Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-06-20


flowers"
The next day the gentleman went
home earlier than usual. and as he came
near the old woman's stand he caught q
sight OF the invalid daughter. seated in q
hand-wagon, ,propped up by pillow, and
shaded by a big umbrella. The attention
OF the old woman was engrossed by a
juvenile customer; but the daughter
noticed his approach, and called as he
made as il he would 60 by without speak
ing.
"Sir, sir,," she said, please to stop.
| want you 10 see shall soon be well (;
for now can go out every day in fine
weather !"
And who got you down the stairs, and
upon the Common"
The man that lives on the lower
aoOr-he carried me down; end Tommy
drawed me here before school time"
"And who sent us the wagon ?" asked
the old woman, her ugly lace lighting
up with the smile that. 10 this man, al.
ways made it handsome.
The Lord. suppose; and this is a
good wagon" answered the gentleman,
taking the vehicle by the wheel a nd
shaking it as if to test its quality.
/ 'rko olJ ,,oo,an l;,,, Co. N
moment, without word. Then she
said, The Lord will say to them on his
right hand, ,"Ye did it unto me, inasmuch
as ye did it unto one OF these, my poor
children"
The man turned and walked away. in
his eye tear, and in lis soul another
revelation. He had learned the whole OF
religion-iaith and good works-at the
cost of carrying an old woman's basket,
and buying for her daughter cheap
hand-wagon.
Every pleasant day for month alter
this he found the sick woman seated
there in The wagon under the old umbrel-
Ia. She always had smile Tor him. and
he always fingered while TO get that
smile and little of the old woman's
sunshine. But one morning he went by.
and found neither the apple stapd nor
the hand-wagon. II was so too when he
again went by at evening; and then.
without going home, he made his way 10
the home OF tho old woman. Softly open
ing the door, he entered the dingy
apartment. y few rays from the setting
sun came through the open window, and
by the dim light he saw the old woman
and two children kneeling by the low
bed in the corner. She was holding the
hand OF the young woman, who lay with
eyes upturned TO the fading sky, as il
looking 10 the clouds for some one com
ing. lie had come, The Great Angel, and
he had already taken her to the bosom oil
the All-Father.
For several years after this the old
woman's lite rippled along as smoothly
as gentle stream flowing on over a
sandy bed to the great ocean. The old
umbrella got many a patch, the new
bonnet grew old, and the black silk
gown that she first wore at her daughters
funeral WAS turned and returned 10 Iii il
to appear on Sundays; but she never
begged and never borrowed, aud the
winter was never so hard but she had
enough ready money at command 10 buy
her small wares "by wholesale"
Little 10y little the young lads and hun
CRY lovers who frequented the Common
came 10 know her; and though many a
rival stand disputed her right to monop-
olize the trade in stomacache, they soon
had to eat their own candy, and to fold
their tents like the Arabs. and silently
steal away"
One day theIgentleman who had learned
OF her his first lesson in Christianity.
passing her stand, noticing some new
flags of truce floating from her pippins.
"Who wrote these, Aunt Betsey ?" he
asked. pausing TO lock at the placards.
"Oh, Tommy did them. Sir. He's
amazing smart at such things. He can
write ike any schoolmasler."
"And how old is ho now ?"
"Going on fifteen; and I'm thinking
Sir, it's about time he was doing some
thing. | might support him some longer.
but he's larned all he can out Of college"
What does lie take to?
"Well. he wants TO be merchant. /
suppose he gets hankerin' arler it from
my bein' in the business; but there's a
world of wickedness between buyin' and
sellin'. Don't ye think he'd better be a
lawyerP" .Tr
"a lawyer!" There's not an. honest
lawyer living. Let him be q merchant.
Send him down TO my counting-room to
morrow" ' '' OF
Tommy went. and so became under
clerk in a large commercial house on
Central Wharf When he drew his first
months pay he brought 1t home. and
pouring it all into his grandmother's lap,
threw his arms about her neck, and said: {:
Nov. grandmother. You shall shut up
shop. won't have DO more OF your SELL
ing apples" g~,.,Io, =. t-,ma..s,. s.d
But the old woman WAS not easily
lured from the walks of commerce.