Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-02-07
The Baby in the Brown Cottage.

Inc DHDy Ill IHt DTONn NOttHpes
A small brown cottage stood on the road
side, opposite an old mill. From the door
you could see the great wheel slowly turn
ing The millers family lived in the brown
cottage. Shall tell you how many were in
this family? Just three.
There was no mother in the miller's brown
cottage only two little girls and a baby.
One month ago the mothers earthly life
failed and 6ickered, as you have seen the
light of a lamp when the oil was consumed.
Then it went out, and there were tears and
grief in the brown cottage.
As for the mother, sorrow and sickness
had made both heart and body weak For
long time before she died, great shadow
rested on her life-a shadow that grew
darker day by day But she was loving and
holy, and, in His own good time, the Lord
closed her fearful eyes in this lower world
that He might open them in heaven. And
so she went to dwell with angels.
"Where was the babys father ?" hear
asked. "Did he not love and care for it
and for his two little girls also ?"
said that shadow rested on the poor
mothers heart--a shadow that grew darker
every day. Such shadows rest on many
hearts. The miller had once been the kind
est of husbands and the tenderest of fathers
What had changed him Drink you know
too well what that means.
Once he took a glass of beer only now and
then not that it made him feel any better
but really worse, for it produced a heavi
ness of head and limbs that was very un
pleasant while it lasted. Sometimes head
ache was the consequence. But others drank
beer, and he joined in the useless and un
safe custom.
After while, this unwholesome stuff SC
changed the healthy, natural state of hi,
stomach, that it began to crave the bitter
and stimulating draught. Then he drank
oftener which, of course only made it worse
increasing the unhealthy condition, and
likewise the craving thirst that could never
be satisfed--no not even with beer and sc
at times whiskey, gin, and brandy wert
taken. These lead to ruin by quicker way
than ale or beer because they are NOR,
fiery and burn with fiercer flame.
You can understand now why a shadow
had rested on the mother of these children
and why it had grown darker every day.
The baby was yearold. Hesteror lIetty
as she was called, had just passed her tentl
birthday and Mary was seven. So young
and motherless.
At first thought, it seems as if it woulC
have been better for them to be fatherles
also But God knows what is best always
| His tender care was over these little ones
and over their father, too.
Now that baby was one of the lovelies
things alive-so sweet and pure ; so gentle
and yet so full of infantile joy; and so win
ming in all his ways that none could he'll
loving him.
This neighbor and that offered to TAX
him when his mother died but Hetty, VIII,
had seemed to grow into a woman all a
once, said, No. no; can't part from baby
Then lady who had no children took tn
half-drunken, wretched father aside, an,
talked to him until he consented to let he
have the baby and bring him up as her own
She wanted to carry him right off, but tn
miller said, No, not until tomorrow"
Better let me take him now," urged tn
lady.
For Hetty's sake the miller repeated hi
"No." He knew how great was her low
for the baby, and there was enough OF ter
derness left in his heart to keep him fror
adding this to her grief on the day of he
mothers burial
Now it happened that Hetty unknown t
her father and the woman, had heard wha
passed between them. At first she was a
most beside herself with pain. 1t was a
much as her heart could bear to lose he
mother, and she felt that to take baby ais
would, as she said afterward, "just kill her,
The funeral over, all the neighbors wen
home, except two, more tender-hearted an
pitying than the rest. 1t seemed cruel t
them to turn their backs upon these tw
little girls and the sweet baby left motherles