Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1866-06-28

swell, then, I'll go home with you,
and see your mother. Come into the
house, while ! put on my bonnet, and
Bridget shall give you some bread
and butter and cold meat"
Mrs. Lanes sweet face was full of
pity, as she hurriedly packed bas
ket with tea and sugar and bread, for
the sick mother. Then she ran up
stairs and tied on her pretty summer
hat, and down again while the hun
grygirl was finishing her breakfast.
{ -Come. little girl" she said
What is your name?"
"Ellen Stanton, mS'am; but my
father always called me Nelly, aud
30 does my mother"
'.And is your father dead?"
"Oh, yes, that's the way our trouble
began. Father died, and mother
wasn't used to hard work, and she
had TO work so hard to keep the baby
and me-"
Mrs. Lane asked no more ques-
tons just then. She was thinking
more seriously than she had ever
thought before In her life, remember
ing how she had been born to ease
and luxury, shielded all her days
from care--how her deepest diseon-
tent had been when some other per
sons carpet was handsomer, or their
Indian shawl had the deepest border.
And now she was going where hun
ger and sorrow were tenants. Had
she been living all this time for her
self? She questioned, with 3 sudden
pang of terror and self-reproaeh,
whether ever in her life she had done
one really unsellsh act--Whether, if
the great harvest day were come, she
would have one sheaf TO show to the
Master She had given Of her abLn-
dance now and then, of course, when
charitable subscriptions had been
presented to her; but she had thought
ita bore and q burden, not a priv
lege OF her own accord, what good
had she ever done-what man, wo-
man or child was there to rise up
and call her blessed?
"Here we are ma'am," said the
c..ild, breaking the silence.
1t was two story, wooden house
before which they had stopped.
They went up stairs, and the little
girl opened the door
Mother" said she, "a lady has
come home with me to see yOu--a
kind lady, who has given me my
breakfast, and brought you yours.
Mrs Lane stood q moment on the
threshold of the room, aud took in
such 3 picture IS in her young hap
py life she had never seen before.
The apartment was almost bare oi
-foraif1re--i,o carpet was on the fiooI
there was only the bed, three chairs
and table. But everything was as
neat as hands could make it; and
against the wall, at the foot of the
bed, hung 4 framed Photographic
portrait of q man with kind, honest
eyes, the features of which the child
I<ilcu nCf Z allAOol u COpl-
II have come" Mrs. Lane said
with the sweet grace which had made
her q welcome guest in far different
scenes, "to see if could arrange
something for your comfort; but first
of all you must have toast and tea, y
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 asleeI
upon her arm. The wan, pale face
upon the pillow was not beautiful
Annie Lane could not be romantic ol
sentimental about this woman-coult
by no means, idolize her into hero
inc. Yet was there something gooC
and true in her expression, and wher
she turned to place the baby mor'
comfortably light and glow or moth
erly love illuminated her features til
they were better than pretty. Mrs
Lane was not long in learning he
history.
She had been used all her life tC
self-dependence. Before she wa
married she had worked on q sewins
machine in shop, and she understoo'
that business thoroughly. But wheI
James Stanton married her she hat
given itup. He was good mechanic
q carpenter, and his wages kept then
comfortably. They had not laid u
much, however, for during elevel
years Of their marriage three chill
dren beside the two she had left, ha'
come and gone-poor, feeble littl
things, that cost great deal for tn
doctors and medicines. Then, jus
before this last baby came, scaffold
ing had given way where her husban
was at work-he had fallen from til
fourth story Of q house, and had bee
brought home dead. She had sol
almos, all her furniture, and GO
along by that means until she wa
able to be about, and then she Ia
left baby with Ellen and gone out t
1 do days work of washing and clean
ing.
1t was labor for which she was nc
strong enough, but it was the on
occupation she could get, and after
while she had taken a severe cox
and had grown SO ill she could nc
get out at all. They had eaten u
everything they had, and this morI
ing, for the first time, she had SCI
Ellen out to try and get somethln
somewhere, to keep them alive uni
she could work again. "And 1t mu
have been God, ma'am, that sent n
to you," she concluded.
"If you only had a sewing machlI
now, you could take work home Wht
. you get better couldn't you, ana sul
port yourself and children SO nleely'
The woman sighed a deep unco
. scious sigh of heartfelt longing.
! "Yes, ma'am, / could, but y:
! know thst's an impossible y. III