Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-09-06

MI AhA - ShofS chAk SAAhS, OAC CuA 7
Heron's Hill, the village where hi
name was standing reproach. III
knew nobody would believe in his sol
row, and his remorse cut deep as b
realized how much his own waywar
career had helped to break down hi
mothers health.
Never deliberately wicked, homes
and truthful, he was too fond of goo,
company, too indolent, too easil,
influenced by the temptation of tn
moment to resist love of drink and
its trainof evils. But he did no
drink te drown this misery of selfre.
fsroacfi and loneliness. To drink, he
must face acquaintances, go through
the village streets to the''ale saloon,'
where ale was certainly not the strong
est drink handed over the bar.
And Tom craved solitude. Lying
on his face in the rank summer grass,
he pictured his life to come, sinking
lower and lower. He had not paid
too great heed to his mothers pray
ers and petitions, yet he realized that
mother-love and home influence had
saved him from deeper degradation
to come. And Elsie! The one ten
der spot in Toms heart held Elsie in
a sacred shine. Her blonde beauty
was simply angelic to Tom, and her
soft and tender voice had led him
from evil more than once. Well,
mother was dead! Elsie would 90
to Maggie, ''of eourse;" home was
closed. He would go take one look
at the darkened room where his lips
had last pressed his mothers, and
then
Tom shuddered.
Then loneliness, temptation, des-
pair! What mattered it to any what
became of him now?
So he went home, slowly, with sui
len 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
look restored, where there had been
the confusion of long illness, the der
ISOLATION of death. He went into the
sitting room, where the windows were
once more open, and there a little
figure stood waiting. Not cloaked
and bonneted for farewell, but with a
white apron over the black dress,
white collar and cuffs, bow of black
II am so glad you have come,
rom." was his welcome; ''tea is all
ready"
s'rea, Elsie! II thought you
had gone to Maggie's hours ago."
Il am not going to Maggie's."
Not going to Maggie's. Why,
where are you going? Who will take
care of you?'
The little figure came very close to
Tom $. side, The fair head rested on his
breast, the sweet, sad face was lifted
to his, and Elsie:
''Will not you take care of me,
TOm?"
A great rush of born true man
illness choked Toms voice. A sud
den sense of mans protecting power
filed 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 quiveringly. Then he said:
"God help me, Elsie, to take care
ofyou, if you will trust yourself to
mel
1t was prayer with a promise, and
Jane, wiping her eyes as she softly
returned to the kitchen, after hearing
all, unseen, murmured: ..,
at will be the 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
armchair, where, with Elsie beside
him, he talked over their dead, very
solemnly and lovingly.
But the next day the first trial
came. Nobody was exactly willing
to take Tom Conald into employment.
He was good workman at his trade
a cabinet-maker's, but a ''ne'er-do-
WE'LL" not to be trusted as steady, apt
to disappoint customers. All day he
tried in vain to get work, returning
home dull and disheartened.
But Elsie was not discouraged l.
There were a few hundred dollars II
the bank, willed to Tom by his moth
er, despite Roberts remonstranee,
and when that was gone her owl
small fortune could be commanded
She cheered him up by every kind
loving word her tender heart suggest
ed, and then a great plan was pro
posed.
Elsie fairly trembled as she mad
it, but she had given it hours Q
thought and prayer, and ventnred;
suppose you take. that money
Tom and open q furniture store c
your own. There is none at Heron
Hill, and we have to go to Me
even o chair.
A store of his own! Ambition wi
key note never before touched