The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1876-01-27


herself saaq5 up, ali ,be lady shiniTs iu
bor eyu.
nay have seen my besl days, sbe
ssia bul I haven't come % ,hat yet.
Ard Il ineedod suy reward, I've bad il
now. sbe sdded ~ she felt tho soft blood
mantIng ia the cheek that belle had
Kissed
Loag after tbs two bad leh, Tom went
about with a cloud on his face, and Ia
bis ears were ringing those moekiug
words, I'm 10 love With Tom. a disgust
for bis fishing life and ior himself and
for Sll their miserable surroundings Of
poverty filed the lad's heart with an uu-
wonied bitterness,
Molher, said be one day, as he sat
dArkiy broo6iug over the hearth, you
sad ypu We're born lady, why didu'l
you make gentleman Of mog
| hadn't aay mouey lefl when you
came, said the widow, briefly
Theu it's money that makes people
gentlemen aud ladiesf
don't know, said The widow, puzzled :
they somehow mostly have It,
One day Tom came and told her be
was going to sea. There bad been man
down looking .or hands, and be had Ia
ken Tom gladly, for Tom was handy
fellow al almost any kind Of sea craft,
aud would soon make good seaman,
Aud you must just bide here patiently
tin come back, mother: for II there's
better days anywhere, shall bring 'em
with me, be sure.
After that the sea looked bluer aud
colder than ever, aud the solitary woman
lived sort Of hermifs life. No CHEEKY
voice of gosslpping ueighbor lightened
the dfeary cabin, no children prattled
about her; aud only Belle, the bright,
blithe-hearled lassie, seemed 10 remember
10 cheer her with letter now and then.
Belle was away now visiting some dis
tant friends, but in her kindly heart she
kept corner il seemed, for the poor old
woman who had saved her life.
Three years-four-pa passed away, and
daily of a summer afternoon you might
have seen the widow sitting in her door.
way, eager and holow-eyed, looking out
for some possible ship that might be
Toms. Tom was not good corresponds
ent, but occasionally up at the little post
Office wandering epistle waited her
trembling hand. She was growing very
Old and feeble now; but Tom was get.
ung up in the world, Tom was first mate
Of bis ship, Tom was a success, Tom was
gentleman, and oh, above all things,
fom was coming home!
Not every one watches in vain, though
we may not always be looking in the
right direction. Ii was so with the widow
AS she sat one day, with straining eye
gazing on far off suu-lit sails, and seeing
how some of them lowered nearer aud
nearer, and some, alasl took wing farth.
er and farther away, the doorway dark.
ened Suddenly there came rushing upon
her, as If dropped from the clouds, q
plump, dark-eyed, rosy-cheeked lady
who flung herself into the arms OF the
watcher with a cry OF joy.
Oh, mother! she exclaimed, half sob
bing, half laughing -oh, mother, dom
YOU know me? Why, Pm Toms wife
aud I've brought the captain with mel
Mother, said Captain Tom, that night
you've seen better days, perhaps, but
never have.
For didn't tell you, said Mrs. Tom
archly, that was in love with Tom
And father owns half his ship, you know
SO il TOMS captain, Pm second mate, yol
zee. And we're going to take you awal
to where we found our better days
Harpers Weehly.