The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-11-12

thankful Tor than she.
AS they were leaving the church Della
saw her father stop to speak to poor
woman, and as he did so she knew that
he slipped a note in the Widow Hall 8
hand-it was more than one dollar, for
the woman dropped it, and Harry, who
was holding his sister by the hand,
picked it up.
$50 much less for my new dress, NUT
tered Della, giving Harry sudden jerk,
hurrying him away before he was thanked,
and taking long, impatient steps. 1t
was hard work for Harry to keep up
with his sister as he trotted along by
her side, out of breath and hardly able
to speak. But Della was not thinking
of him the dark spirits in her heart
spread their evil influences and poisoned
all of her enjoyments for the time by
their unhappy and envious suggestions.
When the family assembled around
the dinner-table the only cheerless face
there was Delia's. "The bird in the
bosom had not been singing sweetly all
day, and her mother observed with re-
greet that the sullen cloud on her little
girls face still remained, while her
brothers and sisters were bright, cheer
full and happy.
"Delia, l want you to put on your hat
and carry this basket to Miss Hall, the
poor lame girl, said her mother, just as
her daughter had found comfortable
corner and taken book to read. She
took the basket, with a frown, from her
mothers hand-she dared not disobey-
and started very reluctantly upon the
disagreeable errand. The air was cold
and the distance very short; if she hur-
ried she could easily return in half an
hour to her pleasant book.
l suppose this is the way people do
III stories" she thought, as she walked
slowly along with the basket in her
hand. We'll, for my part, l think
charity had better begin at home" She
was thinking of the money her father had
given away that morning as she went up
the narrow stairs leading to Mrs. Halls
room, for the poor widow and her lame
daughter only had one room in a small
house.
"Come in" said a sweet voice in an
swer to her knock and Della openel the
door and walked into the little but neat
room, where Miss Hall sat by the win
dow, with an open book on her lap. She
thanked her as Della gave her the
basket.
"This seems like Thanksgiving Day."
she added this has been such de-
hghtful day to me. Yes" she said, as
Della glanced inquiringly and surprised
at her pale face and the crutches resting
against her chair-"yes, it has been
very pleasant day. / have been sitting
MANLY III no fi,,,a on1 4l,oA &c
treat for me, for my back is so weak /
cannot always do SO, and when l am
lying down | cannot read or sew, and l
have not walked any for six years.
She did not speak complainingly it
was nothing unusual for her to suffer !;
but Della, who scarcely knew what i'll
ness was, repeated
"Six years Have you been sick six
years 2"
mot sick all of that time. L was fif-
teen years old when an accident made
me lame il was very hard at first for
me F.; but / know l have so much to be
thankful FOR | do not dare TO complain.
You see, it might be so much worse.
Della wondered how that could be, and
what the blessings were that Miss Hall
was so thankful for, as she looked around
the plainly furnished room, and at the
lame girls pale, wasted face. Perhaps
her thoughts were easily read from the
expression of her own face, for Miss Hall
said
=" can often sit up and read, and from
the window here l can see the blue sky
and the sunlight shining on the green
grass and trees. In summer the birds
come and build their nests directly I'M
der this window, and l cannot tell you
how much pleasure and interest / take in
all their housekeeping. Then, you know,
L have my mother, who is SO strong and
well, to take care of me, and my friends
often come III TO visit us. So, you see,
l don't have a very dismal life, after
ALL"
Della was silent. She looked on the
carpet; there was blue spot i'll it; but
at that moment it did not remind her of
silk dresses or fine hats.
: L expect you pity me" she added.
But, my dear, you need not. Con-
tentment is the best thing to have; and 1
have found out that grace will be given
for our day if we only ask for it in faith.
lonce learned very pretty verse; have
never forgotten it:
"' There are briars besetting every path,
which call for patient care
There Is cross in every lot
And an earnest need for prayer;
But a lonely heart that leans on Thee
i happy anywhere!"
Mrs. Hall entered the room at that
moment; she ran up to Della, and, TAX
ing both of her hands, exclaimed, with
tears in her eyes:
" have been worrying and worrying
all this week about my rent; it will be
due tomorrow, and only had part of it;
l believed the Lord would provide, or
tried to believe it; but it seemed very
dark to me, and when your dear father
gave me that money this morning it did
seem as If II was an angel from heaven
coming to hell me. am afraid he did
not know how much it was, for he never
let's his right hand know what his left is
giving; perhaps he made mistake.
Ask him If he knew he gave me five dol
lars.
As Della babe them good-by and left
thehouse the dreary spirits which had been
brooding over her heart all day unfold.
ed their black wings and flew away. She
had the free use of her limbs she could