Stebbins' gown, and
looked up with iimid, loving smile. in
her face, such as no human being ever
wore when boxing the e.
Poor NJ IS Slebbins! those stern,
harsh features only daguerr5 oiyped too
faithfully the desolate, arid heart be-
meath them ana that heart with its dry
fountain was true type Of her life,
with the one flower Of human affection
which had blossomed many years before,
along It's bleak, barren highway.
She never seemed 10 love anybody,
unless it WIS her brother William, who
was a fayorite with everybody but he
went 10 sea and has never beea heard Of
since Sally hal always BEEN stray
sheep among the fliuily but da k hours
and at las, death, came upon all the rest,
and SO the homes cad fell into her hands.
Such WIS the bri f, verbal history Of
Miss St bbins' life, which I received
fom Aunt Mary, who closed it there,
in rigid adherence TO her iavorite max
i'm, never TO speak evil of her neigh5o,s
But that summer afternoon, there
came the patter Of children's feet along
the gravel wa wh cll led to Miss S;eb-
bins front door, and at the same mo-
'"ent, the angel, with golden edged
wings, came down from its blue sky
home, into Miss Stebbins' pailor
She raised her head and saw there
two weary looking children, with golden
hair and blue cv's. standing hird in
hand under the little portico, and then
that old termagant scow dai aikened her
lor, head, and she asked, with a sharp,
dishgreeable no in her voice, like the
raw lr ath in the northeast wind
Wa-a!l I sho id ike to know what
you want standing there :"
Please, mann" sail the boy, in a
tim d, enlreaiing voice, which ought to
have found its way straight into any
heart, little sister and | feel very
tired, for we have walked long way
VIII you let Us sit down on the step and
rest httle while :"
No, I can't have children loafng
around on my premises" said Miss Steb-
bins, with the same vinegar sharpness Of
tone which had characterized her pre-
ceding reply. Moreover, the sight of
any Of the miniature specimens of her
race, seemed always fated to arouse her
b lligerent propensities. SO just take
yourself off and the quicker the better
twill be for you"
Don't stay any longer, Willy, am
sfraid,' whispered the little girl, with
tremor ripp ins through her voice, as
she pull significantly at her brothers.
coat sieve.
Willy, Willy That was your
brothers name don't you remember -
the angel bent down and whispered very
saftly in the harsh woman s ear and all
The time his hand was gliding down,
lo~n in her heart, searching for that
hidd fountain . You must have been
just aboG: that little girl age when you
and he used 70 90 trudging down into
the III n.aiows together to find sweet-fag
root And YOU used to keep tight hold
of bis hand. just as she does Oh, how
tired you used 10 get! Don't yon re-
member that old brown house, where no.
body lived but starved rats and swarm
OF wasps, who made their nest there in
. sN,-l i