The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-11-06

And Tom craved solitude. Lying on
his face in the rank summer grass, he
pictured his life to come, striking lower
and lower. lie had not paid too much
heed to his mothers prayers and petit
tions, yet he realized that mother-love
and home influence had saved him
deeper degradation to come. And Elsie
The one tender spot in Toms heart held
Elsie in sacred shrine. Her blonde
beauty was angelic to Tom, and her
soft hand and tender voice had led him
from evil more than once. Well mother,
was dead. Elsie would go to Maggie,
"of course;" home was closed He
would go tame one look at the darkened
room where his lips had last pressed his
mothers, and then
Tom shuddered.
Then loneliness, temptation, despair.
What mattered it to any one what be-
came of him now?
So he went home slowly, with sullen
brow and bowed head He did not look
about him, as he entered the entry of
the cottage, where doors, front and
back, admitted the evening air He did
not notice the home-boolx restored where
there had been the confusion of long
illness, the desolation of death lie went
into the sitting-room, where the win
dows were once more open, and there a
little figure stood waiting. Not cloaked
or bonneted for farewell, but with u
white apron over the black dress, white
collar and cuffs, bow of black ribbon
in the fair waving hair-a home figure
" | am so glad you have come, Tom, -
was his welcome; tea is all ready"
" Tea Elsiel II thought you had
gone to Maggie's hours ago"
g am not going to Maggie's"
=" Not going to Maggie ? Why,where
are you going? Who will take care of
you ?"
The little figure very close to Toms
side the fair head rested on his breast,
the sweet, sad face, was lifted to his and
Elsie said.
"Wil you not take care of me,
Tom ?'
A great rush of newborn true manli-
ness choked Toms voice. A sudden
sense of mans protecting power filled
his very soul as he looked down at the
tender, confiding face. He did not
speak until his arms closed about Elsie
tightly, his lips pressed hers quivering-
ly. Then he said:
God help me, Elsie, to take care of
you, if you will trust yourself with
me.''
1t was prayer with promise, and
Jane, wiping her eyes as she softly re-
turned to the kitchen, after hearing all i,
unseen, murmured:
I" 1t will be saving of him.
The tea-table was temptingly spread,
and Tom was hungry and weary
There was no temptation after tea was
over to leave the wide-armed chair,
where, with Elsie beside him, he talked
of their dead, very solemnly and low
ingly.
But the next day the first trial came
Nobody was exactly willing to take
Tom Conard into employment. He was
good workman at his trade, cabinet
maker, but a never-do-well, not to be
trusted as steady, apt to disappoint Gus
toners. All day he tried in vain to find
work, returning home dull and dis
heartened.
But Elsie was not discouraged. There
were few hundred dollars in the bank
willed to Tom by his mother, despite of
Roberts Iemonstrance, and when that
was gone, her own small fortune could
be commanded. She cheered him up
by every kind, loving word her tender
heart suggested, and then great plan
was proposed.
Elsie fairly trembled as she made it,
but she had given it hours of thought
and prayer, and ventured:
Suppose you take that money, Tom
and open furniture store of your own.
There is none on Heron's Hill and we
have TO go to N for even q chair :"
A store of his own Ambition was a
key note never before touched in Toms
heart. A store of his own What would
Heron's Hill say TO that ? And if he
had such weight of responsibility as
the care of Elsie and store of his own,
he would not have any temptation to
idleness, or worse.
Elsie, watching his face, said, pres
emily: