Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-07-06
A TRUE STORY.

One cold day in Winter, lad stoo&
at the outer door of cottage in Scot
land. The snow had been falling vel
fast, and the poor boy looked very colo
and hungry.
"Mavn't | stay, ma'ams' he said t.
the woman who opened the door. I'll
work, cut wood, go for water, and do
all your errands."
"You may come i'll at any rate, until
my husband comes home" the woman
said. "There, sit down by the fire;
| you look perishing with cold > and she
! drew chair up to the warmest corner ;
then suspicously glancing a. The boy
from the corners of her eyes, she conr
tinued setting the table for supper.
Presently came the tramp of heavy
boots and the door was swung open
with a quick jerk, and the husband
entered, wearied with his days work.
A hook of intelligence passed between
bis wife and himself. He had looked
at the boy, but did not seem very well
pleased; but nevertheless made him
come to the table, and was glad to see
how heartily he ate his supper.
Day after day passed, and yet the
boy begged to be kept until to-
morrow" so the good couple, after due
consideration, concluded that as long as
he was such good boy, and worked
willingly, they would keep him,
One day in the middle of Winter, a
pedd1er who often traded at the cottage
called, and, after disposing of some of
his goods, was preparing to go, when
he said to the woman:
"You have boy out there splitting
wood, see" pointing to the yard.
eyes do you know him ?"
Il have seen him." replied the ped
der.
"Where? Who is he? What is
he 2"
"a Jail Bird" and then the peddler
swung his pack over bis shoulder.
"That boy, young as he looks, I saw in
Court myself, and heard him sentenced
ten months You'd do we'll to lock
carefully after him."
Oh there was something so dreadful
in the word Gail" The poor woman
trembled as she laid away the things
she had bought of the peddler; nor
,uld she lie easy till she had called the
boy in and assured him that she knew
that part of his history.
Ashamed and distressed, the boy
hung down his head. His cheeks
seemed bursting with the hot blood,
and his lip quiYered-
"Well, he muttered, his frame shak-
ing, there's no use my trying to do bet
ter everybody hates aud depises me;
nobody cares about me-"
'Tell me-" said the woman, show
came you to go so young to that dread
full place? Where is your mother g.
ooh" exclaimed the boy with
burst of grief that was terrible to
behold-oh! l hadn't no mother ever
since I was baby! If only had
mother" he continued while tears gush-
ed from bis eyes, 81 wouldn't have been
bound out, and kicked, and cuffed, and
horse-whipped. l wouldn't have been
saucy and got knocked down, and run
away, and then stole because [ was
hungry. Oh! if I'd only had mother"
The strength was all gone from the
poor boy, and he sank on his knees,
sobbing great choking sobs andsrubbiug
the hot tears away with the sleeves Of
his jacket.
The woman was mother, and
though all her children slept under the
cold sod in the church yard, she was
mother still. She put her hand kindly
on the head of the boy, and told him
to look up, and said from that time he
should find in her a mother. Yes,
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 tenders
ness. Oh how sweet was her sleep
that night-how soft her pillow! She
had pluckea some thorns from the path
of little SHINING but striving mortal.
That poor boy is now promising
man. His foster-father is dead. His
foster-mother is aged and sickly, but
she knows no want The ''poor out
cast" is her support. Nobly; does he
repay the trust reposed in him.
"When my father and mother forsaka
me, the Lord will take me up
| Standard Bearer.