Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-01-09
$aIrs ann gkptrles.
ONLY A CHILD.

VI all poor men the most pon' tn he nj
tied is the poor rich man. Theman in alb
| so'ute poverty can be helped lut for th,
man who is poor, with his coflrs full of
gpld, There is no earthly help-nnne. un-
less something can get down int, his h,or,
aud open the way for the iucomnr of sun.
light and warmth. Such trauifnrmatinn
once knew. and l will tell you low it was
wrought. 1t was by only a little child.
Rulus Gr"te was really aud truly n mi
Ser, though he had probably never ac-
knowledgcd that fact to himself. At The
aye OF s xty, he lived in a close, small shah
p' h',s, , - 3. HARROW street, thniSn wnerr
the streets were broad he owned whole
row, the rental of which yielded what
might have been munilcent income To
any man.
In early life Rufus Grote was disappoint-
ed, SO while yet young man, he had shut
himself up within his shell, and thropSsh
, Ui.'S Ur niN .s's'iti'""i tIv N->d mel
ther asked nor given love or friendship. lie
To * his usance, even to the pound of Ilesh.
| if il was due him by the bond, and he was
| as ready to discharge all bonded OblIga-
| tiOns.
When people who knew Rufus Grnte
wished to point 10 Il man without IL heart
they pointed To him They declared that
| lie loved no human being not even him-
self. That he did not love himse wis vi
dent To- tho,u irdin the .acL thnt ho gave tn
himself not Il single comfort of life which
he could avoid giving, and at the same
time live
One evening Just at dusk, coach stop
ped at Rufus Grute's door, aud lady
dressed in black, aud accompanied by IA
child. alghted thereirom, and piled the
iron rusty knOcker.
a
demanded to know the applicants bus
Ness.
Uncle Rucus,' said the woman. Il an
, NJ Try Saudford, aud this is my child. Viii
You give me shelter until l can lind work
Mary Saudlord was the only daughter u
Rufus Grote's dead sister. He lad hear.
of her husbands death, and he had shud
deriugly asked himself more than once if i
might not be possible that his Widowed
niece would call upon him for assistance
! Aud now that the dreaded blow had file
what was he TO do? Had he lollnwed tn
r lii ST impulses he would have turned tn
woman aud child away with word, bu
, that would have been inhunau. He wa
= ctul ht in Il trap. lie had TO open hi
n door wider, and let them in. Aud whe
!, they were in. he was forced in common DIT
n ceucy to Z" out aud buy Il leaf of bread an
d sUiIe cheese.
II Mary Sandford is ovel thirty-fve -
u slight, pale-inced, pretty woman, and wha
OF beauty she possessed was due more
;, the rcheX action upon her face and mannt
J. O. her native goodness than TO any outwaT
le form OF feature.
IL lIei child--a girl Of nine years-wa
Is called Flora. She was plump, dimplet
20 sunny faced child, with the light of Tel
1e der, loving heart sparkling in every ftatur
She was really a thing of beauty, perie
joy.
~ After eating the bread and cheese, AZ
+ |; drinking cold water with it, Mary San
=, a ford told to Rufus GrOts the story of h
rr husbandii death-huw he had suffered lOI
=. and how he had left her in desiiluiion.
cd But she continued, AS she saw n clol
Is upon her uncIe's tace, 1 am not come to
er burden upon you. Mrs. Maynard will
in town in lew days, and will give I
"A work y
i'm in Ugh! What kind Of work p gruut
In Rufus.
lia Il shall keep house for her.
er- Later in the evening, by the dim light
rid a single tallow caudle, little Flora crept
the old mau's side, and cllmbed up into
lap. For a moment he had thou Int of pl
N ting her away, as he would have put aw
ew an iusinuating cat but he did not do it.
me she kept on until she had both hands up
his shoulders.
md You are my uncle Rufus, she said W
er- quiyering and eager smile.
ION Il suppose so, answered the man, 10
nd ing out the reluctant words.
as Il haven't got a pappa any more
th Mayn'l kiss you before | 20 10 bed Y
'er, The little warm arms were around
es- neck, and the kiss was upon his cheek. ]
lta- chill waited moment as though
ay" kiss in return, but she did not get it, {
she slipped down aud went with her mot
sh. TO tho little dark room where Rufus Gr
i'm had given up 10 Their use MS own ui
DR.. poor bed.
the + himself the host had planned
seh ,, spread blanket upon the hior in the
o''.,, ing room. lie had slept 80 before, aud
the could sleep s" again.
- The soil of Rufus Grote's heart was
the soil of other hearts. A seed once f