The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-07-24

- -
yond the pastors understanding and
beyond his Office. She listened to nc
word he said, and when her child, O
pretty girl, three years old, began to
cry in sympathy, she struck it angrily
and bid it cease.
All the long night the good clergymaf,
thought of and prayed for this poor
woman, drunk with oyermuch sorrow,
and the next day he renewed his efforts
for her husbands pardon. But all
failed, and in three weeks Luke Dayton
sailed away in convict ship.
Punishment does not prevent crime ;
the world was Just as bad after the flood
as before it, and Judge Jeffcott's game
was no safer after Ralph and Luke
had been transported. The fact recon-
ciled the Judgeto what he had done, for
while Elizabeth lay at deaths door with
brain fever, he had felt something very
near akin to remorse.
But Elizabeth did not die, though she
came back to life but the shadow of her
former self. All her fresh, sweet come
| liness was gone she walked as if tired
with hard journey, and her eyes were
the very homes of some dumb accusing
sorrow.
For little while every one helped
and pited her, but friendship is made
for great acrifces-chronic benefits
kill it-and the poor woman found out
this truth soon enough.
Three years after L1ke's departure, n
letter from him came to the clergyman
who had stood his friend in all his dis
grace and trouble. 1t was raining heavi-
ly at the time, but he fastened at once
to Elizabeth's cottage. She had not
been seen there for several months so
he sought her at her sisters, who lived
at little fishing village three miles
distant.
He never regretted the journey.
Elizabeth was very i'll but when she
saw the weary, wet messenger, with the
letter in his hands, she turned her face
to her pillow and wept such sweet soft
tears as she had not shed since her
trouble touched her.
1t was not q letter of much hope or
comfort, but little she minded that
for you see, SIR" she said solemnly,
81 knoaU Luke is dead, and all these
things are nothing to him no1C. But l
am very glad that you thought enough
OF poor, broken-hearted girl, to come
three miles through the rain to comfort
me. 1 feel as if 1 knew better now
what Gods pity for me must be like"
And for my part I think it was the
best sermon he ever preached.
1t might be year or more after Eliz-
abeth's death, when, one winter eve.
ming, Judge Jeffcott's housekeeper went
into a small garden to bring in some
fine Epan op1 1ooac h1ao +lar,
A little girl was just getting over the
Something in the wretched little face
touched the woman's heart, and She
made no alarm.
"Do you know that you are stealing,
and that can send you to prison ?"
81 am SO hungry" that was all the
child said. Then putting out her arms
in blind, uncertain way, she reeled
and feel.
The good woman put down the linen,
and lifted the child. She carried her
into her own clean, white room and
nursed her until she was strong and
well. In the interval, she had discover
cd that her name was "Lizzie, and
that she was the child of Luke and
Elizabeth Dayton. Then some good
angel put it into Harriet Mason's heart
to keep and train the child in the way
she should go. eff L tell the Judge"
she argued, "he will send her to some
reformatory prison and if turn her
loose, she will soon be fit for nothing
else; L will cen try and make good
woman of her."
No particular effort was made to hide
Lizzie. The master saw her wedding in
the garden and busy about the house,
and, perhaps, sometimes thought that
Mrs. Mason had been fortunate in her
little hand-maiden.
1t is true that Lizzies good qualities
had needed patient cultivation. Some
times her protector had almost regret
ted the charge she had assumed some
times she had got weary of the girls
lying and pilfering, and felt inclined to
wonder if the poor were really "sinners
above all Others" But the reward
promised to those who do "not weary
in well-doing" came. First compen-
sating love sprang up between the old
woman and the young one. Good ac-
tions brought what they always do
both thanks and usage, and when Liz
zie was sixteen there was no daintier
WIN anu III hcdtci nOuoelldll III tue
parish.
Soon after Mrs. Mason fell sick with
typhoid fever, and before she was out
of danger the Judge took it. To the
two invalids Lizzie was everything, and
l think she fully repaid, during that
hard three months, the kindness that
had sheltered her.
One evening, when the Judge was
beginning to notice with a child's eag-
erness all the incidents of his daily life
again, he asked Lizzie her name, and
learning it, he continued the catechism
until she wondered. After a short
silence, during which she was busy
drawing the curtains and lighting the
lamps, he said abruptly, and yetin sad
voice:
Lizzie, do you know that it was 1
who sent your father over the sea ?"
"Yes, sir"
"And what do you think of me ?"
Nothing hard now, sir. Perhaps 1
did once, but Mrs. Mason has made me
see that if you had not done it both
father and mother might have been
alive, SHINING, suffering, and working
hard in the village yet. Now they are
happy in heaven, and don't think, sir,
they bear you any ill feeling, and so 1
am sure l do not, sir. You have been
very good to me-"
81 did not know you an hour ago,
Lizzie, but 1 shall be none the worse to
you for this talk"
T T I