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

came to rough words spoken I'M
from ono business loss
through growing incapocity. IL came
down TO utter failure--total ruin.
He knew all of this; and now that
Mary was dead he had grown so so
Der that he could think it over clear
". Even ho hadn't heard her last
words. Had there been any thought
of him 7
Ito was too romorseless in this the
first hour OF his grief TO think OF
Mary's 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
ly up TO him How often had he
seen that look in the eyes once
bright and loving, now dim and for
ever closed
Poor little Tommy he snid, 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 caress.
she said-be true to father, and
try to make him better, 80. that We
mny bc NIL together there
He pointed with his little finger
toward the blue sky, and the man
shudlorcd, for to him the gulf lying
between hispresont life and the one
which ho felt assured she had enter
cd seemed impossible.
For n little time he kept sober
but there came a night when Tommy
waited his coming in vain. The old
life had not faded from the boy
mind. When he heard his step. hC
covered down in silence, his LITTLE
heart beating painfully, for well h,
remembered the cruelty OF the heavy
hand, and she was not here to turn
aside the unmcritod blow All il
is nm old story; no words are pathcti,
enough to do it justice
The house in which Tommy lived
and when the father slept in drunker
stupor, was near the levee in tn,
great city. Among the many ne
/ elected children. houselcss and un
cared for, it is no wonder that Tom
my should be destitute. And yc
the small bit of humanity struggle,
bravcly for his livelihood 1t wa,
his own small fingers that had =,
carefully repaired tho worn pants
| that now ani then washed the tnttor
/ ed shirt, and tried in "'",,"-..,. "a tn'
,..,..4.a mULnCr, 10 make himscl
whole and clean as sha had loved
him. Aud yet the poor little ofligy
of older humanity. with his old ways
often made n caricature of himself
and the passer by would turn with {
smile to catch another GLIMPSE of th,
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 combed
hanging i'll lonk strings-this was
Tommy, as tho street knew him -
But, rs the angel mother, smiling
down in unuttcrable 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 Il struggle to live, but
when the winter came on with its
fierce winds, which searched tbro agh
and through the miserable dwelling,
finding all Of the crcvices, 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 the falling snow,
d 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
linger in front of the low gruggery
,ore he was sure TO be, for the
,hts We're cold aud had not she
d, Tommy take care of the father!
he should fall down by the way
4 die by himself, what would the
other say to him-Tommy-who
4 let him die unfit to be there
1t was q great care on the boy 8
ung 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 the world
Nho Tommy was seemed to have
cd from the faithless father mind
vas in the spring that we knew
MN. 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 homo.
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. l am to make him better. l
don't know-I cant see how am to
do it-but somehow it must be done.
He doesn't care for me, know, and
he'd he glad if 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