The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-12-14

he tears to my eyes. /
And 90 the reports were made.
md then they planned how they
,ould best use their tea dollars. It
seemed like q drop in the bucket
When set against all the suffering
and want they had found; but it
would do something.
On that Saturday evening the
W idow Bashlot bent over the bed
Of her sick child with weeping and
with walls Of anguish. The howl
ing blast piped Without and the
keen frost nipped within. She
suffered because sho had not yet
brought herself to beg. For her
self, she would rather die than be.
come pauper; but for her child
'Oh! God have mercy!'
A wailine cry like this had burst
from her lips, when the tramp OF
feet at her door attracted her at
tention, and presently gentle rap
followed. She answered the cum
mons, and found four young men
upon the stoop. She knew them
we'll, for they had been school
mates with her son who had gone
away to sea and never returned.
! And they came into the house.and
they brought with them wood and
provisions; and they piled up the
fuel upon the hearth until the
bright flame leaped and roared ;and
the sick child stretched out its
wasted arms to embrace the genial
warmth. And they brought forth,
bread. and tea, and sugar, and but
ter, and cheese.
/ All right said Sam Pepper,who
regarded these as his especial
charges, in answer 10 the Widows
calculations Of amazement. We
are John Digby's Reform Club;
and we are going into the mission
ary work; and such folks as you
are we want to convert-want to
convert you from suffering to CON-
fort il We can. So keep up good
heart, and let us do for you what
your own Willie would have done
ii he had lived. 1t III be comfor,
for us. Well call often. You
shan't want if We can help it,
The widows sobbing, burstina
. return of gratitude, and her eager
heart-sent prayer Of blessing can
not be reproduced by tongue o.
pen. When the young men hat
reached the highway Sam Pepper
burst forth:
Boys, - true as. Heaven,
wouldn't exchange the blessing o
that poor Widows heart for all tn
Joy that ever came in the old way
at the tavern. There's something
more than fun in this
- And his companions agreed will
= him.
" In another part Of the town. o
: the outskirts Of the village, in
poor, thatched hut, lived Ben Dris
u coll and his wife Sally. In othe
= years they had been we'll and hap
y py, and though never forehanded
s yet they had not known want ur
= til old age and sickness had d.
prived them Of the ability to worl
= And on this cold winters nigt
u Uncle Ben and Aunt Sally sat an
shivered over the em5ers OF sue
g poor stuff as they had been able !
l gather from the snow-covere
y hedges, and the old man sighed .
P he thought of the alms-house. !
We could only get through tt
IL winter. But who's to help us7'
On And Uncle Ben, and his wi
ne we're aroused from their stupor
~ chill and hunger by the tramp
e. feet and the hum of voices; al
ve very shortly the door Of their cab
e' Was opened, aud John Digby an
" his companions entered. A q
OF speedily blazed upon the heart
~ and a goodly store Of provisio
=" was opened upon the table.
e' The old man wondered, q
'n' Tom Lowden made answer,-
It's all right, Uncle Ben. TT
no is Jack Digoy's Reform Cir
~ We've stopped our rations of spir
=. and tobacco, and are going to
"u vest the result in a missionary e
~ terprise. We want to convert y
- and Aunt Sally il We can
eet :,
Convert us, TomT
lev Aye convert you to comi'
,ad and peace, and, perhaps. also &C
.el. vert you to the belief that ther
. grain Of good left in the co
er- munity stiil. We mean to t.
or. you in hand for the winter, q
.ht you shan't suffer il We can b
sht it.
ah. The boys didn't leave the
ick until they had helped the> az