The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1860-04-19

the morrow? She could not be sent back 70 re-
: main in her old home, for she and her mother
had been It, only inmates. What was TO be done
I with her On the day after tomorrow. and the
/, day after that There was the Poor House.
P But even the remote suggestion Of that came like
= shock % the feelings o.: Mr.. Watson. She
found her husband walking the fJor Of their sit
; tIDg--yDm on her return. his face even more shad-
owed than when she Left him but l. little while
before.
Look here, Ruth said be, pausing in his
walk, and turning full upon her. :. what are YOU
going u do with that child Tomorrow? Tell me
Now, Mr.. Watson could not have asked his
"lie . more p@rplexing question, nor one likely 10
bring = less satisfactory answer.
a." IL will BE- time enough to meet that question
when tomorrow comes she replied, trying to
put q cheerful face On the matter
Her husband looked ~ her for a few moments
with heavily knit brOws, and then resumed his
walk. Mrs Watson went up stairs 10 lay aside
her shawl, and u take q glance at the sleeping
~chlldrcn. The only child really looked at with
Interest, however, was the littlestranger.
Poor child Poor mOtherless one The
heart Of Mrs. Watson moved On her lips. what
l. u become Of you in this selfish. cruel world ,"
81 don't mean u blame you, Ruth said her
husband, when she came down. But still, YOU
were wrong % bring that child here. Why didn't
you let some other neighbOr take her home?
Wen never get rid of her, unless We send her 10
70 the AlmshOuse."
Wait, John-wait,' replied Mrs. Watson.
- Wait until tomorrow comes. Sufficient unto
the day i the evil thereof"
And more than sufficient that is my expert
ence."
NO, John in that you are mistaken said
his wife calmly " You forget your experience.
The evil Of our to-days i always light compared
with the evil Of our tO-mOrrows."
We've our hands full in taking care of our
own children" The words Of his wife had made
but a light impression on the mind of Mr.. Wat
son.
God never sends mouths without food to fill
them, . replied Mrs. Watson.
" You don't mean 20 keep that child - Her
husband turned upon her a look Of astonishment.
:" don't particularly mean anything. onlv
said that God never sends mouths without food to
fill them and / scarcely think there will De an
exception in little Ellen's case. As 70 where the
food l. 70 come from, or BY whose hands IL will
reach her mouth, that is a matter beyond the
stretch Of my fOrecastings. 1 only know this,
that it will not hurt us u be the medium for a
day or two"
No, not for . day or two butt"
oh, John John, When will you learn to
look for the bright side Of things?'
4" Bright side, Humph II you can imagine
L bright side in ;his case, your fancy must be
wonderfully fruitful. Four children make a very
bedlam Of the house, and tax our powers of work
to the utmost. Will five reduce the evil? |
trow not. All me, the plot is thickening.''
" Don't fret yourself for nothing, John :"
Mrs. Watson was bolder than usual with her hus-
DsAIl ; EtDJllF state. e maven Z taken the |
child. and there Is no need of our doing so. Shes
q sweet little creature, and there is more than one
chIldless house IN our town. There's Mrs. Glenn
the thought comes to Inc this mOment-she
hasnt a chick OF her own, and | know she's fond
OF children. My word for it, she'll take the girl.
and maybe adopt her. That will be 4 fine thing
for her, won't ii ="
Too good luck to come to our door, was the
chilling answer. " If any one else had taken the {
child home, no doubt Mrs. Glenn would have 7
picked her m at once Rat 1yu'r ftt-er -,ur-.Ic | ,
with any such notion III our case" q
" John NatsOn, you are incOrrigible - re- a
tOrted his wife. :" But come, it is bed time, and a
feel worn out with my days work" I
They went up to their bedroom, out Of which t
opened another room, where John the Oldest, and i
ls brother Dick, slept. Grace had 4 low trun-
ile-bed IN her mothers room, and the baby occu- :
'ied a crib. The little stranger was sleeping '
Grace. =
"Just look at her, John, - said Mrs. Watson. il
holding the light near to Ellen's face. . Did you h
see anything more like a picture? Poor II
ably, Poor mOtheriess one - a
The man tried not to look, but in spite of him
his eyes turned to the s~lecper's face. twas.
indeed. a picture of innocence and beauty. and
me that touched his heart.
Poor child - There was so much feeling in h
he tones Of his voice that his wife looked ut him
sudden surprise. But ne managed to turn his te
ace a litte away, so as to conceal from her an
xpressi0n that he Was not able, in u moment, 10 10
ontrOl.
With 4 woman's q~uickness Of perception. Mrs. ii
Watson saw that it would be- best t. let her hus- 81
and alone with the tender feeling which had "a
,und u way into his heart. So she set her lamp
own, and without another word made prepara- of
ons for retiring. But her mind was al on the I'll
and 1t did not escape her that the eyes Of
er husband sought, over and over again, the in
'yely face of that orphan sleeper. W,
. W ont Grace be surprised when she wakes in en-
ie morning." said Mrs. Watson, breaking the hi
lence which had been maintained since the hus- ga
md uttered the words, . Poor child - ch
- Better say, won't our little stranger be sur
used TO find herself in bedlam. I'm afraid the sci
will worry her % death 20
- / hope Motive must see to that" Mrs.
atsOn spoke with some uneasiness of mind, for ma
ere was no calculation to be made as 70 the for
nduct Of her manageable brood and vet. civ
this feeling was one of pleasure az the cyi- he
mt interest u single glance at Ellen had awak-
ed in her husband. chi
The sweet sleep that comes as a blessing TO vii
e's earnest toilers, soon locked their senses in the
lIviOn and Mrs. Watson, occasionally inter dis
pied in her deeper slumter by the want and civ
les of her babe. was not distinctly conscious of ,
until fully awakened by Grace, a little pre-
Ter daylight on the next morning. wO
Mother Mother The child pulled At her :
N, and spoke in a low, excited whisper. =
Mother. who is it?'' cur
50 Who,r Mrs. Watson was bewildered. The cha
mes of the night before had faded from her Wa
mory- .
i Who is it? Where did she come from? Oh. tar
,ther isn't she sweet p" ven
The truth flashed back upon the mind of Mrs. I
ItsOn, who raised herself quickly. and bending was
II, saw Ellen lying, still sound asleep. just as hou
had placed her on the night before. She put scv
myers 10 her hIs ID sign OF silence, and then, tina
IN 4 serious lace ana tone, SAID as i
Poor child Her mother died last night, fact
! we must he very good to her its
The cOuntenance of Grace showed instantly an ..
,rcssiOn of tender pity. Wa
: Who Is she. mother - nex
: 1t is little Ellen Jenkins. Don't you remem- of
ba- % -