Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-02-23
BREAD UPON THE WATERS.
An Affecting Story.

looking carelessly down on the upturned
face whose large, brown eyes, Swallowed
by tangled curls of faxen hair, were ap-
pealing SO pitifully to his own. What
do want with chestnuts ?''
"But, please, sir, buy 'em," pleaded the
little one, treasured by the rough kindness
of his tone. Nobody seems to care for
them, and-and"
She fairly burst into tears, and Moore,
who had been on the point of brushing
carelessly past her, stopped instinctively.
Are you very much In want of the
money!"
"IDdeed, sir, we are,n sobbed the child !;
Mother sent me out, and"
NAY, little one, don't cry in such o.
heart-broken way" said Ralph, smooth
ing her hair down with careless gentle
ness. az don't want your chestnuts, but
here's aquarter for you, if that will do you
any good.n IslEft,.c3
He did not stay to hear the delighted in
coherent thanks the child poured cut
through rainbow of smiles and tears, but
strobe on his way, muttering between his
| teeth
'That cut off my supply of cigars for the
next twenty-four hours. l don't care
though; the brown-eyed object really did
cry as if it hadn't friend in the world.
Hang it l wish 1 was rich enough to
help every poor creature out of the slough
of despondt'
While Ralph Moore was indulging in
these very natural reflections, the dark
eyed little damsel whom he had comforted
was dashing down the street with quick,
elastic footsteps, utterly regardless of the
basket of unsold nuts that still dangled
upon her arm. Down an obsure lane she
darted between tall, ruinous rows of
houses, and up narrow wooden stair case
to room where pale, neat looking
woman, with large brown eyes like her
own, was sewing as busily as If the breath
two little ones were contentedly playing in
the sunshine, that temporarily supplied
the place of the fire.
"Mary back already? Surely you have
not sold your chestnuts SO soon ?n
"Oh, mother mother see,n calculated
the breathless child, "a gentleman gave
me whole quarter. Only think, mother,
whole quarter!"
If Ralph Moors could only have seen the
rapture which his tiny silver gift difused
around it in the poor widows poverty
stricken home he would have urged still
less the temporary privation of cigars to
which his.generosity had SUBJECTED him..
Years came and went. The little chest
nut girl passed as entirely out of Ralph
Moore's memroy as if pleading eyes had
never touched the soft spot in his hcart,
but Mary Lee never forgot the stranger
who had given her the silver piece.
ly drawn to shut out the storm and tenn
pest of the black December night-the fire
was glowing cheerliy in the well filled
CRATE and the dinner. table, in glitter with
cut glass, rare china and polished silver,
was only waiting for the presence OF Mr..
Audley.
"What can it be that detains papa ?"
said Mrs. Audley, a fair, handsome ma
iron of about thirty, as she glanced at the
dial of tiny enameled watch. Six
o'clock, and he does not make his APP
pearance w
"There's man with him in the study,
mamma-come on business said Robert
Audley, a pretty boy, eleven years old,
who was reading by the fire.
"I'll call him again. said Mrs. Audley,
stepping to the door.
But, as she opened it, the brilliant gas
light fell full on the face of an humble
looking man, in worn and threadbare
garments, who was leaving the house,
while her husband stood in the doorway of
his study, apparently relieved to be rid of
his visitor.
Charles" said Mrs. Audley, whose cheek
had paled and flushed, "who is that man,
and what does he want?n
Ellis name is Moore, I believe, and he
came to see if would bestow upon him
that vacant messengership in thebank."
"And will you pr
81 don't know, Mary, / must think about
it.u
"Charles, give him the situation.n
why, my love ?"
Because ask it of you as a favor, and
you have saida thousand times you would
never deny me anything."e
"And will keep my word, Mary" said
the loving husband, with an afectionate
kiss. "I'll write the fellow note this
evening. I believe I've got his address
about me somewhere
An hour or two later, when Bobbie,
Frank and Eugene were snugly tucked in
bed in the spacious nursery above stairs,
Mrs. Audley told her husband why she
was so interested in the fate ola man whom
she had not seen for twenty years.
THAT'S right, my little wife, replied
her husband, folding her fondly to his
| breast, when the simple tale was conclud-
ed, never forget one who has been kind
to you In the days when you needed kind
ness most.n
Ralph Moore was sitting in his poor lodg-
ing, beside his ailing wife's sick bed, when
| a 1veried servant brought note from the
rich and prosperous bank director, Charles
Audley.
| GOOD news, Berthaup he exclaimed, as
he read the brief words. 1--WE shall not
starve-Mr. Audley promises me the va
can't situation
| You have dropped something from the
note, Ralph" said Mrs. Moore, pointing
to a slip of paper on the floor.
Moore stopped to recover the estray. 1t
was fifty dollar bill neatly folded in a
piece OF paper, on which was written =
I'm grateful remembrance of silver quar-
ter that kind stranger beloved on a lit
tie chestnut girl over twenty years ago.U
Ralph Moore had thrown his morsel of
bread on the waters, and after many days
Fit had returned to him.
New Railroad Completed.
On last Monday, the Times of Chattanooga,
states that the workmen laid the last rail and