Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-10-11


mind for the best manner in which to
present her petition for food.
Before she had decided, the master of
the house suddenly entered the kitchen,
for 1t was nearly dinner time. He was
a large, muscular, broad-chested, sun
burned man, with a hard, gloomy ex-
preston on his face, where fifty years
were now beginning to write their his
tory.
i He stood still with surprise, gazing
on the new occupants of the kitchen ;
and the boy drew close to his sister,
and the girl threw up a timid, fright.
ened glance into the gloomy face.
"YOu don't know Of anybody round
here that wants little help, do ye,
farmer?" asked the woman. "Here's
a little girl thatlwants place, and as
she's walked from the depot, told her
she might come in and rest a bit before
she went up into the village to try her
luck"
"No," shortly answered the farmer.
"Dinner ready?" And the rich man
turned away without one gentle word
or kind look for two homeless children
whom God bad brought to his door.
"Lucy, Lucy, don't stay here; I'm
afraid" And the little boy lip curled
and quivered as he turned his face from
the farmers.
"Lucy, Lucy" how those little, trem
bling tones went down, down, down,
into the mans hard heart! How the
dead days of his youth burst out of their
graves, and rushed through his men,
ory at that low, broken, 'Lucy, Lucy"
He turned and looked at the girl; not
sOurly, as before, but with a kind and
eager quetioning interest.
"What's your namer"
"Luey Wheeler, SIR"
He staggered back and caught hold of
the nearest chair.
"And what was your mother's?"
''Lucy Reid. She used to live at
Meadow Brook. So came here to get
work; che told me to before she died."
At that moment the angels looked
down and saw the seed that had lain
for two score years in the heart of JOS
eph Keep spring up, and the flower
blossom in the wilderness.
He strobe across the kitchen TO tn
b .wildered girl. He brushed back her
bonnet and turned her face to the light.
He could not be mistaken. 1t was the
one framed and hung in the darkened
room In his soul. The blue eyes of
Lucy looked again in his own. At that
moment the little boy pushed in be-
tween them, and gazed wistfully in the
mans face. Farmer Keep sat down
and took the child in his arms. He
tried to speak, but instead great sobs
came and heaved his strong chest. The
trio in the kitchen gazed at him in mute
astonishment.
"Lucy's children, Lucy's children!"
he murmured at last, in a voice whose
tenderness was like that of mother.
"God has sent you to me. For her
sake this shall be your home. For her
sake will be father to yOu."
Five years after, Cora wrote to me:
"We are having fine times now, dear
Cousin Jennie, and mamma wants tc
know if you do not need to renew your
rosy cheeks among the dews of Meadow
Brook. Uncle Charlie is with us, and
If you were also, our happiness would
be complete. ..
"Lucy Wheeler-you remember her
has the place in my heart next to
yours. Her disposition is as lovely as
her face, and that is saying great
deal, for its sweet beauty does one good
to behold it. Farmer Keep seems to
idolize her and Bennie. He is charm
1 ing man, now; he goes to church regu-
larly every Sabbath. He spares no
pains or expense in Luey's education,
and she will be an accomplished wo-
man. She is here very often, and
have suspicious that Uncle Charlie
but no matter, will not trust this to
pen and paper.
"But now, Jennie, what lesson has
all this taught me! How it has deep
ened my faith in God and humanity.
Snow, when my heart yearns over
the wretched SHINING Outcast, l remem-
Der always that there is flower in the
wilderness"