Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-02-02

A lady on an errand Of charity came upon
group Of noisy, dirty boys playing bali in
/ an alley. A pale boy Of nine or ten years.
very tidily dressed, sat on an old wheelbar-
row, watching the game. In asking direc.
| ing from this child. she noticed that he was
hunchback, and apparently in very in
health.
lie replied 10 her question, "If you will
give me your hand TO help me up | will
show you Mrs Lanes room. 1t is at the
top of our house. Thank you. | can do al
most everything but rise up alone help
mother a good deal with the children. They
are lovely boys-so straight-and they've
got red cheeks and curly hair. But mother
doesn't love them bit better than she does
me. They are very good TO me they never
pull things away from me, nor push me
down. as bad boys in the street do some
times This is my house. Come in and
look at them"
And opening door, he asked, May this
lady Just peep in one minute to see the chill
dren, mother 2"
pleasant woman appeared, wiping her
hands on towel, and said, smiling, "Poor
dear Allen is so proud of the children. he
sometimes seems a little silly. Walk in"
The children were stout rosy fellows of
could "push almost anybody "down,"
if they tried. The appearance of their weak
brother was a token for rejoicing.
"Now isn't this beautiful home 2" the
poor child said, looking round proudly on the
shining stove the neat paper, and pictures on
the wall
Poor dear boy" said the woman, laying
her hand on his head she doesn't know
much about beautiful homes Everything
is beautiful that he loves. lie is so patient
and wise, and careful of me and the children,
that | don't know how | could have lived
without his sympathy since his fathers
death. He's very feeble, and sometimes
I'm afraid he don't get all the care be needs
i have so much to do and the other boys
take 80 much of my time" And she patted
his thin cheek tenderly.
When the lady was ascending the attic
stairs, her little guide, who was hohbng af-
ter her, stopped and said
" III tell you a secret. She isn't my frily
mother-but she doesn't know it mean
she wouldn't know 1t, II ! hadn't been big
enough TO be at her wedding She loves
me just as well as Willie and Tom. And oh,
she tells such beautiful things about God
and heaven. She says God will change this
tired body of mine and give me one like His
own, by-and-by. She washes and irons all
the time, but she's always pleasant. | can't
go to church or Sunday-school because I'm
so easy pushed over in a crowd but she
says our room is my church and Sunday
school and singing-school and everything"
As the lady bade her new friend Good
bye, he said, with the air of hosptabe
patron, You may come here any time you
like to see the children. They say their
prayers about seven o'clock, and they do
look so lovely in their little white night
gowns :"
The lady looked at the boys happy face,
and asked, " DO you remember your father ?"
80 yes, ma'am," he replied " it is only
two years since that night This is what he
said-mother made me say it over and over
SO as never to forget it Allen be good TO
your mother as long as you live. You can
never pay back her love to you. She is
doing an angels work and your own mother
in heaven is blessing her for it, and so will
| forever and ever. Love God and keep
close to her."
The lady's eyes here filed with tears, and
she too, blessed aud resolved to help this
woman who was rearing this feeble boy
with love that made her almost forget he
was not her own.
Ii there is one work on Gods earth holy
above all others, it is hers who takes the chill
dren of dead mother to her heart with
a love that almost wells the fact that they
are not her own; aud who makes them love
her as a mother, without forgetting that
one whom no child should ever be allowed
to forget.
II the redeemed above get glinlses of
earth and the beloved ones they left here,
what benisons are hourly falling on those
who have taken their places In desoate homes,
and made them real homes again,
God smiles on her who, though not a truly
mother" is a mother still