Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-02-22

hafore The apartment was almost pare OF
furniture-no carpet was on the foor-there
was only the bed, three chairs and a table.
But everything was as neat as hands could
make it; aud against the wall, at the foot
of the bed, hung a framed photograph
the portrait OF man with kind, honest eyes,
the features of which the child Ellen's were
almost copy.
81 have come" Mrs. Lane said, with the
sweet grace which had made her welcome
guest in far different scenes, "to see If l
could arrange something for your comfort;
but, first of all, you must have some toast
and tea and giving her little guide some
money, she sent her out to procure fuel, and
sat down herself, in the meantime, beside
the bed where the sick woman lay, with her
baby asleep upon her arm. The wan, pale
face upon the pillows was not beautiful
Annie Lane could not be sentimental or TO
mantle about this woman-could by no
means idealize her into heroine. Yet
there was something good and true in her
expression, and when she turned to place
| the baby more comfortably, light and glow
of mother-love illumined her features till
they were better than pretty. Mrs. Lane
was not long in learning her history.
She had been used all her days to self
dependence. Before she was married she
had worked on sewing machine in shop,
and she understood that business thor
oughly. But when James Stanton married
her she had given it up. lie was a good
mechanic, a carpenter, and his wages kept
them comfortably. They had not laid up
much, however, for during the eleven years
of their marriage three children besides the
two she had left now, had come and gone
poor, feeble little things that cost great
deal for doctors and medicine Then, just
before this last baby came, scafolding had
given way where her husband was at work
he had fallen from the fourth story of a
house, and had been brought home to her
dead She had sold almost all her furni-
ture, and got along by that means until she
was able to be about, and then she had left
baby with Ellen, and gone out 30 day s work
of washing and cleaning. 1t was labor for
which she was not strong enough, but it was
the only occupation she could get, and after
awhile she had taken a severe cold, and had
grown so i'll that she could not go out at all.
They had eaten up everything they had;
and this morning for the first time, she had
sent Ellen out to try to get something, some
where, to keep them alive until she could
work again. "And it must have been God,
ma am, that sent her to you," she con-
cluded.
Mrs. Lane, helpless, pretty little thing,
scarcely knew what to say. Her heart beat
with tumultuous throbs of pity-her eyes
were full of tears; in all her sunny life she
had never before been brought in contact
with actual, gaunt misery and restitution.
At last thought occurred to her, and she
uttered it eagerly
"If you only had a sewing machine now,
you could take work home when you get
better, couldn't you, and support yourself
and children SO very nicelyf"
The woman sighed deep, unconscious
sigh of heartfelt longing.
" Yes, ma'am, I could, but you know
that's an impossible If. | can never get
one. I'll be only too thankful if can get
well enough to go out again by the day. If
/ don't, 1 don't know what will become of
the children
Z" But Goo knows" whispered Mrs. Lane,
softly. " He pities US, you know, as
father pities his children"
Then came Ellen with coal and kindlings,
and the subject was not alluded to again.
When their five O'clock dinner was over,
that afternoon, John Lane went gaily into
the sitting-room with his wife. He had
pleasant surprise For her, and he laid it in
her lap, in the shape of check for two
hundred dollars.
"There, humming- bird" he said, lightly,
"there's for your carpet. Business has
prospered this year, and what is it good for
cut to make home bright and wife happy!
She turned her face and touched her lips
silently to the kind hand resting on her
shoulder. Perhaps John was disappointed
that she expressed her pleasure SO quietly.
He had anticipated her gay laugh of merry
exultation, her delighted chat about colors
and patterns. Her new mood surprised
him. He sat down beside her gravely, and
waited for her to speak.
She told him, the story of her day, leav
ing out nothing. He could see how deeply
she had been moved, by the color which
came and went ON her cheeks, the tears
which gathered UNDECIDED in her eyes.
When she was all through, she said hesitat
ingly--
"John, we are happy, aren't WEI"
Yes, dear"
'sAnd we owe something, don't we, to
those who are less so? Think, John, if
had lost you as she lost her hus band And
if | had not only lost you, but had, after
wards no way to live /"
She paused, as if for encouragement, but
she received none. John Lane was begin
ming to get glimpse of a new phase in his
little wife's character, and he meant she
should bring out her own ideas unaided.
She began to fear that she could not interest
him. She went on timidly enough, but very
earnestly:
ga part of two hundred dollars, John,
would buy that woman the necessaries
which would make her comfortable, and she
would soon be well again, for her disease is
only the result of exposure and over-work.
Then the rest of it would buy her sewing
machine, and she could get along nicely
with that. She wouldn't need any more
help"
Still Mr.. Lane was silent, and she drew a
little nearer to him, and began smoothing
his big fingers with her own little ones.
81 know, John, DEAR she said, coax
ingly, "that two hundred dollars would be
too much to ask you for, in any one charity !;
but have so set my he. TT on really and
substantially helping this poor, bereft
woman. Our drawing room carpet really
looks very nicely-you know you thought it
would do, this morning. And if, just this
once, | might have the two hundred dollars
to do this good deed with, and keep the
old carpet down, it would make me so happy.
Just think, John, that poor widow, and
those little children would say your name
every day in their prayers, and they would
be made comfortable for life. May l,
john"
John Lane bent down and kissed the
tender, eager face. I'm afraid his eyes
were too dim inst then to see all its BRIGHT
ness.