The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-09-07
.H THE SACRIFICE.

serve TO De called pretty good husband Il
laughed the young man, as he dropped down
in the lady's palm halfa-dozen gold pieces.
|, eyes, you are, Edward, the very best hus-
band in the world" !" and she lifted up her sweet
face beaming with smiles, as June day with
sunshine. ey.-e <rif
''Thank you, thank you, for the very fiat
tering words. And now, dear, want you to
have the cloak by next Christmas. I'm anx-
/ ious to see how you look in it." aT So
! I, tBut, Edward she observed gazing seri-
ously into the shining pieces in her rosy palm,
'you know We are not rich people, aud it re-
ally seems piece ofyextravaganee for me to
give thirty dollars for velvet cloak"
'No, it is not, either. p gu deserve the cloak,
Mary, and I've set my mind upon your having
it. Then it will last you many years, that
it will be more economical in the end than a
less expensive article"
It was evident the lady was predisposed to
conviction She made no farther attempt to
refute her husbands arguments; and her small
finger closed over the gold pieces, as she rose
up saying, "Well, dear, the supper has been
waiting half an hour, and know you must be
hungry"
Edward and Mary Clark were the husband
and wife of year. He was book-keeper in
large establishment, with salary of fifteen
hundred dollars. His fair young wife made a
| little earthly paradise of his cottage home in
the suburbs of the city, for within its walls
dwelt two lives that were set like music to
poetry, keeping time to each other. And here
dwelt, also, the peace which God giveth to
those who love Him.
Mrs. Clark came into the sitting room sud
denly, and the girl lifted her head, and then
turned it away quickly, but not until the first
glance told the lady that her fair face was
swollen with tears.
Janet Hill was young seamstress whom
Mrs. Clark had occasionally employed for the
last six months. She was always attracted by
her young bright face, her modest yet digni-
fed manner, and now the lady saw at once
that some great sorrow had smtten the girl
Obeying the promptness of warm, impuls
sive heart, she went to her and laid her hand
on her arm, saying softly, "Won't you tell me
what is troubling you, Janetr
''Nothing that anybody can help" answered
the girl, trying still to avert her face, while
the tears swelIed in her eyes from the effort
which she made to speak
ssBut perhaps I can. AT any rate, you know,
it does US good sometimes to confide our sor-
rows to friend, and 1 need not assure YOU
that L sincerely grieye, because of your dis
tress"
And so with kind words, aud Embarrassing
stress arm, Mrs. Clark drew from her lips her
sad story.
She was an orphan, supporting herself by
her daily labors, and she had one brother, Just
sixteen, three years her junior. He had been
for some time kind of under clerk In large
wholesale establishment, where there was every
prospect of his promotions; hut he had serious
iy injured himself in the summer by lifting
some heavy bales of goods, and, at last dan
gerous fever set in, which had finally left him
in so exhausted state that the doctor had no
hope of his recovery.
t.And to think [ shall never see him again,
Mrs. Clark, cried the poor girl, with fresh
burst of tears. "To think he must die away
there, among strangers, in the hospital, with
no loving face to bend over him in his last
hours, or brush away the damp curls from the
forehead which mamma used to be so proud
of o, George-my darling, bright faced little
brother George and here the poor girl broke
down in a storm of sobs and tears.
''Poor child, poor child murmured Mrs.
Clark, her sweet eyes swimming in tears
Chow much weuld it cost for you to go to your
brother, and return ?" she asked at last
about thirty dollars. I have not so much
money in the world. You see, it is nearly four
hundred miles off; but I could manage to sup
port myself after I got there
A thought passed quickly through Mrs
her blue eyes fixed in deep meditation. At
last she said kindly, "Well, my child, try and
bear up bravely and we will see what can be
done for you, and the warm, cheerful tones
comforted the sad heart of the seamstress.
The lady went up stairs and teok the pieces
out of her ivory portemonnaie. There was
brief, sharp struggle in her mind. Somehow
I've set my heart Oh this velvet cloak, she
thought, 'sand Edward will be disappointed.
1 was going to select the velvet this very after
noon. But then, there's that dying boy lying
there with strange faces all about him, and
longing, as the slow hours go by, for sight OF
the sister who loves him, and would not this
thought haunt me every time put on mynew
cloak? After all, my old broadcloth is not SO
bad, if its only turned And, / sure, /
can bring Edward over to my way of thinking.
No, you must go without the cloak this time,
and have the pleasure of knowing youve
smoothed the path going down to the valley of
the shadow of death, Mary Clark" And she
closed the portemonnaie resolutely and went
down stairs.
"Janet, put up yeur work this moment
there ia no time 60 be lost Here is the mon
ey. Take it, and go to your brother"
The girl lifted her eyes moment, almostin
bewilderment, to the lady, and then, as she
comprehended the truth, cry of such JOY
burst from her lips, that its memory never ia,
ded from the heart through all the after years
of Mrs Clark's life.
"Georgel George The words leaped from
her lips as the sister sprang forward to the
low bed where the youth lay, his white, sharp
ened face, cleaning deathlike from amidst
his thick yellow curls.
He opened his large eyes suddenly flush
passed over his pallid face He stretched out
his thin arms, and exclaimed, 40 Janet! Ja-
net! I have prayed God for the sight of you
once more before 1 die
seHis pulse is stronger than it has been for
two weeks, and his face has better hue said
the doctor, few hours later, as he made his
morning visit through the wards of the hospi-
tai.
"His sister came yesterday and watched with
him. answered an attendant, .glancing at the
young girl, who hung breathless over the
sleeping invalid -
: uhI .bott exnlo;ns IL Pm, not certain b1,t