The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-11-04
[FromsCatholic Record PhilaJ for November
THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW,

duced IN her worldly circumstances as to
resolve one fine autumn morning upon
| placing her eldest daughter Emily in SER
vice. Such, however, wac the fact and
though it had cost the poor widow many
pang, the more she thought of it, the
more she felt convinced that, if she would
ward off starvation or the union from
her household, ''EmiIy must ego out"
! This sacrifice 10 stern necessity was
not the less felt, from the fact of the fam
| lily having formerly been in easy circum.
stances The wrecks of better days
might have been, and still may be traced
scattered about their stricken home. The
shadow of departed geu;ility hovered
about them, and though some of their less
charitable neighbors declared they were
vain and proud, it could not truly be said
! that they did more than attend 10 the
niceIies of dress and proPrety of manner
They were always respectable amidst
their most pinching poverty; and although
frequently clad in what would have been
dowdy upon many, they conirived at all
times TO appear neat and clean.
Emily was not olG-barely fourteen
yet she remembered their better DAYS;
| she had not forgotten the noble house and
beautiful garden she had a distinct rec
objection of her many charming dresses
and pretty ribbons and composition
doll of the ancient regime was still in the
possession of one of the junior members
of the family, TO be looked at bot not
played with. She had been carly taught
to work, and for years past had toiled
hard and cheerfully for her young sisters
and brothers. Yet equally with her
mother, she retained all the old feelings
Of The past; and though living amongst
the poor, felt she was not of them.
Emily found time, somehow, 70 tend
pretty little garden-a gem of a place
and besides, in spare moments, to ply Der
needle. The envious and the untidy de-
cared that the Washes starved them
selves to dress like fine folk; but the truth
was, that little Emily's fairy fingers did it
all. y penny ribbon at her magic touch
took the guise of the most costly article,
whilst humble edgng was made to appear
the produce of Valenciennes. Then Em-
lily was pretty, and had light, graceful
figure, and sweet, gay, happy way that
made her look like the roses IN her own
garden.
We have said it was autumn It was;
and it was the prospect of hard and
long winter that determined the widow
upon placing her daughter out in the
world. But where was she to go? Their
village WAS but score of miles from the
city, yet they were AS much strangers 10
It as though thousand leagues distant;
in their own neighborhood there appeared
TO be no opening for her. At length,
friend among the neighbors undertook 10
write to friend in the great metropolis
and before week had expired, the said
friend found place for Emily in a family
as hursery-maid. The salary, it was true,
was small enough-just a shilling week,
to be paid every seventh day-5ut it was
beginning, and who could say what it
might lead to. What indeed!
The Sharpes, TO whom Emily was now
engaged, is what is ordinarily termed ''re-
spectacle people - that is to say, they
kept a gig; and Mr.. Sharpe had an office
mot shOp-somewhere near the Mons
umeDt. up very narrow, business ike
lane. He was In the hardware line of
business; and not only so in profession,
but in nature. Had he been cast and
bronzed instead of having been born he
could scarcely have assumed harder,
harsher texture and disposition. He ap-
peared metallic in all his movements
perhaps it happened that, having lost his
heart when courtiDg Mrs. Sharpe, he had
ordered a bran new one from the foundry.
However, Emily made very good pro-
gress Notwithstanding her cast-iron mas
ter. Mrs. Sharpe was a great Invalid,
and quite satisfied to leave the nursery
entirely in her charge. She could scarce
ly have done better. 1t was quite delights
ful, or rather it would have been, 10 any
but the Sharpes, to see what marvellous
change the widows daughter wrought
amongst that young family. How she
loved them, played with them, watched
over them, worked for them as though
they had been her own brothers and sis
tiers, cain scarcely hope to relate as 1t
deserves to be told. How they found
new life with her and how much neater
and prettier they all appeared, with less
actual cost TO their parent, who in return
doled out the weekly shilling as reluctant
ly as though i, had been coin of purest
gold.
Weeks, months passed away, and
Christmas came. There had never been
such holiday time in the Sharpes house
ever since it had been house. why,
little Emily, pretty, fairy-fngered Emily,
made as many beautiful things for the
| Christmas-tree as would have furnished
many small fancy bazaar. People won-
dered how she managed to find time for
so much work. Emily was not the least
happy of all that merry throns 1t would
have done you good TO have seen how
light hearted she was, and bow much
prettier she looked when freed from the
poverty and care of her village home.