The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-04-28

"Well, my dear" said the old gentleman,
eood-humoredly pinching the plump cheek,
''sbe has done IL very thoroughly. You GER
tainy don't look very near death just now.
Wherea. the story, with due enlargement
and variation, was told him with pretty
pout.
| The father smiled, but also he furtively
wiped away tear.
"well, madam" said he courteously, "ac-
cept nv cordial thanks for looking after my
little madcap Belle. She's my only child,
you see, and as full of pranks as any doz-
en-"
Belle playfully put her hand over his
mouth. 81 won't have my character traduc-
ed where they've been so good to me- sne
cried. "And oh, father, isn't this beauti-
| full place-such view of the water mean
to come down here every day and do my
sketching."
"pm afraid" said the sire, shaking his
head. "that this good lady will have cause
to wish she had thrown you overheard"
ooh no, father she likes me and like
her. and I've fallen in love with Tom long
ago. you know"
Tom blushed painfully. Something
strange and new stirred in his mind. Com
pliments did not sweeten his thoughts as
they did his mothers, for Tom had never
seen better days, and felt as if he were be-
ing made a jest of.
A week passed, during which the young
girl strolled almost daily to the cabin. When
she was there Tom seldom entered the house.
He had grown shy and sulky he sat on the
shore darkly brooding, or went off silently to
his fishing.
One morning Belle and her father depart
ed. Belle kissed the withered cheek of her
friend, and that was all. For when mention
had been made of helping her substantially,
the widow had drawn herself sharply up, all
the lady shining in her eyes.
81 may have seen my best days" she said,
"but haven't come to that yet. And if
needed any reward, I've had it now," she
added, as she felt the soft blood mautling in
the cheek that Belle had kissed.
Long after the two had left, Tom. went
about with cloud on his face, and in his
ears were ringing those mocking words: 81
am in love with Tom" A disgust for his
fishing life and for himself and for all their
miserable surroundings of poverty filled the
lads heart with an unwonted bitterness.
Mother said he one day as he sat dark
ly brooding over the hearth, "you said you
were born lady; why didn't you make
gentleman of me?'
81 had no money left when you came"
said the widow, briefly.
"Then it's money tina. makes people gen
tlemen and ladies ?"
81 don't know" said the widow, puzzled,
"they somehow mostly have it."
One day Tom came and told her he was
going to sea- There had been man down
looking for hands, and he had taken Tom
gladly, for Tom was handy fellow at almost
any kind of sea craft, and would soon make
good seaman.
"And you must just bide here patiently
till l come back, mother; for if there's bet
ter days anywhere I shall bring them with
me, be sure"
After that the sea looked bluer and colder
than ever, and the solitary woman lived
sort of PERMITS life. No CHEEKY voice of
gossiping neighbor lightened the dreary cab
in, no children prattled about her and only
Belle the blthe, brght-hearte1 lassie, seemed
to remember to cheer her with letter now
| and then Ralla was away from hnpoa nnu
! visiting some distant friends, but in her
kindly heart she kept corner it seemed,
for the poor old woman who had saved her
life.
Three years-four- passed away, and dai-
ly of a summer afternoon you might have
: seen the widow sitting in the doorway, eagesff
E and hollow-eyed, looking out for some posi-.
BILE ship that might be Toms. Tom was
not good correspondent. but occasionally
up at the little post Office wandering epistle
l waited her trembling hand. She was grow
ing very old and feeble now but Tom was
getting up in the world, Tom was first mate
, of his ship, Tom was success, Tom was a
gentleman, and oh, above all things, Tom
was coming home.
| Nob CNCiy Oue NutCHts III VIII, tuuugH we
may not always be looking in the right di-
! rection. 1t was so with the widow. As she
Il sat one day, with strainirg eye gazing on
far off sunlit sails, and seeing how some of
them hovered nearer and nearer, and some,
!, alas took wing farther and farther away,
n the doorway darkened suddenly there came
e rushing upon her, as if dropped from the
clouds, plump, dark-eyed, rosy-cheeked
= lady, who flung herself into the arms of the
# watcher with cry of joy.
"Oh, mother !" she exclaimed, half sob
a bing, half laughing-"oh, mother! don't
y you know me? Why, I'm Toms wife, and
I've brought the captain with mer'
d Mother" said Captain Tom that night
a "you've seen better days. perhaps, but
e never have"
"For didn't l tell you" said Mrs. Tom,
!. archly, that was in love with Tom? And
a. father owns half his ship, you know so il
=. Toms captain, Pm second mate, you see
1t And we are going to take you away to wher,
we found our better days"
A New Orleans merchant was induced b,
a woman, who told ptiiul story of poverty