The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1864-12-23

young wlfes heart lighter than did the announce
ment of her husband
Tomorrow, Ellen will have work-O,
tomorrow were but here
Dreams pleasanter than those that for we ek
had visited their pillow, came to them that night
and before half of his fellow laborers were think
ing of their daily task, Giles presented himsel
at the Office door of Hamilton Brent, to receiy,
his share of the duties that fell to the lot Of th
| lumber dealer. Brent met him at the door
His punctuality, or rather extra punctuality
| very pleasantly impressed his employer, himsel
a man Of hard work, always first, and invari
ably last, around the yard and in the office.
"Ah, my man, am glad you have come.
didn't know but you would forget the number
or something of that sort. What is your name!'
| ''Giles Davis
In moment it stood upon the day book and
ledger, in the great round letters for which Ham.
iiton had been praised when a school-boy.
''Now, go with me-"
! At this juncture Porter came in, the formal
''head Of Inc hands," and TO his less tender mer-
cies the new conner was given over. After the
two had gone into the yard, Giles set at the
task assigned him, and Porter had retired to
| the office, Mr.. Brent said to him:
''Do not allow Davis to work too hard I
guess the poor fellow has seen hard tiues.''
81 shouldn't wonder if he has," was the reply,
'but he works as tho he means TO do his duty. +"
hope he will; | like a man Thoroughly in
earnest in whatever he undertakes and there is
an expression ia Davis eyes that like, be-
lieve can rely on a man who owns such pair
of eyes as he does" and, as a hint to Porter to
busy himself, Brent turned to his books.
During the day his mind did not revert to the
''charity hand as the foreman called Davis,
but when at night he went to look about the
yard, he found him hard at work piling some
oak timber which he had promised to have mea-
sured in the morning.
GLOW is this?' said the careful merchant TO
himself; ''should he be waiting to steal or burn.
must see the last of him before leave. and
so he came up to his new hand with dislrust in
the heart where confidence had reigned in the
morning. Thus quickly do the hour and i'm
pulse make sad havoc sometimes of our natures
holiest qualities.
men have gone home long ago - H. ~'her
''Mr. Porter wished me to pile this timber,
and l said to do it. sir"
81 believe hired you to work from seven
until six? didn't II"
Yes, sir
'sIhen you have no business after that hour
unless | bid you. Porter has no right TO i'm
pose upon you more than ten hours labor"
''i1e offered me q shilling for doing this job,
and--and-the mans voice grew very hoarse,
''tilnes have been very hard with me-sicEness
and no work have kept NE very low, and / am
glad to earn an honest penny whenever 1 cam
"Thats all right, but l want to shut up NY
self, and | can't wait until you get through
You must go home now"
"But, then" and the man stopped His
voice could not trust itself in words
''But then Why" said Bgant beginning to
grow inpatient.
Il was going TO say, sir, that / should have
nothing to eat until Tomorrow. l was 70 60
to Porter's house on my way home, and get the
shifting, and / would not 90 and ask for it be-
fore my work was done. That Is al SIR
EHere is your days earning handing him,
as he spoke, dollar. ''Let the lumber go.
will see to that in the morning."
''All this for me / am working, sir, not beg
gng;" there was dash of independent dignity
in his eyes that Brent liked
II hired you was tie cool business answer,
:'to pay you as | do other men whom ( have TO
work. / would give you more if / could afford
il; / would be a heatnea TO give a man who
has family to support, in city like Boston,
anything less than six dollars a week. ] like
you'll believe | can trust you. This is to be
your place and your master, until you get
better one somewhere else. But | must lock
up and you must quit and 60 home now.
! "Who shall describe that home, made glad
| by a few comforts to which it had been long
stranger? AL the way to Beacon street Ham
ilton Brent thought of it, and after lie sat down
TO his own supper, pictured the suppe7-t&be of
! Davis, the centre-piece of thankfulness. To his
| matrOnly housekeeper, whose heart was ever
/ open to deeds of charity he told the sad story,
| and promised 10 find the next day where they
| lived, that from the bounties he had been blest
with Giles Davis home might be yet happier
| and pleasanter. The next morning he did not
forget to ask Giles where ne lived and after dark
the housekceper and her son paid st. Nicholas
visit to the room designated, leaving their bas-
ket upon the platform in front OF the door, with
| nothing to show whence 1t came but the two
letters ''H. b. burned upon the handle
| Early and late was Giles Davis at work, and
the ragged ''charity hand that at first the men
| IN the yard had Stunned, grew TO be respected
by all from his employer down to Tip, the little
fellow who made the fires, and did the errands
for the Office. The old holsekeeper, after being
caught IN her second visit q la St. Nicholas,
used to go in and chat with the little woman,
whose hand and life grew marvellously strong,
as the better time coming cleaned upon her has
band and herself
ssHope on her its heavenly radiance shed,
And waved her silver plumes o'er her head.''
The winter went by, and March came-the
| month of winds and snow, of hail ana rains
of days that are cherries and nights that are
gloomy even TO the gayest heart, and still mas
ter and man stood as high in each others con-