The Van Buren press., 1859-07-06
VAN BUREN ARKAAsAsl WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1859

what JOY will illume my poor fathers heart
| when he knows of this God bless you,
now and forever
When Martha lien 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 arms about his neck she kissed him
ON the cheek but she did not speak.
An excellent supper was partaken of,
and in the evening Kate sang some of the
j sweetest song, to her uncle, and more than
tonce while she sang, she saw tears in his
feves.
That nir'.t, when Absalom Burr laid his
head upon his pillow, he had a new emotion,
land it was strange one to him-yet it was
la sweet and blessed one. He had done a
deed of charity, and the blessings of that
poor but noble girl rung in his ears and
dropped upon his sous on Nd s. ae 'Wsna;lnea ~ ne
I I -sesss.in.s co heaven IN MS behait iic knew
Mark Allen for an honest, industrious,
steady, hard-working man, and he felt sure
that Mark would pray for him. Surely the
thought was blessed one
But stop! Who gave that saving gift /?
Who did that deed of charity
''By the saints murmured the old man, !,
starting half up in bed. 60 did Kate
shant pay n,e one cent She shant, bless
| me if she shall ~
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 Il sweet cheering dream.
/ Two days afterward Kate proposed that
| they should visit Mark Allen. "For."
said she, " 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 great stuffed chair which
a nelghbor had sent in, and though he look
| ed pale and wan, yet a warm smile suf1used
| his face as he saw the visitors
| +" Mr. Burr" he said, while big tears
| stood in his eyes, Sc l can never pay YOU for
| the noble kindness vou have shown me l
may at some time pay you the m oney, but
cannot pay you all, for the bare money is
nothing compared with the knowledge that
l have snch generous friend to stretch out
his saving hand in the hour OF gloom and
misery"
Talk not of money to me-" returned
Uncle Absalom earnestly and warmly eff
it served you, am already more than repaid
The blessings fman are cheaply purchased,
when slight a sum can do it and, more
fover, ! have been more than repaid in the
very knowledge that L have been of service
y Suffering fellow veS',a -
Even Kate was surprised by this, but
she knew thai il was reai, and she waS GLAD.
When they aross, a, s,cpart, at the end OF
an hour, Martini followed them to The door,
and there she blessed the Old man again.
He was moved bya generous impulse and
lie took a golden half eagle from his pocket
and handed itto her.
No, sir, said she, ''wilat you have al
ready given us will suffice until father gets
out. But there is one uho would be blessed
with the gift, and, if you will permit me,
will reliuquish the claim in her behalf The
widow Wildredge is very low and her
daughter is sick. l carried them over some
food this morning, and found them quite
destitute
But Uncle Absalom was a very stubborn
man, and he would have his own wav
fake this he said. "and we may find
another for Mrs. Wildredgc. Your father
will not be able to work for some time yet
II you will, will call on the widow-but
if you refuse me, | won't move a step only
toward home"
Martha took the money with fearful eyes.
and Mr.. Burr heard more blessings as he
turned away Widow Wildredge's dwell
ing was not far on, and thithcr the uncle
and niece turned their steps They found the
mother, a woman of some fifty years, sitting
bvnhe bedside OF her sick daughter. She
arose as the visitors came in, and her coun-
tenance plainly showed that she wondered
why Absalom Burr called But she saw an
angel in katc's mild blue eyes.
Absalom and the widow were playmatcs
once, and the ice was soon broken. Gradu-
ally the uncle and neice drew forth the story
OF the woman's sutferings. and then the old
man took out his poclset-book, and took
therefrom fifteen dollars.
" Here he said, as he handed it to the
widow, g this may serve to Tighten your
burden some. am able while You are needy,
Take it. and remember that ynu may look
to me again when need comes upon you.
Mechanically the woman took the money,
and having gazed first on the charmed no.es
ard then upon the donor, she bowed her head
and thanked God for the blessing. And
then, while tears gushed forth, size caught
hold Of The old mans hand and poured forth
her thanks.
When Absalom Durr sat down 20 Ills sup
per that night that shade was as soft a. the
radiance OF the setting sun. His foof was
eaten with keen relish. and he could now
return Hates smile. And on that night, too,
his dreams were more pleasant than ever.
Some time during the next day Kate came
Up from the cellar and asked her uncle what
that dark vault was for.
How did you find ii Q" he cried in quick
alarm.
"Thc door was partly OPEN
81 did forget to lock 1t | rememcmber
now
| @ Bat what is it. uncle -
| The old man finally confessed to Kate that
/ he had over twenty thousand dollars slowed
away there.
| "Why, uncl-, IS it possible ? And you
! let it lie there in the dark, without use
9 But if the assessors knew it, they'd
make me pay taxes on it,
Kate was about TO give utterancc to &
very indignant response ; but she held il
back, and sat down by the old mans side
Now, look here, Uncle Absalom (; how
much would you be taxed for that money p