Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-09-24

feeble voice Of Lizzy calling to him frol
the bottom of the stairs. That voice neve
came unregarded to his ears. He laid asid
his work, and went down for his patien
child, and as he took her light form in hi
arms, d carried her up into hisJittle workshop
he felt that he pressed against his heart tn
dearest thing to him in life. And with thi
feeling came the bitter certainty that soor
she would pass away and be no more seen
Thos Claire did not ef,en indulge in ex
terna' manifestations of feeling; but now "a
he held little Lizzy in his arms, he ben
down his face and kissed her,,cheek tender
ly. A light, like CLEAN of sunshine, fel
suddenly upon the pale countenance of the
child, while faint but loving smile played
about her lips. Her father kissed her again
and then laid her upon the little bed thai
was always ready for her, and once more re.
sumed his work.
Claire's mind had been awakened from
its usual leaden quiet. The wants OF his
failing child aroused it into disturbed activ.
! ity. Though beat for awhile, ike a Gagged
| bird. against the bars o necessity, and then
fiuttered back INTO painting imbecility.
At last the boots were done, and with his
thoughts now more occupied With the sup
ply of tobacco he was to obtain, than with
anything else, Claire started to take them
home. As he walked along he passed a
fruit shop, and the thought of Lizzy came
into his mind.
IF we could afford her some of these nice
thingsn he said 10 himself: they would be
food and medicine both, to the dear child
Butt he added with sigh,-'we are poor.--
We are poor! Such dainties are not for the
children of poVeriy!'
He passed along until he came to the ale
house where ne intended to get his penny
worth of tobacco. For the first time a
thought of self-denial entered his mind, as
he stood by the door, with his hand in his
pocket, feeling for his solitary copper.
This would buy Lizzy an orange he
said to himself. But then,' was quickly
added, Il would have no tobacco to-day, nor
10 morrow, for won't be paid for these
boo:s before Saturday, when Barton gets
his wages.
Then came a long, hesitat;ng pause.
There was before the mind Of Claire the
image of the faint and feeble child with ,he
refreshing orange to her lips; and there was
also the image of himself encheered for two
long days by his pipe. But could he for
moment hesitate, if he really loved tina. sick
hid! is asked. Yes, he could hesitate. and
yet love the little sufferer, for, to one of his
order of mind, and habits of acting and feel
ing, a self-indulgence like that of the pipe,
or a regular draught of beer, becomes SO
much like second nature, that it is, as it
were, part of the very life, and to give it
up costs more than light effort.
The penny was between his fingers, and
he took a single step towards the ale-housel
door; bu, SO vividly came back the image of
little Lzzy, that be stopped suddenly. The
conflict, even though the spending o. sim
gle penny was concerned, now became Sc
vere;-love for the child pleaded earnestly,
and as earnestly plead the old habit that
seemed as if it would take no ieniaI.
1t was his last penny that was between
tine cobler's fingers. Had there been two
pennies in his pocket, all difficulty woHid
have imme diately vanished. Having thought
of the orange, he would have bought it with
one of them, and suppl ed his pipe with the
other.-Rut, as affairs now stood, he must
utterly deny himself, or else deny his child.
For minutes the question was debated.
81 will see as come back said Claire at
last, starting on his errand, and thus, for the
time, making sort of compromise. As
he walked along, the argument still went
on his mind. The more his thoughts acted
in this new channel, the more light came
into the cobler's mind, at all times rather
dark and dull. Certain determinations, never
before thought of, were made; and certain
convictions forced themselves upon him.
what is pipe OF tobacco to a healthy
man, compared with an orange to a sick
childp uttered, half aloud, marked at last
the final conclus ion of his mind; and as this
was sad, the pipe, which was still held in
his fingers, was thrust determinedly into
his pocket.
As he returned home, Claire brought the
orange, and in the act experienced a new
pleasure. By a kind of necessity he had
worked on, daily, for his family. upon which
was expended nearly all of his earnings;
and the whole matter came SO much as al
thing of course, that it was no subject oil
coDsc ious thought, and produced no emotion
of delight or pain. But the giving up of his
tobacco for the sake of his little Lizzy, was
an act of self-denial, entirely out of the Or
dinary course and it brought with it its own
sweet reward.
When Claire got back to his home, Lizzy,
was lying at the bottom of the stairs, wait
ilg for his return. lie lifted her, as usual,
in his arms, and carried her up to his shop.
After placing her upon the rude couch he
had prepared for her, he sat do wn upon his
bench, and as he looked upon the white,
shrunken face of his dear ch lid, and met the
fixed, sad gaze OF her large, earnest eye, a
more than usual tenderness came over his
feelings Then, without word, he took
the orange from his pocket, and gave it into
her hand.
Instantly there came over Lizzy's face a
deep flush of surprise and pleasure. A smile
trembled around her wan lips, and an unus-
ual light glltered in her eyes. Eagerly she
placed the fruit to her mouth and drank its
refreshing juice, while every part of Ter
body seemed quiveriug with a sense of de-
light.
is it good, dear?' at length asked the
father, who sat looking on with a new ieel-
ing in his heart.
The child did not answer in words, but
wordslcould not have expressed her sense
of pleasure SO eloquently as the smile that
lit up and made beautiful every feature of
her face.
While the orange was yet at the lips of
Lizzy, Mrs. Claire came into the shop for
some purpose.
'An orangen she exclaimed with surprise,
Where did that come from?'
'Oh, mamma! it is so good!' said the child,
taking from her lips the portion that yet re-
mained, and looking at it with happy face
where IN the world did that come from
,.yo1 e.