Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-10-11

Two DAYS later The master came again
to tell the boy that his wish might be
granted if he could design a wreath fl
70 adOrn the church. The Lady Mil
dred can6 also on her balfre5; with
her blue steebls towering ab5ve hel
head and the lawn veil floating round
her sweet young face- She alighted al
the cottage door, and came with a gen.
tie grace towards the hard settle where
the boy lay, first cUurteOuHly greeting
bis mother. Martin blushed with pride
and pleasure to see the lady of the place
queenly way. She laid her hand or
his curls and sat down beside him on
the settle.
so you too wish to make an Offering
to the Lord, !" she said, smiling, as
sweetly, thought Martin, as angels must
smile. He murmured something, he
hardly knew what.
SHAY He bless and scceptyour work,
she continued, reverently. t'It is & good
thought He has given you.
ttBut his father cannot see how he
may reach the top of the pillar, which
is ten feet high, nor how he may stand
there to carve the wreath, when mount
ed, my lady, said the mother.
Martin looked up eagerly.
80 mother I can stand,' he began.
81 and the uastet-bdilder viii con-
trive that you shall have yotlr wish, u
said Dam5 Hfildted and her, manner
gave security to the boy, it said so clear
~, tsW hat I will is DONE"
Now she had willed and the matter
was accomplished. in a few days more
Martin heard through his father that il
had been arranged Tor bim tO. sit at his
work ii & chaif, which ahOul9 be slunP
from the elerestOry windows with ropes
and with other ropes fixed firmly to
the pillar. All that remained was foI
him to design a wreath worthy 10 adOTn
the church. This took now all his
time and thoughts, and morning and
evening IS he knelt beside the stra W
pallet which was his bed, with a wood
ed bolster for a pillow, he prayed: sc
Lord, pray Thee grant me power tC
10 this little " ork, to be forever a sign
that Thou hast been so good and loving
to me-" God answered the child's pray
er and gave him strength, in part
through the means of the sweet Dame
Mildred, who often thought Of the lame
boy, ard sent him daintits from hel
own table, and even a Hook mattress
and bolster luxuries which made his
mother say that they were as rich as i
they lived in a palace, for no king could
lie softer or eat better fare.
People in the village, hearing of Mar
tins great desire, used to gather and
bring to him the largest hOwers and
brightest leaves they could find, to hell
him in form ng his wreath. but none
quite satisfied him, One day, as be sat
prOpped up by his sht el skin, with
a heap of leaves spread out upon the
ERle4e- before nILns and Win ali thest
vain efforts were titIng him. and caus-
ing him to fear that be could not please
he master, a little child, so tiny II CUufU
scarcely tOddle, came rolling in at the
cottage door with its lap full of COM
mon InalIOw, the great red flowers and
massy leaves making up clumsy
bunch as the baby held them in the
kind wish Of her generous little heart
to give him pleasure. She held the
flowers up to him with some baby prat-
tie, and when he had taken them from
her she tOddled out again to her moth
er's COTTAGE The clusters looked ugly
and hopeless enough at first TO Martin,
but as he placed them idly this way
and that, an idea struck him suddenly
and his face frightened. When hie
mother returned with her bucket OF
water, from a gossip at the well, she
found her boy erOucbing on the hooi
before TIE hearthstone, on which with a
cinder, he had drawn d bit of wreath
of mallOW, the heavy leaves tapping
one over the other, and flower peep
ing out here and there.
What brave wreath - cried the
mother.
30 mother! if the master builder
would but think so ~ exclaimed Mar
tin, flushing.
The master-builder did think SO.
"Why, my boy, you have designed as
brave a wreath as I have seen this
vear.'' he said. So Martins oun Of iOY
was full. and in three days more the
chair was swung up to the pillar, and
thedittle lame boy, with his wan cheeks
and happy eyes, was carried in tender
" by his father and seated in his airy
throne. The Workmen called it his
throne, laughing, and he thought nC
king was ever prOuder or happier than
he. Before he drew line upon the
stone he sent up again his simple pray
er: "LOrd strengt hen my weak hands
and accept my work, 1 pray Thee. -
The priest came in and blessed him in
Gods name, and then he felt strong
indeed.
So, day by day, the sick boy was car
ried to his place, and his thin hands.
daily growing thinner, welded the
chiseI well. The flowers opened, the
leaves twined on one another lovingly
in graceful clusters as the time went on.
He placed the despised weed, which
had done its poor best to adOrn the
graves, where it could be a beauty to
the ewes forever.
81 TOO am a weed, !" he thought, some
times. SIT is a great honor for me TO be
In spite of Lady Midred's dainties
and of his warm soft bed, he grew paIeI
and thinner, and it was seen by all that
God would soon take him. As the gar
land grew its maker faded. The work
went on slowly towards the last, for his
hands were feeble and he would let NJ
one but himself add a stroke to the
wreath. Besides there We're many day.
on which he could leave the cottage
At last the other masonry was done
the cbanCel was rooted and finished
The q ass was in the indOw the WaAs
indeed were as yet unPafuJed, but that
was q work or Time. A day was fixed
for the opening of the newi y-decorateu
church. The day came. 1t was autumn
now. and chilly, but people thrOn geo
from far and near to see the fair new
cbaueel which Sir Simon de HarcOurt
had built The chOyisters sang then
sweet hymn. the early sun cleaned in
through the dainty fretwork of the win
dows: the Lady Mildred and her hus.
band knelt hand in hand besides The
chapel where pHe day their -bodies
would Law side by side. when lhth
souls were gone e: resi- and a boy
with "a face whicl, -a.Il ed tp b,. ss shad.
tw o! ii face csts45- q ia ,he srIus OF
strol Q man. g.. =, q tn real Nyigb
ey es TO H wrr.stb.af ii;,ii, W carved uFCT
he capital or 80 cnluns in the nave, anC
&
Sir Simon Iud ri,.. dame viii hav,
their figure cut uIl III, II .Omhs When
they die, and. slpll have thr lttIt
weed for my mnn..H,eut, to near th'
sweet hymns, and nttiar up nay .-oul up
on its leaves 80 tir saviour day Il
! day
Within fourteen days ghe Wreath @
/ MalIow was the My visible sign lef
( of little Martin on tbis earth.
There II Uwin's yeJ. his nsuuurnen
/ forever The leaves sTc graceful still
and perfect. and tue Ho&ers peep on
mod silly from rh' f liaEe. one Of th
/ band uf free nla>OnS turN ed on two 9th
I columns vTea1is OF fage.-hOps ol
/ one, an q On the other. vine; bur tdeT
/ is something of "a tender living grace IL
/ the nalloN garland which the other
| miss. for 81 sGuI and ckerin= lif
/ were bound ur with it-
! RAILWAY SPEED Express trains il
/ England average 40 miles an hour, in
/ clu ding stoppages. In America tn
/ speed made by express trains on tn
! best roads, is not over y miles, includ
| ing stoppaGes, and from this down &
/ 20 miles ON the ordinary Western roads
/ Thisis not from lack Of enterprise il
| running, but from the manner of con
4 r. 4 4. 4 "a d ].