Brookville American., 1859-01-07
select ri acellamp.
HOME WITHOUT A MOTHER.

"MOthcr, mother, mother. mOthcfi
s~bbcd sweet voice, in agoniz ng tones
1t was dark and cold in the low dismal
attic; bur close pressed To the frosted
window lay the face OF Sammy Haniz
His soft hair hung over his fearful face,
and his thin hands claspcd the rough
window sill, and his whole frnnv'~i,oot
as the keen blast found its way through
the crcvicer around the stone chimney
IL was u sound you never would forget
--tlIgsc haIf.sebbetl, halt-moaned words
-"Mother, mother, motherw You
would have felt that little heart was
ready to burst with its utter, bic weight
OF sorrow. and that grief might be the
companion of childhood, us well us OLD
age
Below stairs the fire lcapt aud spark
eled. aud crcpt gaily over the logs III
the fire place; for you may find iirc-pia
ceS in lnglcnouk even now.
Every thing VAS in order, aud .ars
uantz the siep-mother of Sammy, war
sitting placIdIy before the dire smooth
my the folds OF her clean apron, and in
"a self satisfied manner stroking u tab.
by cat which lay ia her lap.
Her three children were sitting cozi.
~ in little chairs by the firesidc, and
Mr. Hantz was talking with u broth,
who had just arrived to spend thanks
giving with them.
The wind blew fierccly without; and
once, when an unusual tempest seemed
% shake the foundation of the house
the father turned suddenly TO his viii,
aid said:
Where is Sammy ?"
"GOne to bed, said she turtly.
What made him go so earlyY" ash cd
Mr.. Hantz. And in n tone " hich pre-
cludc'I further inquiry, his wife answer
ed:
Because he was too lazy to sit up,
suppose
For few moments Nh. 1Iantz lookec
cd yacantly into II corner uf the room
and then offering pipe to his brother
seemed to forgot that Sammy had been
men ioncd.
Eight years before Mr.. Hantz h ao
been sitting by the same fircside will
his fist wife, gentle Sarah Lee. Sam
my was upon his fathers lap and Sar
ah with her head upon her husband
shoulder. talking of what they would
do when SAMMY would be old enough
To have thanksgiving of his OWN
Perhaps Mr.. Hantz's memory was
bringing out those old pictures in |
fresh light; and he may have paused Il
wonder it ho had changed since tha
wife of his first choice aud purest low,
sat before him. However it was, no on,
knew. Men are often ashamed of thci
best thoughts. and hide them for fea
they may be called unmaniy.
Whether the old adage may be tru,
or not, that IA moler is the same al
the days of her life, hut father changes
when he gets new wife, we do no
pretend to say; but it was fact tha
the second Mrs. Haniz, and her chill
drcn were apparently first in tn
thoughts and affections of Mr.. Hantz.
The morrow was thanksgiving, an,
from early morn had Mrs. Hantz bee,
busy preparing for the great timer q
the coming day.
had partly promised Sammy, that
he was good boy and behaved him
self, he might go to his grnndfithc
Lees to spend Thanksgiving" An
the motherless child had hoped AN
planned, and been happy upon tn
events of that day. IIc had man
times gone to bed suppcrless, and ney
er cried at all, because he fell asl, e
thinking of the dinner he should hay
at his grandfather's.
| Although but two milos away, hi