Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-07-06
From the New York News.
A Good Act Is Never Lost.

From the New York News
A Good Act Is Never Lost.
Old Farmer Kingston's wife
raised her hands in breathless won
der, and her cap frills shook eX-
citedly.
Land @ massy, Reuben what
have you got there?'
"a baby, num-" said Reuben
Kingston, quietly.
"A baby! Did / ever? What are
you going to do with it?'.
keep it,
''Naow, Reuben, you know better.
I've raised my seven children"
Then you'll know better how to
care for this one, mother. Besides,
since Jane married and went away
from home, it's very lonely here"
The farmers voice was quiyering
and for a moment his wife seemed
thinking of something far away.
The baby's cooling soon recalled
her.
"And / did really hope that l
should git leetle rest naow they
are gone" she said, finishing her
sentence as if there had not been an
interruption.
well, mother, YOU are lonesome
arter all-'specially when I'm away
now, amt you?" farmer Kingston
asked, persuasively.
"Sposin' l am-it's MATERIAL
a know it, and the baby will be
company" he cried triumphantly.
"Wa-al, 1 never! l s'pose you
think that settles it." said Mrs.
Kingston, seeing now the trap pre-
pared for her. Precious company a
baby'd be, / must say-crying all
the time, and"
sThen I'll take it to the work
house will t. asked the farmer,
with a twinkle in his eye. =
mo, you won't! l am not quite a
heathen, Reuben Kingston; and if
you don't shet up about the work
house I'll-I'll-I don't know what
I'll do, you monster"
The farmer laughed; he under
stood the moods and lenses.
"Then you'll keep it?"
"Sartalnly will. You've lived
with me nigh forty years, and ought
to know by this time that l would
not turn dog away from my door
like that--let alone a human bein'.f
So it was settled; the baby had
found home. Mrs. Kingston was
a motherly body, and the moment
she decided to adopt the little wait,
she went to work to make it COM
Portable according to her ideas, and
that comprises all that could be
meant by good home for it. The
baby was pretty, eyes of blue, and
rosebud lips and pretty little checks,
Tjust pink enough for. beauty. And
more than all the sweetest temper
that ever baby had-the veriest ba-
by hater in the world could not have
failed to fall in love with it at sight.
Mrs. Kingston. who was not boy
hater, went into raptures. ss3.
'Sich baby-I never seed the
beat on'tr' she exclaimed. '1Puttier
than posies, ane good natursd as the
day is long. L wish my children
had been half so good when they
was little, 'twould have saved me a
world O. trouble"
"Why, wasn't your children good
enough, mother?'' asked farmer
Kingston, ruefully.
''Yes, they were pretty good, but
that amt it. They wern't like this
one, and don't believe there ever
was one like it
The farmer smiled and said no
more.
OF course it was girl, or else it
never could have been so very good.
The subject of a name came up at
last, and Farmer Kingston, who had
been contented with the homely
name of Jane and Betsey for his
own daughters, now grew romanic,
and insisted it should be known as
Cora.
- "Wa-al, l neverr' said his wife.
'We never gave our darters such
highfalutin' names; but Cora's put
ty, and I spose you'll have to have
your own way iBlU lit.iuy
The baby grew and thrived. Day
by day it grew more beautiful, and
when it got to run alone and talk,
and all that, they almost worshiped
it. The little Cora was in danger OF
being fairly spoiled.
Then came an evil day for Farmer
Kingston. Some way, he never told
how, old Jonas Nichols, the village
usurer, had got mortgage on his
place, and quick to grasp the prop
erty of all who let him once gel
hold, he found flaw at some point
in the document which gave him an
opportunity for foreclosure. Far
mer Kingston was notified at once
that he could have 4 month to pay
it in. Unless he raised the none,
in that time he might prepare to va
cate.
.What shall we dor he groane(
helplessly, after he had told his wife
the story.
"Why, make the best of it,
s'pose. We're used to work, Reu
ben; and though we're getting ruth
er old. / guess we'll make our livin
yet Hope always for the best, ant
on the wust-the wust comes fas
enough without hopin'.'
Il know it, mother; but littl,
Z Cora said farmer Kingston, with
sob.
80, little Cora? Why, she'll g
to the work -honse, of course" sai'
Mrs. Kingston, coldly.
The farmer gasped, but the mex
instant his wife had stopped an,
= taken little Cora from the floor, ant
was hugging and kissing her, ant