Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-04-28

a stranger 90 All the way to Beacon street,
Hamilton Brent thought Of it, and after he
sat down to his own dinner, pictured the sap
per table in Davis room, the centre piece OF
thankfulness. To his matronIy housekeeper,
whose heart was ever open TO deeds OF charl-
ty, he told the sad story, and promised to IND
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 he lived and after dark the
| housekeeper and her son paid ST. Nicholas
visit to the room designated, leaving their
basket upon the platform in front of the door,
| with nothing to show from whence 1t came
| but the the two letters" b. 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
| Tin. the little fellow who made fires and did
the errands of the office. The old house
keeper, after being caught in her second visit
a la St. Nicholas, used to go in and chat with
the little woman whose hand and life grew
marvelously strong as the better time coming
cleaned upon her.
| sHope on her its heavenly radiance shed,
| And waved its silver pinions FER her head
The winter went by, and March came-the
month of winds and snow, of halls and rains
of DAYS that are cherries and nights that
are gloomy even to the gayest heart, and still
master and man stood as firm and as high IL
each others confidence as ever. Often, as
he sat alone, Hamilton Brent conceived al
imperfect knowledge of his proverb shining
, upon him, in the kind effort of Giles Davis
but the full time had not yet come for him tt
see after many days." the wealth of it,
promise.
I Upon one of those stormy days you and
have seen in March, came an order for ship
timber, which Brent must attend to himself
All day long he staid in that drencLing anc
chilling storm. That night his walk home
seemed longer than usual-the house colder
the matronly housekeeper crusty." His
: | great visions were sad ones-his dreams more
/ like spiritual vistations than like visions tina
we love to think linger around and above u
in our sleeping moments.
: The next day at his Office passed sadly an(
drearily, until it grew nearly night, when hear
and flesh failed him, and he fell fainting t.
the floor. Ii the hour of excitement tina
u followed, Giles Davis stepped into the posi-
ton of counselor and nurse. Every one il
: and around the Office gladly followed his di
0 rections or asked his advice. He it was VIII
a they agreed support Brent home and stay wit
e follewod his rash exposure, Giles strong arr
t was the one On which the good old housekeeI
e er leaned for help and guidance. The quie
4 little woman was brought from her humbl
i home to the grander one of her husband
: employer, to assist in the enormous duties G
4 nurse. The sick man, whose friends (wit
/ the exception of an invalid aunt, who live
i with her daughter in Maine,) had all gone
/ the esprit land, looked, in moments of con
e seriousness, the gratitude he could not speak
! every day, as Giles would go to the office t
S consult with Porter and report favorably t
r his employer
t 1t was not until "April showers" ha
: brought May flowers" that Hamilton Bren
s took his old place in the lumber yard Blu
d the strongest tie that can bind humanity to
y gether, united their hearts, and Hamilton
never forgot that, under God, he owed hi
J. after prosperity to the "charity hands.
r During the summer evenings when his bach
y elor home grew silent, he would think, with
: lingering regret, of a pleasanter one in
r. quiet street, and devise some plan to insur
e that one part of his own. 1t was not III
G til Christmas that his plan was perfected
e Then, when the other hands received the sli
L of paper with "a Merry Christmas write
r on it, and a dollar note pinned to it, Gle re
s ceived little package, and opening it in hi
Of pleasant home, found it contained the gift
one-fourth interest in the undergrad, pro
}, vided Mrs Davis would consent to occupy til
house in Beacon street, in company with he
II husband Hamilton Brent, and her old friend
n the matronly housekeeper and her son. Mr.
: Davis was not unreasonable. She went, cal
s rying with her nothing but the sweet smile
+ that had made her humble home parads
s for her husband and as Hamilton Brent ell
= joyed the pleasantness of the group that ir
:, gered IN the moonlight of his ancestral mar
y sion, his heart understood at length the bless
If edness of the command, Cast thy bread W
+, on the waters, and thou shalt find it afte
many days"