The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-07-07

and calico dress were covered with dust.
Ii you had looked in her face you would
not have forgotten it. 1t could not have
been more than fifteen summers. It was
very pale, and its sweet, sad beauty made
you think of nothing but summer flowers
drenched with summer rains. Her eyes
were of that deep, moist blue that rolls
out from under the edge of April clouds,
and her lips, ripe and full, had that
touch of sorrowfulness about them, which
tells you always the heart beneath is full
of tears. The girls hand clasped tightly
the little boys by her side. The resem-
blance between them would have told
you at once they were brother and sister,
but his life could not have covered more
than third of hers. The little fellows
eyes were full of tears, and the bright
curls that crept out from his hat were
damp with moisture. A few minutes
later she opened the broad back gate,
and went to the kitchen door. Farmer
Keeps housekeeper-an old woman with
yellow nightcap, and check apron tied
over her linsey wool skirt-answered her
knock.
''Do you want any help, or do you
know of any round here that does9" tim
idly asked the girl.
The old lady peered at her with dim
eyes. "No," said she. "There amt
but four ON us-Farmer Keep and the
two hired men, and me. It's harvest
time just now, though, and 1 reckon
you'd find place in the village"
"Thank you. Bennie, here, my little
brother, is tired, for we walked from the
depot. Can you let us come in and rest
awhileY"
''Sartin you can."
The sight of the child touched the
heart of the woman, and they went into
the large kitchen, and sat down in the
flag -bottomed chairs, while, with glow
ing cheek, the girl cast about in her
mind for the best manner in which to
present her petition for food. Before
she had decided the master of the house
suddenly entered the kitchen, for it was
nearly dinner time. He was q large,
muscular, broad chested, sun-burned
man, with hard, gloomy expression on
his face, where fifty years were now be-
ginning to write their history. He stood
still with surprise, gazing ON the new
occupants of the kitchen and the boy
drew close to his sister, and the girl
threw up timid, frightened glance into
the gloomy face.
"You don't know Of anybody here that
wants little help, do ye, farmer 2"
asked the woman. "Here's a little girl
that wants place, and as she's walked
from the depot, told her she might
come in and rest bit before she went
up into the village to try her luck !"
"No," shortly answered the farmer
"Dinner ready2" And the rich man
turned away without one gentle or kind
look for two homeless children whom
God had brought to his door.
"Lucy, Lucy, don't stay here. I'm
afraid" And the little boys lip curled
and quivered as he turned his face from
the farmers.
"Lucy, Lucy" how those little,
trembling tones went down, down, down,
into the mans hard heart! How the dead
days of his youth burst out of their graves,
and rushed through his memory at that
low, broken, Lucy, Lucyl" He turn
ed and looked at the girl not sourly, as
before, but with kind and eager ques-
tioning interest.
"What's your name ?"
"Lucy Wheeler, sir"
He staggered back and caught hold of
the nearest chair. "And what was your
mother's9" "Lucy Reid. She used to
live at Meadow Brook. So came here
to get work she told me to before she
died."
At that moment the angels looked
down and saw the seed that had lain for
two-score years in the heart of Justin
Keep, spring up, and the flower blossom
in the wilderness. He strobe across the
kitchen to the bewildered girl. He
brushed back her bonnet and turned her
face to the light. He could not be mis-
taken. 1t was the one framed and hung
in the darkened room of his soul. The
blue eyes of Lucy looked again in his
own. At that moment the little boy
fully in the mans face. Farmer Keep
sat down and took the child in his arms.
He tried to speak, but, instead, great
sobs came and heaved his strong chest.
The trio in the kitchen gazed at them in
mute astonishment.
"Lucy's children, Lucy's children !"
he murmured at last. in voice whose
tenderness was like that of a mother.
"God has sent you to me. For her sake
this shall be your home. For her sake
I will be father to you"
Five years after, Cora wrote to me :
"We are having fine times now, dear
Cousin Jennie, and mauma wants to
know if you do not need to renew
your cheeks amongsthe dews of Meadow
Brook. Uncle Charlie is with us, and if
you were also, our happiness would be
complete.
"Lucy Wheeler-you remember her
has the place in my heart next to yours.
Her disposition is as lovely as her face,
and that is saying a great deal, for its
sweet beauty does one good to behold it.
Farmer Keep seems to idolize her and
Bennie. He is a charming man now.
He goes to church regularly every Sab
bath. He spares no pains or expense in
Lucy's education, and she will be an ac-
complished woman. She is here very
often, and have suspicious that Uncle
Charlie-but no matter, 1 will not trust
this to you and paper.
But now, Jennie, what a lesson has
all this taught me. How has it deep
ened NV faith in God and humanity