The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-03-09

in his fingers, the eyes of young Miss
Genevieve grew more and more eager
Her little kid-gloved hand extended it
self, clasped the bit of currency, and then
she departed, leaving no glance behind.
Joshua Flanders gazed after the dainty
little body, and his countenance grew
more lugubrious than ever.
1t wasn't nice thing for this poor
husbandman to think that his brother,
his sister-in-law and his sister-in-law's
sister, their children, their men-servants
and maid servants, and every one within
their gates, cared nothing for him, save
only and so far as he could minister to
their greediness for these bits of curren-
cy that made plethoric the pockets Of his
capacious vest.
Ho wouldn't have cared so much If
only he could have found Kitty, his poor
long-lo sister-if he could only have
relieved her misery, could have shielded
her from poverty and want and wretch
edness with these bits of currency which
he was compelled to squander upon these
other relatives of his, who needed not his
help or generosity. AT this moment she
might be starving, she and her children,
for perhaps there was this addition to her
wretchedness-might be dying OF want
only few blocks away. And poor JOSH
ua sat down on the bed, and plunged his
hands in his scant gray hair and groaned
in spirit. He could see the wretched
garnet in which they lived, the dilapidated
walls that sheltered these loved ones, its
broken and decayed appointments he
could see Kitty, once so beautiful and
rosy and blessed, now well on in years, a
pale, cadaverOus. horror haunted, des-
perate woman.
He got upon his feet and walked up
and down.
go most merciful God" he cried,
"give me to find my poor sister, my long
lost Kitty
And Mrs. Bixby, who had gone up to
see if he was ready, turned on her heel
and went down stairs again.
eff he was worth the mines of Col
conda," said Mrs. Bixby to her sister
Jane, when she reached the back parlor
again, should have had to tell him
what thought of him-what poor mis-
cradle fool of an idiot he was
81 hope you'll remember, Maria, F"
said Jane, "that the welfare of my inno-
cent children depends upon your pru-
denee. He's in that state of mind now
that he might leave his money in charity
or any other dreadful way"
"Well, for PHYS sake" said Mrs.
Bixby, let's get through with to-day,
and, thank Heaven, tomorrow he'll be
well on his way westward. l do hope
and pray he'll never come on here
again.
Singularly enough, Mr.. Moody chose
for his text the subject of uncertainty as
to what day would bring forth.
They had not been able, after all, to
gain what Maria called the body of the
building. The vacillation and mourn
full hesitancy of Uncle Joshua had de-
layed them in various ways, SO that
when they reached the big edifice the
doors were already open, and, instead of
the comfortable body of the building
that Marie coveted, they were thrust
into far-off ganglion or nerve of the
monster.
So that half of the sermon was lost
upon Jane. She could see the quick,
emphatic gestures of Mr.. Moody, dis
tinguished here and there whole SEN
fences, and then lost the thread of it all.
But Joshua was fortunately one of the
few human beings--only one out OF four
of the whole human race-who have
their full normal hearing.
Many time when sitting upon his
veranda away out in his Western home,
when the sweet summer day was sinking
dreamily into the tender arms of night,
in IA moment of sunset glow and hush
and infinity of solitude, when the frogs
ceased to croak and the crickets to chirp,
Joshua Flanders could hear the mourn
full howl of the coyote miles and miles
away, and the light tread of rabbit
close by.
So that he never lost word of Mr.
Moody's sermon. The practical and
plain but decisive preacher told Joshua
that there was no Knowing what day
might bring forth, in such graphic and
forcible way that the poor old gentleman
began to be invigorated with hope,
stirred up, worked upon by Mr. Moody's
in something the like way
that galvanic battery pours into the
deadened muscles short but strong
dose of lie.
The religion of his life vas to find his
poor, forsaken, and widowed sister-she
that was abused and cas5 forth from her
fathers house, and her name unknown
there for years she thai was the victim
of this miserable politician and wire
puIler, who was fortunately killed in
bravl at last-it was his religion to seek
out and find this bruised and broken
reed and, inspired by the eloquence of
Mr.. Moody, Joshua began to look about
him with the hope that he might find
her there that very day.
There were at east 5,GGO people gath
cred shere, and among them many a
pale, spiritless face caught heeting
glow ct relief, and raised itself to the
voice of the preacher; others sank.
trembling and suppliant, and among
these WAS one that attracted Joshua.
Her head was bowed upon her thin and
trembling hands-it seemed as if she
had scarcely strength enough to hold it
upright. Her shawl of rusty black,
her shabby Grape veil, the darned and
faded gloves upon her hands, gave
Joshua 10 believe that she was IA widow
and miserably poor Something in the
turn OF her shoulders had seemed
familiar to him her height, as she stead