The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1867-01-31

comfortable, tidy place." cried the mother
AZ length, as they hastened forward; Where
III enter, nor will I stir till the rain is
over come in, Jemima come in, Letitia
you might eat of these boards. tbev,re 80
clean" The rain was now coming down
IN torrents, and the two young ladies glad
~ followed their mothers example, and
entered the cleanly dwelling. Their long
hair hung dangling about their ears, their
Donnets had been screened in vain by
their fringed parasols, and the skirts of
their silk gowns were draggled with mud
They all three began to stamp upon the
floor Of the room into which they had en-
tered, with very little ceremony; but the
good-natured mistress of the house felt
more Tor their distress than for her floor.
and came forward at once to console and
assist them. She brought forth clean
cloths from the dresser-drawer, and she
and her two daughters set to work to wipe
of the rain-spots and mud-splashes from
the dresses of the three fine ladies' The
bonnets and parasols were quickly dried
at the fire, and a comb was offered to ar
range the uncured hair; such a white.
uellcaJely-Clcun comb as may seldom be
seen on poor wOmans table-we doubt
even If the Miss Crowders' combs were so
clean. When all had been done that could
be done, and, as Miss Jemima said, "they
began to look themselves again." Mrs.
Crowder, who was lOlling back at her case
In large and comfortable armchair, and
amusing herself by takinga good stare Mt
everything and every one in the room
suddenly started forward, and cried out
addressing herself to the master of the
mousse, upon whose Bible, and at whose
face, she had been last fixing her stare,
"Why' my good man, we are old friends ;
know your face, I'm certain; still there
is some change about you, though cannot
say what it is" ~ used to be in ragged
clothes, and out of health" said George
Manly, smiling, as he looked up from his
Bibles ~ am now, blessed be God for il,
comfortably clad, and in excellent health"
"But how is it, ," said Mrs. Crowder, "that
we never catch sight of you now?"-
MADAM" said he, u am sure l wish well
to you and all people nay, have reason
TO thank you for some words of yours
were the nrst means of opening my eyes
to my own foolish and sinful course. You
seem TO thrive, so do we. Ny wife and
children were halEnalIed and half-starved
only this time last year. Look at them, if
you please, now; for so far as sweet, con-
tented looks go, and decent raiment, I'll
match them with any mans wife and chill
dren. And now, madam, 1 tell YOU, as
you told friend of yours one day last
year, that It's the FooLs' PENCE which
have done all this for us. The Fools
Pence! l ought rather to say, the pence
earned 10y honest industry, and spent in
such manner that l can ask the blessing
Of God upon the pence"
When Mrs. CrOwder and her daughters
were gone, George Manly sat without
speaking for some time. He was deep in
thought, and his gentle wife felt that she
knew on what subject he had been think
ing for when he woke from his fit of
thought, deep sigh stole from his lips,
and he brushed away the tears from his
eyes. "Susan," he said, "what can | rem
der unto the Lord, for all his goodness to
me? From what IA fearful depth ofungod-
illness and danger 1 have been snatched !
/ have been considering within myself,
that this turning away from the sin which
did most easily bcset me, was not of my
self, 1t was from the Lord-from Him, ac-
cording to whose mercies l was not con-
sumed. You reminded me from the first
that could do nOthingin my own strength
and l agreed to what you said. thought
felt the truth Of what you said then by
my own experience but, on looking back
to that time, and putting what then felt
over against that which now feel, it
seems TO me that / was then like the man
whose eyes had received but their first
amounting from the hands OfOur Lord. But
he leadeth the blind bya way which they
know not, yea, he opens their eyes that
they may see the light of life. Dear Su-
san, what have had to go through from
temptation, nobody but the Lord can tell.
Once met some of my old companions,
and they all set upon me to draw me to
drink with them, that afterwards thought
Satan must have urged them on, for how
could my drinking profit them? Another
time, when was deep in thought about Il
job Of work that l had to do the next day,
went walking on, and found myself at
the door of poison-shop, without know
ing how | got there but this was very
long ago and owing to the bad habit which
had grown upon me. l had strength given
me to turn away, though the door opening
just ms reached il, ! saw man tossing OIL
glass of gin and at the sight felt sud
den sinking within me, and craving for
the poison, ms if really needed it, / turn
ed away, feeling myself little better than
some poor hackney, who stops at the ale
house on the road where his master has
been in the habit of calling. Surely was
thus led 10y the law Of sin in my members.
But, Susan, 1 was thinking just rs the
snowy landlady came in, that God had
surely been pleased to put new spirit
within me, new affection, which has been
struggling to drive out my old bad appe-
tites. | seem to hate that which I once
loved ; and even when the bad aud old
part ofme pulls and drags me back to my
sin, seem to louthe the sin. I feel like
one that has been taken from swine
trough, to eat and drink at the table of a
king, and, having tasted higher and sweet
er fare, / cannot go back again to the husks
and to the mire. This surely, is of the
Lord for though when first turned from
my sin, it seemed that it was that made
the choice, who sprang forward to obey
the call written in this book, Choose life,
I look back with thankfulness, and con fess
that il wns not that chose the Lord, but
the Lord that hath chosen me-"
A little four-year old pet stood looking
,Ft lao.