, 1870-06-26
II DOT u


It waa cold December night, and nothing
Was stirring in the village street but tho wind
This trespAsser did not content itself with ths
public highway, but invaded the private ehouseG
without the ahKhteat compunction. It roArod
down tho Kitchen chirnnsys. rushed through
the chambers Of the sict, making them shiva1
In their beds It WIS so utterly destitute Of
coed breeding, or the slighteat sense Of hunor,
That not Acofncr escaped Its scrutiny; and
having no respect for persons, it burst into the
rostua.ator'e pArlor. driving tho smoke Impair
to make her sneeze- Tbs former august per
sonage etood with his back to the fra, appcsr.
ing 10 be in perfect luxury Of mind. boty and
estate. Tie narno blazed in steady defiance oi
tho powers Of the sir, shedding : zuddy glow
on the carpet. curtains and carefully polished
standing behind the table who returned the
Postnaste1'a dmi1e unenviouaIy, although it
was 1arc he did not know cold, hunger and dis.
comfort
..fou mast see, Tom" urged the former,
that The offer is capital one for you. The
child will be boarded, clothed and oaucated in
Z very dlnerent Way from what sha now ia.
You have not the means to pEuyids for hoF.
do not understand how you can heakate for !
moment"
Thank you honb!y. sir, !" said tie old man,
End IN truth the feyerence and humility OF his
manner could not t1ave been greater to the
Queen herselL
t'Thauk you veIy humbly."
But the tono expressed something besidea
Difference. Tho argument Wa clesr and uu-
ausHeIable, yet he MAS not convinced. He
turned in dull peEple1ity to the Postmia1ese.
" "hemembsr," she sa;d, kindly. guessing hts
thoughts. 1t vii not be parting from tha
child you shall come - often a. you Ike to
see hes,-evety day If you fancy. And what a
pleasure it will be to watch her growing up, 80
well cared for and happJ.'
Persuasion had more power than reasoning
get neither vaa strong enough to convince
linn There remained Soma hlddeu objection.
which wordn would not. or could not, reveal,
His helpless silence 1uused tho Pootmaater'a
impotence.
"sir," said the old man Mt length, an
:" Suppose" suggested tina Possmistzes.,
we leave the matter for tue present. Think
There is no need to hurry yourself IN decid-
ing"
Tom aasented gracefully, md with a pro-
found obeisAnce left the ruom- Once out In
the open mir the wind met him face to face.
and shook md buneted him until be thought
scanty his cost really was. He wAa feiSu to
draw 1t closely around him. to prevent the
blAst penetrating to his very heart, thereby
proving itself to be not merely unsc.upulous,
but ,1nfeeling.
The struggle with the unseen enemy Was
desperate, but not 40 fierce or violent n the
conflict within, in the hest Of Hh.ch the chill.
OF The outes world were forgotten.
Fortune had not bestowed upon Tom bril-
iant career, nor were his circumstances the
most enviAble. To begeary wss added nes1e-t
and lLusage, to these wefo united the suffer-
ing Of bodily defn1uity; And the sum total Of
EaiseT produeed roee 10 = fearful amount.
How be contrived to scramble from boyhood
to manhood, heaven knows-H, indeed. .
creature my be djgnided by the mime Of man,
who can only be 10 called in the eense Of his
being few degrees higher than the beasts
gels. Yet this poor soul w1s not without
his ambition His highest aim hsd
been to attain the rank Of cobbler he could
conceive no greater happiness and his desire
was fulfilled. In tbe seryica nf harsh par
eobo1ed, and was content; but hs vas doomed
to lose even this gr1tifcAGon. His eyeeieht
gradually failed. and he VIA compelled to
give up work He yielded not only without
mur1nuz, but with chearfulnese, being accua-
toned TO receive thankfully. but to aak noth-
ing. few email ehopReepers, out Of CON-
panson, employed him on e11ands, and by
this means he picked upa livelihood. IN such
circumstances it il difficult to conceive anv
room for happineas-anr loop-hole through
which hope, comfort. or Joy conld enter. The
4tPHAG tEtA4EA ~ uAt6 no NelllAIA III EHA DE-
Eehta Of beautiful world. Jet 10 the very
lowest there Is always heaven st hand
One bitter night he was returning home.
As he passed under m A,rhEav he saw child
seated upon step, her eyes closed, her face
ard hands blne With cold. He bent over her.
for abe INT time n bis life ho recognized
Ink between himself and = fe1low-creature:
She w1s Also cold, poor and lonely. They
were equally miserable. Seized by sudden
impulse he lifted her in his AIMS a1d carried
her through the streets to his wretched ga1ret.
Then taking on his coat be u1spped her in it,
and commenced rubbing. the icy hands and
feet. After some time the child opened har
eyes, and from that moment the strong BOND
between them w1s sealed forever.
She never lat him He soon lavished upon
hes Ill the devotion Of an nndying nature, IN
return. the poor little heA&hen, who hsd nsver
entered church in hez Life, tbought nothing
other Deity. 4 new lie had dsrned apou on
them both. great mine Of wealth hld bean
opened. They Fere no longer poor, lonely.
oehotate. Call it infatuaton. or What yoa vilI,
II Hae wondsrful power which could thus
~ ~uansiofm want into plenty, cold into Warmth,
ssom!osuesanesa into lu1ur-one OF those
quer Death.
It can now pe understood what WAS The old
mans despair when the Postnistresa sent for
him md proposed 70 adopt the child. She
had taken fancy 70 Lug nate EhiuE, and h1v-
ing laarut tho destitute condition IL which tho
two lined. never doubted bar charitable o1ef
would b accepted The ola man could not
Iejoice. He could only feali1e tbs oQa rniseFz-
bio fsct-she must 60 He hzstened home
very detected, and WHEN IN sight OF the horse,
thought It hid never looked 70 poor. Tho
roof Was broken in several plscee and slates
wanting. The window, in With faint Light
gfimmexed, w1s patched with paper, the walls
were dlscolnred With the damp. aud the door
was 1o=. A be groped his way up the rickety