Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-09-06
MEMPHIS TENN WEDNESDAY, EVENING. SEPTEMBER G. 1876.

upon it. For a little time his frame
shook as though tempest-riyen.
Then he braced himself, and spoke
in an entreating manner:
"Will you tell me who left this
here ?"
A light dawned upon me. The
man had interested me with some
thing more than his grand beauty.
There was something in his face
familiar to me-something in its
classic outlines, and in its Inca
ments Of character, like the face of
the woman who had been my sis
ter's nurse. And while the broker
hesitated, | answered him:
ga lady left it here, and her
name is Warland."
He looked at me quickly and
eagerly.
"Has she a husband ?" he asked.
"No," l said. "Her husband
died in New York several years
since, and she has returned to the
land of her childhood, a widow"
A moments pause, and then l
added:
"Mr. Langford has told you that
the watch had not been really
pawned. The poor woman said
that it was not hers. 1t had been
left with her by her first husband
"a dying gift for their boy-a boy
whom she had not seen for many
years"
The man reached over and took
my hand.
''Can you take me to her?" he
said.
told him / could, for she lived
very near to my home.
He wanted to take the watch ;
but the broker objected, and he did
not urge it.
And he went with me out into
the street. His heart was full, and
/ did not disturb him with idle
questions. On board the ferry-boat
he paced up and down the gangway
alone, and when we had landed
upon the island side he took my
arm as though fearful that he might
lose me. We reached the door of
Mrs. Warland's dwelling, and were
ushered into small, scantily fur
nished sitting-room by sthe little
daughter, who had recognized me.
"Mamma has just come in" she
said. 81 will call her."
l would have left, but the man
detained me.
Presently Mrs. Warland entered.
The walk in the cool, bracing all
had given color to her usually pale
cheeks, and when she saw me she
smiled a welcome. And then, fol-
lowing my glance, she turned to
the stranger, who was gazing upon
her with the whole of his heart and
soul in his lustrous eyes. She start
ed, and tottered.
Mother! Do you know me 2"
And she stretched out her arms
with wild cry-she called him
"Jackp and with sobs of rapture
she clung to him and was held tC
his bosom. l felt my presence to
be a PROCLAMATION, and crept away
But l called on the following day
and found the mother and son hap.
py and jubilant. And then Jack
Bishop told me how he had heard
of his mother last in New York;
how he had looked for her; and
how he had been told that she was
dead. He was in command of q
ship just returned from India, and
was making arrangements for an.
other voyage; and but for the watch
at the pawnbroker's he should have
gone away without knowing that
his mother lived.
And so the widow had come
from darkness to light; and that
sacrifice which had seemed to hel
as the rending Of her very heart
strings had proved an offering upon
the altar Of fate which had brought
back Joy and blessing. Is it a
wonder that in the mysticinAuence
of the pawned watch she traces the
finger of a Divine Providence? For,
so feeling, to God she gives the
praise of her thankful heart.
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