The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1870-01-15
Eyes Open.

OAi A4AhA6tVl odAA Al Ills SCILuOu ld6G
evening"" said Mrs. Beach, the wife of a
prosperous wholesale dry goods merchant,
on Market street, as she busted her man.
tel of porcelain and marble on Monday
morning, "that he who wanted to be good
must be on the constant lookout for op-
portunities that God does not find our
work, and bring it ready fitted and pre-.
pared for our hands; but he spreads the
world before US, and we are to work
through it as Christ and the Apostles
did, with eyes open, looking for the sick
and suffering, the poor and oppressed" !"
"Now / am certain" continued the
lady, as she repluced marble Diana in
the center Of the mantel "I should like
to do some good every day-one feels so
much better when they go to rest at
night; and I'll just kesp my eyes open
to-day, and see if I come across any op-
portunities that under ordinary circum-
stances l should let Slip"
Half on hour later Mrs Beach was in
the nursery with the washerwoman, who
had come for the clothes.
''I wish, Mrs Simms," said she, as she
heaped the soiled linen into the basket,
.that you would get Tolnmy's aprons
ready for me by Wednesday; we are
going out of town to remain until Satur-
day, and I shall want good supply on
hand for such careless little scamp as
he is"
"Well, I'll try, ma'am," said the wash
erwoman, ''I've got behind hand good
deal since Sammy got the whooping-
cough; but now he is better, must try
to make up for lost time"
ssHas he had the whooping e cough ?
Poor little fellow. How old is he 2"
questioned the lady.
'sHe was three last April, ma'am.'
''And Tom is four" unused the lady
''Look here, Mrs. Simms, won't you just
open the lower drawer of that bureau,
and take out those four worsted dresses
in the corner Toms outgrown them,
you see, since last winter, but they're al
most as good as new. Now, if you want
them for little Sammy, they'll do nicely
without altering, | think"
"Want them, Mrs. Beach !" answered
the washerwoman, with tears starting
into her dim eyes-'I haven't any words
to thank you, or to tell you what treas
ure they'll be. Why, they will keep the
little fellow as warm as toast all winter"
"Well, I'll place them on the top of
the clothes,' said the lady, smiling to
herself as she thought, "my eyes have
been open once to-day"
Not long afterwards Mrs. Beach was
on her way to market, (for she was a
notable housekeeper,) when she met u
boy who lived in her family the year be-
fore, to go errands, wait on the door, etc.
He was bright, good hearted, merry
faced boy, and had been great favorite
with the family, and Mrs. Beach had be-
come interested in him but this morn
ing she was in quite hurry, and would
have passed the child with cordial but
hasty "How are you, Joseph, my boy
Do come and see u.s." had it not struck
her that Joseph's face did not bear its
usua! happy expression. She paused as
the memory of last nights sermon flashed
through, and she asked, ssIs anything the
matter with you, Joseph ?"
The boy looked up for moment, with
a half-confding expression, into the lady's
face, the latter triumphed. "Mr. Ander-
sons moved out of town." he said push
OdCA HOAn3 Out ACatly UIuSAGu
cap from his hair; $50 I've lost my
place, and little Mary's sick, and that
makes it very bad just now"
$50 it does" answered Mrs. Beach,
her sympathies warmly enlisted. "But
never mind, Joseph; I remember, only
night before last, my brother said he
should want a new errand boy in few
days, for his store, and he'd give a good
one 81 week Now, Ill see him to-
day, and get the situation for you if you
like"
The boys white face frightened.
i" oh l should be SO glad of it, Mrs.
Beach,"
"And see here, Joseph, I'm going to
market, and perhaps can find something
nice for little Mary" The lady remem-
bered that Joseph's mother, though a
poor seamstress, was very proud wom-
an, and felt that this would be delicate
way of presenting her gift
So she found some delicate pears and
grapes, and nice chicken to make some
broth for Mary, who, as she learned, was
i'll with fever, before she proceeded to
do her own marketing. But it was a
pity LLC Aduy uiu uot see CUScpu, as ue
sprang into the chamber, where little
Mary lay wearily moaning on her bed,
while her mother sat busily stitching in
one corner, and held up the chicken and
fruit, crying, "Good news good news
I've got all these nice things for Mary,
and place at two dollars a week !"
o! how little Mary's hot fingers closed
over the punches of white grapes, while
the sewing dropped from the mothers
fingers, as the tears ran down her cheeks.
Il was evening, and Mrs. Beach sat in
the library, absorbed in some new book
when she heard her husbands step in
the hall. Though the morning had been
so pleasant, the afternoon was cloudy,
and the day had gone down in a low, sui
len, penetrating rain.
Now Mrs. Beach loved her husband
with the love of true wife; but he was
not demonstrative man, and the first
beauty and poetry of their married life
had settled down into somewhat bare,
matter-of-f existence. But her heart
was warm o-night-warm with the good
deeds of the day, and remembering her
resolution of the morning, she threw
down her book and ran down stairs.