Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1867-08-07

face of her husband or her child, save by
the lamp light, except on Sabbath. How
glad she would have been to have had
once in while, small washing gathered
for her"
zone dark, winter morning. as she was
preparing a frugal breakfast, and getting
everything ready before she left, her hus-
band called her her to his bedside.
"Ada," said he, almost in whisper
81 want you TO try and come home early
tonight; be home before the light goes
out; Ada"
"Ill try" answered she, with choked
utterance.
"Do try, Ada, I have strange desire
to see your face by daylight. To-day is
Friday; have not seen it since Sunday,
| must look upon it once again"
ado you feel worse ? she inquired.
"No, no, think not, but / want to see
your face once more by sunlight can
not wait till Sunday" . ..
Gladly would she have tarried by his
bedside till the sunlight had stolen through
the little window; but it might not be
Money was wanted, and she must 60 forth
to labor. She left her husband. She
reached the kitchen of her employer, and
with troubled face, waited for the basket
to be brought. A smile played on her wan
face as she assorted its contents. She
could get through easily by two o'clock ;
yes, and if she hurried, perhaps by one
Love and anxiety lent new strength to her
weary arms, and five minutes after the
clock struck one, she was just abo1t emp
tying the tubs, when the mistress came in
with a couple of bed quilts, saying:
GAS you have small wash to-day, Ada
/ think you may do these yet" After the
mistress had turned her back cry of ago
ny, wrung from the deepest fountain ofthe
washer-woman's heart, gushed to her lips.
Smothering it as best she could she set to
work again, and rubbed, rinsed, and hung
out. 1t was half past three when she start
ed for home, an hour too late!" and the
aged narrator sobbed. "
"Au hour too late," she continued after
a pause. "Her husband was dying; yes
almost gone! He had strength to whis-
per few words to his half frantic wife, to
hasf haf e 9e eoaaR HRRfSa I'D t sF s hf
Law in the shadow of death. One hour she
pillowed his head upon her suffering heart
and then be was at rest"
''Mary, Mary, DEAR" and there was a
soul touching emphasis in the aged wo-
mans words, abe kind to yonr washer,wo-
man. Instead of striving to make her
days work as long as may be, shorten it,
tighten it. Few women will 60 out wash
ing daily unless their needs are pressing
No woman on her bridal day expects to la
Dor in that way; and be sure Mary, when
she is constrained to do so, it is the last
resort. That poor woman, laboring now
so hard for you, has not always been wash
er woman. She has seen better days
no doubt, and l know she has passed thro'
terrible trials, too. can read her story in
her pale face. BE kind to her; pay her
what she asks, and let her 60 home as early
as possible.
"You have finished in good time to-day
Susan" said Mrs. NJ, as the washer woman
with her old cloak and hood on, entered
the pleasant room to get the money she
haG earned. . ..
eyes, ma'am have; and my heart, ma
am, is relieved of a heavy load, / was to
afraid should be kept till night. and am
needed at home" .
as there sickness there 2" said the aunt
Tears gushed to the woman's eyes as she
answered "Ah, ma'am l left my baby
almost dead this morning; he will be quite
so to morrow. know it, have seen it
too many times and none but a child Of
nine years to attend to him. Oh, I must
90. and quickly y ...... =.
And, grasping the money she had toiled
for, while her baby was dying, she hurried
to her dreary home. Shortly after they
followed her; the young wife who bad
never known sorrow and the aged matrou
whose hair was white with trouble; fol
lowed her to her home She was not
too late. The little dying boy knew his
mother. But at midnight he died, and
and then kind hands took from the mother
the lifeless form, closed the
ClOScu tuO uIISuI o1CSs oiai5 h'Ohou Ih0
tiny limbs, bathed the cold clay, and fold
ed about it the pure white shroud; and
did more; they gave what the poor SO sell
dom have, time to weep. .... ....
"Oh, Aunt" said Mrs. NJ, with tears in
her eyes, "if my heart blesses You how
much more must poor Susan's. Had il
not been for you she would have been toe
late. 1t has been a sad but holy lesson
/ shall always be kind to the poor washer
woman. But, aunt, was the story you
told me true one, all true / mean?"
"The reality of that story whitened this
head when it had seen but thirty summers
and the memory of it has been one of my
keenest sorrows. It's not strange, there
fore that I should pity the poor. washer-wo
mau ?"
g. A committee of the Illinois Legisla
ture visited the Insane Asylum at Jackson
vile, during the last session of the Legis
lature. When the committee was going
through the building, an insane man, who