The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-04-27
SEEING BETTER DAYS.

0eQ; OUT Sne udu ecch tuoih. Dossci 10y
hung moulding about her, like the de-
feated shreds of antiquated embroidery.
The sturdy gossips OF tho seaside vii
lage, who went about with their skirts
tucked up and their bare, brown arms
ready and able for any work, looked ask
an ce at the widow Minton, with her pitt.
full meagerDess of aspect, her Pickering
black eye, and her trailing old gown.
They nudged each other and said, "Bet-
ter days-Lord save usP'
But the widow did not trouble the
neighbors much, nor they her. A body
who couldn't do heartsome hands stir
ring was best left alone to her brooding,
and the widows smoky little cabin, soli-
tarlly apart on the seashore, was left pref
ty much to herself and boy Tom.
Tom was sturdy, brown faced lad, who
picked up living by doing odd jobs for
the boatmen, and then taking day for
fishing Tom had probably never seen
better days. The widow shook her head
over him so stupidity content, poor Tom!
so beaming and good natured over beg
gsrliness and hopelessness. A tall, well.
grown fellow, with bare feet, a torn straw
hat and red shirt. Tom took the world
easily, looking with reverent eyes on his
mothers by.gone gentility, but by no
means seeming to covet it for himself.
The widow deemed it due to her past
respectability to be seen at church OF
Sunday evening, and you could see the
two walking at twilight along the sands
.ha har nlaap rNnnEaf hand
kerchef folded over her old hymn-book
and certain doubtful hesitancy of gait.
as if Heaven itself mig bit be looking down
critically on her shabby black gown and
rusty bonnet. AS for Tom, patient Tom,
he went plodding slowly after her, with
his smiling face whistling to himself as
he went. Always patient, always plod-
ding, poor Tom! Patiently failing asleep
during the sermon, and patiently listen
ing, open mouthed, to the closing hymn,
his careless, bright face, contrasting SO
oddly with his mothers querulous and
tearworn visago. won for him the soubri-
net of Widow Minton's rainbow.
The minister of the parish. mistaken
soul, deemed it incumbent TO make call
on the widow; and on charity bent, it Is
said, he unwarily offered to employ her
services in his household for season. He
deemed it his duty to rouse the old wo-
man to activity.
He did rouse her; and it is averred
that he never found time to call at the
cabin again. Did he take her for COM
mon household drudge, or lowborn field
hand2 She thanked God she had too
much spirit left TO put herself under any
body's feet. He hadn't iar to go TO find
scores of drudces and diggers, but he
might 90 further before he knew lady
when he saw her.
1t might have been the afternoon after
the good man visit that the widow sat
idly breeding at her cabin door. Her
eyes had wandering, far-away look, and
her face was keener than ever. Beyond
the bluff which shelters her cabin, stretch
ed far line of seacoast, and white sand
cleaning silvery in the sun. Far of
group OF bathers, in bright dresses, frol-
icked between shore and water. They
came from the great hotel down beyond;
she could almost catch the sound OF their
voices ms she sat slowly rocking In her
doorway. 1t was quiet afternoon, the
air was soft ard soothing; and the Wild
ow's heart So full of bitterness, ielt itself
sweeten and soften in the stiffness. This
part of the shore, sheltered by its over
hanging rock, was seldom disturbed by
intruders. but presently the watchers eye
caught sight Of Il young girl splashlng
and frolicking in the water just beyond
the rocks. 1t was q pretty sight, the
rounded arms, the curving shoulders, the
swaying, floating figure. And perhaps
tn. old woman recalled with sigh the
time when she was young and blithe too,
and had as CHEEKY voice as that with
VIII oh the fair swimmer hailed her COM
panIons in the distance,
Gazing absently on the smiling scene
n reverie fell upon her, and when she
looked again, the young water.nymph
disappeared. She probably swan ashore
behind the rocks. The widow turned
away, Rugged her tim shawl over her
shoulders, and thought that the sea wind
was chilly. Hsrk! WHAT was that?
Surely she heard cry No merry shout
or ringing laugh this; it might be the cry
of wild bird on its way to its mate.
She couldn't have got beyond her
depth. that young creature, surely! Bat,
lal what if she had? Dying young,
BODY gets rid OF deal of trouble And.
Yes, surely, that was scream. The
widow looked sharply out. Would Tom
never come? The tide was rising, and
and something certainly was the matter.
She called-she beckoned frantically to
the baihers beyond-they seemed both
blind and deaf.
NO one, not one soul, at hand, and
that Young thing in peril Of life" A
minute she stood still, listening-a feeble
old woman with haggard, scared face,
to whom no enc would have dreamed Of
looking for help.
Il >,ant stand this" she said. "Seems
l must pull out that old scow myself
Toni! she screamed, with yell that
held the concentrated energy Of ten years.
But no Tom appeared. And it was the
widow herself. with those withered old
hands, that disdained the minister's
kitchen work-it wrs the widow herself
who, s,rsining, Juggling, and with her
gray hair fut,ering in the wind, unlocsed
the old dug-cu from its moorings, and
trembling, uuskillful, armed with a rude
paddle, went spinning out dizzily over
the rude water 1t leaked, the old scow;
1t scorned the broken paddle and the
heavy oars, but finally it came drifting
out blindly and dizzily to the object OF
her search. A plump hand with gilt
tering ring upon it clutched the edge OF
the boat, nearly oversettingit- A young.
eager face, with streaming hair, looked
up from the water, and gasping, shudder-
ing, half-drowned and wholly scared, the
young water nymph was presently
aboard the old craff