Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-01-29


fingers seemed to cling to the caain
around its neck-the same chain which
its mother had worn so long but had
been transferred by a mothers LOVING
hand to her darling babe. And as she
laid the little sleeper in its snug, warm
crib, the fingers were still clasping the
tiny ring and when Mrs. Stanley re-
turned and seated herself by the fire, it
was but to think of the past and her,
childhood's home But her reverie was
suddenly interrupted by the door being
thrown open by Bridget, who walked up
to her mistress, with her sleeves rolled
up and dishcloth in hand, exclaiming:
"Well, marin, what's to be done %
"Why, what is the matter, Bridget p
asked Mrs. Stanley.
"Well, marin, there is poor crather
at the door who is a beggin', she is, an
sure she's starvin', she is"
-''Well, give her something to eat and
send her away"
But, marin, she wants to stay all
night, she does
eve cannot allow it, Bridget take
her to the kitchen and give her some
thing to eat and then send her away"
can would it be the likes O ye that
would be afther sendin' a poor crathur
out in the storm on such ight as this %
said the kind hearted Bridget, shiverlng
at the thought, and placing her broad
foot upon the warm CRATE.
Il tell you [ cannot allow her to re-
main in my house over night Who
knows but she has some infectious dis
ease? Just to think of her sleeping in
one of my clean beds ! why, we might
all take the small pox or some other
dreadful disease"
"If she could slape on the warm rug
by the fire, marin, that would be better
than snow drift, an sure it would"
"Yes but who knows but she may be
a robber in disguise, who would take
leave in the night with everything valu-
able she could lay hands upon %
.No ,nIo1o ,,,o,,,,, h. N l,4+1o l.
delicate crathur, with such pretty blue
eyes, that [ know she'd niver harm a
fly"
''Then she is probably some profigate,
who would disgrace our house if permit
TO remain, SAID Mr.. stanley, looking
up from his paper for the first time since
the entrance of Bridget.
can sure, sir, if yell be so kind as
to let the wee bit of a crathur stay by
the fire tonight it's meself, it is, sir, as
will sit up all the long, long night, sir,
to watch her that she does no harm at
ALL"
"It's no use talking, Bridget" said
Mrs. Stanley, rising and taking a half
dollar from costly portemonnaie. Here,
give her that and let me hear no more
about it, for she is, without doubt, some
worthless person altogether undeservine
of the hospitality already bestowed upon
her.
Bridget left the apartment, hastily
shutting the door, and muttering as she
went, "AIay the Lord have mercy on the
poor, for it's little Of it they'll git any.
where else
Mrs. Stanley's cheeks flushed upor
hearing the echo of her own words, bu
she took up her work with satisfied air
saying to herself, Il know it is dread
fully cold night, but | cannot make oaG
house an asylum for beggars, and .tea
people would have shown her as mucl
charity as l have And yet, the littl
woman in her easy chair before the fir
could not feel quite at ease; the unwel
come thoughts would present themselve
to her mind,-'If others will not do th
duty which | have left undone the poo
woman may perish in this storm.
She arose; went to the window an,
looked out Shivering involuntarily sh
turned to the crib where her little blue
eyed cherub was sleeping, to see if sh
was warmly covered then to the cozy co
where little Harry was resting his tire
limbs, getting ready for the next day
play. She gave an extra tuck to tn
warm blankets, and brushing back tn
soft curls from MS brow tenderly kisse
the ruby lips. Long she fingered, fond
ly gazing upon her treasures. The
kneeling by the little crib, she murmul
ed a prayer for her little ones, an
thanked the kind Giver for the home kin
friends and her beautiful children. The
with a fond kiss upon each fair brow 81
retired for the night, but not to sleel
} for thoughts would arise of those less f;
vored than herself-of poor forlorn on,
. without friends or home, not even whel
to lay their heads. She thought of h
own little Lula, wondering what 81
: would be, if her life was spared, whe
she grew to be a woman her own il
l nocent little Lula, how would she wit
? stand the many temptations of life,
, would she be thrown upon the cold cha
| tiles of the world? She thought it ov
: until the idea became so painful that 81
e remarked to her husband: