Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-09-24
This was said in an approving voice, and

ms was SAID IN an approving voice, an
added another peasurable emotion to thos
he was already feeling. The mother s
down, and, for few moments, enjoyed Il
sight of her sick child, as she continued |
extract the refreshing juice from the frui
When she went down stairs, and resume
her household duties. her heart beat NOR
lightly iE her bosom than it had beaten fc
a long time.
\ Not once through that whole day, di
Thos Claire feel the want of his pipe; fc
the thought ofthe orange kept his mind i
so pleased a state, hat a mere sensual de
sire like that FOR Whit of tobacco, had n
odwer over him.
Thinking of the orange, of course, ,brough
other thoughts; and before the day closed
Claire had made a calculation of how mucl
his beer and tobacco rnoaey would amoun
| to in year. The sum astonished him. Ht
paid rent for the little house in which he
lived, two pounds sterling year. which he
always thought large sum. But his beer
| aud tobacco cost nearly seven pounds! He
went over ard over the calculation dozen
times, in doubt of the first estimate, but Il
always came out the same. Then he began
to 20 over in his mind the many comforts
seven pounds per annum would give to his
family; and particularly how many little
luxuries might be procured for Lizzy whose
delicate appetite turned from The coarse
food that was daily set before her.
But to give up the beer and tobacco in
toto, when it was thought OF seriously, ap-
peared impossible. How could he be with J..
out them!
On that evening, the customer whose
boots he had taken home in the morning,
called in, Unexpectedly, and paid for them.
Claire retained sixpence of the money,
and gave the balance to his wife. With this
sixpence in his pocket he went out for a
mug of beer, and some tobacco to replenish
his pipe. He staid some time-longer than
he usually took for such an errand
When he came back he had three oranges
in his pocket, and in his hands were two
fresh bunns, and cup of sweet W milk
No beer had passed his lips, and his pipe was
yet unsupplied. He had passed through
another long conflict with his old appetites
but love for his child came off, as before,
the conqueror.
Lizzy, who dropped about all day, lying
down most of the time, never went 10 sleep
early. She was awake as usua! when her
father returned. With scarcely less eager
ness than she had eaten the orange in the
morning, did she now drink the nourishing
milk and eat the sweet buns, while her
father sat looking at her, his heart throb-
bing with inexpressib!e delight.
From that day the pipe and the mug were
thrown aside. 1t cost a prolonged struggle
But the man conquered the mere rimal
And Claire found himself no worse off IN
health. He could work as many hours, and
with quite as little fatigue; and in fact, he
found himself brighter in the morning, and
ready 70 go to his work earlier, by which he
was able TO increase at least a shilling or
two, lis weekly income. Added to the COM
tort of his family ,.eight or ten pounds year
produced great change. But the greatest
change was in little Lzzy. For few weeks
every penny saved from the beer and tobac-
CO, the father regularly expended for his
sick child; and it soon became apparent,
that it was nourishing food more than medi-
cine, that Lizzy needed. She revived won-
dertully;and no long time passed before she
could sit up for hours. Her little tongue
too, became free once more, and many an
hour of labor did her voice gain beguile.
And the blessing of better food came also
in time to the other children. and to ALL
so much to come from the right spending
of single penny Claire said to himself, as
he sat and reflected one day. 'Who could
have believed it!'
And as it was with the poor cobbler, SO
will it be with all of US. There are little |
matters of self-denial which, if we had but
the true benevolence, justice and resolution
to practice, would be the beginning of more
important acts of like nature, that when
performed, would bless not only our fami-
lies. but others; and be returned upon US in
a reward of delight incomparably beyond
any thing that selfish and sensual induigen-
ces have in their power to bring.