The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-04-16
SELECT STORY.
THE BARLEY LOAF.

Thirty years it is long periot
in the allotted term of life on earth
First the baby sleeping In its cradle
then the child in short frocks romp
ing in the garden walks; then tn,
much coveted jacket and trowsers
and the going 10 school then thu
ambitions boy from school to college;
then the farewell address and crown.
ing honors of college life, and out
into the world to find Joy or sorrow;
and then the closing OF the eyes and
rest to the restless heart; and to how
many comes all this within the space
of thirty years!
If any one had said to Master Elias,
on his thirLieth birth day: master
Elias there will come a beggar to
your door to day give her one of
those two barley loaves of yours :;
and thirty years from 10 day sou will
be paid for it--and good price too,''
Master Elias, would probably have
started at this announcement, and
might, in truth, have answered that
there was charity enough in his heart
to give loaf o: bread TO a be9gar,
without hope or promise of being
paid for it, either in thirty years or
at any other time. la-
Master Elias, l must tell you, was
the villsge school master but he did
not live as country school-mastersi
usually do-boarding around, first
at one house, and then at another.
When he came to the village, three
years before, he brought with him Il
little sister, pretty. child, about
twelve years old F; they two we're all
alone in the world and he seemed
to feel the need of some place that he
could call home for himself and her
so he hired an humble little cottage,
and took into it poor old woman,
who for her support was willing TO
he his housekeeper. Alter two years
she died, and then the little girl be-
came house-keeper.
Whether Master Elias had little
store of money when he first came
to the village, and spent it. all in his |
attempts at domestic comfort, | can
not tell /; but certain it is that he
grew poorer, and poorer, and now
was very poor indeed.
1t was poor village where he lived ,
and taught; each one of the villagers
thouglits that the Others we're all |
doing q great deal for the support Of
tho senooLnfaster so, being every
body's business to support him, it
became in the course of time nobod
ies' business; and 60 il mapped that on
this thirtieth birth day. bright
September day, when he and his
little sister sat down to the Grand
banquet an tns Occasion, the grand
banquet consisted of nothing but
bread and miIk-the contents of the
pantry having been reduced 10 Two
barley loaves.
But bread and milk is a very good
hing to anybody with good appe-
lite and 9 good eoHgcienee; SO the
:wo sat lotg and mersily over the
,epast, and just as they finished, !
:. ..-.e =. a rap .. ."c uoor; poor girl
N rags her mother was sick in the
novel on the hill she was begging
for food. Master Elias hesitated for
,ne moment only. "If | give away
The bread, what will we eat tenor
row?' thought he. 1t was but
passing thought and he put it from
him, and felt trustful in divine prov
idence for the morrow i
II will give you half Of sll have;
can do no more," he said and gave
the girl one of his barley loaves, and
divided with her the ecaHty fHel he
had to cook the morrow's meal
shonld there be one to cook and the
girl departed.
The long, cold Winter passed
night after night, when his iabors
were over, he would sit by his soil
tary, with his little sister by his
side, teaching her, telling her stories,
and thinking Of the time when she
would he a woman-a good and
beautiful woman, with q bright, hap
py home of her own.
But toward spring there came
time when he had to dismiss his
school aud shut up the school house,
and tell his boys his little sister was
sick, and there would he no schoolfor
q few DAYS, until she got well again
and the days grey INTO weeks, and
still there was no school. gH !
: And there came an evening when
Master Elias Sat quite alone in his
cottage, and in the village church
ward in the valley there was fresh |
grave heaped up, and the night dews
were falling ON it, and the winds |
whistlsa over it. Master Elias never
opened his school.house again, in
the Spring he left the Village, and no
one knew whittier he had gone.
Years passed on; ten years passed;
many new faces were seen in the
village, many old ones had disap |
peared from 1t, Ten years more
passed; and still greater were the
changes. Now houses, and church
es. and stores. whole new streets
and vet Ehen another ten years had
gone, little, very little indeed was