The Potter journal and news item. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1872-1874, 1872-12-20
COUDERSPORT PA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1872.

: came i'll to hear you sing, persist
ed Betty.
Eliza, though of uncertain temper.
was naturally gOOd-natured and fond Of
children, and at once sang another hymn,
and yet another, to the delight OF the
child.
do come in again, Betty, " said Eli
"a at last, impulsively dropping kiss
on Betty's clean face.
Don't be haSty. Eliza, " said Mary
Ann. with dignity.
Betty tripped up stairs, humming the
last tune i'll her absurd voice. AS she
passed the partly-opened door OF the
back-roOm on the third, she peeped
cautiously in-and . deary me! the song
flew away as though it had only come
by a mistake. There sat a forlOrn bit
of "A woman i'll rusty black, crying like
a child.
"What makes you feel bad?" asked
Betty, stepping in. Can't l do some
thing? I'm real sorry"
Il was thinking of my poor. dead
baby. that's lost and gone, little girl, =
said the woman. Somebody was sing
ing, and it made me think of her
Oh! do come up and see mother.
We've got baby up i'll heaven too, Il
little Speck of teenty-tawnty baby:
and mother says he knows great deal
MORN | do-mOr'n she does, too. Per-
haps he knows your girl baby, you see.
if the angels let 'em play together. Do
come up, and let's ask MOTHER
" Walk III, walk in. clad to see ye, "
said Brtty'S mot.er, when Betty herself
had explained.
" Perhaps | oughtn't to have come
up, but your little girl said you'd lost Il
baby, and-life's 50 different" she
sobbed.
so 'tis! so it's" said Betty's moth
er, " but there's two ways lookm' on it.
after all. | set great store on my sam
my. His father. We see, died just as
Bettyn | was calculatin' to 90 West
and settle with i'm. Sammy'S face was
about all | had to keep his fathers looks
by. Betty'S like my folks. the Calkim-
SeS. But, la me! what sinful creatur'.
I'd be mOurnim' for i'm. when the good
4 Lord Jesus and lots of angels is takin'
care of i'm. No danger of the Lord :
lettin' i'm forget his mother scrubbin
down here! Eve thought and thought
on i'm sometime. when I've been a
workin p0Ttjkeidr steady. till fore !
knowed what | was dom. I've laughed
right out, thinkin' how grand he must
be, and how he'd run to meet me. when
Jesus called me to 90 too. It's great
thing for us wicked mortal women to
have a darlin' mite of an innocent baby
up i'll glory
- | was SO lonesome. | never thought
of that" said deSponding Mrs. Bent.
" Husband and | haven't taken mach
comfort since baby died. :
<" / wouldn't on no account he dis
cOUagin'. but seems to me tAat way of
takin' it does no airthly nor heavenly
good. and is unpleasant all round. 1t
seems awful presumin' to think we ken
fix things 50 much better'n the Lord,
who knows everything, back ards and
for ards
There was a step on the stairs. and
Mrs. Bent ran down with the hint of a
smile on her face.
I've seen everybody in the house. =
said Betty: they're awful nice
What a cricket you be, Betty" said
her mother.
CHAPTER II.
The weeks went ON, and the two ma
pies in front of No. 80 held up their
torches of pale gold TO greet the autumn.
The people in the house all knew Betty.
and had grown to be very fond of her
Otherwise the occupants Of tie house
were unacuuainttd with eacu other. if
We may except the third and fourth. as
Mrs. Bent had many times been up to
be cheered 10y Il quaint sermon from
Betty'S mother.
The little girl was in school most of
the day, but every afternoon she called
upon Mynherr karl. who always wei
coined her with a bright " Iii. mine Pet
ty. how pad girl vas YOU to-day" and
if the child really had trials and failures
to report, his All, veil, don't feel pad.
all peter next time, was sure 10 bring
hope to her heart again.
Occasionally she dropped in to see the
Misses Jones, and every Sunday went
to the new MiSSion-SchoOl with Miss
Eliza.
The mutual relations or ROB-relatiOnS
of 80 stood in this wise. and were like
" so to stand, when one night Betty
awOke in a high fever. The morning
found her no better, and Mrs. Bent sat
at her bedside until noon. when the
child suddenly came out of a long sleep
with staring eyes and set face. upon
which great drops began to gather.
Mrs Bent knew by instinct that Bet
tvs life was precious to every inmate of
the house, and she flew like flash down
the stairs. bursting into the room where
the Misses Jones were TRANQUILITY sewing
on two shades of brown popiin.