Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1866-03-23
ELLSWORTH, MAINE, FRIDAY, MARCH, %, 1866

their cheeks mothers kiss, uttered fer
vent prayer in their behalf, and sought til g
repose of the pillow.
Long ere the morning dawncd, Thomas
Wilkins arose from his bed. dressed HIM
self left the house. His poor wife aw0ke
Just as he was going out and she would
have called to him. but she dared not
| She would have told him that she had no
| fuel, no bread-aot anything with which
to warm and feed the children; but he
was gone, and she sank back upon her pill
low and wept.
The light of morning came at length,
but Mrs. Wilkins hadnot risen from out
her resting place. A sound of footsteps
was heard from without, accompanied by a
noise, as though light sled was being
dragged through the snow. The door
opened and the husband entered. He laid
upon the table heavy wheaton loaf, q
small pail, and a paper bun1le; then
from his pocket he took anotherpa paper par
Gel, and again he turned toward the door
When next he entered, he bore in his
arms a load Of wood; and three times did
he go out ard return with a load of the
same description then bent over the fire
place and soon u blazing fire snapped and
spark ID on the hca, th.s As soon as this
was accomplished, Thomas Wilkins bent
over his children and kissed them =
then he went to the bedside of lis wife,
and while some powerful emoti1p stirred
up in his soul and made his chest hcaye.
murmured:
kiss me Lizzie"
Tightly that wife wound her arms about
the neck of her husband, and, as though
the love of years had ccntered in that one
kiss, she pressed it upon his lips.
There-no more, he uttered, as he gent
y laid the arm of his wife from his neck =;
these things have bought are for you and
our children and as he spoke he left the
! house.
Mrs. Wilkins arose from her bed, and
tremblingly she examined the articles
upon the table. She found the loaf. and
in the pail she found milk; one of the
papers contained two smaller bundles
one OF tea and one of sugar; while in the
remaining parcel she found nice lump of
butter.
o, murmured the poor wife and mother,
as she gazed upon the food thus spread out
before her, whence came these Can it
be that Thcmas has stolen Them No, he
neYor did that And then that look-that
liis3-those kiad, sweet, sweet words O..
my poor, poor heart, raise not Il hope that
may only iaii and crush thee .
Mother, at this moment spoke her son.
who then raised himself upon his elbow,
t is oar father gone
YES, Charles"
o, tell me. mother, did he not come ami
l. u. 4 I.
~ cs, YES, he did cried the mother, as
She flew to tie side of her boy aud wound
her arnls about him
Aud mother. said the child, il low
trembling accents, while he turned Il tear
tQl look to hls parctt'a iaac. will not faith,
ef be good tots oncc more
That mother could not spealS-she could
Only press her children more foudii to her
he>o;n, and weep a mothers tears upon
them.
Was Lizzie Wilkins happy, as She sat
her children down To that morning meal
AZ least a ray OF sunshine was struggling
to gain entrance To her bosom.
Towards the middle OF the afternoon,
Mr.. Abel Walker, Il retired sea captain of
some wealth sat IN his com'ortable par,
lor, engaged iii reading, when QUE of his
servants informed him that some one at
the door wished TO see him.
"lcl! Elm to come m returned Walk
er
'nHl II th',t iH'serenie " ilNiHs' SIR
Never 'l''i!'' sal" 'ile captain ai,er
moments u % M heS''a,''h' .. Si'o" hlin H. Ioor
ie'l'", 1'n 1T continued, t al.er 'ne servant
li'u gone ! No"urI ,..'H M''''' lie wants III
't',ii pi'y nun. W, i'li II tfenlo!lhS Ft'p
"la GO" '!ca,, h99h' h"''','s W l'A''iS enter
{" "P,a!m P,,.!,I W alAcr PafinF'
An -" iihilis' said me ola captain what
mas :,,i Drought Yo" mere
-, ~ ~ poor maui tm'ce attempted 10 speak
out ms heaf' ianeG NM
20 you come loT cAafi'y ..,
,i NO. s'l' quicH'! returned " "iIhlhS,
!. Mii'ie HIS eyes a'e''''eo Win " Prouu
iisn,' ~,
-. / II men Sit down. ana out with IT, said
W alhef, III ii NUM- IT. ou. Ni''u tone.
Nap'aih "'he', co'ii'iirhceu inc
poor man. us nc 'ooN 'he PtoHereu seat
- n".e COME 10 ASA YOU II Ion sun own
'ha' '',''e cottage 'eYoiu 'he mn
- uo'
Ana Is II occupied
~ -,
Is IL engaged :.
hi yisi+or VII, ,,nco'nrnn t"" ,,.a,os, ..hn,
,,'L,. Ia ,o,, ~ ~, p,
"' Wv y" u ,,..,.
aPtaih W aiher' SAID ilKlhs, Ill a
"a "a