North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1867-03-20
VOL. 6 NO. 80

; poor lodgings. E
II must stop here. and purchase some
bread for my child" said Mary.
"Very we'll will wait here for you.'
! In few moments she returned, and they
proceeded
| A single glance at the wretched loom
served to show TO the kind hearted old man
the full extent of Mrs Stanford's poverty.
Willie was awake, and sat shivering upon
his miserable bed. His great hungry eyes
lighted as they fell upon the package his
mother deposited upon the rickrty table,
and the only response to her caresS wass
'bread, mamma bread -
The old man, standing by the door,
waited to hear no more and when Mary
turned to thank him for his kindness, be-
had gone, leaving bis cloak behind him.
A few moments afterward, Mary opened
her door in response to loud rap, and
found large basket of coal upon the
thre shold. The person who brought ie
had already reached the foot of the stair
way. But there could be no doubt for
whom the coal was designed, and Mrs.
Stanford's poor house was soon comforts-
bly, warmed,
A malt hour later, a supply of provisions
arrived in the same mysterious manner,
and the loving mother wept and smiled by
turns, as the greedy Willie, with hands
trembling with excitement, lifted package
after package of wholesome food from The
basket to the table. At the bottom lay
note which read thus -"Place your trust
in God, and He will supply and guard you"
On the following evening, Humanity
Lodge, No.. met in regular communities
ton. The usual business of the evening
having been transacted, an old mao arose
and said:
my brethren, you all know Freema-
sons duty toward the widow and ORPHAN,
especially the widow and orphan Of broth
er. AT No. 6 E. street, lives a poor
woman. who was torcrd to encounter the
intense cold of yesterday morning, in the
fort to procure food for herself and child.
and fuel TO keep them from freezing.
have placed them above present want By q
small supply of provisions and coal aud
her landlady. who describes the poor wo-
man as one who is worthy, and has seem
better days, will care for her until we caa,
aid h r further. first discovered her in.
the shop of J.w, endeavorpg to procure
money by the sale ola ring engraved
with the letter G. The Jew would give
her but trifle for il. and | purchased it
myself She told me it was present
from her husband previous to Ler mar
riage." .....
"Have yon the ring with your said O.
strange voice qnive:ing with emotion.
"Yes," replied the old man searching.
for 1t in his vest pocket. "Auy one who
wishes may examine il"
The stranger, who was tall, fine look,
ing man, but very pale, rs if from Sickness,
crossed the room quickly and looked 70:
gerly at the ring.
"Oh, heaven p he exclaimed, il is Ma
rvs ring. Where did you say, No. 6
E. street? My wife my poor wife !'
He vanished from the room, but the
old man followed. When he reached the
home OF Mary, it was to find her living in
sensible upon her wretched couch, and her
husband endeavoring to restore conscious
ness by bathing her brow and chafng the
hahds hardened hy toll.
Captain Stanford. OF Company A, had
been indeed among the missing, but he was
not dead He had pressed forward in ad.
| dance of his men. and fallen whore the.
fight as thickest. He had been borne,
from the field AS a prisoner, bv Confederate
soldiers, and it was many weeks bef,re an
exchange was effected. Then, rewarded
tor his bravery, with culonels commits
sion, but still weak from the effects of
severe wound, he obtained furlouyh, and
hastene,i to his western home His wife
had left for New York /; his perfaious part
ner had been discovered and arrested, and
large part of the money he had pnroin-
| ed had been recovered. Leaving the case.
in charge Of An attorney, Colonel Stanford
| followed his wife Searching New York,
no trace Of her could he discovered. Think
ing perhaps she might have ascprtained
the locality of her father, and gone to him,
Stanford resigned his commission and went
again in pursuit. lie finally surceeted in
finding Mr.. Carlton in ST. Louis, prostra,ed
With fever, which in few davs trrminated
fatally. George remained with hlm until
the last, and on his death bed, the old man
had rrpeuted his unjust treatment of his
daughter, and instructed George to bear
to her his blessing.
Thinking that perhap. Mary might
have returned home in his absence, he
again sought the city of g.. But
she was not there, and. half maddenad
with grief and anxiety, he renewed his
search. . --
| But his Cause seemed hopeless, when,
arriving at b, he determined to
visit the Lodge, and request his brerhrsn
to assist in ascertaining # she was 10 that
city. The result We have already seen,
and il only remains to say, Col. Stanford,
his wife and the boy Willie how the PIC
ture of health and hsppy childhood ARE
dwelling again ia the beautiful home on.
| tho horEo &C aha l.. w