The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-05-14

God Will Judge them and thee Alright.
1.-TWO beautiful fine boys as ever was!
A sad pity she did not live to set eyes
on them !"
"She's better away, poor thing :;
there we're naught but pining afOrs her,
and her but weakly at the best"
"And there's naught other afore
them, poor babes, as 1 can see," re-
Joined the first speaker, a pinched ND.
hard-featured woman, whose sharp face
sOftened for moment with a passing
CLEAN of mOtberly feeling as she bent
over the m whereOn lay two hour old
infants, Justify announcing their safe
arrival in the world where no place
seemed ready for them.
whats to do with 'em ?" asked the
second woman, looking dubiously at the
newcomers. "They've neither kith
nor kin to work for 'em, and there's
mouths enough here without 'em Best
car Y 'em to the poor-house, say ]"
a." Best charity would be to smother
EN-, crOaked a withered old hag who
was spreading her shriveled trembling
hands over the shOvelful of fire in the
CRATE, and cycling wistfullv the broken
glass of gin from which a few drops had
been poured down the dying WOman's
throat, in the vain hope of reviving the
failing life.
There was a knock at the door as she
spoke, and 1t was pushed open as gen
tly as its broken, one hinged condition
allowed, admitting a gentleman, who
stepped hastily forward and bent over
the inanimate figure lying on the floor.
Gons !" he calculated "Well,
well, it's just too late then-and Just
as well, perhaps" he added under his
breath. Then, catching sight of the
babes, Whew-twins That is more
than we bargained for. Here, Mrs.
Brooke" he called out, going to the
door" come income in!"
cOmely, cOmfortable-looking mat
ron answered his summons, and step
ped glngerly, picking her way, into the
wretched room, looking strangely out
of place as she stood there, with her
plump, smooth face and rustling, am
pie dress.
What will your mistress say to two,
Mrs. Brooke ?" continued the surgeon,
as he pointed to the two children living !
beside the dead mother.
Mrs. Brooke glanced around the room |
such a room as had never before en-
tered into her easy ideas of Iife-as
though she we're too lost in amazement |
to notice his remark.
g And this is what poor Lucy came
to, she said, at last, shaking her head; |
4" 1t is a Judgment and warming, sure |
ly. And she 80 pretty and handy too, |
and as nice a hand at bow as | ever |
wish to see She's gone, sir, is she |
Alb, well, the young go quicker than
the old sometimes"
"Amen," grosned the old woman by |
the fire, joining in the conversation |
with hazy idea that some such eiacu-
lation was suited to "the quality" and
would show her Just appreciation of the |
presence of death. "The pretty darl-
lngs are kindly welcome. ma'am, as |
was Just a-saying to Polly Sanders,
though we be puzzled above a bit what
to do with 'em. Likely Lucy had some
grand friends, ma'am ?" she limited,
siding up to the portly dame, who
shrank away visibly from the contact.
Yes, yes, my good woman" an
swered Mrs. Brooke, hastily stopping
her skinny hand threatening her arm
with some parcels she had been carry
ing under her shawl "here, take these.
l brought poor Lucy some tea and
things, and as she-pCrhaps you will
take them, as you seem kindly inter
ested in her. Doctor" she wound up
appealngly, "I need not stay, think;
we can do nothing for poor Lucy and
as for the child, sir-well, sir, one baby
Is we'll enough, though | don't hold to
1t but two, and such large ones, sir -
as II the size were an additional offense.
1t seems a pity to separate the
brothers-lt seems scarcely right" the
surgeon said, thOughtfully; then, more
brlskly, turning to the woman, who had
been standing listening and puzzled.
- Here, Mrs. Sanders, lift up the boys
tIll we see them; they've no one belong
ing to them, and Lucy's former mis-
tress is willing to take charge of one of
them as for the other, it is a pity"
Here he broke off.
Mrs. Brooke eyed the two infants
scrutinizingly, as they were held up for
her inspection.
:. They are fine children" she said,
with reluctant appreciation, land as
like as two peas. There's nothing to
choose between them"
As she bent over them again, one
child opened it eyes. The accidental
circumstance decided the fate of the
two lives, for Mrs. Brooke lifted the
boys into her own arms.
- Pretty dear, it notices already, it do
bless It's little heart " with which
perfectly unwarrantable assertion she
wrapped the child up in a warm shawl
of soft crimson wool, and announced |
herself as ready to depart.
The doctor fingered behind a moment
as the other child, vaguely conscious of
diminished heat and comfort from the
cessation OF contact with his brother.
set up walling cry and moved its little
arms about in search of something
warm TO nestle against, and found,
poor babe, nothing but rough shawl
which grated on the tender flesh.
Poor little one !" calculated the
1OctCr. You NAV well
cry for the chance you have lost to .dav
1t seems a cruel thing to leave Won
here to be educated into a scamp.
while your twin-brother will have every
In life. But there, there
such as you are born every day." and
the good surgeon hurried away from
scene that was as he felt, no sadder than
those his practice brought continually
under his notice, and which had only
ma ie deeper impression on him than
usual because riches and poverty had
been brought into startling contrast by
the fates decreed to the twin brothers.
GAS bad a case as l ever came across,
one lawyer was saying to another
through the hum of mingled talk going
up from a crowded court house, where
they were waiting for the verdict; "no
redeeming point about it-simple brate
force and low cunning"
thorough scamp, was the reloln-
der he IL one of our social failures
Just one OF those willfulIy hopeless
cases-a child taught to drink and
tLieve, in ard ont of Jail eli his life,
going from bad to worse, and never "A
chance of redemption afforded him.
do not see how he could be anything