Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1855-06-09


TUE ONE. The old man had studied that som
time. and carefully replaced it-thc Bible az
not then as now, growdusty while otherboo
- were thumbed to pieces He had eaten III
apples, drank his cider, and cracked som'
walnuts for his wife, whose teeth were sounde
than his own !; and now sat close as ne coult
himself to the flames without scorching hi
homespun garments. nodding good bye tt
sky-bound sparks. The old lady had rollec
up her knitting and, with her broken fork
lin those days they had not heard OF nul
picks-with her two-tinned fork which hao
lost one of its members, sat digging out with
a patience worthy of the gold mines of these
times, the rich sweet kernels. .. s....a sod
Suddenly she dropped both fork and nut
and in another instant started to her ieet
her pan falling from her lap and threatening
many grease spot OH the well secured loor.
fastening to her husband, she shook his
shoulders, saying, Wake up quick and listen
Half frightened he jumped and came, near
setting his stocking feet upon living Goals
but his watchful wife, drawing him of the
hearth, whispered. little wildly, Listen
now don't you hear 2 Hear what 2 said be.
still hafasleep. Why, the sound like achd
CRYING. There now it goes again. Do 90 to
the door The old man, nov fully reused,
stood with his hand to his ear, the right one
the left had been deaf for many a year.
It's the wind. wife don't you know it : 1t is
a fashion it has when it is cold. ... ......
1t wasn't the wind. said she, solemnly. with
little nervous agitation yet visible in her
face. Il know the cry of the winu it never
makes n sound like that. There. and she
cling to him quivering like q dead leaf. don't
you hear it {? He certainly did hear some
thing that sounded like the cry of child I;
and now, it did not die away, as it had when
his wife had noticed it, with Il single sob, but
lengthened into screams. But how it could
lsound so near, or whence come, was a mystic
ry; for the house then stood far away from
any other house but At was a child's cry,
that was certain. .rs-.... ....... ...
III go and see" said he summoning cour-
age to his somewhat faint heart, aud he turned
to the door. His wife followed close ana fast
on his steps. As he withdrew the little slip
Of wood that fastened the latch--there wasn't
u bolt or lock in the town,--and opened the
door bundle so it seemed, though Of what it
was hard to guess. fell into the room with
heavy. lileless sound. The wind blew white
sheet over it ere they could again iasten the
latch. Half horror. half wonderstruck, they
dragged the coarse blanket TO the earth. and.
unrolling it, discovered woman and child
the latter struggling to free itself from its
many wrappers. and screaming with all its
might; the former motionless rs a corpse,
with lips as ashy and cheeks as suuken. \
half hours charity to the babe. who seemed
to have seen twelve month, completely re-
viyed it; and it lay on its pillow with its lit
tie white feet stretched to the fire, as happy
as love could have made il. coo;pg as sweetly
as though nesting on its mothers warm b0-
som. But it took longer to bring back u
pulse to its pale protector; and many times
did the good Samaritans turn from her. leav-
Ing the sheet drawn over her as we cover
corpse But sigh, so faint that il seemed
dying breath, at length encouraged them and
they applied restoratives until satisfied She
would Jet live.
But it was many weary day ere she could
leave her bed when at last She stole from it.
and sat up in the old lady's rocker and ulled
her baby with old songs. she seemed TO her
watchers more like spirit than sick, sad
stranger Bpt gradually, through their ten
der nursing. She recovered strength, and not
only tended her child but assisted the old
lady in many of her domestic duties. But
she said very little-less than they could have
wished for in their hearts they longed to
know her story. They knew She was a sinner.
knew t.py the meek penitent way in which
she hung her head when they read the Bible,
at morn and night knew it ty the stained
face she raised to them after each prayer
But they loved her all the more, or rather
were all the kinder to her And though slie
revived memories that it vas agony to bear.
! they folded her to their affections as they
! would their own lost lamb, had she not gone
ere they could reach her. The winter passed
and still the stranger fingered, filling with her
/ little one small place in the house. but
/ large one in each heart. One bright golden
spring morn, after assisting in the morning as
. hon harnn,n 1ar lobit Che ~ al 10 InJ
room with her babe, and soon re-appeared
wrapped in the same coarse garments they
had worn on that frosty night OF their arrival.
Give her one kiss, grandma, and you
grandpa said she. holding the child first to
one, and then to the others wrinkled faces
and now, father. mother,-do let me call you
/ this once give the unWedded mother one
and we will 90. and wherever go / viii pray
/ for you, and she shall be taught too : and she
rushed wildly to the door. They stopped
! her, caught her child, and pleaded with her
to stay. BE to us still what you have been
so long, our daughter and do not take from
US our darlidg baby, We should die without
her t..I,... ......., -... t.. r.i.. ....r.r.
Great drops gathered on the still pale
brow, whilst tears rushed down her cheeks
and her lips Quiyered with a fearful agony
She wrung her hands, she beat her heart, she
| itSntu NtI .llnlbs-sut SttHi'u llNe one VINO
was half mad "Give me the child one mo.
ment,' she exclaimed and clasping it wildlytp
her bosom, she bathed its smiling face, with
drops wrung from its keenest woe, then kissed
it passionately, and held il out to them
Both stretched their hands and the little one
with an equal love, gave to the pne its right,
and to the other its left hand and, upheld
between them, crowed and screamed in baby
glee. ti' ..''.''
nShe is the child Of sin,' said the mother
with a solemnity that awed, for moment.
the carol of her baby the child of sin, but
herself pare and holy Of the offspring of a
! welded tie VIII you keep her so ii leave
her here? If she goes with me, she will not
long be an angel, unless, indeed. God takes
her; would he had taken her mother when
she was as young? II she stays with you she
may ever be one, Will you keep herr and
she screamed the words into their ears, as
though she would have made their inmost
nerves awaken. it "sh'i' iafa
awe will, we will " said they; 'aud more
we will keep you too, Stay with us-stay
you shall be to us a daughter-replace the
one we have lost; we will be your parents
Ii shall be home 10 us four | cannot,
said she, wildly. 'Your daughter was stain
less girl. l am dyed in sin : and she shook
with agony.