St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-01-12

-
over her. The former was tenderly
binding up her smarting arms, while
the latter, with a large camphor bottle
n his hands, stood alternating his EN-.
hattie "umph !" with "poor child !"
and sorry thing =! sorry thing !" She
would have been most glad it all had
happened. Just for IT &c wing MS tender
ness, had she not heard Rob Tuning IN
rame in the next room, over his span
lei, and the delay Of the supper: =
And so Trudie was not 80 happy
when she went to her lonely bed, as
she had dreamed to be. Oh, how her
little body and heart ached. And if
the passers through the gloomy street
that night looked up to the attic win
dow OF the old grey housc.--they
might have seen something dressed
all in white, with pale face pressed
close to the pane, and great dark eyes
Glistening up to the stars.
Verify, that old grey house scas haunted.
CHAPTER ".
1t was not done in week, it was
not done in a month, the work that
child.hero had set about to do. If her
hope had not been fresh with morning
dew it might have died down in the
beginning and if her faith had been
like onrs, God forgive us,-its
strength could not have brought down
the help of Heaven. 1t was her first
battle she was very brave, and her
armor fit for Il soul of Achilles.
A twelve month from the March
time when some people say they saw
a ghost, You know whcrc,-l wish |
could have been asked to tea at the
old grey house-Aunt Sarah had been
gone to the country for month or
more, and the tidiest. busiest little
housewife was left to have things all
to her liking. Was there ever more
cozy little room? just see what fine
round mirrors hang upon the wall.
Oh, I'm mistakcn--they are tin pans.
See the curtains Topped back with blue
ribbon, and the evergreen bough over
the new looking glass and then the
foor-we would brush our feet we'll
upon the mat before daring to cross it.
The cloth upon the table is white as
snow, and if you look very sharp you
will see how nicely somebody has
patched and darned it. Then the new
white crockery--that is Rob's present
20 Trudic-how it will surprise his
mother when she gets home.
In comes Uncle Jake and he pulls
Trudie's curls when she takes his hat
and stick. and then hurries to draw
out his big chair and lay a pair of
slippers upon the footstool, before him
laughing all the time, though she
hangs her head SO low he cannot see
"Ah, what are these 2" and Uncle
Jake takes up the slippers, and, (see
how the tears blind him. stoops and
pats the little one upon the head.
q You are an angel to me, Trudie
God bless you, child"
Do you think he is reading. az he
sits there with the evening paper be-
fore his face?
Rob comes in, good natured, but
hungry and glad enough to get his
supper. He goes whistling around
the room, slyly watching Trudie, and
when she is not looking, steals up be-
hind her, and gives her kiss pat up
OH her check, and then to break the
scolding he is half afraid will follow,
throws II little package towards her.
She opens it, and out rolls a thimble.
why, Rob ! you are good how
came you to Z"
Because you arc good, l suppose
Didn't | hear yon say last night you
had lost yours p
Yes. but I've found it again. You
must take this back, and save your
money"
mo such thing this is silver.
Throw away that old brass one, and
keep this to remember me-"
And so they laughed and chatted
until the tea kettle sang them down.
When they gathered around the table,
Uncle Jake, whose eyes were still
moist, stopped their noisy mirth, by
calmly saying:
Children. it is many year since
I thanked God for anything. My
heart is full tonight of gratitude that
has been swelling for long time.
Let us ask blessing"
X X
Do | need to tell you any more?
Uncle Jake has gone to his long
home. His hands rested on Trudie's
head in holy bcnediction when he died.
Robert Granger is thriving bust
ness man, steady and honest. He
never wears an enormous fob chain,
with seals and charms to match, and
his linen. though coarse, is as white
as somebody's faithful hands can wash
it. If you would see Trudie, go home
to tea with him some night. I'll prom
Use the bread will be the sweetest, and
your hostess the faircst and most
kind. You will see Aunt Sarah with
her caps little awry, and other neg
ligenccs in her dress, but she is ten
dcr-heartcd woman, and if you talk
with her about her son, she viii tell
you that Rob used to be pretty wild,
but she knew if she was patient with
him he would come out right in the
end
Don't you wish that everybody's
house was haunted? We may he bet
ter than ghosts in our own.