Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-08-30
AN ENGLISH STORY.

AN ENGLISH STORY.
"Please, sir, will you buy my chest.
nuts ?"
"ChestnutsI No." returned Ralph
Moore, looking earelessly down on
the upturned face, whose large brown
eyes, shadOwed by tangled curls OF
flaxen hair, were appealing SO pitt
fully to his own. "What do I want
with chestnuts?"
"But, please, sir, buy 'em," pleaded
the little one, reassured 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 oi
brushing carelessly past her, stopped
instinctively. "Are you very much
in want of the money!"
Indeed, sir, We are" replied the
child "mother sentme out, and"
may, little one, don't cry in such q
heart-broken way" said Ralph,
smoothing down her hair with care
less gentleness. 81 don't want your
your chestnuts, but here's half-a-
crown for you, if that will do you any
good"
He did not stop to hear the delight
! ed, incoherent thanks the child pour
ed out through a rainbow of miles
and tears, but strobe on his way, NUT
tering between his teeth, "that cut of
my supply ofcigars for the next week.
I don't care, though; the brown eyed
object really did cry as if she hadn't
a friend in the world. Hang it! 1
wish was rich enough to help every
poor creature out Of the slough of des-
pond"
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 un-
sold nuts that still dangled on her
arm. Down an obscure lane she dart
ed, between ruinous rows of houses,
and up narrow wooden staircase, to
room where pale, neat-looking Wo-
man, with brown eyes like her own,
was sewing as busily as if the breath
of life depended upon every stitch, and
two little ones were contentedly play
ing in the sunshine that temporarily
supplied the place Of fire.
''Mary! back already? Surely you
have not sold your chestnuts so soon?"
"Oh! mother, mother, see !n ejacu-
lated the almost breathless child. "a
gentleman gave me a whole half
crown. Only think, mother, whole
half-crown J"
If Ralph Moore could only have
seen the rapture which his half-crown
gift diffused around it in the poor wild
owls poverty-stricken home, he would
have regarded still less the temporary
privation Of cigars to which his gem
erosity had subjected him.
Years came and went. The little
chestnut girl passed as entirely out
Ralph Moore's memory as if pleading
eyes had never touched the soft part
in his heart but Mary Lee never for
got the stranger who had given her
the silver half-crown.
The crimson window-curtains were
closely drawn, to shut out the storm
and tempest of the bleak December
night; thu fire was glowing cheerily
in the well filled CRATE, and the dinner
table, in a glitter with cut glass, rare
china and polished silver, was only
waiting for the presence of Mr.. Aud
ley.
t'What can it be that detains papa?"
said Mrs. ACdley, fair, handsome
matron of about thirty, as she glanced
at the dial of tiny enameled watch.
'Six o'clock, and he does not make
his appearance.
"There's a 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'n call him again, :" said Mrs. Aud
ley, stepping to the door.
But as she opened it, the brilliant
gas light in the hall fell on the face
of an humble-looking man, in worn
and thread-bare garments, who was
leaving the house, while her husband
stood in the doorway of his study, ap-
parently relieved to be rid of his visi-
tors.
"Charles," said Mrs. Audley, whose
cheeks had paled and flushed, "who
is that man, and what does he wan? ?n
His name is Moore, 1 believe, and
he came to see if I would bestow upon
him that vacant clerkship in the
bank.n
"And will you?"
"I don't know, Mary; I must think
about it."
"Charles, give him the situation"
"Why, my love?"
Because 1 ask it of you as favor
and you said a thousand times you
would never deny me anything"
''And I will keep my word, Mary"
said the noble-hearted husband, with
an affectionate kiss. I'll write the fell
low a note this very evening. I be-
lieve I've got his address about me
somewhere"
An hour later, when Robbie, Frank
and Eugene were snuggly tucked in
bed, in the spacious nursury up stairs,
Mrs. Audly told her husband why
she was so interested in the fate Of a
man she had not seen in twenty
years.
"That's right, my little wife," re-
piled her husband, folding her fondly
to his breast, when the simple tale
was concluded. "Never forget one
who was kind to you in the days when
you needed kindness most"
Ralph Moore was sitting in his poor
lodgings beside his ailing wife's sick
bed, when a liveried servant brought
q note from the rich banker, Mr..
Charles Audley.
"Good news, Bertha" he exclaim-
ed, as he read the brief words. 1--WE !
shall not starve, Mr.. Audly promises |
me the vacant situation"
"You have dropped something from |
the letter, Ralph,n said Mrs. Moore,
pointing to slip of paper on the floor.
Moore stopped to recover the estray. |
1t was fifty pound note, neatly folded |
In piece of paper, on which was
written: "In grateful remembrance |
Of half crown piece that a kind |
stranger bestowed on a little chestnut |
girl over twenty years ago."
Ralph Moore had thrown his morsel |
Of bread upon the waters, and after
many days it had returned to him.
Letters Of Recommendation.
A gentleman advertised for boy to