The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1867-07-18
NOt7,

oii'S ioi otiy W heCp "Oi f'ohiSS, ooN
she had been schooling herself, and was
ready for the labors of the day
"Well, John, how do you feel this
morning ?"
lie had been feeling, to use one of his
own expressions, "kind o streakcd," but
those kind spoken words, and the smile
which accompanied them lifted his spirit
up in a moment.
"By glory p he cried; shaking himself.
| feel first rate"
He ate his breakfast and then went out
to work, but he did not work as long as
he had the day before. Towards night he
came in looking sad and detected and sat
down with groan.
"W hats the matter, John 2" anG his
wife came aud sat down by his side.
Polly, I'm afraid you'll have to siyuf
it up"
The wife was startled She was Just
bcgiuing to dream of peace and comfort.
Gould it be possible that the half formcd
fabric was going to tumble 10 pieces
John ain't you going to keep your for1'
mer promise"
"Oh, it inst that Polly. God knows I.
want to do all can, but | am weak and
faint. | cant work as | mean to work. /
have drank rum so long, and drank so
much, that it pulls me down terribly IT,
break of as | am going now. 1t will take
me two or three days, perhaps week, to
get strong again, aud in that time | cans
work. I'm ali OF trembc now. Oh,
you don know how weak | am
mo, no !" cried John vehemently, "I
don't want any such thing"
"Thcn what do You waHt?'' asked the.
wife earnestly. "W ha. can do for you2''
The husband loukcd up wonderingly::
! polly" he said tremb mblingly Il mean.
to keep my promsse; but you keep
yours if amt able to work %
There was much of fear-so much of
praycTiulucss in the fa;utiug mau' ; look
as he spoke, that the wife felt her heart
warmed toward him as it might have.
warmed toward suffering child His
face was a mirror upon which she could
read all his thoughts aud feelings He
wanted TO succeed-he wanted to conquer
thee nemy, and he wanted help. He knew
his weakness, and he feared that in the
hocr Of his sore distress, his wife's kind
ness would fail him. She read it all
all this and much more as plainly as could
be spoken. At that moment she coustA
not, had she tried, have spoken harshly..
When he came to her so humbly and be-
seechingly for help, she could not cast,
him oft, aud it cost her no effort to put
her arm around his neck and say to him:
John, fear not for me. Twill keep my
promise if you will keep yours and if
weakness and sickness come upon you
from your drinking | will be good kinds
nurse, and help you all | can"
And then John let his head sink upou
his wife's shoulder, and there he cried
like child.
This was a new experience to Polly
NudSkins; but 1T was a very sweet one
How her heart softened and melted
beneath the infence of those tears I-sof-
tened and melted never to grow. hard ands
callous again Who would have thought
that the woman had such heart? Ave.
who would have tho't it when herself did
not know 1t? The capacities of the heart
are like some of those rare capacities of
mind, which may not manifest themselves
until some wondrous emergency calls them
to the light OF day. Many and many a,
poor wayfarer of earth has ploded darkly
and wearily over liies rough aud rugged
road, outcast and forsaken degraded and,
denounced, sinking at length iuto dis
honorod grave, who had rich mine of
wealth in his own heart-only the vein
!, was never struck, and the heart waai;h
was never brought to the surface.
John Nudgins became very weak, an,h
his limbs shook as though he had the
palsy; but it did not last great while
f At the end ola week he was quite strong.
and Mr.. Wainwright who had heard OF
the reformatory movement, came up to
see if. he could hire him upon building
, that he wished to erect as quickly as pos
sibe Help was very scarce. aud it was
almost impossible to obtain house car
, penters at any price.
John went to work at once. and his wa
ges were more than he had thoayht of
asking. The summer passed aad John
. kept his promise, and Polly hers. From
the keeping of John's promise came neat
: ness and thrift to all outside while from
the keeping of Pollys promise flowed
peace and comfort within. And it had come
to pass that neither kept the promise be-
cause OF fear that the other might fail
: They kept their promise as the Psalmest.
would keep the statues Of the lord: be-
cause ''in the keeping OF them there is
, great reward"
| 1t was Christmas evining. The child
ren were away in one corner playing with
; the toys, which had been found in their
, stockings that morning, while the has--
band aud wife sat BY the eheeriuly blaz--
) ing fire.
IL declare, Polly" cried john, the re-
fectiou of the ruddy blaze uron His
plamp face giving him very much the APP
pearance OLA blush, I'll folks should sea,