Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-03-23
Gbe Ohio 6tatesnraIrr
rRR N .
AN ANGEL "A DlsGUIsE.
by T. 5. Arthur,


ldleness. vice, and jntemperance had don,
.neir miserable work, and the dead mother lal
coid and stark amid her wretched children -
Sne had fallen upon the threshold Of her owl
door in o drunken at, and died h tho presenct
Of her frightful little ones. Ilg.'
Death touches the springs Of our commor
humanity. This woman had been despised
seohed at, and angrily denounced by ieaTly
every man, woman and child 10 the village: but
now as the fact Of her death was passed from
lip TO lip, In subdued tones, pity took the place
o. anger, and sorrw Of denuncation. Neigh.
pors went hastily to the old tumbledown hat. in
which she mad secured little more than place
OF sheiter from summer heats and winter colds;
some with grave clothes for decent interment
OF tne Dodyj and some with food for her half
starving children, three In number. or these,
!onn' tue Oldest, boy Of twelve, was a stout
Lao, able to earn his living with any farmer -
nate, between ten and eleven, was q BRIGHT
active girl, out Of whom something clever might
be made, If In good hands; but poor little Mag.
gle, the youngest, was hopelessly diseased =
Two years before, . fall from a window had
Injured her spine, and she had not been able TO
leave her bed since, except when lifted in the
arms of her mother, 80. -" - : 80 ~
what is 10 be done with the children ~
That was the chief question now The dead
mother Would 60 underground, and be forever
beyond all care or concern of the villagers -
But TIE children must not be left to stsrye.
After considering the matter, and talking IL
over with his wife, farmer Jones said that he
would take John and do well by him, now that
his mother was ous of the way; and Mrs. Ellis,
who had been looking out for bound girl,
concluded that i would be charitable in her to
make choice Of Katy, even though abe was too
young TO be OF much use for several years.
81 could do much better, know, )" said Mrs.
Ellis: 'but, as no one seems inclined TO take
ner, must ACT from sense of duty. expect
70 have trouble with the child; for she's an un-
oisciphped thing---used to having her own
But no one said, "Ill take Maggie" Pity
ing giances were cast on her wan and wasted
Iorm, ana thoughts we're troubled on her &C.
count. Mother brought cast off garments, and
removing her soiled and ragged Clothes, dress
ed her in clean attire. The sad eyes and patient
face OF the little one touched many hearts, and
even knocked at them for entrance. But none
opened to take her in. Who wanted bedrid-
den child7
"Take her to the-poor house," said rough
man to whom the question, "What is to be
done with Maggie~ was asked "Nobody's
going to be bothered with her,"
"Ihe poor.house is a sad place for q sick and
helpless child" answered one.
For your child Or mine, said the other, light
~ speaking: "but for this bra. it will prove
blessed change. She will be kept clean, have
healthy food, and be doctored, which ia more
than can be said of her past condition" "a,
Ihere was reason in that, but still it didn't
satisfy. The day following the day of death
was made the day Of burial. A few neiehbors
were at the miserable hoyel, but none followed
the dead cart as 1t bore the unbonored remains
to its Pauper grave. Farmer Jones, after the
coffin was taken out, placed John in his wagon,
and drove away, satisfied that ho had done his
part. Mrs. Ellis spoke to Kate with hurried
air--"Bid your sister goodbye" and drew the
fearful children apart ere scarcely their lips had
touched in aobbiDg farewell. Hastily Others
went out, some glanciDg at Maggie, and some
resolutely refraining from look, until all had
gone. She was alone just beyond the thres-
hold, Joe Thompson, the wheel-wright; paused,
and said to the blacksmith's wife, who was
Fastening of with the rest
"It's cruel thing to leave her co."
"Then take her to the poor-house she'll
have to 60 there, answered the blacksmith g
wife, springing away, and leaving Joe behind.
For a little while the man stood with puz-
zled air; then he turned back and went into the
bowel again. Maggie, with painful effort,
had raised herself to an upright position, and
was sitting on the bed, straining her eyes upon
the door out of which all had just Departed
A vague terror had come into her thin white
face. rq0n 1,f tr' H .t,st '.lH
"oh, Mr.. ThompsOnm she cried out, catching
her suspended breath, "don't leave me here al
alone7" o. liCl2sg lrFd s3- siG 81 D 6sl|
Though rough In exterior, Joe Thompson, the
el-wright, had q heart, and it was very
tender in some places. He liked children, and
was pleased to have them come to his shop,
where many sled and wagon were made or
mended for the village lads without a draft on
their boarded slxpences.
HNo, dear" he answered, in kind voice,
going to the bed, and STOPPING down over the
child. "you shs'n't be left here alone" Then
he wrapped her with the gentleness almost of q
woman, In the clean bedclothes which some
neighbor had brought; and lifting her In his
strong arms, bore her out into the field that lay
between the hovel and his home.
Now, Thompsonis wife, who happened to be
,hildlees, was not woman of sanity temper,
lor much given to self-denial for others good,
md Joe had well grlunded doubts touching the
manner of greeting he should receive on his
'rrival. Mrs. Thompson saw him approaching
rom the window, and with rufding feathers met
lin O few PAGES from the door, as he opened the
,arden gate aud came in. He bore precious
lurden, and he felt it to be go. As his arms
leld the sick child to his breast, sphere of
enderness went out from her, and penetrated
Iis feelings. A bond had already corded itself
round them both, and love was spriDging into
ife. -fA al,aa tA 7ss ''ot0 qalss
"What have you therel" sharply questioned
IRA. Thompson. $50 .-i. Il
Joe felt the child start and shrink against him.
lie did not reply, except by o look that was
Heading and cautionary, that said:
"Wait a moment for explanations, and be
,entle;" and. passing In, carried Maggie to the
mall chamber of the hrst floor, and laid her on
| bed. Then stepping back be shut the door
md stood face to face with his vinegar temper
ID wife in the epassage-way outside. aNtt =.
"Youl hav'nt brought home that sick brat7''
Anger and astonishment were in the tones of
Mrs. Joe Thompson; her face was in fame.
81 think women's hearts are sometimes yery
hard" said Joe. Usually Joe Thompson got
out Of his wife's way, or kept rigidly client and
when che fired % on any sub
ject; IL was with some surprise, therefore, that
she now encountered q firmly set countenauce
and resolute pair OF eyes. @
"Women's hearts are not half so hard as
men'sw ie aI .3l
Joe saw, by quick intuition, that his reso-
Lutte bearing had impressed his wife, and he an
swered quickly, and with real indignation: "Be
that as 1t may, every woman at the funeral
turned her eyes steadily from the sick child's
face, and when the cart went Of with her dead
mother, hurried away, and left her alone In that
old hut, with the sun not an hour in the sky.,i
4 "Where are John and Kate9" asked Mrs.
Thompson. &t4
''Farmer Jones tossed John into his wagon
ri