The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-12-01

greenback and offered it to the child
saying,
"Don't you want some toys,my dear2
The child looked down. Her fac'
was very red. Suddenly she seemed te
take resolution--she looked up anG
said:
"Oh, sir f! it's five dollars :! It would
buy mamma everything. She is sick
you know, and ought to be home this
minute it was 50 wrong of me to stop
here. Ifyou please, sir, I'd much rather
spend it here for her," she said, rapidly
and incoherently. @
/" So you shall, dear! Hurry home
now, at any rate but first tell me where
you live p
"We live in Carpenter street, No. 10.
And may keep the five dollars, may /,
sir 7''
Certainly. You shall have doll,
too. I will bring it myself, to-mor
Tow
g Oh !! will you sir p she interrupted,
her eyes dancing
With these words, she gathered her
thin shawl about her and hurried away.
"How all this brings bask the past to
me! You have otter heard me speak
of He tty Moss. I suppose she is dead
long ago." he added, with a sigh, cor
married, which, fer me, is worse. But
at sixteen she was the loveliest creature
l have ever seen. 1 never shall forget
the day, after my father and mother had
been buried, that I went to see her, in
tending, even then, to go away and try
my fortunes, but, expecting that she
would bid me God speed, and that her
father, who had always been kind to me,
would do the same. Ah, Charley! we
must all, sooner or later, learn hard les
sons and learned my first cruel one
that afternoon. The old man met me
himself. Well, won't dwell on it. He
denclined to let me see Hetty; called
me 'beggar's brat, worse, the child of
a bankrupt and bade me begone. Ever
since then 1 have had less faith in human
No you haven't answered his friend,
bluntly. "You think you have. But,
old fellow, you are too good to talk such
nonsense, and please God! you'll be
happy yet, though not with Hetty.''
ssMy first task, now that 1 am rich,
and home at last answered the other,
will be to get on the traces, if 1 can,
IF poor Lucy. After left America, 1
continued to write for years, but never
,etting any answer, finally gave it up.
Christmas once over, I shall start for
he old homestead but / fear all clue to
Ter is lost
Meantime, Lucy was hurrying home,
ceiling herself q new being. In spite
# the snow, her bare feet, her cold,
umb fingers, we question if there was
happier child in the city.
See, mother!'' she cried, when she
OF home, with a great sob of happiness,
We shall have some Christmas, after all;
gentleman gave it to me, and said it
'as five dollars. Oh, mother! mother! |
m so happy! five whole dollars to
pend for Christmas! Why, I never
card Of such a thing and her face
'irly glowed. Isn't it "a miracle,
amma?'
" My dear child, it seems like one!'
lid her mother, holding out her wasted
md, and regarding the money
The sad, sweet, wasted face lighted
, with glow of thankfulness as she
,ted to the little narrative
:" Oh. my darling she cried, sit was
Mt for shoes and stockings for your
,or feet. cried to see you go out
to the snow to day; and I prayed in ,
ony to the dear Lord to help us !; and {
is is the answer +;
" But don't want the shoes, mamma,
want Christmas said Lucy, with a
sappointed face. He told me 10 go
and buy toys. We never did have :
and wanted to see how it ,
ems.'
Very soon there was a loud knock at
e door; and when it was opened, in =
me two stout men with an enormous G
sket between them, and put it down; S
Il there it sat looking up into the /
dow's face, with great, round eyes of a
tatoes and squashes, and bulging
ckages that told of plenty.
'' Who is this for 2 asked Lucy's n
other, quite pale. i
g It's for q widow by the name of s
ttigrew.'
''But who sent it?'
& don't know who sent tits paid
:, that's all care about
The door shut, the men had vanished.
's Oh, mother! were dreamino-iust