The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-08-06

sister, sighed her mother. 81 had
two dear children, and it was a difficult
task for me to take care of both of them.
but the Lord made a compromise by
taking one of them to live with Him.
Now, L would like to keep this one with
me, but 1t appears as if God wants them
both with him. Soon she will 20 and
see her sister |"
But the sick girl still lived ard lay
patiently on her sick. bed, while her
mother worked with her hands for their
daily bread.
By-and-by 81 ing-time came on. One
morning, when the laborious mother was
going about her work, the friendly sun
shone through the little window, and all
along the roof The sick girl looked
down Mt the bottom of the window and
saw something growing.
"What kind of weed Is that 2" she
said. cit is going to grow against our
window. See the wind is shaking il I"
And the mother came to the window
and opened it little. "Just see !" she
exclaimed. "Tbat is a splendid pea
vine it is now shooting out its green
leaves. How it likes the little crevice
Soon we will have garden !"
Then the sick girls bed was moved
close to the window, so that she could
see the little climbing pea. Then her
mother went to her work again.
"Mother, really believe 1 shall get
well again" said the daughter one even
ing to her mother. "The sun has been
shining into the window so kindly to-day,
and the pea vine is growing so fast, that
1 believe / shall soon be able to go out
into the bright sunshine"
"I would to God it could be So" said
the mother. But she did not believe it
could come to pass.
Then she stuck down little stick for
the pea-vine to run on, and tied
string around it to keep the wind from
blowing it away. Every day it grew
higher and larger.
"Now it is beginning to blossom"
said the mother one day, as she went
up to the window. &C / am beginning to
think my dear daughter will get we'll
again" She had noticed that she had
been getting more cheerful and stronger
of late. So on the morning that the
pea-vine blossomed she raised her up in
bed and leaned her against chair.
The next week she was able for the first
time for many, many months to get out
of bed and take few steps.
How happy she was as she sat in the
bright sunshine and looked at the grow
ing pea-vine, The window was open
and the morning breeze came skipping
in. The girl leaned her head out of the
window and kissed her vine. That day
was happy holiday to her.
"The good Father in heaven, my dear
child, has planted that little towering
pea there for you, and also TO bring hope
and JOY to my heart" So spoke the
mother, and truly too.
Now what became of the other peas?
The one which flew out into the wide
world, and said, as he passed, "Catch
me if you can, +" fell into the gutter be-
side the street, and was swallowed by q
dove.
The two which went off together Jared
no better, for they were both devoured
by the hungry pigeons.
The fourth pea, which went off toward
the sun, didn't get half way there, but
fell in a water-spout and lay there for
weeks, growing larger all the time.
I" I am getting so corpulent," it said
one day, 81 shall soon burst. L am
afraid, and that certainl y will be the last
of me-.
And the chimney, who afterwards
wrote his epitaph, told me few days
ago that he did burst. So that was the
last of him.
But the sick girl stood one day with
bright eyes and red cheeks at her moth
er's little window, and folding her hands
over the beautiful pea-vine, thanked her
Heavenly Father for His goodness.
81 am proud of my vine," said the
widow. And so said all the world
Hans Christian andersen.