Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-08-29
A Wonderful HOaSemaid,


4
the widow and her child found none Of them.
Alone and unaided, they were leIt 70 stem the
torrent Of adgersity. Theirs was q trite story
One and another thing they strove to do but
the obloquy that rested on lie dead mans
grave followed his living darlings, ill poverty,
in It's most cruel sense, pressed heavily upon
/ them -l.Isla aua ,la.....a ai..s.. ay
" Let us 90 where we ara unknown said
Ellen, passioHately, yet mournfully, one
! evening, as after a futile search for employ
meut she returned 10 their humble lodgings
and buried her weeping face N her mothers
bosom. "They will Kill me with their cold,
proud looks. I'd rather beg my bread Of
strangers than ask honest employment Otthese
scornful ones who tramplesO fendishly upon
our sacred griefs,' ...r- -
And they gathered up the remnant Of their
treasures, and silently and secretly, lest the
shame should fly before them, went 70 lonely
home in the city, where we find Them
There they readily procured needleWork, and
all they could do, for their fingers beautified
every garment that passed through their
hands But the song OF the shirt was soon
the only one they had strength to sing
| Night brought no rest TO the weary day, and
though twenty instead Of the "twelye hours
OF the Bible were bent in'toil, they were fam
| ished and frozen .i--. ta..z .a .H
Mother said Ellen one evening, as the
chimes of midnight found them still at work.
"this is too much for woman. shall sew no
longer"
"Butwhat viii yOu do, darling q and Mrs
Seymour wept over her pale, thin face; shall
We starve2'
Mother" there was resolution in the tone
now, another, l shall hire out as house
maid. Do not attempt to dissuade me, my
mind is determined. It is a honorable as this
~ shall earn as much, ifnot more than now;
shall save my board shall have my nights
for rest And she pleaded till she won at
last fearful consent, and entered into the
service Of Mrs. Summers, i
His sisters house had always been q second
home to Herbert Lincoln, but now it seemed
dearer than ever Their -tea-table, in partic-
ular, seemed to have fascination for him, .
and at the end Of fortnight he had slipped
so many cups of Ellen's fragrant tea that Mrs.
Summers, declared she should certainly pre-
sent him a bill Of board. And though in all
that time be had not exchanged dozen SEN
tences with the beautiful maid, it was but
too evident she was the magnet that attracted
him. .e... ~. -
Business now took him out Of town, and
three weeks elapsed ere he returned. As be
was Fastening from the depot, turning cor
ner, be espied, coming as lit were 70 meet him,
the fair girl of whom be had dreamed every
night Of his absence, and beside her, little
golden-haired Nellp :" i
Uncle Herbert, cried the child, and en-
braced him passionately H0h, Pm so glad
you've come home We missed you 30
much" Then freeing herself from his arms,
she said, gracefully, sand here is dear Ellen,
too, ain you glad to see her again p
Ellen blushed, but the young man so cOur-
teousiy extended his hand to her that she
could not refuse it. -r--I ..as
81 am happy to see Miss Seymour enjoy
ing this beautiful day, said be, in low, gentle
tones as respectfully as If addressing a
queen, -a- ....la .a..l l.I.I e..i 3. 1
And am happy to see Mr.. Lincoln look
ing so well, " responded the lady, with quiet
dignity, and she passed along.
But wherear you going, little nieOe9P
said Herbertto Nell OBTAINING her a moment
behind.
ooh, to see Grandmamma Seymour, she is
a sweet lady, too. Ellen took me there once,
and it made me so happy, that mother lets
me 60 now whenever she does, and she
tripped away. t-
Herbert passed rapidly to the first corner,
then turned and deliberately retraced his steps
and followed the two, till he learned the street
and the number of Ellen's home.
That night as be carefully examined his
bureaus, 1t occurred to him hissupply of linen
was quite too deficient and forthwith he pur-
chased a goodly sized parcel of the raw
material, and at an early hour the next day
was knocking at the door of the dilapidated
house which he had seen Ellen enter. Through
vault-like halls and up Fickety stair-eases, he
wended his way, till he found Mrs. Seymour's
room. The beautiful and sanity face of the
widowed mother fascinated him as completely
as had the daughters, and with a reverential
tone he opened his errand While she in
spected the linen, and medeinguiries as to the
particular way hewOuld have it made up, his
eye glanced eagerly over the room. The ex-
quisite taste Of the housemaid was visible
everywhere. Geraniums and roses smiled in
the sun-beams that crept so lovingly into the
narrow basement; the white muslin that
draped them hung in folds graceful as snow
wreaths; pencillings as rich almost as mezzO-
tints, hung upon the walls; the rockers were
cushioned with rose colored muslin bits Of
cloth, gorgeous in hue as autumn leaves woven
into mats, relieved the bare floor Of scanty
look guitar leaned under the tiny mirror,
and few costly books were scattered in an
artist-like way hither and thither, wherever
the rambling eye would wish to see pinned
some beautiful thing.
"This is Tuesday said Herbert; "can I
have one by Friday2"
"Oh, yes, sir, and sooner, if you desire
it.r
Not sooner, unless you steal hours from
the night, and your weary looks seem even
now to say that you have done so.
UIti is the lot of the seamstress,n said the
lady, calmly but sadly a8tJ L-tl--
The young man could not trust his voice to
reply, and hastened away. In his Office he
gave way to his feelings g She, the beloved
and the beautiful, toiling in menial service,
and that angel-like mother sewing for her
living. Il shall be so nolonger. Thank God
for riches, and he seized his pen and in
scribing these words on slip of paper, 1An
honest debt due your husband he enclosed
bank-notes for five hundred deIlars, and ad-
dressing the envelope to Mrs. Seymour Of
street. dropped it into the post Office.
Could he have seen the grateful tears that
4 oNVAo w u tAO HMAANW . AAASSAa1 am AANA--A
her soul touching prayers as she received it
that evening, he would have realized the full
force Of the text, sit is more blessed to give
/ than to receive"
''Oh, that it were Ellen's evening at home,
/ said she. ssThank Heaven, I may now have
her all to myself. again. with this sum IN
hand, we can be comfortable, without task
| ing ourselves as severely as heretofore. Ny
beautiful child shall be no longer a menial.p
Impatently she awaited Friday evening,
for then Ellen would surely be with her again.
| But that eve came and went and she was
/ left alone. A sudden and severe illness had
attacked Mrs. Summers, and when Herbert
entered her house on the evening Of the
same day be had sent the generous gift he
found it full Of sorrow The physicians
only shook their heads sadly, when asked if
there was any hope, and when the loving
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