The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-07-27
From the Waterman and Reflector.
THE SACRIFICE.

"There, Mary-now don't you think
| deserve to be called pretty good hus-
band" laughed the young man as he
dropped down in the young lady's palm
half dozen gold pieces.
ayes, You are Edward the very best
husband | ever had" and she lifted up
her sweet face beaming with smiles like a
June day with sunshine.
"Thank you, thank you, for the flatter-
ing words. Aud now, dear, | want you
to have the cloak by next Christmas
I'm anxious to see how you will look in
it."
but, Edward" gazing seriously at
the shining pieces in her rosy palm, ''you
know we are not rich people, and it real
ly seems piece of extravaganza for me
to give thirty dollars for velvet cloak"
"No, it is not, either. You deserve
the cloak, Mary, and have setmy mind
on your having it. Then it will last you
so many years, that it will be more eco
nornical in the end than less expensive
article"
1t was evident the lady was predispos-
cd to conviction. She made no further
attempt to refute her husbands argu
mcnts, and her small fingers closed over
the gold pieces, as she rose up saying, =
DWELL, the supper has been waiting half
an hour, and | know you must be very
hungry"
Edward and Mary Clark were the hus-
band and wife of year. lie was book
keeper in large establishment with a
salary of fifteen hundred dollars year.
His fair young wife made little earthly
paradise of his cottage homo in the sub
urbs of the city, for within its walls dwelt
two, whose lives were set like music to
poetry, keeping time to each other. And
here dweIt, also, that peace which Goo
piyeth to those who love Him.
Mrs. Clark came into the room sud
denly, and the girl lifted ler head, and
then turned it away quickly, but not uh
til the first glance had told the lady that
the fair face was swollen, and stained
with tears.
Janet Hill was n young seamstress en-
ployed by Mrs. Clark. She was Away:
attracted by her young bright face, ane
by her modest yet dignified manner, ane
now the lady saw ut once that some grea
sorrow had smittcn the girl.
Obeying the promptings of a warn
impulsiye heart, she went ia her and lad
her hand on her arm, saying softly >
"Won't you tell me what is troubling
you, Janet?'
"Nothing that anybody can help" an
swered the girl, trying still to avert hcl
face, while the tears swelled in her eye
from the effort which she made to speak
''But perhaps l can. AT any rate, you
know it does us good sometimes to con
fde our sorrows to friend, and [ nee,
not assure you that l sincerely grieve be
cause of your distress.
And SO with kind words and half ca
ressing movements of the little hand, lai'
on the seamstress' arm, Mrs. Clark drew
from her lips her sad story. Y
She was an orphan, supporting her
self by her daily labors, and she had on
brother, just sixteen, three years her jun
ior. He had been for some time kin
of under clerk in large wholesale estal
lishment, where there was every prospee
of his promotion; but he had serlousl
injured himself in the summer, by liftin
some heavy bales of goods, and at last,
dangerous fever set in, which bad final
left hin, in so exhausted state that Ii
doctor had no hope of his recovery.
And to think / shall never see hi
again, Mrs. Clark" cried tho poor gi
with fresh burst of tears. "To think
must die away there among strangers,