The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-07-22

Sooiy " wv VlOOA yCS1 anu u suc uuI.
tied, perhaps by one. Love and anxiety
lent new strength to her weary srms and
five minutes after the clock struck one she
hung the last garment on the line, and was
just about epptying her tub, when the mis-
tress came in with couple of bed-quilts,
saying-- et tFef si1t 90 @
% "As you have SO small wash to-day, Ada,
| think you may do these YETI
After tbs mistress had turned her back, q
cry of agony wrung from the deepest foun.
tain Of the watherwoman's heart, gushed to
her lips. Smothering il as best she could,
she set to again and rubbed, rinsed and hung
out, 1t was half past three when she start
ed for home--Gp hour too late" and the aget
narrator sobbed.
IAN hour too late,' continued she after I
long pause. "Her husband was dying; yei
almost gone! He had strength given him Il
whisper few words to the half-ffantic wife
to tell her how he had lOnged to look upor
her face; that he could not see her then, he
lay in the shadow of death. One hour she
pillowed bis head upon her suffering heart
and then he ,oas al rest!" .''..
"Mary, Mary, dear,'' and there was soul
touching emphasis in the aged woman'f
words, ''be kind to your washerwoman ; in
stead Of trying to make her dOy's work as
long as may be, shorten il, tighten it. Few
women will 60 out to washing daily unless
their needs are pressing. No woman on her
bridal day expects to labor in that wny; and
be sure, my niece, if she is constrained to
do 80, 1t is the last resort. That poor wo.
man, laboring now go hard for you. has not
always been a washerwoman. She has
seen bitter days. She has passed through
terrible trials, too. can read her story in
her pale sad face. BE kind to her; pay hel
what she asks, and let her 60 home as soon
as she can" ~.
"You have finished in good time to-day,
Susan" said Mrs. III. -, as the wash er.
woman, with her old cloak and hood on, en-
tered the pleasant room to get the money
she had earned" So, t
ayes, ma'am, | have; and my heart is re.
lieved of heavy load, too. I was SO afraid
/ should be kept till night, and am needed
so at home" g t.@ '
sis there sickness there!" asked the old
aunt, kindly. ...'.- ....
Tears gushed to the woman's eyes as she
answered, "Ah! ma'am. left my baby
most dead this morning; he will be quite SO
to- morrow. know it, have seen it too
many times, and none but child of nine
years to attend him. Oh! must 60, and
quickly" And grasping the money she had
toiled for while her baby was dying, she hur.
ried to her dreary home. ....
Shortly after they followed her; the young
wife who had never known sorrow, aud
The aged matron whose hair was white with
trouble, followed her to her home, the house
of the drunkard's babes. She was not too
late. The little dying boy knew its mother.
But at midnight he died, and then kind hands
took from the sorrowing mother the breath.
less form, closed the bright eyes, straight
ened the tiny limbs, bathed the cold clay,
and folded about it the pure white shroud /;
yes, and did more-they gave, what the poor
seldom have, time TO soeep!
40, aunt" said Mrs. NJ, with tears
in her eyes, elf my hesrt blesses you, how
much more must poor Susan's! Had it not
been for you, she would have been too late.
1t has been sad yet holy lesson. shall
always now be kind to the poor washerwo.
man. But, aunt, was the story you told me
a true one--aR true, meanr'
''The reality of that story whitened this
head when it had seen but thirty summers,
and the memory Of it has been one Of my
keenest sorrows. It is not strange that l
should pity the poor washerwoman."