The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1875-04-29

uOWn 10 uttcT lulluto--tOtti rum
He knew all of this; and now that
Mary was dead he had grown 80 SO
Der that he could think it over clear
| ". Even he hadn't heard her last
words. Had there been any thought
of him p?
lie was too romorseless in this the
FIRST hour of his grief TO think Of
Marys child, but the thought came
TO him at last. He was not entirely
alone. The boy, with his mothers $
dark grey eyes, was looking wistful
lv mp TO him How often had he
seen that look in the eyes once
brigh. and loving, now dim and for'
ever closed.
Poor little Tommy" he sni1, aud
folded tho lonely little fellow to his
bosom.
81 will never go away from you" >"
the boy cried. ..his heart full OF glad.
ness ut the unwontel caross.
"She snid--be truo to father, and
try to make him better, o.that we
may he all together there"
He pointed with his little finger
toward the blue sky, and the man
shudlcrcd. for to him the gulf lying
between his sprescnt life and the one
which ho felt assured she had enter
ed seemed impossible.
For little time he kept sober
but there came a night when Tommy
waitol his coming in vain. The old
life had not faded from the boys
mind. When he heard his step. hc
covered down in silence, his little
heart beating painfully, for well he
remembered the cruelty Of the heavy
hand, and she was not here to turn
aside the unmcritcd blow All il
is I'M old story; no words are pathetic
; enough to do IT justice.
The house in which Tommy lived
and when the father slept in drunken
stupor, was near the levee in Tin,
great city. Among the many ne
l elected children, housclcss and un
cared for. it is no wonder that Tom
my should be destitute. And yet
the small bit of humanity struggled
bravcly for his livelihood. 1t was
his own small fingers that had x,
,, carefully repaired tho worn pants
that now ani then washed the tattor'
= cd shirt, and tried in "o;;"-.., ~ tne
. ,.:-l.,t nUJncr, 10 make himself
whole and clean, us she had loved
him. And yet the poor litt!c efligy
of older humanity. with his old ways
, often made caricature of himself
and the passer by would turn with Il
smile to catch another glimpse of the
strange creature.
Brimless hat, old shoes, immensely
too large, clothes repaired with all
the colors of the rainbow, great hol
low eyes, hair--long and if combod
hanging i'll lonk strin2s-this was
Tommy, as tho street knew him -
But, ns the angel mother, smiling
down in unuttcrablo compassion up
on his baby struggles, watched him,
who shall dare say how glorious
he seemed to her
While the summer lasted it was
not SO great struggle to live, but
when the winter came on with its
fierce winds, which searched through
and through the miserable dwelling,
finding all Of the crevices, and send
ing in with its icy, whistling breath
the cold, then it was that little Tom
my drew his rags closer about him.
and carefully replenished ont of his
miserable store of water soaked wood
his scanty fire.
Then it was, too, that he would
)k out through tho falling snow,
Il listen with one little hand held
his ear for his drunken fathers
'p And, finally, if the hour grew
Q, he would hurry away toward
town, and watch along the road
linSor in front of the low gruggery
,ore he was sure to be, for the
,hts were cold aud bad not she
Il, Tommy take care OF the father
no should fall down by the way
4 die by himself, what would the
ltutI BUY w Hill olllill y --WuO
1 lot him die unfit to be there
1t was q great care on the boys
uug hands. And often no was
rsed, and beaten, and kicked and
Used, and his little loving heart
tured aud lacerated, until itwould
We been mercy had God taken
/ from tho world
Who Tommy was seemed TO have
cd from the faithless fathers mind
VAS in the spring that we knew
nm. Attention had been called to
the sadness of his case, and several
ladies took it upon themselves to
make him an offer of a better home.
Thank you, madam, but | have
him to care for. He isn't much TO
me, AS you say, but he was great
deal to her, and sif he fails to meet
her up there, I'm sure she don't care
to stay. am to make him better. l
don't know cant see how am to
do it-but somehow it must be done.
He doesn't care for me, know, and
he'd be glad if l were dead but !
can't die now, though I am awful
tired of trying to live without her
Thank you all tho same, but can t
leave him."
No amount Of persuasion could
turn the little fellow aside from his
resolution. He adhered to it with a
stubbornness that was exasperating
To the kind hearts that were longing