The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-04-28
A True Story.


One cold day in winter a lad stood Al
the outer door of cottage on bleak
moor in Scotland. The snow had been
falling very fast. and the poor bay look
ed very cold and hungry.
"Mayn't ] s,ay. ma'am?' he said to
he woman who had opened the door
/ IL work, cnt wood, go for water. and do
all y"ur errands"
-Iou may come in, at any rate until
my husband comes honIe," the woman
said. There. iii down by the FIRE: yon
look perishing with the COLT and she
drew a chair up to the warmest corner;
then, snspiciously glancing at the boy
from the corners Of her eyes, she contin-
ued letting the table for supper.
Presently came the tramp OF heavy
boots, and the door was swung open
with quick jerk, and the husband en-
tered. wearied with his day's work
A look of intelligence passed between
his wife and himself. lie had looked at
the boy, but did not seem very well
pleased; he nevertheless made hIm come
to the table, and was glad to see how
heartily he Hte his supper
Day after day passed, and vet the boy
begged to be kept until Tomorrow" 50
the good cnnple, after due Consideration,
concluded that, a. long a. he was such a
good boy. and worked 30 willingly, they
would keep him.
One day, in the middle of winter, a
peddler, who often traded al the cottage,
called, and after disposing Of hi- goods,
was preparing TO 20, when he said to the
WOMAN
"You have boy ont there splitting
wook, see" pointing TO the yard.
Yes; do yon know him?"
Il have seen him." replied the ped
dler
"Where? Who Is be? What is he?"
"A Jail bIrd;" and then the peddler
SWING his pack over his shoulder.
That boy, young a. he looks. ! saw in
court myself, and heard him sentenced
Ten months You d do well to look
carefully after him"
o! there was something so dreadful in
the word gail" The poor woman trem-
bled as she laid away the things she had
brought of the peddler; nor could she be
easy till she called the boy in and assuI
ed him that she knew that dark pant Of
his history.
Ashamed and distressed, The boy hung
down his head His cheeks seemed
bursting with the hot blood, and his lips
quivered.
Well" he muttered, his frame zhak
ing, there's no use IN my irving To do
better; every body hates AMI despises Iuc;
nobody cares about me"
''TelI me-" said the woman, chow
came YOU to go, so yonng, to that dread
fnl place. Where is your morher?"
"O"' exclaimed the boy. with bur-t
Of grief that was terrible 10 behold, go!
! hadn't no mother! ! hadn't no mother
ever since | was a baby! If / only had
a mother" he continued, while tears
gnshed from his eyes, II wonldn't have
been bound ont, and kicked. and cnfTef.
and horsewhipped. | wouldn't have
been sancy and got knocked down, and
run away. and stole becanee was hun
CRY. Off I'd only had Il mother!"
The strength WAS all gone from the
poor boy, and he sunk on his knees,
sobhing great choking sons, and rubhirg g
the hot tears away with the sleeve Of hi.
jacket.
The woman was a mother. and though
all her children slept under the cold
sod in the church-yard, she was a moth
er still. She pat her hand kindly on the
head of the boy, and told him to look
mp, and said from that tine he should
find in her mother. Yes, she even
put her arms around the neck Of that
forsaken, deserted child She poured
from her mothers heart sweet, kind
words, words of counsel and of tender
ness. o bow sweet was her sleep that
night-how soft her pillow! She had
plucked some thorns from the path Of a
little SHINING bnt striving mortal.
That poor boy is now promising
man. His foster father is dead, his fos-
ter-mother il aged and sickly, but she
knows no want. The "poor outcast" is
her support. Nobly does he repay the
trust reposed in him.
when my father and my mother for
sake me, then the Lord will take me
up"