The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-04-28
One morning Belle and her father de-

One morning Belle and her father de-
parted. Belle kissed the withered cheek
of her friend, and that was all. For
when mention had been made of help
ing substantially, the widow had drawn
herself sharply up, all the lady shining
in her eye.
CT may have seen my best days." said
she, "but haven't come down to that
yet. Andif needed any reward, 1 have
it now," she added, as she felt the hot
bloom mantling in the cheek that Belle
had kissed.
Long after the two had left, Tom went
about with q cloud on his face, and in
his ears were ringing these hooking
words "I'm in love with Tom" A dis
gust for his fishing life and for himself
and for all their miserable surroundings
of poverty filed the lads heart with an
unwonted bitterness.
Mother" said he one day, as he sat
darby brooding over the hearth, "you
said you were born lady why didn't
you make gentleman of me2"
1T hadn't any money left when you
CAME" said the widow, briefly.
"Then it's money that makes people
gentlemen and ladies"
"I don't know" said the widow, puz-
zled, "they somehow mostly have it.
One day Tom came and told her he
was going to sea. There had been man
down looking for hands, and he had
taken Tom gladly, for Tom was a handy
fellow at almost any kind of sea craft,
and would soon make good seaman.
"And you must bide here patiently
till 1 come back, mother for if there's
better days anywhere, I shall bring 'em
with me, sure"
After that the sea looked bluer and
colder than ever, and the solitary
woman lived sort of hermit's life.
No CHEEKY voice of gossiping neighbor
lightened the dreary cabin, no children
prattled about her, and only Belle, the
bright, blithe-hearted lassie, seemed to
remember to cheer her with letter now
and then. Belle was away now, visiting
some distant friends, but in her kindly
heart she kept a corner, it seemed, for
the poor old woman who had saved her
life.
Three ears-four-passed away, and
daily of summer evening you might
have seen the widow sitting in her door
way, eager and hollow eyed, looking out
for some possible ship that might be
Toms. Tom was not good correspond
emit, but occasionally up at the little post
office q wandering epistle waited her
trembling hand. She was growing very
old and feeble now; but Tom was get
ting up in the world, Tom was first mate
of his ship, Tom was a success, Tom was
a gentleman, and, oh above all things,
Tom was coming home!
Not every one watches in vain, though
we may not always be looking in the
right direction. 1t was 80 with the widow.
AS she sat one day, with straining eyes
gazing on far-off, sun-lit sails, and see
ing how some of them lowered nearer
and nearer, and some, alas, took wing
farther and farther away, the doorway
darkened suddenly, and there came rush
ing upon her, as if dropped from the
clouds, plump, dark eyed, rosy
checked lady, who flung herself into the
arms of the watcher with O. cry of Joy.
"Oh, mother - she exclaimed, hal
sobbing, half laughing" oh, mother
don't you know mel Why, I'm Toms
wife, and I've brought the captain witt
mel"
Mother" said Capt. Tom that night
"you've seen better days, perhaps, bu
/ never have"
"For didn't tell you, said Mrs. Tom
archly, "that 1 was in love with Tom
And father owns half his ship, you know
so if Toms captain, I'm second mate
you see. And we're going to take you
away to where we found better days"