The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-06-25
RAVENNA,, THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 1857.
"You have made mistake, SIR" she

$50 meant, girl" So, e. .
A moment the child gazed into the old
mans face, and then she burst into tears.
80, STRIP she uttered, cstching his han Is
and pressing her lips upon them. "God
bless you for this! You know not what joy
will illume my poor fathers heart when he
knows Of this. God bless you, now and
forevert" ..
When Martha Allen was gone, Absalom
Burr wiped tear from his eye. Kate look.
ed up through her own tears and saw him.
She moved quietly to his side, and putting
her soft arm about his neck, she kissed him
upon the cheek. But she did not speak.
An excellent supper was partaksn of, and
in the evening Kate sang some Of her sweet
est songs 10 her uncle, and more than once
while she sang she saw tears in his eyes.
That night, when Absalom Burr laid his
head upon his pillow, he had new emotion,
and it was strange one to him-yet it
was a sweet and blessed one. He had done
deed of charity, and the blessing Of that
poor but noble girl yet rung in his ears and
dropped upon his soul and he imagined he
could hear the prayers of Mark Allen as
cending to heaven in his behalf. He knew
Mark Allen for an honest, Industrious,
steady, hard working man, and he felt sure
that Marx would pray for him. Surely the
thought was blessed one.
But stop! Who gave that saving giftl-
Who was it did that deed OF charity!
"By the saints" murmured the old man,
starting half up in bed, "I did it! Kate
shan't pay me one cent! She shan'u Bless
me if she sha!l!''
And Absalom lay back upon his pillow,
and in the night he dreamed that Martha
Allen was an angel, and that she came to
bless him. 1t was a sweet, cheering dream
Two days afterwards Kate proposed that
they should go and visit Mark A lien. "For,' -
said he, "our presence may cheer him."
And the old man finally consented to go.
They reached the humble cot, and were
welcomed in by Martha. They found old
Mark sitting in a great, stuffed chair which
neighbor had sent in, and though he look
ed pale and wan, yet warm smile suffused
his face, as he saw the visitors.
"Mr. Burr" he said, while big tears stood
in his eyes, Il can never pay you for the no.
BILE kindness you have shown me. may
at some time pay you the money, but |
cannot pay you all, for the bare money is al
nothing compared with the knowledge tha
J, have such a generous friend to stretch
out his saving hand in the hour of gloon
, and misery" =
1"Talk not of money to me-" returned Tn
, Gle Absalom, earnestly and warmly. "If il
servedyou am already more than repaid
Il The blessings of man are cheaply pur haset
when so slight sum can do it; and, more.
over, have been repaid in the very knowl.
edge that have been of service to suffer-
ing fellow" .tu
Even Kate was surprised at this; but she
knew twas real, and she was glad.
4 When they arose to depart, at the end o
nearly ain hour, Martha followed them to tht
\ door and here she blessed the old man again
He was moved by a generous impulse, ont
, he took golden half.eagle from his pocke
and handed it to her.
4 "No, no." she said, drawing her hand back
i "What you have already given us will suf
fee until father gets out. But there is on
-, who would be blessed with the gift, and
you will permit me I will ralinquish the gif
in her behalf. The poor Widow Wildredg
= is very low, and her daughter is sick. cal
= ried them over some food this morning, an
: found them quite destitute"
But Uncle Absalom was a stubborn ma,
. and he wonld have his own woy.
U "Take this," he said, "and l may find ar
other for Mrs. Wldredge Your father wi
not be able to work for some time yet; 6
take IT,. If you will, will call on the wit
ow--but if you refuse me, wont move
=. step only towards home"
~ Martha took the money with fearful eye
and Mr.. Burr heard more blessings as
laf turned away. Widow Wi.dredge's dwellir
* was not fer off. and thither the. uncle al
neice turned their steps. They found Il
~ mother, woman of some fifty years sittil
by the bedside of her sick daughter. 81
l arose as the visitors came in, and her cou
tenance plainly showed that she wonder
why Absalom Burr had called. But she SO
T an angel in Kate's mild blue eyes.
en- Absalom and the widow were both pla
T mates once, and the ice was soon broken.
IS. Gradually the uncle and neice drew forth t
es story Of the. woman's suferngs. and them
lat old man drew forth his pocket book, and to-
or tAerelrom fifteen dollars. /
RI ''Here," he said, as he handed it to t
nd widow, "this may serve to tighten your b'
ak den some. am able while you are neet
be Takeit, ndremember thlt yol may look
wn me again when need comes upon you"
Mechanically the woman took the mon
and having gazed first upon the charm
notes. and then upon the doner, she bow
vay her head and thanked God for the blessi
Ter. And then, while the warm tears gushed 70
h." she caught the old'man by the hand,
4 poured forth her thanks.
ull' When Absalom Burr sat down to his 9