The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-11-13

teroAy E
"I shouldn't wonder replied
Wheaton, with more gravity of man
ner than his questioner had expected.
81 thought L saw him looking
around after things and counting his
fees on his fingers.
"Likely as not" said Wheaton, CT
know of q good many rents not paid
up last quarter. Money gone to Nc
Brides instead Of the landlord, eh -,
The man WINGED q little.
How are the the babies ?" he
asked.
"First-rate," Wheaton answered.
and with smile so real that his fel-
low-workmen could not pursue his
banter.
Time went on and, to the surprise
of all, Wheaton's circumstances kept
improving. The babies had brought
blessing to the house. In less than
eighteen months he had paid of the
light mortgage that for years rested
on bis little homei and not only this,
had improved it in various ways,
even TO the putting up Of small adj
dition, so as to give them a neat
breakfast-room.
The children grew finely--there
were three OF them DOW, for their
hearts and their home had opened to
another orphan baby-and, being
carefully trained by Mrs. Wheaton,
were light and joy to the house.
At the end Of five years 1 will in
troduce them briefly to the reader.
Wheaton is a MASTER workman and
employs ten men. He has enlarged
his house and made it one of the neat.
est in the village. Among his men is
the very one who bantered him most
about the children and prophesied
that he would soon be sold out BY the
constable. Poor man! it was not long
before the constable had him in charge.
He had wasted his money at MeBride's
instead Of paying it to the landlord.
Walking homeward one evening
after work was over, Wheaton and
his j0urneyman took the same way.
They were silent until they came
near the formers pretty dwelling,
when the journeyman said, half in
jest, yet with undisguised bitterness /:
81 guess we'll have to take q baby or
two"
Z "Why," asked Wheaton, not per-
ceiving what in the mans thoughts.
"For good luck" said the journey
man. tf
"Ohp;
"You'Ye had nothing but good luck
since you took poor Mrs. Grants or
phan children"
''0nly such good lack as every one
may have if he will" answered
Wheaton.
"I can't see it," returned the man.
mine. 1 had one child, and you sad
died yourself with two, and not long
after added third. And how Is 1t to-
day You have q nice house, and
your wife and children are well dress
ed, while have never been able to
make both ends meet, and my boy
looks like ragamuffin half the time.n
'fDo you see that house over there
the largest and the handSomestin in the
place /? said Wheaton.
"Yes.n
+Who owns it?i
Jimmy Mcbride"
How much did you pay toward
building it?p
?' in surprise.
"Yes, you! How much did you pay
toward building it?''
"Why, nothing. Why should I
help pay for his house !"
''Sure enoughI Why should your
hard earnings go to build and furnish
an elegant house for man who would
rather sell liquor, and 80 ruin his
neighbors, body and soul, than sup
port himself in q useful calling, as
you and l are trying to do?"
81 can't see what you're driving
at" said the journeymaD.
"How much q week do you spend
at McBride's saloon?"
The man stood still, with a blank
look on his face.
"a dollar a week ?n asked Whea-
ton. ..f.
"Yes."
"Say q dollar and half"
"Well, say as much"
"Do you know what that amounts
to in year ?"
"Never counted it up"
"Seventy-eight dollars"
"Non'
ayes, to dollar. So in five years,
az LLlS IdlCt JOu naNC COnbAAOutCu 1OuL
hundred dollars toward McBride's
handsome house, without getting any
thing but harm In return, and have
not shingle over your head that you
can call your own. Now, it's my ad-
vice, in friendly way, that you stop
helping Mcbride and begin to help
yourself. He's comfortable enough
and can do without your dollar and a
half week. Take baby if you will
for good luck; you'll find one over at
the poor-house. 1t won't cost you
half as much as helping Mcbride and
l don't thind he needs your aid any
longer. But here we are at home,a e,and
l see wife and children waiting for
me. Come in, won't you ?'
''No, thank you, I'll go home and
talk to Ellen about taking baby for
luck" And he tried to smile, but it
was in anything but a cheerful way.
He passed onward, but called back af-
ter going a few steps, "If you see any
thing of my Jack about your place,
just send him home, will you ?''
Jack was there, meanly dressed and
dirty, and in striking contrast with
Wheaton's three adopted children,
who, with the only mother they
knew, gave the happy man a joyful
welcome home.
"I'Ve turned over a new leaf" said
the journeyman, when he came to
work on the next morning.
Indeed! Pm glad to hear it," re-
turned Wheaton.
"Ellen and 1 talked il over last
night. Pm done helping saloon-keep-
ers build fine houses. Glad ysu put 1t
to me lust in that way. Never look
ed at it so before; but it's just the
hard truth. What fools we are y'
"Going to take a baby ~ said
Wheaton, smiling.
"Well, we haven't quite settled
that. But Ellen heard yesterday Of a
poor little thing that'll have to go on
the county If some one don't take Ii;
and I shouldn't wonder If she opened
her heart, for she's motherly body"
"Where is it 81 ssked Wheaton.
"Down at the Woodbury. Mills"
Wheaton reflected a few moments,
and then said:
"Look here, Frank; take my adj
vice, and put this baby between you
and McBride's-between you and lost
dsys-between you and idle thrift
lessness, and, my word for 1t, In less
than two years you'll have your own
roof over your head"
Only for little while did the man
hesitate, then with an emphatic man.
ner, he exclaimed: "rll do it."
"Do it at once, them" said Whea-
ton. ''Put on your coat and go over
to the Mills and get the baby. It will
be an angel in your house that will
help and bless you in every no II of
temptation. Go at once. God has
opened for you this way of safety and
If YOU walk therein all will he we'll"
He did walk therein, and all was
well. Wheaton's prophecy was ful-
filled. In less than two years the
journeyman had his own roof over his
head, aud it covered = happy home
Artht1's Illustrated Home Magazine.
We fear we have got q maIiciously