The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-06-26
misreIlanp.
READ CAST UPON THE WATER.
,please sir " III Won buy my cheetnut6 Z"


.nrls ~ a, ION hair. were appealing so pitifully
N h;sown "What do want with your chest.
..B, please, sir, do buy EN-" pleaded the lit
flo one, reassured by the rough kindness of his
tone Nobody seems TO care tor them, and
and"
broken way" said Ralph, smoothing her hair
down with oarless gentleness. II don't want
your ohes,nuts; but here is a quarter for you,
II that will do you any good"
He Gid not stay to hear the delighted, inco-
herent thanks the child poured out through q
rainbow of smiles, and tears, but strobe on his
way, inuttering between his teeth:
"That cuts me off my supply of cigars for the
next twenty-four hours l don't care, though,
for the brown-eyed object really did cry as if she
hadn't friend in the world. Hang it! l wish
I was rich enough to help every poor creature
ont of the slough of despondencyV'
Willie Ralph Moore was indulging in these
very natural reflections, tho dark-orbed little
damsel whom he hal comeorted, was dashing
down The street, with quick, elastic step utter
" regardless of the basket of unsold chestnuts
that still daugled upon her arm. Down an OBJ
ecure lane she darted, between tall, ruinous rows
of houses. and up narrow. wooden staircase, to
a room where a pale, ghastly-looking woman
with LARGE brown eyeslike her own, sewing
as busilv as if the breath Of life depended upon
every stitch, and two little ones were contented-
Iy PLAYING in the sunshine that temporarily sup
piled the place of absent fire.
"Mary back already? Surely you have not
sold vour chestnuts SO soon ?"
ooh mother, mot or, mot ner see " calculated
the breathless child "a gentleman gave me a
whole quarter y
If Ralph Moore could have the rapture
which his tiny silver git diffused around it, in
widows Gtriokar, homo he
would grudge still less Inc temporary privation
of cigars to which hii generosity had subjected
him.
Years cnme and went. The little chestnut
girl passed as entirely out Of Ralph Moore's mem
DRY as if her pleading eyes had never touched
the soft spot in his heart, but Mary Lee meyer
forgot the stranger who had given her the silver
piece.
The crimson window curtains were closely
drawn to shut out the ste n and tempest of the
bleak December night; the fire was glowing
cheerily in the CRATE, and the dinner table, all in
glitter With out glass; rare china and polished
silver, only waiting for the presence of Mr..
Audley.
''What can it be that detains papa ~ said Mrs.
Audey, fair handsome matron of about thirty,
% she glanced at the dial of tiny enameled
watch. 'Six O'Clock, and he does not make his
appearance"
"There's nan with him in the study, ma
ma--oone on business" said Robert Audley, a
pretty boy eleven years old, who was reading by
che fire.
"Tl call him again." said Mrs Audley, step
ping to he door.
But as me opened it the brilliant gas light fell
full upon the face OF an humble looking man in
thread bare garments, who was leaving the house,
while her husband stood in the doorway of his
study, apparently very much relieved to be rid
of h., visitor.
"Charles,' said Mrs, Audley, whose check had
paled and flushed, ''wbo is that man, and what
does he want Z"
ellis name * Moore, believe. and he came to
zee if would bcstow upon him that vacant mes
sengcrship in the bank"
Sand will YOU
90 dout know, Mary; must think about it
first"
"Charlcs give him the situation"
'Why, my love:'
because ask 1t of YOU as a favor and you
said a thousand times you would not deny me
anythin,'"
'And / will keep NJ word, Mary said the
lover husband. with an afFectionate kiss. will
write The fellow note this very evening. |
believe tnat | have got his address somewhere
about me"
IA hour or two later. when Bobby, and Frank
ali L.'unie were tucked snugly in bed, in the
spacious nursery above stairs, Mrs. Audley told
her husband why she was interested in the fate
OF man whose face she had not seen for twenty
years.
That's iIFht, my little wife, said her hus-
bend, folding her fondly to his breast, when the
simple tale was concluded 'never forget one
VINO res been lind to You in the days when you
needed kindness most"
Ralph Moore was sitting the self.same night,
in his poor lodgings. beside his aiing wifes sick
b'd, when Inverted servant brought "a note from
that rich and prosperous bank director, Charles
Audley.
"Cood news, Bertha !" he exclaimed ioyously,
as he read the brief words. 1--WE shall not starve
Mr. Audley promises me the vacant situation
in the bank ~
You have dropped something from the note,
Ralph" said Mrs. Moore, pointing to a slip of pa
per that lay on the floor.
Moore stopped to recover the estray. It was
fly dollar bill, folded in a piece of paper, on
which was written:
'ln grateful remembrance of the silver quar-
ter that a kind stranger bestowed on the little
chestnut girl twenty years ago"
Ralph Moore had tn rown lis morsel of bread
on the waters of lie, and after many years it had
returned to him.
Good old Peter Cartwright, who is serving his
attieth year as Presiding Elder in the Methodist
Episcopal Church, writes to the Csntrol Christian
AdcocG'e from Pleasant Plains, Illinois: II
think 1t is quite probable that the good Lord
Will give me my discharge from labor as my
luohee before our Conference at Lincoln, and
If so, ii is my desire thu: this Conference remem.
Der my aged wife, her age eighty next August,
18th day. We were married the 18th OF August
ls06. She has, therhfore. boon the WIFI of n