Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-06-13
One of the LeasI.

The poor widow woman sOIled up her three
weary flights oi stars with aching limbs anu
sad art, 10 the two small rooms that held
all her wordly goods, and her one treasure
beside, her lame boy She tired anu d =
pirit, 4, but she had a smile for him when he
opened the door, haltlng painfully on his
crutch, Tor the kiss that repaid his long hOu :
OF waiting.
They were very poor, This mother and son
though they had seen better days. Mrs. VII
son had not always toiied tor living she
did now but the husband and father sicken-
ed and died, and the little there Was LETT VS.
soon consumed, and only by hard work Wa
even this humble living obtained.
All day long Charlie Wilson staid alone in
his mothers rooms, whIie she went out to Ia
Dor FOR his support. lie was not able TO 70
up aud down the long stairs without bel p. and
ne dld not play with the healthy, romp-
ing boys, who too often rIdIculed his weak
ness, SO he stood at the one small window that
looked down into the backyard OF u handsome
house, that fronted on another street, and
watched all that went on, day after day-a
sad enough life for boy nearly nine years
cd He could look right into the great DIM
iug-room, and he wondered II he should ever
iaste such rich food as he daily saw served up
there but II did not render him either dis
contented or unhappy, for he only wanted
enough 10 eat, and he had that. Besides,
Charlie, young Us he was, had learned 10 be
cUntente1 with his lot, and quietly lett his iu-
ture IN Gods hands, since he had seen ht 10
render I'M helpless.
But there was something about the rich
mans home that Charlie never wearied OF
watching with loving, eager eyes 1t was hls
only son, boy somewhat older than himself,
iuli OF health and joyous spirits, and with
every good thing oi IIis at his comm md, who
had often paused in the midst OF his boyish
sports 10 send upward a bright smile to the
little Iaie lace at the window.
Charlie had Jew toys; | might almost say,
no e. On the wlndowsiIl by which he sat,
were an old nutmeg crater, few worn pic
Lure books, and nice new ball-elways nice
and new. That was the gilt of the rich boy,
Willie Hazen. He had thrown it from one
OF his own windows, and Charlie had caught
it with such eager delight and smiled back
his thanks and that was all their acQusin-
tance, but from that hour he loved I'm.
81 wish L was we'll and strong ike other
boys," he used TO think, ''then | might see
him ON the street, and tell him hon glad L
was of the bal. | wonder if he goes to Sun
day school, and if he loves Jesus | don't be-
lieye he swcars, or does wrong like some
boys.
Charlie was right. Willie did not swear
or do wrong, bus was good. obedient boy
the light of his parents home.
AT last a week passed away that Charlie
did net see Willie. lt was long week to
him for he had grown TO be a silent sharer IN
Wlllle's spor,s-to watch for the npturned
glance ana nod of welcome, as part of his eve
ry day lie, and he missed their withdrawal
greatly.
.' tie had gone on VISIT somewhere,
thought Charlie, and he watched every day
lor h,m to come back.
But the great house looked lonely and de-
serted Charlie could only see the back of it,
and there were few signs OF life there. The
dining room curtains were closely drawn all
that week.
One morning every shu tier was closed, and
long strips of somber Grape hoated from the
doors, aud his mother told him that Willie
Hazen Was dead.
He grew paler and thinner after that, and
| though be still kept al the window, he did not
| look down into W'llle'5 home. Instead, he
fixed his eyes on the narrow strip OF blue sky
that shoue overhead, and watched it contlnu :
ally as If somewhere on its shining depths,
w lille Was hidden.
:" DID be love Jesus? " he kept asking him
self over and over and one day his mother
| told him all she had heard of w lilies death
how he died happy, ioI he had loved Jesus
| There was dreadful blank in Wlliie's home
| his father did not stay there much, where
every thing reminded him of his lost boy, but
went down town and attended to bis business.
There was no place for bis poor mother TO &c