Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-11-08
all by vending apples ?" asked the gentle

couldn't do nothing, and we got into debt,
twenty dollars. Then, as If to make bad
worse, was took down with the rhemaa-
tics. was down with them for 8 fortnie bit,
and when l got up, couldn't get rot nd
like could afore so, not KNOWN whatto
do, went with my basket onto bench
nigh the Frog Pond. Folks come to me
amazln' that day, and at night had two
dollars clean profit. Then / saw the
Lords hand he know'd l couldn't make
living going round, so he gave me the rheu-
mates, to show me it was best to open q
stand on the Common"
"And since then have you made both
ends meets''
"Yes, sir; since then I've been prosper
ed wonderful. I've paid off the debt, and
now when want to can lay in stock OF
ten dollars, and that, you know, brings ap-
Piles cheaper"
"But have you no fear for the winter ?"
"No, sir. It's two months off; can
make thirty dollars afore it come, and that,
with what sewing and washing can do,
will take us round to warm weather"
"And how old are you ?" asked the gen.
tleman, looking at her furrowed face and
white hairs, which seemed to say CEN
fury. 81
Seventy next Christmas. But ye
wouldn't think it to look at me. l feel
Almost as pert as when was thirty"
"And at your age, and in such poverty,
can you always look hopefully at the fu'
ture?"
Eyes, sir. THE Lord is my shepherd, l
shall not want. He maketh me to lie down
In green pastures He leadeth me beside
the still waters so -
The stranger looked at her in wonder.
He had heard those words before, but now
they had to him a new sound and a new
meaning. All at once itdawned upon him
that "the poor are blessed" because of
their faith which, of itself, is the King
dom of Heaven" Drawing a roll of bank
notes from his pocket, ne handed one of
them to the old woman. She took 1t, held
it up in curiosity to the candle, and then
said, with a smile that made ugly features
absolutely handsome:
cts more money than / ever saw at
once afore; 'twould take us clean through
the winter. Ye is good gentleman, and
l thank ye; but we can get along, and
while we can don't like to take money
from nobody"
This she said in gentle way, as ifshe
feared to wound his feelings. He made no
reply, putting the note back in his pocket,
rose and babe her "good evening" When
he reached the door he turned, and saying,
al forgot the children" took both Of them
up in his arms, and kissed them. Then he
went down the long stairs, and walked
slowly homeward. He had CROPPED in the
dark for thirty years, and this old woman
had given him his first living revelation.
After that he kept his eye upon her.
Every morning and evening he passed her
stand on the Common, and never went by
without saying o cheerful word, or pausing
to ask after her sick daughter and the chill.
dren. rtrlYs f4ftt..s ~.
"The children is well, thank you, sir,
and Eliza is as well as can be expected"
was her almost invariable answer. But one
sultry day in August she said: "She seems
to be sinking fast, sir. Way up where we
live we don't get none but hot air, and the
sun don't come in till into the afternoon.
Pears to me we need sunshine as much as
the plants and the flowers"
The next day the gentleman went home
earlier than usual, and as he came near the
old woman's stand he caught sight of the
invalid daughter, seated in hand-wagon,
propped up by pillow, and shaded by the
big umbrella. The attention of the old
woman was engrossed by ajuvenile custom
er; but the daughter noticed his approach,
and called to him as he made as ifhe would
go by without speaking. 1t(lf
Sir, sir" she said, "please to stop, /
want you to see | shall soon be well for
now | can go out every day in fine
weather. -, - n
,"And who got you down the stairs, and
upon the Common Pr IN
S"The man that lives on the lower floor.
--he carried me down and Tommy draw.
ed me here before school time"
And aoh0 sent us the wagon ?" asked
the old woman, her ugly face lighting up
with smile that, to this man, always made
ithandsome. 5000 guiTs!i0 al ,sDt'li Us
"The Lord, suppose. AL good things
come from Him; and this seems to be q
good wagon" answered the gentleman,
taking the vehicle by the wheel and shak-
ing it'as if to test its quality. '@
The old woman looked at him for mo.
ment, without a word Then she said,
THE Lord will say to them on His right
hand, sYe did it unto me, insomuch as We
did it unto one of these, my poor chill
dren. aT8 ss3i5g 9H aGH .aaT/ LdIE n
The man turned and walked away, in his
eye tear, and in his soul another revela-
ton. He had learned the wholeof relig-
i0n-faith and good W0rks-at the cost of
carrying an old woman's basket, and buy
ing for her daughter cheap hand wagon.
Every pleasant day for month after
this he found the sick woman seated there
In the wagon under the. old umbrella. She
always had O smile for HIM, and he always
fingered awhile to get that smile and lit
tie of the old woman's sunshine. But one
morning he went by, and found there
neither the apple-stand nor the band
wagon. 1t was 80 too when he again went
by atevening :, and then, without going
home, he made his way to the home.O of the
old woman. Softly opening the door, he
entered the ,dingy apartment A few rays
from the setting sun came through the
open window, and by the dim light he saw
The old woman and the-two children kneelk
ing by the low bed in. the corner. She
was holdingthe hand OF the young woman,
who lay with her eyesupturnedt to the fadil
Ing sky, as if looking in clouds foissome
one coming. He had come, the Great
Angel, and he had already taken her to-
the bosom of the Al Father.
a For several years after this the old
iwoman's life rippled along as smoothly as
gentle stream flowing on over a sandy
bed to the great ocean The old umbrella
got many patch, and the new bonnet
grew old, and the black silk gown that she
first wore at her daughters funeral was
| turned and returned to fit it to appear on
Sundays; but she never begged, and never
borrowed, and the winter was neyerso
hard but she had enough ready-money at
command to buy her small wares "by
wholesale" salae ieta1et ---Salr3 t9
Little by little the young lads and hun
CRY lovers who frequented the Common